Philippines Trip

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mccabejc

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Messages
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Location
Upland, CA
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Just returned from the Philippines last night. Spent a week in Manila with my fiance, visiting her family. However, because of typhoon Muifa, I didn't get to make my planned diving trip to Puerto Galera. Had to cancel the $100 shuttle ride from my hotel to Atlantis last week ($50 cancellation charge...OUCH) when the typhoon was forecast to pass Puerto Galera. Unfortunately, it stalled off Bicol all week, and every day they predicted it would pass south of Manila TOMORROW. It finally passed the day before we were to return to the US. A week of rain, then the sun comes out the day before we fly home. Geesh...

Anyway, we're going to be returning next year, and this time I want to pick a time when there's the highest chance of good weather, and plan to go somewhere with the best shallow reef diving. I was talking to some folks who have a house in Cebu, and they also recommended it as a great diving spot. Looks like we'll plan on a trip to Cebu to check it out.

I've searched thru the messages on this board, but it's tough to figure out where the recommended spots are located.

My guess is we'll start with Puerto Galera, then maybe fly to Cebu and check out the island for a few days. Can anyone give me some recommendations on shallow reef dive spots around Cebu?
 
mccabejc:
Just returned from the Philippines last night. Spent a week in Manila with my fiance, visiting her family. However, because of typhoon Muifa, I didn't get to make my planned diving trip to Puerto Galera.

Anyway, we're going to be returning next year, and this time I want to pick a time when there's the highest chance of good weather,


best weather would be from January to May. Best time to dive, warm waters, March to May, 2nd half of June south west moonsoon starts to pick up.

Shallow, in cebu, well moalboal shore line is Devastated by past dynamite fishing, so no good shallow dives here.

But the best shallow dive i did in cebu was in Dalaguete. thats is south of cebu city.

I got tanks from Scubaworld in cebu and drove to Dalaguete. there is no dive operations here. so i had to literally carry my gear and two tanks to the shore line. thru small walk paths via thorn bushes. Now that was an experience.

As soon as i got to the shoreline all the pain to get there VANISHED !!!!

the first i saw was a floating hut around 50 meters from the shore where local folk were hanging around. all with surprised look but a welcoming smile when they saw me.

next i noticed was the glistening bottom white sand !!! i readily geared up and went in. TO MY WONDERFUL SURPRISE !!! the sand bottom was at 40ft only , a FLAT BOTTOM. there were lots of rock mounds with small critters. Being an Aquarist, i enjoyed this area , very calm and very CLEAR !!!

on my S.I. i got to chat with the guys on the floating hut, they told me they are now hanging out there to make sure no one does dynamite fishing as i noticed down bellow the signs of dynamite devastation.

Another area i brought a tank in the shallow was in Danao area. this is covered with lots of sea grasses , lots of mandarin and boxer shrimps scurrying around them sea grass. my children and me had the experience to be able to be up close to an octopus. and i can say they really do have powerful Suckers!!!!! hehehehhehe...

so if you enjoy the shalllows and be more of a marine biologist watching small critters, i'd say get a tank ang just pick a spot at an area just aorund 2hrs away from the city :eek:)

Malapascua would be nice however i am pressed for time when i go to cebu , hence taking the trip to Bantayan to Malapascua would be too much a trip (LONG TRIP).

checked out some shores of camotes island, also devastated by dynamite and cyanide. even saw some sea creatures just getting hit by cyanide poisoning (must have been just a few hours earlier).

The good news is they are now trying to stop these destructive practices. so there is a silver lining ...

oh did i mention that i had no dive buddy , i had my kids snorkell above water as they were just 10yrs old and 6 yrs old then.


Cebu, i go to cebu last week of february, early October, and at times summer time.
and some times in between.

Oh by the way , a nice spot to enjoy the heat would be at KAWASAN FALLS !!!! just of moalboal. KAWASAN FALLS IS A BLAST !!!! i highly recommend it. just swimming here though
 
What a nightmare! Next year, dive in Cebu/Bohol first and you will skip Puerto Galera!
Actually the typhoons that ravage the Philippines slams in mostly on the northern part of the islands. Luzon is the hardest hit, the south, like Cebu/Visayas/Mindanao gets much less storms and more diveable days.

Who setup up your $100 shuttle to Puerto Galera? There is an air con. bus that leaves the Ermita dist. of Manila daily to PG for about $30 round trip. Which includes the ride to Batangas City then a fast ferry to PG, round trip.

paolov thanks for the info. about the 2nd part of June, I was not to sure what part of June was the cutoff. I plan to take the my kids to the Visayas on the first week of June, next year, right after the end of school. From my trips to the Visayas, primetime diving is at the end of a long dry season, clam seas and gin clear waters.
 
