bill_oregon
Registered
First of all, I'd like to thank all of the previous posters who have reported on this area. The information was very useful and helped me greatly in planning this trip.
The sea life in the area has been well documented on this board, so I'm going to concentrate on the logistics of getting to the destination, my accommodations, and the dive operation. If this type of information interests you, please read on. Please note, I had been to Sabang about a year ago so I was not a total rookie.
I left Portland, Oregon on April 3rd, flying Delta Airlines. The first leg of the journey was a nonstop flight to Narita, Japan which took about 11 hours. From there, my 5 hour flight to Manila landed at about midnight on April 4th. After clearing customs in short order, I stopped by an ATM to get some pesos and then took a yellow taxi right outside the terminal to my hotel. The taxi cost 360 pesos plus a tip.
Based on information gleaned from this board, I spent the night in the Citystate Tower Hotel in Ermita. It's a very medium quality hotel. It's air conditioned and has wifi in some rooms and in the lobby. My rate included a very basic breakfast which was enough to get me started on the morning of April 5th. I was able to book the room on the web by placing a small deposit. The cost for the room and breakfast was 2,115 pesos.
The hotel is convenient because the Sikat bus and ferry to Sabang departs from right outside the front door at 8:30 AM. This can be booked at the Sikat desk in the hotel lobby. Their desk opens about 7 AM. I had sent them an email about a week before I left on this trip hoping to reserve a spot on the bus and ferry but I never got a reply. It was easy however to get my round trip ticket on the morning of the departure. The cost of the round trip bus and ferry combo was 1,600 pesos.
The bus was far from new but was air conditioned and comfortable. The onboard attendant could answer questions and she also had soda, water, beer and sandwiches for sale if you needed food or drink. The drive to the port of Batangas took about 2 hours. Upon arrival, there are porters available if you don't want to hassle with carrying your luggage. Sharpen up your negotiating skills because these fellows are very good at separating as many pesos as they can from you. I had 70 pounds of gear and clothing in 2 bags plus a small backpack. The porter took my 2 bags and placed them on the ferry for 150 pesos. Be advised, getting on the ferry requires walking on a gangplank. A young man would probably not have a problem with this, but I opted to take the easy way and have the porter schlep my bags.
The ferry ride on a large outrigger took about an hour and a half and then we docked at the pier right at the center of Sabang Beach. There were plenty of uniformed porters here too and I utilized one of them to transport my bags from the boat right to the hotel lobby. The porter cost 100 pesos for the 200 meter walk along the beach.
I was traveling solo so I avoided hotels with a single supplement upcharge. I chose the Sabang Inn and I went diving with the on site dive operation, Diver Dream. I had contacted them prior to leaving the States and they put together a package which included 9 nights of accommodations, a "divers breakfast" and 16 boat dives for 26,710 pesos. Additional dives were 1000 pesos per dive.
The hotel was just fine for me. I had my own tiled room which was air conditioned, clean and spacious. There was a nice flat screened TV, a desk with a power strip, a fan, a fridge, a security box and plenty of places to store clothes and gear. There was also a sitting area out in front of the room and a clothes line to dry things. I was able to get a decent wifi signal in my room as well as in the restaurant area. There was an small restaurant on the property and numerous others up and down the beach. I believe the hotel has 16 rooms. Please be advised that like many of the hotels in the area, this place is smoker friendly.
There were a few choices for the divers breakfast that was included in the room rate. I generally had eggs, potatoes, toast and coffee. It worked well to get me going each morning. In the restaurant area, there was drinking water, instant coffee and tea available during the day.
Apparently, the one ATM in town has been down for a few months, so getting cash would require a jeepney or motorbike ride in to Puerto Galera. For this reason I ate a lot of my lunches and dinners at the Sabang Inn because I could put them on my bill and pay with a credit card (5% upcharge) when I checked out. Again, this was convenient for me. Lunches and dinners were generally 250 to 300 pesos.
The dive operation was pretty straightforward. They typically scheduled 3 boat dives per day. There was a sign up sheet where you could write your name to participate in any or all of the days dives. If you signed up, your BC and regulator would be assembled and loaded on the boat by the DM or boat driver. The divers were responsible for their mask, fins, weights, etc. They could provide nitrox if requested but everyone I saw was diving with air.
