4-week backpacking trip. Would appreciate feedback on my chosen diving locations!

[xzit]

Hi guys!

First time posting here.
I’m planning a 4-week trip to the Philippines and given the great diving possibilities I want to do a fair amount of diving and also get my AOW. I was hoping I could get some tips on where to spend my time.

Previous experience:
Got my OW in Honduras and then did 4 cavern dives in the cenotes in Yucatan, Mexico (Gran Cenote, Temple of Doom, Angelita and Dream Gate). Only 11 logged dives total, but I’d say I feel very comfortable in the water.

Budget/Accommodation:
I prefer to eat/sleep as cheap as possible and spend my money on cool experiences. Since I’ll be a solo traveler it would be great if it’s easy to meet other people, not looking for any hard partying though.

What I’d like to see:
Big fish, schools of fish, colorful corals, wrecks and wall dives. I’d absolutely love to do more cavern dives if there are any that don’t require a full cave dive cert. Diving the cenotes in Mexico totally blew my mind!

Non-diving activities:
I’m set on doing the Tao Expeditions from El Nido to Coron (or the other way around). The tour is 7D/6N and leaves on the 21^st or 29^th of Dec, which means I will have to be in either El Nido or Coron the day before. I also plan to explore Bohol, visiting the chocolate hills, do some spelunking and go to the Extreme Adventure Tour in Danao.

After doing a lot of research here’s a preliminary itinerary.

Fly into Cebu, go straight to Malapascua.
Malapascua:
Get AOW+nitrox, Monad Shoal for tresher shark, gato island, etc.

Back to Cebu, ferry to Bohol and then to Panglao Island.

Pangload Island:
Dive some sites around Panglao and Balicasag. Try fluoro diving!

Head inland for some non-diving activities on Bohol.
Ferry back to Cebu, catch a flight to Puerto Princesa, and then hop into a van and go to El Nido.

El Nido:
Spend a day checking out Bacuit Bay.
Embark on the Tao Expedition Tour -> Coron

Coron:
Wreck dives, Barracuda Lake, Cathedral Cave (if possible with only AOW), Apo Reef liveaboard.
Catch a flight to Manila. Fly back home.

So my first question is: Is this doable in 4 weeks?
And the second question is: is their anything I should skip/change? Would you do things differently?

Appreciate all the help I can get. Thanks in advance!

 

[Centrals]

After doing a lot of research here’s a preliminary itinerary.
Fly into Cebu, go straight to Malapascua.
Malapascua:
Get AOW+nitrox, Monad Shoal for tresher shark, gato island, etc.
Back to Cebu, ferry to Bohol and then to Panglao Island.
Pangload Island:
Dive some sites around Panglao and Balicasag. Try fluoro diving!
Head inland for some non-diving activities on Bohol.
Ferry back to Cebu, catch a flight to Puerto Princesa, and then hop into a van and go to El Nido.
El Nido:
Spend a day checking out Bacuit Bay.
Embark on the Tao Expedition Tour -> Coron

Coron:
Wreck dives, Barracuda Lake, Cathedral Cave (if possible with only AOW), Apo Reef liveaboard.
Catch a flight to Manila. Fly back home.
So my first question is: Is this doable in 4 weeks?
And the second question is: is their anything I should skip/change? Would you do things differently?
Appreciate all the help I can get. Thanks in advance!

I don't see any problem with your plan as long as you allocate your time carefully. It would be a rush though!!!
It is a long drive from Puerto Princesa to El Nido so I am more incline to suggest to give yourself extra day on travelling. BTW, have you heard the Underground River in Sabang in Palawan? It is on the way to El Nido and you might like to stop over for it!!
As for the Cathedral Cave in Coron, as fas as I know it is open to any level of divers!!! But you do need a light( extra one won't hurt). As for the Apo Reef trip, you should confirm with the operator first.
Happy trip.

 

[xzit]

I don't see any problem with your plan as long as you allocate your time carefully. It would be a rush though!!!
It is a long drive from Puerto Princesa to El Nido so I am more incline to suggest to give yourself extra day on travelling. BTW, have you heard the Underground River in Sabang in Palawan? It is on the way to El Nido and you might like to stop over for it!!
As for the Cathedral Cave in Coron, as fas as I know it is open to any level of divers!!! But you do need a light( extra one won't hurt). As for the Apo Reef trip, you should confirm with the operator first.
Happy trip.

Cool, thanks! If I get short on time I'll probably cut back on the diving in Bohol and maybe also skip Apo Reef.
Yes, I've heard of the underground river. I might stop and check it out if there's time.

Regarding Apo Reef, is it possible to just show up and find a liveaboard? Or is booking ahead pretty much a must? Also, is Apo Reef worth the hassle? Or am I better off just diving more wrecks and doing non-diving activities in Coron?

Thanks again

 

[Centrals]

1. Apo Reef is quite a distance from Coron.
2. The wrecks in Coron would be more interesting than more reef dive at Apo Reef especially you would had dived Bohol and Malapascua couple of wks earlier.
3. However, you might find some of those wrecks too deep(eg. Irako and Akitsushima are all over 30m deep) for your liking. Don't push yourself because you are not that experience.
4. Diving deep wreck means blue water ascent if you miss the line.

 

[xzit]

1. Apo Reef is quite a distance from Coron.
2. The wrecks in Coron would be more interesting than more reef dive at Apo Reef especially you would had dived Bohol and Malapascua couple of wks earlier.
3. However, you might find some of those wrecks too deep(eg. Irako and Akitsushima are all over 30m deep) for your liking. Don't push yourself because you are not that experience.
4. Diving deep wreck means blue water ascent if you miss the line.

Gotcha! I'll skip Apo Reef then.

 

[rob1967]

Xzit, your plan is good. Well-researched, and a good pace for 4 weeks. See how things go when you get to Coron. Maybe you will like the shipwrecks a lot, but if the chance presents itself, do give Apo reef a try, it is pretty awesome!

 

[xzit]

Thanks Rob! Glad to hear my itinerary isn't too crazy. Nice photos btw!

OT: Saw you're from Vancouver. Canucks fan? :thumbs-up

 

[rob1967]

Oh yeah, love the Canucks! Sedins, Edler, great Swedes! I must say I have lost a bit of interest in hockey now because I'm so obsessed with diving now. I will probably give up my hockey tickets after this year! I would much rather spend my money on diving! ;-)

 

[divetheplanet]

I can't think of a dive shop in Coron that won't take an AOW to dive at Cathedral Cavern. One point is that it is not a full on cave. Its more of an underground lake. You enter from a small shallow tunnel into a large room that is half filled with water. There is a short cave offshoot at the back. You spend half your time inside, we surface inside and watch the bats fly around for a few minutes and check out the formations. Then we exit and dive the reef outside. Its a beautiful dive, but its not like the caves in Mexico. The entrance is on the far side of Coron Island so good weather in necessary to get there.

 

[xzit]

Great! Sounds like a pretty cool dive.
Are there any more caves I should know about, either in Coron or in Bohol? I've heard of Colocoto Rocks and Paglugaban Cave, but in the youtube clips the divers have full cave diving equipment with two tanks etc. So I'm guessing they're off limits to me...