2-2.5 weeks in late March-May suggestions?

[outofofficebrb]

Hi, guys!

You were really awesome when I planned Indonesia (thank you!) so I'm hoping to get some suggestions from you all.

If we have 2-2.5 weeks for the Philippines some time between late March-May, what would you suggest as an itinerary? Any must-sees or don't-misses? Any places that you think are overrated and that we should skip? Wrecks, walls, reef are all great. Not huge on the macro/muck yet but will try it for the first time in Lembeh later this year. The group is experienced so drift, current, deep, etc., is not an issue. Please let me know if you need any other info.

Thanks in advance!

 

[MV Dive]

Check out a combination of Puerto Galera with an additional dive safari to Apo Reef and Coron. Have a look at www.mvdive.com for more information..

 

[Freewillow]

The top of the top is a cruise on Tubatahia reef.

 

[Centrals]

1. The best diving in the country is Tubattaha which is only dive-able(liveaboard) from mid Mar to mid June. Port of entry is usually Puerto Princesa.
2. Anilao(Luzon): macro
3. Coron(Palawan): WWII wrecks.
4. Dumaguete(Negros): macro
5. Malapascua(Cebu): thresher shark
6. Moalboal(Cebu): school of sardine.
7. Oslob(Cebu): whaleshark(circus style).
8. Puerto Galera(Luzon): all rounder
9. Sipalay(Negros): all rounder
10. Southern Leyte(Leyte): all rounder
11. Subic Bay(Luzon): wrecks
12. Alona Beach(Bohol): I used to like this place but NO more(overdeveloped).

There are other less known places eg. Gen Santos but equally good.

Two areas for the first time visitor:
Luzon or Visayas(Bohol, Cebu, Negros, Leyte etc etc).
Most tourists arrive at Manila(Luzon) so they can get into (2), (8) and (11) pretty quickly. Incidentally, Anilao and PG are pretty close to each other so the transfer is straight forward.
For wreck diver Coron is a must but I would not recommend liveaboard because the schedule is usually too short. Extra flight is necessary to get there and there is severe restriction on check in bag(20kg max) because the turboprop(eg. ATR 72) plane is small.
Visayas, unless flying directly into Cebu City, foreign tourist require a domestic transfer from Manila to the provinces. Inter islands travelling is easy and cheap as long as you avoid Easter and Christmas.
Malapascua, Moalboal(Oslob as day trip), Dumaguete(+ Apo island) and Sipalay would be nice.

Tubattaha is really nice but the cost is a lot higher. Fly back to Manila and go to either Anilao or PG at the end of the trip or Cebu to dive Malapascua or Moalboal etc etc.

Finally, read the travel warning on the country.

 

[outofofficebrb]

Thank you, @MV Dive and @Freewillow!

@Centrals Where in HK do you live? Thank you for the very detailed and extensive information...This is super helpful! If you only had 2 to 2.5 weeks, what combination of all around, wrecks, and thresher sharks would you do? Are threshers in season during that time?

Also - do you have a recommendation on who would be good to go out to Tubattaha with?

Thanks so much!

 

[Centrals]

1. Hong Kong is tiny.
2. Thresher shark is more or less guarantee all yr round at Malapascua.
3. Cebu Pacific Airways connect Coron(wreck) and Cebu City(Malapascua) but not on daily base.
4. Probably no one has more experience than Mark Bratschi(www.moonshadow.ch, MV Dschubba) on Tubbataha! No personal experience on Dschubba but did go to Tubbataha with his old boat, The Moonshadow and it was fine. However, if you want a bit of comfort and pamper then you would have to look at somewhere else which I am not able to help. However, I have been on "Solitude one" once when it was known as Big Blue many yrs ago in Palau. The boat is big and steady.

 

[outofofficebrb]

@Freewillow @Centrals Well, thanks, guys! I ended up booking a trip for late April 2018 to Tubbataha. I will have 5-6 days before the liveaboard and 6-7 after the liveaboard to do something else but will obviously have to be back in Puerto Princesa in between that. (I have the liveaboard sandwiched between the land-based diving.) Any suggestions on how to piece together the best (in your opinion) recommendations above?

I'm also tagging @WetPup because she knows a little of everything.

Thank you!

 

[Centrals]

1. If I have to select the time to dive Tubbataha it will be from end of Apr to mid May ie. in the middle of the season.
2. Weather is unpredictable so I would rather spend the time before the liveaboard in Palawan.
3. I will make my way to El Nido first and then stop over in Sabang(Underground River) on the way back to Puerto Princesa. Give yourself a day to explore the town which is very untypical in Philippines.
4. You can fly from Manila to El Nido by Airswift so as to avoid the journey from Puerto Princesa to El Nido. No experience with this airline though. I only found out its existence when I was at Clark airport a while back and notice they offered flight from Clark to El Nido.
5. If you enter the country through Manila then it is logical to spend the remaining part of the trip in Luzon. But if you enter through Cebu then Visayas would be the first choice.
6. Luzon: Anilao, Puerto Galera or Subic Bay.
If you want a bit of everything then you can easily combine both Anilao and PG but it will be a rush. Go to PG first because of the water crossing. I have done the trip before and it was very straight forward.
7. Visayas: Malapascua is my first choice.But if you do not fancy to get up at 04:00 and prefer a more leisurely way then Moalboal is good to round up the trip.

Which boat are you booked in?

 

[outofofficebrb]

1. If I have to select the time to dive Tubbataha it will be from end of Apr to mid May ie. in the middle of the season.
2. Weather is unpredictable so I would rather spend the time before the liveaboard in Palawan.
3. I will make my way to El Nido first and then stop over in Sabang(Underground River) on the way back to Puerto Princesa. Give yourself a day to explore the town which is very untypical in Philippines.
4. You can fly from Manila to El Nido by Airswift so as to avoid the journey from Puerto Princesa to El Nido. No experience with this airline though. I only found out its existence when I was at Clark airport a while back and notice they offered flight from Clark to El Nido.
5. If you enter the country through Manila then it is logical to spend the remaining part of the trip in Luzon. But if you enter through Cebu then Visayas would be the first choice.
6. Luzon: Anilao, Puerto Galera or Subic Bay.
If you want a bit of everything then you can easily combine both Anilao and PG but it will be a rush. Go to PG first because of the water crossing. I have done the trip before and it was very straight forward.
7. Visayas: Malapascua is my first choice.But if you do not fancy to get up at 04:00 and prefer a more leisurely way then Moalboal is good to round up the trip.

Which boat are you booked in?

Thank you! This is helpful. I heard from a friend that getting to and from is a logistics game and to plan it carefully to minimize the transit time and maximize the time on the ground (vacation)! You gave good advice above.

I'm booked on the MV Discovery Palawan. Thanks again!

 

[outofofficebrb]

I forgot to ask you, @Centrals...I'm flying from San Francisco so I could easily fly to Manila and Cebu. Is one or the other more preferred for the way logistics work in getting from one place to another? I imagine that there would be more options out of Manila which means more flexibility and perhaps lower prices. Is this true?

Thanks!