help me pick an Anilao resort

Hi guys,

I'll be arriving in NAIA July 10, Thu, almost midnight. So my friend and I will drive to Tagaytay, spend the night, then continue to Anilao Friday morning. OR, we could drive all the way, if the resort is OK with us arriving at 3:30AM. My departure from Manila is on Sunday at 6 PM, so I will get 2 half days of diving. I would rather spend this weekend in Anilao, than in Taipei.

Considerations:
- my friend is a non-diver; though he may want to do an intro dive
- Dive and Trek has a nice house reef, and a nice tambayan area, but it's farther from the Anilao dive sites, and less sheltered during rainstorms
- you need a banca to get to Dive and Trek - not possible at 3AM ...
- Aquaventure has a sheltered cove, good for possible sudden rainstorms, but the tambayan for my non-diver friend is not as nice, as I remember. I always used to stay at D&T...


The following weekend, July 18 Friday, I will come back again to Manila, this time for 4 days at either Anilao again, or Puerto Galera...

i'd reco Balai (home resort)...

very nice place to tambay, comfy, homey, great food and service

friend can do an intro dive right out in front (there's a nice coral mound)

you can also do shore entries to twin rocks (turn left) or bebot's (turn right) w/c can save you some $$ on the boat if you want to want to spread your money a bit further

it's also close to mainit, secret bay and arthurs

you can tell them i sent you :biggrin:

Jag

i've only tried aquaV and DnT as well.

another recommendation aside from Balai is solana...

I can only speak of two places there. I've stayed at both Arthur's Place and Eagle Point. Both are nice places and have great divemasters to lead your dives.

Eagle Point is more expensive ($80/nt) but the resort is superb! Many pools and TV for ur non-diver friend.

Arthur's Place is more home-feeling, but no TV or pool. Also, no credit cards taken there.

I'm arriving in Anilao July 15 and will probably stay a couple days at each of those resorts....unless someone else can pipe up and suggest a better place????

Just my two cents, but Club Ocellaris was top notch. Great food, excellent service. I didn't have a tv or pool, but didn't miss it as I was on the 4 dives a day plan Was just there last month.

I like Mayumi Resort. I would rather have cocktails there than dive. Food is excellent Mayumi's Site - Mayumi weekend June 28 to 29

I also like Solana and Balai and Arthur's too. You can't go wrong with either of the 4.