21 days - where to go?

[orenbvip]

Ok so im taking 2 months to travel/dive I am on a tight budget (100ish) a day. Saw I can only stay in P for 21 days with a visa onarival which is around how much time i want to spend. Thinking of coming jan 30th/feb 1st to the 21st. flying from Singapore . Should I fly into Manila or Clark and more importantly were should I go to get the most bang for my buck? would like to do at least 2 dives a day. easy/cost of travel is somewhat important but best diving for that time is the most important.

Thinking a week in Malapascua a week in PPG and 1 week somewhere else? give or take 2 days on either ends for travel. Would also be nice to see a whale shark as i have yet to see one.

Lastly should i start in clark/cebu and fly some out somewhere else?

Before I head there ive book 10 days in Pula Weh, and 1 week in Lembeh and 1 week in Bunaken. Afterwards I plan to do a week in Sipidan.


Thanks in advance.

 

[Centrals]

To maximize your time in diving and cut out unnecessary travelling, CEBU is the obvious choice. Unless you really want to see those wrecks in Subic.
From Cebu you can branch out to literally all the best diving areas that the region can offer: Alona Beach(Bohol), Dumaguette and Apo Island, Malapascua, Moalboal and Southern Leyte(whale shark in the right season).
Donsol would be a better choice for whale shark but getting there is time consuming.
However, if you have enough of coral reef diving then those wrecks in Subic would make a good alternative ie. bit of everything.
The night life in Clark(Angeles) is something else!!!!!!!! Might not be a bad choice to wind up a long diving trip if you still have any ENERGY left!

 

[CODMAN]

Agree with Centrals! Minimise travelling time and cost ($$) by staying in the Visayas. That way you can hit several prime diving destinations while travelling little/ reducing expenses. I think 100$ a day for 2 dives and accomodations is definetly doable if you are carefull.

Have fun!

 

[slowhands]

The best entry point is Manila, with the most flights in. Clark is not really busy, only a few domestic flights. Personally I fly into Cebu City direct, using Cathay Pacific. It saves a day of travel and hassle. My hub is Cebu, including Moalboal, Dauin, and a junket to Alona.

Puerto Galera is a good spot too, easily reached from Manila by van/banca. Good diving, a small wreck, nice coral, plenty of macro stuff too. Some night life at the Sabang discos.

 

[orenbvip]

Ok so fly into Cebu, How far are things from Cebu? what should be my route?

 

[eagerbeaver]

Ok so fly into Cebu, How far are things from Cebu? what should be my route?

Depends on your preferred destinations.

If you head to Bohol/Alona(1) first, you can then go directly on to Dumaguete(2) without going back to Cebu city, and from there you could visit Siquijor(3) as well as of course Apo Island(4). Then you head back to Cebu island and up the west coast to Moalboal(5), and back to Cebu City.

If you want to hit Malapascua(6) then there is no way to avoid making the trip there and back with Cebu City as the start and end point...its not on the way to anywhere! But it is well worth the trip.

You'd need to rush to do all of these points though, so I suggest picking 3 of the 6 and focusing on those, and factoring in that you'll need a days travel between each and a day off diving before you fly.

HTH.

Matt.

 

[CODMAN]

Also worth mentionning, if you don't want to visit a lot of different destinations, is to fly in to Manila and dive Anilao (2 hours from manila) and then Puerto Galera (another hour from there). Two prime dive destinations very close to each other. Even less traveling than hitting the different Visaya destinations, but only 2 "reef destinations" (Subic is for wrecks) as opposed to more places in the Visayas.

Just another viable option.

 

[sarahdee]

There's also Anda in Bohol. Less touristy than Alona Beach but the diving is amazing.

 

[Bubble Junky]

You can fly Singapore-Cebu with Cebu Pacific. And if you book on the net, you can select 'Sports Equipment Allowance' on the baggage - giving you a total of 30kg......

 

[orenbvip]

Yeah i think I will book a flight from KL to Cebu and start there. 3 weeks is all the time I can get on a Visa correct? Also if I come in feb 6th ish will it be busy because of Chinese New Years?