Anilao on the cheap?

Hey all!

Sorry - I know this has been asked before, but I'm just wanting to see if our specific wishlist is possible in Anilao. Basically my wife and I are wanting to get there for a week in January and to keep accom and food costs down while diving. We want to spend our money on getting wet, not on topside luxuries. We are perfectly happy with a fan room away from the beach and hot water is a bonus for us. The set up with Mikes at Dauin, for example, was perfect for us. We ate and dove with Mike and kept the cost down by staying at the cheap place next door.

Ideally, we'd like to pay 1200php or less per night for accom and 1100php or less for a boat dive (tanks and weights and a good macro critter spotter/guide).

Problem is, a lot of the all-in rates from the resorts are way over this.

From what I've read, paying for a banka with a guide for the day should run about 1800 for the boat/tanks/weights and about 1800 for the guide? That would be perfect. Is that right, though?

Would it be possible to just turn up in the 1st week of Jan with accommodation prebooked, and just walk around the dive shops and see who is keen? We did this in Bohol this year and it worked out well.

Any decent cheap places to stay that are an OK walk to the dive shops?

Is the first/second week (4th-11th) in Jan likely to be particularly busy?

Any recommendation for good guides who can find the little stuff for us?

Any other tips or ideas?

Thanks so much!

EDIT: 1100 per dive would be based on us doing 20+ dives with one place.

---------- Post added December 1st, 2013 at 05:33 PM ----------

Further to that, any opinion on this place?

anilao BACKPACKERS

---------- Post added December 1st, 2013 at 05:44 PM ----------

Oh! Also, an opinion on the 1500php cottages at 'divers pod' and use the dive shop at sea springs? That's an interesting looking combo too, but I can't find recent info. At the very least, I hope these extra questions are indicating the sort of experience we are after. Any and all suggestions welcome!

"Would it be possible to just turn up in the 1st week of Jan with accommodation prebooked, and just walk around the dive shops and see who is keen? We did this in Bohol this year and it worked out well. "

Walking around Anilao is not a option , the resorts are spread out and some only accessable via boat.
Cheapest i found was Portulano with there house reaf , but its still above your budget.shore dives where 950 and night-shore 1100
The Hillside fanroom was 2900 pesos.
Puerto Galera would be more to your liking budged-wise and diving is not bad.
Frank

Stayed in Anilao Backpackers. Really good place if on a budget. and the owners will let you know if other divers are joining so you can ssplit boat costs. The owners are all photographers too, so a good guide can definitely be arranged. Sometimes theyll join you! my last dive there, it was me and the owner doing 100minutes in a nice muck site right outside.

The rooms are very basic, just a bed and a small bedside table. 2 shared bathrooms downstairs. Meals are family style with all the other guests (maybe 15 people max). It's feel is more of a hostel than a resort, which is nice from time to time.