Kilili
Contributor
Just came back from 2 1/2 months diving Philippines, and this was one of my favorite places. Stayed 2 weeks.
Getting there. Fly to Manila, connect to Dumaguete, boat transfer to Apo Island. In Dumaguete, Nicanor Hotel only nice place to stay.
Apo Island has no running water, and electricity maybe 7-8 hours/day. All water brought from mainlant in 5 gal containers. Don't be put off by this. The rooms are nice, the food is good, the boat is great, and the people are wonderful. Nice beach, great sunsets. Sits in private cove, with rock walls either side, picturesque.
My photo interest is macro, don't pay much attention to much else. We [me and guide] hunted nudis, and found quite a few, more than the guides expected, but then they're not really nudi hunters. Photographed huge Jorunna, some 14-18 in long [no joke]. Big Nembrotha, biggest I have ever seen, maybe 8 in, and fat like sausages. Thousands of phyllodesmium briareum. Numerous other species, but I haven't catalogued my material yet. Definitely not the variety that Anilao presents, but very nice.
As my stay was in May, not many divers there, though other guests. My primary guide, Rene, was a delight to dive with. Since few divers, I got to pretty much arrange dives as I wished, and stay down til the air ran out. Lots of 90+ minute dives, with one shallow dive 165 min.
Highly recommend this place. After leaving, I went to Dauin, Bohol, Sabang. None were as good, and I usually got bored with the diving after about a week. Of those three, would only go back to Sabang, but that's more about the night life than the diving. In all three places, diving was far more regimented, resorts trying to sched 4 set dives during the day, with 60 min dive limits, frequently only 50. I'd rather do fewer dives with longer time.
In Dauin, I learned that the best macro site had been the wharf at the coconut factory, but diving was no longer permitted there.
Prior to Apo Island, I spent 18 days Anilao, but that's another story to tell.
Been diving Indonesia for past 5 years, and now Philippines looks like another good destination, though I'm still a bit biased towards Indonesia.
As always, the report above reflects only my own experience. Your mileage may vary.
Getting there. Fly to Manila, connect to Dumaguete, boat transfer to Apo Island. In Dumaguete, Nicanor Hotel only nice place to stay.
Apo Island has no running water, and electricity maybe 7-8 hours/day. All water brought from mainlant in 5 gal containers. Don't be put off by this. The rooms are nice, the food is good, the boat is great, and the people are wonderful. Nice beach, great sunsets. Sits in private cove, with rock walls either side, picturesque.
My photo interest is macro, don't pay much attention to much else. We [me and guide] hunted nudis, and found quite a few, more than the guides expected, but then they're not really nudi hunters. Photographed huge Jorunna, some 14-18 in long [no joke]. Big Nembrotha, biggest I have ever seen, maybe 8 in, and fat like sausages. Thousands of phyllodesmium briareum. Numerous other species, but I haven't catalogued my material yet. Definitely not the variety that Anilao presents, but very nice.
As my stay was in May, not many divers there, though other guests. My primary guide, Rene, was a delight to dive with. Since few divers, I got to pretty much arrange dives as I wished, and stay down til the air ran out. Lots of 90+ minute dives, with one shallow dive 165 min.
Highly recommend this place. After leaving, I went to Dauin, Bohol, Sabang. None were as good, and I usually got bored with the diving after about a week. Of those three, would only go back to Sabang, but that's more about the night life than the diving. In all three places, diving was far more regimented, resorts trying to sched 4 set dives during the day, with 60 min dive limits, frequently only 50. I'd rather do fewer dives with longer time.
In Dauin, I learned that the best macro site had been the wharf at the coconut factory, but diving was no longer permitted there.
Prior to Apo Island, I spent 18 days Anilao, but that's another story to tell.
Been diving Indonesia for past 5 years, and now Philippines looks like another good destination, though I'm still a bit biased towards Indonesia.
As always, the report above reflects only my own experience. Your mileage may vary.
