Bohol/Dumaguete/Yap? Other great spots in Philippines?

[viva1]

We're planning a 2-3 week trip to Micronesia/Philippines for March, 2013. We like beautiful coral and colorful fish. The big stuff is nice, but not as important (except for the mantas--we love them). We don't like a lot of current. We like to snorkel as well, and are interested in local culture and sights.

I've spoken with a fellow at MDA Guam and he suggested going to Yap first to see the mantas and then to Bohol and Dumaguete for beautiful reefs and some muck diving. (He said that Palau, where we were first planning on going, tends to have lots of current.) This sounds good, but we don't know enough about the Philippines to know if these are the best places for our interests. Where are the most beautiful dive areas in the Philippines? If we have 3 weeks (and want to go to Yap for four days of it), how would you divide up time in the Phillipines? All suggestions are welcome. Thanks.

[Centrals]

I would just spend all the time in Philippines.
For three weeks you can cover Bohol, Dumaguette, Malapascua(Thrasher shark and Devil ray) and Southern Leyte(whaleshark).
It is very straight forward going to Bohol and Dumaguette but you do need a bit of travelling to get to the last two mentioned places.

Palau is better than Yap.
There is also Manta at German Channel and every diver loves Blue Corner when the sharks come in for food(strong current).
Snorkelling in Jellyfish lake is also interesting. 3-4 days is never enough in Palau and liveaboard is the best way to dive Palau.

However, if you want to stick to your original plan then Bohol and Dumaguette are good enough. And if you still have some spare time, try Moalboal on Cebu Island.

[Rogersea]

Sounds like you are crrently stationed on Guam, if that is the case I would spend my time getting to know the Palau, Truk even Saipan. I spent 8 years on Guam and the diving there and in the Mariannas/Micronesia, "at the time" rivaled anything that I have seen "any where" since.


I am currently in the Visayas in the Philippines, and of course I would love for you to come visit us, but you should be able to stay close to Guam and enjoy the same quality of diving.

If on the other hand you are not stationed on Guam(I got that idea because you mentioned MDA), Then the Philippines is a great choice because you can visit many different geographic locations on one trip. I would be happy to discuss the many options via PM or email if you like.

Cheers,
Roger

[viva1]

NO, I'm not in Guam, but in California. I know Yap is out-of-the-way, but I would really love to see all of the mantas there, so it may be worth it. Someone I spoke to thinks the Atlantis Resorts in Damaguete and Puerta Galera are great. She didn't have much to say about Bohol (I'm not sure if she has been there). Have you been at all of these places? For gorgeous fish and coral and not a lot of current, where would you recommend in the Philippines? We'll probably have a little over 2 weeks there, so could go to 2 or 3 places, perhaps.

[Centrals]

Anilao and Puerto Galera.
Anilao is for macro and current tends to be managable. Everything is resort based and there isn't much alternative!!
The vis in PG is suck and the current can be brutal around New moon and Full moon so pick your time carefully. Make sure you go to Verde Island.
Bohol/Moalboal and Dumaguette.
Moalboal for the the huge school of sardines and also whalesharks have been spotted right now!!
Bohol and Dumaguette need no introduction here.
For one of the best corals in the country, you have to go to Southern Leyte(Sogod Bay).

Malapascua and Southern Leyte would be my suggestion if you do not mind the travelling.

[Rogersea]

NO, I'm not in Guam, but in California. I know Yap is out-of-the-way, but I would really love to see all of the mantas there, so it may be worth it. Someone I spoke to thinks the Atlantis Resorts in Damaguete and Puerta Galera are great. She didn't have much to say about Bohol (I'm not sure if she has been there). Have you been at all of these places? For gorgeous fish and coral and not a lot of current, where would you recommend in the Philippines? We'll probably have a little over 2 weeks there, so could go to 2 or 3 places, perhaps.

I dont think you could expect the same Manta experience anywhere like the one in YAP.

I have dived in both Puerto Galera(PG) and Dumaguette. I have never stayed with Atlantis, but here they run a fine operation. Puerto Galera was OK. The diving in Dumaguette specifically APO ISland is great for nice reefs and fishes as are many other places in the Visayas. I think if you are adventurous you can book yourself into some really nice resorts. Since you are starting your planning early you have plenty of time to do research. What I have found is that the quality of the resort is often equal to their responsiveness to your emails.

I have dived Bohol many many times and it is quite nice, and there are many terrestrial diversions should you have to sit out for a couple of days due to clogged ears or a cold.

Cebu is very nice and has several locations that you can choose from, Malapascua, Mactan and Moalboal.


Finally for easy diving in the Philippines (small current beautiful coral gardens) I think that the Visayas is the right place to start.


I have been and dived in most dive destinations in the Philippines (except APO REEF and Tubataha SP) so if you have any specific questions I would be happy to answer them via email or PM..