Prior to the dive, a briefing was conducted in the gear up area. The dives generally lasted 60 minutes. Near the end of the dive, the DM would launch a SMB to alert the boat traffic that there were divers below. A surface marker buoy and a spool are good pieces of gear to have with you. On occasion, you might be separated from the DM at the end of the dive. FYI, the boats return to the hotel between dives with the exception of the Verde Island trip.
A note on water temperatures...... During my stay, my computer indicated temperatures between 74F and 79F. I was comfortable in a 5/4mm suit and I would not have wanted anything less. Some divers wore a 3mm suit and stated that they were ok.
The rinse tanks, gear boxes, BC and wetsuit hanging area were all close together and convenient. All gear was secured each night. A couple of shower heads and a toilet were also right there.
There were 2 boats used while I was there. During my stay, the larger covered boat was used for the longer trip to Verde Island. It was nicely set up with tank and gear stations. There was oxygen, a first aid kit and water onboard for the trip out to Verde. The large outboard engine got us there quickly. Please note that the Verde Island trip cost 3,100 pesos and was not part of the package.
For the dives near the resort, a simple open boat was used. Most sites are very close and the boat rides were usually just a few minutes long. There was nothing fancy here but the boat was functional. The divers would don their equipment with help if required, sit on the side of the boat, then on a count of three would simultaneously back roll in.
When it was time to get back in either boat, you could either hand up your gear (and camera) or climb back on board up the ladder with everything but your fins. Upon returning to the hotel, the crew would carry, rinse and hang up your BC and regulator.
There were 3 active local DM's during my stay. Two of these fellows had been at it for a while and were real pro's and excellent critter spotters. The third fellow was a newer DM, but still had a keen eye and did a very good job.
The return trip back home was basically the reverse of the journey to Sabang. You can check in for the ferry the day before, or on the day of departure. I stayed in the Citystate Tower Hotel again. Please note that there is a bar and restaurant very close to the hotel. Exit the front door of the hotel, make a left and then an immediate right. It will be on the right side. Total distance is about 50 meters. Go another 10 meters and there is a 24 hour 7-11 if you need water, soda, snack, small change, etc.
On my taxi ride to the airport, the driver attempted to do the trip without using the meter. I had been warned about this. He wanted 400 pesos for the trip. I got him to turn on the meter and the ride at 4AM turned out to be 160 pesos plus a tip.
Overall I was happy with the hotel, the dive operation and the food. For Coral Triangle diving, this was a nice, cost effective trip.
The sea life in the area has been well documented on this board, so I'm going to concentrate on the logistics of getting to the destination, my accommodations, and the dive operation. If this type of information interests you, please read on. Please note, I had been to Sabang about a year ago so I was not a total rookie.
I left Portland, Oregon on April 3rd, flying Delta Airlines. The first leg of the journey was a nonstop flight to Narita, Japan which took about 11 hours. From there, my 5 hour flight to Manila landed at about midnight on April 4th. After clearing customs in short order, I stopped by an ATM to get some pesos and then took a yellow taxi right outside the terminal to my hotel. The taxi cost 360 pesos plus a tip.
Based on information gleaned from this board, I spent the night in the Citystate Tower Hotel in Ermita. It's a very medium quality hotel. It's air conditioned and has wifi in some rooms and in the lobby. My rate included a very basic breakfast which was enough to get me started on the morning of April 5th. I was able to book the room on the web by placing a small deposit. The cost for the room and breakfast was 2,115 pesos.
The hotel is convenient because the Sikat bus and ferry to Sabang departs from right outside the front door at 8:30 AM. This can be booked at the Sikat desk in the hotel lobby. Their desk opens about 7 AM. I had sent them an email about a week before I left on this trip hoping to reserve a spot on the bus and ferry but I never got a reply. It was easy however to get my round trip ticket on the morning of the departure. The cost of the round trip bus and ferry combo was 1,600 pesos.
The bus was far from new but was air conditioned and comfortable. The onboard attendant could answer questions and she also had soda, water, beer and sandwiches for sale if you needed food or drink. The drive to the port of Batangas took about 2 hours. Upon arrival, there are porters available if you don't want to hassle with carrying your luggage. Sharpen up your negotiating skills because these fellows are very good at separating as many pesos as they can from you. I had 70 pounds of gear and clothing in 2 bags plus a small backpack. The porter took my 2 bags and placed them on the ferry for 150 pesos. Be advised, getting on the ferry requires walking on a gangplank. A young man would probably not have a problem with this, but I opted to take the easy way and have the porter schlep my bags.