PaoloV: You must have had a bad experience n MoalBoal. I cannot understand why though. It is important not to confuse the Panagsama Beach shoreline with Pescador Island. Pescador is the main dive site in MoalBoal and has never failed to amaze me. It is a 15 minute boat ride away fro MoalBoal proper. They also have tongo point which is a sure turtle dive.

If you stay in Cebu city, Mactan island is just 30 minutes away. The boat ride to hilutungan island from there is only 20 minutes and that is a beautiful dive site. Nalusuan island is also right behind it.

If you have time to spend two nights in Bohol, Balicasag island is close by and is a beautiful site. This will not disappoint.

All these dives are as shallow as you want. I always tell my guests that we will go down to 80 feet just for formality but spend the dive at 60 - 20 feet.

Let me know if you need websites or contacts in Cebu.
 
partridge:
PaoloV: You must have had a bad experience n MoalBoal. I cannot understand why though. It is important not to confuse the Panagsama Beach shoreline with Pescador Island. Pescador is the main dive site in MoalBoal and has never failed to amaze me. It is a 15 minute boat ride away fro MoalBoal proper. They also have tongo point which is a sure turtle dive.
.

Pescador is exactly where i went diving. the moalboal shoreline i mentioned is the shoreline of mainland cebu, moalboal shore, not Pescador island.

So to clarify, Pescador is great diving, Wall diving that is. However the shoreline of Barangay Moalboal , where the resorts are built is where the devastation is.

Try going down at the shoreline and see what you see,. It made me very sad. :furious:
 
f3nikon:
paolov thanks for the info. about the 2nd part of June, I was not to sure what part of June was the cutoff. I plan to take the my kids to the Visayas on the first week of June, next year, right after the end of school. From my trips to the Visayas, primetime diving is at the end of a long dry season, clam seas and gin clear waters.


if the kids love the water, KAWASAN FALLS WOULD BE A BLAST FOR KIDS !!!!

from the main road you park at the parking space and do a 30 min trek up to the Main falls. Food and drinks are available as there are stores there.
 
f3nikon:
Who setup up your $100 shuttle to Puerto Galera?

I called the Atlantis and asked them about transportation, and they said they'd send a shuttle for $100USD round trip, including the ferry to PG. I rationalized it later, based on the distance, as being reasonable. But $30 is much gooder !!! :D
 
mccabejc:
I called the Atlantis and asked them about transportation, and they said they'd send a shuttle for $100USD round trip, including the ferry to PG. I rationalized it later, based on the distance, as being reasonable. But $30 is much gooder !!! :D


I take a regular service van, and it costs around Php 4,000 to and fro manila to batangas pier

and a boat transfer of php 2,500 (no waiting) from Batangas pier to PG,

that amounts to around $115.00
 
The main differences in the Sikat bus/ferry f3nikon speaks of and an Atlantis transfer (or any other PG resort transfer for that matter) are:

Sikat uses large tourist-type coach (bus) and if you aren't in Ermita already you have to get there. Van from resort picks you up where ever you want to go. Sikat bus goes to Batangas Public Pier and most resort vans go to Leah Beach.

Sikat bus connects to Sikat ferry which is a very slow boat that takes 2 hours to get to Puerto Galera town. You then have to organize a small banka (or have the resort pick you up for a charge) to ferry you to Sabang/Small/Big Lalaguna or take jeepney to Sabang over a rather rough (muddy depending on time of year) road-but a jeepney ride is a true Philippine experience.

The resort banka will be a large, fast banka that does the crossing in about an hour and goes directly into Sabang, Sm or Big Lalaguna-whereever you need to go. Also, your party will be the only passengers on the resort banka.

Sikat runs once per day (leaves Ermita and PG in mornings about 9ish) while resort transport is available 24 hours a day, whenever you want to leave-I have been picked up at airport at 11:30pm and arrived in PG at 3:00am.

If you are skint or want another true Philippine experience you can take public bus from several places in Manila or hire a taxi (about 1500-1800 pesos) then take the public ferry to Sabang. (100 pesos). I often do the taxi/ferry trip if I am traveling during daytime (last ferry leaves Batangas about 4:30), its faster (if you time ferry right) and more flexible than Sikat.

You can also go by seaplane for about US$350 (at least that was the price a couple years ago) one way per person.

In general, getting to PG is like most things in life, you get what you pay for.

Drew
 
Very good point hb but the money I save, by taking the Sikat, will be added to the tip for which I give to my guide/divemaster. There had been times (more than one) where my regulators including the high pressure guage was the tip for a great dive vacation!

Dive Safe
 
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