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Hi, I'm going to spend 3 weeks in the Phillipines in feb 04 and would really appreciate any info on these destinations:
* Donsol
* Southern Leyte, Padre Burgos and around
* Palawan
Anyone been to any of these places? Accomodation tips , experiences with dive ops etc. would be greatly appreciated!
Does anyone know how to get to Palawan from Cebu?
I dived Southern Leyte in August '02 and it was really good. Unfortunately I was not there during whale shark season (which is Jan-Jun I think) but I enjoyed the diving. The reefs are in great shape (which is not always the case in the Philippines).
The best dive resort to use is Peter's Dive Resort, http://www.whaleofadive.com/ie/index.html. Peter is an Australian married to a Filipina. Their operation is a little basic, but they really care about the environment and treat their customers well. They have a few rooms and cottages for guest.
I was in Donsol in March this year, and we managed to see loads of whale sharks. I would suggest you spend at least a few days there (as there was a day when we didn't spot any at all). We were there with Schöner Tauchen, a german travel agent that specializes in scuba diving. They do not offer the trip anymore as the german guide is no longer in the phillipines. It should be no problem arranging it yourself tough once you are in Donsol (fly to Manila, followed by a domestic flight to Legaspi, then hop onto a jeepney (taxi) that would take you to Donsol (about 1.5 hour ride depending on traffic from the Legaspi airport)). Once you are in Donsol look for the tourist office, and simply arrange for accomodation and a boat to take you out. The whaleshark safari works such that you sit on the boat the whole time, when a whale shark is spotted, the local guides shouts and you immediately jump in with your mask, snorkel and fins. It was really awesome!!
I am not sure if the whale sharks would be there already in Febuary though. We were told that the best sightings are between March and April.
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