Boracay? or...

raintiger · Jun 18, 2005

Planing a trip to Philippines again. Did PG in May and had a wonderful time. Nice dive sites and friendly people.

Next trip will be in around early August and I am considering Boracay. But I know the diving is not as famous as the beach there. So I am also considering transfer to Dumaguete/Apo after staying in Boracay for two or three days. Can anyone tell me how to go to Dumaguete from Boracay (or Kalibo)?

Is early August the season for diving in Philippines? Any other suggestions for diving in Philippines. I can only spend 7-8 days there and hope I can spend less time on the way and more on diving.

Thank you.

happybuddha · Jun 19, 2005

raintiger,

August is not a good time for Boracay, the island faces west and the habagat (southwest monsoon) beats it pretty hard until October. I was in Boracay 3 years ago in August and the only diving is on the back side (not the best bits) of the island and the weather is always rainy and not very pleasant.

Other parts of the Philippines do not suffer as bad as they don't face west and are more protected. PG should be OK, but you said you have been there and want to go somewhere else (PG is a favor of mine, I personally would go back there). You can try Bohol (Pangalao Island) and Soutern Leyte, I've been to both in August (same year I was in Boracay) and they are diveable at that time.

Transportation to either Pangalao or Southern Leyte should be easy from Dumaguete, you should be able to get an Oceanjet ferry to Cebu and then take another Oceanjet to Tagbilaran, Bohol (1.5 hours) or Hilongos, Leyte (2 hours). Oceanjet has a website, http://www.oceanjet.net/.

From Tagbilaran its about 45 minutes taxi ride to Alona Beach on Pangalao Island (Pangalao is just across causeway from Bohol). Alona has a nice white beach and several choices for accommodation and diving. Balicasag Island is just offshore and a great dive site.

From Hilongos Pete's Dive Resort (www.whaleofadive.com) can arrange for you to be picked up, I seem to recall drive is about an hour to Padre Burgos, Leyte where Pete's is.

If you still want to go to Boracay, the fastest/most expensive way will probably be Oceanjet ferry to Cebu and then catch a flight to Caticlan (nearest airport to Boracay). I don't think their are any flight connections between Dumaguete and Cebu, but you could fly Duma-Manila then Manila-Caticlan

Cheapest/slowest way will be bus/jeepney up to northern Negros, ferry to Panay (not sure how habagat affects ferries) and then bus/jeepney to Caticlan.

Hope this helps and enjoy where ever you dive,
Drew

Hank49 · Jun 19, 2005

raintiger:
Planing a trip to Philippines again. Did PG in May and had a wonderful time. Nice dive sites and friendly people.

Next trip will be in around early August and I am considering Boracay. But I know the diving is not as famous as the beach there. So I am also considering transfer to Dumaguete/Apo after staying in Boracay for two or three days. Can anyone tell me how to go to Dumaguete from Boracay (or Kalibo)?

Is early August the season for diving in Philippines? Any other suggestions for diving in Philippines. I can only spend 7-8 days there and hope I can spend less time on the way and more on diving.

Thank you.

I've been to Boracay many many times and lived there for a year in 99. August can be a good month for diving on Boracay. It is the typhoon season and it rains more but the habagat (soutwest winds) are
milder than the amihan (northeast) winds of Jan-Mar unless a typhoon is passing nearby. And the rates are usually cheaper. I don't know your level of diving but Yapak 2, a site off the north end of Boracay is world class. I've been to Tubattaha, Sipadan, Roatan, Bali...and no spot in any of those places is better than Yapak 2. Strong current, lots of pelagics...unreal. I dived it over 100 times and never got tired of it.
To get to Dumagete from Boracay you can get a bus to Iloilo and fly to just about anywhere. Or take a ferry to Negros. It's an adventure but it's the Philippines. fun.
If you go to Boracay, pass by Fisheye Divers and tell Carlos and Peter that Hank said to "get to work and quit fartin' around".

Spoon · Jun 20, 2005

boracay is not known for their diving unless you like sand

clgsamson · Jun 20, 2005

Spoon:
boracay is not known for their diving unless you like sand[/QUOT

except for yapak 2 bro, that is if you hit the right spot to descend otherwise; go ahead and party in the sand.

Hank49 · Jun 20, 2005

clgsamson:
Spoon:

boracay is not known for their diving unless you like sand[/QUOT

except for yapak 2 bro, that is if you hit the right spot to descend otherwise; go ahead and party in the sand.

Click to expand...

If you missed the spot for Yapak 2, you had a junk boatman. When the currents on (low coming high) you line the crack in the rock wall on the north end of Boracay up with the two "breasts" in the back of it. And to the east, line the coconut tree up with the sand beach. Let the current do the rest. Just get down in the blue water quick to 30 meters because if you do blow by it from above there is no way back without using 1/2 of your tank.
And if you get some of the older guys there, get them to take you to Yapak 3. The wall continues and bends to the northeast. It's harder to find and you do it on a dropping tide by starting more over towards Carabao Isle. And there's Yapak 1, Laurel Isles are good for little stuff.
Crocodile Isle has lots to see. The day trip to Maniguin is really good too. Really nice walls. Boracay gets a rep for junk dives because there are so many beginner spots on the west side like Friday's and Lobster rock etc. But there's good diving there.

paolov · Jun 20, 2005

Hank49:
clgsamson:

If you missed the spot for Yapak 2, you had a junk boatman. ....

But there's good diving there.

Click to expand...

hahahhaha , right you are there, and that applies to most dive sites around the P.I. if you get a lousy boatman or DM, then your dive is either lucky to find a new site that you ar ethe first to find or lost near the planned dive site.

hehheheh, nice one, junk boatman....

chinadan · Jun 21, 2005

Well, having non-diving appendage brought me to Boracay many times. Went there in July last year and the beach was junked up due to a passing Typhoon....but who need beach anyway? Just WALK across the island to the other side and you will find calm conditions - although only small fish since that area is heavily fished by locals...coral are OK though.

Yapak II is the spot, hands down. I really enjoy that Boracay has such a bad reputation when I am ALONE IN THE WATER (w/ my DM) DURING PEAK SEASON. The whole ocean to yourself ain't to bad...

As for alternative dive sites...Crocodile Is. day and night is awesome, there is drift diving and some wall diving off Panay Is.

I am heading out to Panglao this weekend. I love Panglao for its serenity, lack of TVs and discos. Not as raunchy as PG and the diving is excellent.

f3nikon · Jun 21, 2005

chinadan:
I am heading out to Panglao this weekend. I love Panglao for its serenity, lack of TVs and discos. Not as raunchy as PG and the diving is excellent.

Amen to that!

paolov · Jun 21, 2005

chinadan:
I am heading out to Panglao this weekend. I love Panglao for its serenity, lack of TVs and discos. Not as raunchy as PG and the diving is excellent.

ah you said it SERENITY , however at times i need DVD to teach the PADI course :05:

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