Dive-Boarder2
Registered
In January this year I made my third trip to Anilao. My first stay, in 2011, was with Planet Dive, and the second was with Club Oscellaris in 2015. Both these resorts were excellent, with Club O being a particular favourite amongst photography enthusiasts, not least because the guides there are excellent photographers in their own right. It is noticeable now much this area has expanded over the years. According to a local instructor, fifteen years ago there were roughly fifteen dive resorts; at the last count it is now seventy eight!
As usual, I flew with Etihad from Heathrow, with a short stop in Abu Dhabi. For those of you not familiar with Etihad, they over an extra bag allowance for scuba dive kit of 15KG, in addition to the regular allowance of 23KG plus 7KG hand luggage. This extra certainly takes the headache out of packing, particularly if, like I do, you have bulky and heavy camera equipment. It is worth taking a print out or screen shot of the relevant web page, since check in staff are often unaware of this offer.
The Etihad flight arrived at 15:30, so I opted for an overnight stay in Manila. It is worth noting that you can now get White metered cabs directly from arrivals, rather than the old Yellow cabs which are a fixed price. The next morning I took a cab to the JAM liner bus station in Pasay to catch a bus down to Batangas bus terminal. The bus journey cost 157 PHP, and took longer than usual, since the Star Tollway was closed for repairs after Lipo City. From the bus station you can take a jeepney to Mabini for about 20 PHP, followed by a trike to your resort, or opt for a trike all the way (roughly 800 PHP). If I hadn’t had to pick up an item from Manila for my camera, I would probably have taken a van from the airport on arrival, which can be booked directly from most resorts for 2000 PHP.
Anilao Scuba Dive Centre (ASDC) is located a mile or outside Majuben Beach, close to the Vistamar resort and Anilao Backpackers. It is possible to walk into town in about thirty minutes along the coastal road. There are plenty of trikes also. Here there are a couple of shops where you can buy snacks, drinks and toiletries; there is also a diving shop, which was said to be well stocked.
If you have ever researched Anilao you will know that the diving here has a unique pricing system, compared to elsewhere in the Philippines. In other words, although your room and food may be offered as a package, the price of the diving can be dependent on the number of divers in the resort. So if the resort is empty, you might be asked to pay for the total cost of the boat, crew, and guide; shore diving seems to rarely offered. If the resort is busy, for example at weekends, this will not be a problem, but can be a real issue during the weak, especially if you are travelling alone.
If you research this forum for resorts in Anilao which offer fixed price diving, Buceo is usually cited. I had the chance to look around this beautiful resort during a surface interval. It is very impressive. Two pools, one for swimming and the other for diver training. Together with an excellent camera room, a range of room types, and an impressive eating and bar area, this place ticks all the boxes. However, although the pricing is indeed fixed, it is still beyond my budget. A standard room is $45 per person per night, food another $30, and diving another $120 per day (4 dives). That works out as $195 per day (roughly 9750 PHP) a price that soon adds up for longer stays.
ASDC charge 4500 PHP for a package that includes room, all meals and three dives per day. Researching this before I booked it looked too good to be true, especially since I was planning a three week trip. So was there a catch?
There are three room types available at ASDC; budget fan rooms, double rooms, and family rooms. I was given a family room. The room was large with two double beds, one for sleeping in, and one as an open wardrobe and camera table! Air-conditioning was available, but not really needed at this time of year. My room had a separate bathroom with a hot water shower, although it is worth noting that not all rooms had hot water. The room was clean and comfortable, which as far as I’m concerned is all that is needed as a diving base.
Breakfast was generally served around 8am, and consisted of eggs, toast and jam, or on occasion home cooked pancakes; coffee and drinking water was freely available. Lunch was normally provided between second and third dives, either back at the resort, or more often on the beach if out for the day. On these occasions the boat crew would spark up a barbecue, and grill something fresh. Most meals consisted of fish, pork or chicken, usually with rice and vegetables; one night we had chips which was a treat for us westerners! There is also an honesty bar back at resort with beers and soft drinks. I had no issues with the food available. On the Saturday night we were all invited to join guests in the neighbouring resort, and had a great buffet meal, and the chance to meet some great locals and other Filipinos down from Manila for the weekend. Anilao resorts really pick up at weekends.