The ferry ride on a large outrigger took about an hour and a half and then we docked at the pier right at the center of Sabang Beach. There were plenty of uniformed porters here too and I utilized one of them to transport my bags from the boat right to the hotel lobby. The porter cost 100 pesos for the 200 meter walk along the beach.
I was traveling solo so I avoided hotels with a single supplement upcharge. I chose the Sabang Inn and I went diving with the on site dive operation, Diver Dream. I had contacted them prior to leaving the States and they put together a package which included 9 nights of accommodations, a "divers breakfast" and 16 boat dives for 26,710 pesos. Additional dives were 1000 pesos per dive.
The hotel was just fine for me. I had my own tiled room which was air conditioned, clean and spacious. There was a nice flat screened TV, a desk with a power strip, a fan, a fridge, a security box and plenty of places to store clothes and gear. There was also a sitting area out in front of the room and a clothes line to dry things. I was able to get a decent wifi signal in my room as well as in the restaurant area. There was an small restaurant on the property and numerous others up and down the beach. I believe the hotel has 16 rooms. Please be advised that like many of the hotels in the area, this place is smoker friendly.
There were a few choices for the divers breakfast that was included in the room rate. I generally had eggs, potatoes, toast and coffee. It worked well to get me going each morning. In the restaurant area, there was drinking water, instant coffee and tea available during the day.
Apparently, the one ATM in town has been down for a few months, so getting cash would require a jeepney or motorbike ride in to Puerto Galera. For this reason I ate a lot of my lunches and dinners at the Sabang Inn because I could put them on my bill and pay with a credit card (5% upcharge) when I checked out. Again, this was convenient for me. Lunches and dinners were generally 250 to 300 pesos.
The dive operation was pretty straightforward. They typically scheduled 3 boat dives per day. There was a sign up sheet where you could write your name to participate in any or all of the days dives. If you signed up, your BC and regulator would be assembled and loaded on the boat by the DM or boat driver. The divers were responsible for their mask, fins, weights, etc. They could provide nitrox if requested but everyone I saw was diving with air.
Prior to the dive, a briefing was conducted in the gear up area. The dives generally lasted 60 minutes. Near the end of the dive, the DM would launch a SMB to alert the boat traffic that there were divers below. A surface marker buoy and a spool are good pieces of gear to have with you. On occasion, you might be separated from the DM at the end of the dive. FYI, the boats return to the hotel between dives with the exception of the Verde Island trip.
A note on water temperatures...... During my stay, my computer indicated temperatures between 74F and 79F. I was comfortable in a 5/4mm suit and I would not have wanted anything less. Some divers wore a 3mm suit and stated that they were ok.
The rinse tanks, gear boxes, BC and wetsuit hanging area were all close together and convenient. All gear was secured each night. A couple of shower heads and a toilet were also right there.
There were 2 boats used while I was there. During my stay, the larger covered boat was used for the longer trip to Verde Island. It was nicely set up with tank and gear stations. There was oxygen, a first aid kit and water onboard for the trip out to Verde. The large outboard engine got us there quickly. Please note that the Verde Island trip cost 3,100 pesos and was not part of the package.
For the dives near the resort, a simple open boat was used. Most sites are very close and the boat rides were usually just a few minutes long. There was nothing fancy here but the boat was functional. The divers would don their equipment with help if required, sit on the side of the boat, then on a count of three would simultaneously back roll in.
When it was time to get back in either boat, you could either hand up your gear (and camera) or climb back on board up the ladder with everything but your fins. Upon returning to the hotel, the crew would carry, rinse and hang up your BC and regulator.
There were 3 active local DM's during my stay. Two of these fellows had been at it for a while and were real pro's and excellent critter spotters. The third fellow was a newer DM, but still had a keen eye and did a very good job.
The return trip back home was basically the reverse of the journey to Sabang. You can check in for the ferry the day before, or on the day of departure. I stayed in the Citystate Tower Hotel again. Please note that there is a bar and restaurant very close to the hotel. Exit the front door of the hotel, make a left and then an immediate right. It will be on the right side. Total distance is about 50 meters. Go another 10 meters and there is a 24 hour 7-11 if you need water, soda, snack, small change, etc.
On my taxi ride to the airport, the driver attempted to do the trip without using the meter. I had been warned about this. He wanted 400 pesos for the trip. I got him to turn on the meter and the ride at 4AM turned out to be 160 pesos plus a tip.
Overall I was happy with the hotel, the dive operation and the food. For Coral Triangle diving, this was a nice, cost effective trip.