[Krazytomdiver]

Lived/worked in Yap for (3) months ane would never go back. After dive guiding in Palau for a year,every thing else is just diving. Foe all around good diving in a easy traveled area I would pick Cebu,Bohol.and Sogod bay in PI. I currently live on Alona Beach,Pangao,Bohol diving with Seaquest which has (3) dive centers,here,Moalboal,and Malapascua. For your dollar,security and topside entertainment,come to the Philippines!

"Living life without a hard bottom"

KT

[travelpro]

Hello Fello Californian,

I've been to the Philippines 3 times, once in PG and twice in the Visayas. I will be in the Visayas again in November 2012. I love Bohol. Its my favorite spot so far and though diving is my main interest I have other reasons in addition to the diving why I love Bohol. My reasons may not interest you so if you tell us what your priorities are, people here can help you narrow your choices.

Where are the most beautiful dive areas in the Philippines?

Do you mean strictly underwater? And beauty is in the eye of the beholder. You will get many different responses unless you specify.

If we have 3 weeks (and want to go to Yap for four days of it), how would you divide up time in the Phillipines? All suggestions are welcome. Thanks.

If it were me, I'd pick Bohol and 1-2 other locations in the Visayas

I've never stayed at Atlantis Resorts because I'm not a fan of AI but I've heard nothing but positive things.

You can PM me if you have specific questions about Cebu, Bohol, Moalboal and Malapascua. I'd be happy to share my experiences.

Cheers!

[Sara_PhilTech]

We're planning a 2-3 week trip to Micronesia/Philippines for March, 2013. We like beautiful coral and colorful fish. The big stuff is nice, but not as important (except for the mantas--we love them). We don't like a lot of current. We like to snorkel as well, and are interested in local culture and sights.

I've spoken with a fellow at MDA Guam and he suggested going to Yap first to see the mantas and then to Bohol and Dumaguete for beautiful reefs and some muck diving. (He said that Palau, where we were first planning on going, tends to have lots of current.) This sounds good, but we don't know enough about the Philippines to know if these are the best places for our interests. Where are the most beautiful dive areas in the Philippines? If we have 3 weeks (and want to go to Yap for four days of it), how would you divide up time in the Phillipines? All suggestions are welcome. Thanks.

Greetings!

This is Sara from PhilTech Divers. Philippines is the best Diving Destination for you.

Anilao, Batangas, Philippines is a very popular spot for diving and is known worldwide. The waters are rich with marine life, abundant of corals and amazing diversity of fishes to explore.

Anilao, Batangas is one of the world-class diving spots in the Philippines. The dive sites in Anilao are excellent sites for photography because of the good visibility of marine life and diversity of fishes. From Ligaya Resort, we can have a short boat-ride for island hopping and arrange for a dive tour and visit the superb diving spots, coves and islands like the Sombrero and Maricaban Islands. Along the coasts of Anilao, you have plenty of dive sites to choose from.

We offer affordable Accommodation and Diving Packages for clients and special discounts can be availed for large groups. Our diving rates include use of speed boat, use of our tanks and fills, use of weights and belt, and the service of our in-house Dive Masters and Dive Pass (daily marine conservation fee).

Villa Ligaya Resort is a must-stay, after your recreational dive. Rest assured that our friendly staff will pamper you while keeping you safe on all your diving activities and our chef will captivate you with our famous Ligaya buffet, with various choices, all complementing one another.

Dive with us at your own pace. Rent a boat and spent time at the sea as you please. We even pack lunches should you wish to enjoy the day out on the surrounding beach islands.

Our dive station caters to recreational and technical divers. We provide rebreathers as well as training for all levels of certification. Our highly skilled Dive Masters can show you the splendor of Anilao’s rich coral gardens or take you down to a challenging cave dive on the famous shark reef.

Come and experience a vast marine sanctuary here at the heart of a world class diving spot. Villa Ligaya will take care of you.

You can contact me at sara@philtech.net for more details. We'll be very delighted to help you with your diving needs.


Thanks,
Sara Tuazon
PHILTECH: Scuba and Technical Diving in the Philippines
Villa Ligaya Home Page

[Sorrows]

If you're going to Yap, why not Palau? It's pretty much a hop-skip and if mantas are your interest, they have lots in German channel. I know everybody has their own idea of "strong currents" but aside from the corners (Blue and Pelileu) I didn't find them all that bad. And every diver should try Blue corner at least once--and the rest of Palau is fabulous as well. It isn't so great for macro, of course, although we saw plenty of leaf fish, mandarins, and assorted shrimp & crabs.

Sorry, didn't mean to muddle the waters. Also, IMHO, three weeks isn't so long that I would want to spend so much of it in an airplane. YMMV.