ASDC run three dives a day; night dives are available on request. There is a house reef in front of the resort which I dived a few times. This rocky slope drops away gently, and is ideal for students. Although not a coral site, there was plenty to find, including GOPF, nudibranches, coleman shrimp, zebra crabs, nudibranches and shrimps. Other than the house reef, we visited all the the regular sites, using Banka boats appropriate to the size of the dive group. Dive groups were generally small, and I was lucky to have a guide all to myself on many dives. On quiet days, we were joined by divers from other resorts. For those wanting to learn to dive, the centre can draw on a number of excellent local instructors. I should also add that the package price includes a full set of dive equipment; I brought my own gear, so cannot comment on the standard and quality.
As a photographer, it is vital to have a good spotter; Carlo at ASDC has been diving in Anilao for over five years. Not content with finding all manner of hard to spot creatures, including the minute hairy shrimp, his immense patience in helping me compose my shots made the dives even more rewarding, so thank you again for your efforts.
The other person who deserves a huge mention is Gina the manager. Despite running three resorts, nothing was too much trouble for her. For example, Gina ensured that she welcomed every guest personally, even if they arrived after midnight, and always did her utmost to make sure that everyone was happy. When I needed to change some money, I was taken to Bauan and at the same time treated to a slap up meal at the local Jollibee, a Filipino dining tradition! On another occasion I was taken to Frido's restaurant in Mabini (excellent vegetable Sarah pancakes), and on another night all the guests were taken to Johanna’s restaurant in Bauan. Johanna’s is a well known stop off point for locals travelling down from Manila, and as well as offering excellent rib and sausage combo’s, is decorated with diving photographs by many of Anilaos pioneers.
So there you have it. I went to ASDC mainly because of budget constraints, not expecting great things, but having experienced the diving and local hospitality, would return in a heartbeat. For anyone wanting great diving at a great price, I would heartily recommend you consider ASDC for your next trip. It’s not 5 star, but I was there to dive, and always prefer to support a local operation. If anyone has any questions, please pm me.
As usual, I flew with Etihad from Heathrow, with a short stop in Abu Dhabi. For those of you not familiar with Etihad, they over an extra bag allowance for scuba dive kit of 15KG, in addition to the regular allowance of 23KG plus 7KG hand luggage. This extra certainly takes the headache out of packing, particularly if, like I do, you have bulky and heavy camera equipment. It is worth taking a print out or screen shot of the relevant web page, since check in staff are often unaware of this offer.
The Etihad flight arrived at 15:30, so I opted for an overnight stay in Manila. It is worth noting that you can now get White metered cabs directly from arrivals, rather than the old Yellow cabs which are a fixed price. The next morning I took a cab to the JAM liner bus station in Pasay to catch a bus down to Batangas bus terminal. The bus journey cost 157 PHP, and took longer than usual, since the Star Tollway was closed for repairs after Lipo City. From the bus station you can take a jeepney to Mabini for about 20 PHP, followed by a trike to your resort, or opt for a trike all the way (roughly 800 PHP). If I hadn’t had to pick up an item from Manila for my camera, I would probably have taken a van from the airport on arrival, which can be booked directly from most resorts for 2000 PHP.
Anilao Scuba Dive Centre (ASDC) is located a mile or outside Majuben Beach, close to the Vistamar resort and Anilao Backpackers. It is possible to walk into town in about thirty minutes along the coastal road. There are plenty of trikes also. Here there are a couple of shops where you can buy snacks, drinks and toiletries; there is also a diving shop, which was said to be well stocked.
If you have ever researched Anilao you will know that the diving here has a unique pricing system, compared to elsewhere in the Philippines. In other words, although your room and food may be offered as a package, the price of the diving can be dependent on the number of divers in the resort. So if the resort is empty, you might be asked to pay for the total cost of the boat, crew, and guide; shore diving seems to rarely offered. If the resort is busy, for example at weekends, this will not be a problem, but can be a real issue during the weak, especially if you are travelling alone.
If you research this forum for resorts in Anilao which offer fixed price diving, Buceo is usually cited. I had the chance to look around this beautiful resort during a surface interval. It is very impressive. Two pools, one for swimming and the other for diver training. Together with an excellent camera room, a range of room types, and an impressive eating and bar area, this place ticks all the boxes. However, although the pricing is indeed fixed, it is still beyond my budget. A standard room is $45 per person per night, food another $30, and diving another $120 per day (4 dives). That works out as $195 per day (roughly 9750 PHP) a price that soon adds up for longer stays.
ASDC charge 4500 PHP for a package that includes room, all meals and three dives per day. Researching this before I booked it looked too good to be true, especially since I was planning a three week trip. So was there a catch?
There are three room types available at ASDC; budget fan rooms, double rooms, and family rooms. I was given a family room. The room was large with two double beds, one for sleeping in, and one as an open wardrobe and camera table! Air-conditioning was available, but not really needed at this time of year. My room had a separate bathroom with a hot water shower, although it is worth noting that not all rooms had hot water. The room was clean and comfortable, which as far as I’m concerned is all that is needed as a diving base.
Breakfast was generally served around 8am, and consisted of eggs, toast and jam, or on occasion home cooked pancakes; coffee and drinking water was freely available. Lunch was normally provided between second and third dives, either back at the resort, or more often on the beach if out for the day. On these occasions the boat crew would spark up a barbecue, and grill something fresh. Most meals consisted of fish, pork or chicken, usually with rice and vegetables; one night we had chips which was a treat for us westerners! There is also an honesty bar back at resort with beers and soft drinks. I had no issues with the food available. On the Saturday night we were all invited to join guests in the neighbouring resort, and had a great buffet meal, and the chance to meet some great locals and other Filipinos down from Manila for the weekend. Anilao resorts really pick up at weekends.
ASDC run three dives a day; night dives are available on request. There is a house reef in front of the resort which I dived a few times. This rocky slope drops away gently, and is ideal for students. Although not a coral site, there was plenty to find, including GOPF, nudibranches, coleman shrimp, zebra crabs, nudibranches and shrimps. Other than the house reef, we visited all the the regular sites, using Banka boats appropriate to the size of the dive group. Dive groups were generally small, and I was lucky to have a guide all to myself on many dives. On quiet days, we were joined by divers from other resorts. For those wanting to learn to dive, the centre can draw on a number of excellent local instructors. I should also add that the package price includes a full set of dive equipment; I brought my own gear, so cannot comment on the standard and quality.
As a photographer, it is vital to have a good spotter; Carlo at ASDC has been diving in Anilao for over five years. Not content with finding all manner of hard to spot creatures, including the minute hairy shrimp, his immense patience in helping me compose my shots made the dives even more rewarding, so thank you again for your efforts.
The other person who deserves a huge mention is Gina the manager. Despite running three resorts, nothing was too much trouble for her. For example, Gina ensured that she welcomed every guest personally, even if they arrived after midnight, and always did her utmost to make sure that everyone was happy. When I needed to change some money, I was taken to Bauan and at the same time treated to a slap up meal at the local Jollibee, a Filipino dining tradition! On another occasion I was taken to Frido's restaurant in Mabini (excellent vegetable Sarah pancakes), and on another night all the guests were taken to Johanna’s restaurant in Bauan. Johanna’s is a well known stop off point for locals travelling down from Manila, and as well as offering excellent rib and sausage combo’s, is decorated with diving photographs by many of Anilaos pioneers.
So there you have it. I went to ASDC mainly because of budget constraints, not expecting great things, but having experienced the diving and local hospitality, would return in a heartbeat. For anyone wanting great diving at a great price, I would heartily recommend you consider ASDC for your next trip. It’s not 5 star, but I was there to dive, and always prefer to support a local operation. If anyone has any questions, please pm me.
Happy St David's Day!
