bshort4
Contributor
Its been over three weeks since diving in Dauin, I wanted some time to let things sort themselves out before over reacting one way or another and think before I leap. I will write trips reports on three different areas I was able to dive in the Philippines--Dauin, Bohol (Balicasag Island) and Puerto Galera. I'll start with Dauin and Mikes Dauin Beach Resort.
Our second trip to Mikes--we dove there for five days last year and liked it so much we decided to return again this year for seven nights. Its nice to be welcomed back like old friends from the folks that work there--Corri the resort manager and Jonathan in charge of dive operations. The three guides I dove with last year--Ace, Marlon and Gabby were still there also and was happy to be diving with them again. Mike's is a small eight room resort set on the beach in Dauin which is about a 30 minute ride outside of Dumaguete City. Getting to Dumaguete City from Manila is a one hour flight on either Cebu Pacific Airlines or Philippine airlines---cost for one way is about $60 US. Its a nice small village with not much going on but nice to stroll and get a taste of small village life in the Philippines without all the noise and traffic and pollution going on in the bigger cities. The resort is small and comfortable with a nice pool, restaurant, bar and of course the dive shop. Several larger resorts are a two minute stroll down the beach if you want to experience different dining options.
Diving---Dauin is known as more a less a mecca of "muck" diving. Black muddy bottom--not much coral, lots of artificial reefs in place and lots of small stuff to find and see. A lot of folks love the muck dives--me? not so much. So why was I in Dauin? Apo Island--but sometimes you need to do what you may not enjoy so much to be able to do the things you love. I love diving Apo Island! Don't get me wrong--I still enjoyed my muck dives--hell I just like being in the water. Out of 13 dives that week seven were muck dives and six dives at Apo Island--I was completely satisfied with the complete experience. Two three tank dive trips to Apo Island (a all day experience) and mostly two tank dives along the coast of Dauin. Our weather for the week was perfect--sunshine and 85 degrees each day and water temp 82 degrees--calm seas, it doesn't get any better than that. Vis at Apo was in the 70 to 80 foot range and a bit less so along the coast of Dauin--maybe 50 to up to 60 feet--again pretty good. Apo Island has a little something for everyone---from shallower dives with no currents but still beautiful reefs and critters to fast ripping currents at Coconut Point and Cogan for the more advanced divers. Lots of turtles everywhere--tornadoes of Jack fish, soooo many banded sea snakes and plenty of frog fish. The resort has two large Bangka boats that will hold up to 15 divers easily--the most we had was five divers and one day about 6 or 7 snorkelers. The cost for a three tank dive with lunch is about $110 US. Muck dives are about $36 US each--nitrox 32 was an extra $5 per fill. If they have enough people they will go to Oslob on Cebu to snorkel with the whale sharks there plus do two dives on the way back (look at their website for prices). The restaurant is good--lots of choices including a good selection of Mexican food and a nice selection of imported and local liquors at the bar. Prices are in line with the economy of the Philippines. The standard rooms are in the $50 range and two deluxe rooms about $10 more but we liked the standard rooms just fine--just wish they had refrigerators in them. Beds are foam mattress which I found a little hard--big bathroom (with hot water) and good a/c. Nice long common veranda upstairs with two comfortable chairs and small table in front of each room plus a drying rack for swim suits and dive gear. The dive boats have no set-up for cameras. One small bucket that everything went into--small cameras will fit--my SeaLife Micro 2.0 with light fit just fine but I put it in and out to avoid everyone's mask from piling up on top of it. If you're into muck diving and like beautiful reefs like Apo you'll be in diver heaven at Mikes. I miss it already and will more than likely be returning next year. . ,
Our second trip to Mikes--we dove there for five days last year and liked it so much we decided to return again this year for seven nights. Its nice to be welcomed back like old friends from the folks that work there--Corri the resort manager and Jonathan in charge of dive operations. The three guides I dove with last year--Ace, Marlon and Gabby were still there also and was happy to be diving with them again. Mike's is a small eight room resort set on the beach in Dauin which is about a 30 minute ride outside of Dumaguete City. Getting to Dumaguete City from Manila is a one hour flight on either Cebu Pacific Airlines or Philippine airlines---cost for one way is about $60 US. Its a nice small village with not much going on but nice to stroll and get a taste of small village life in the Philippines without all the noise and traffic and pollution going on in the bigger cities. The resort is small and comfortable with a nice pool, restaurant, bar and of course the dive shop. Several larger resorts are a two minute stroll down the beach if you want to experience different dining options.
Diving---Dauin is known as more a less a mecca of "muck" diving. Black muddy bottom--not much coral, lots of artificial reefs in place and lots of small stuff to find and see. A lot of folks love the muck dives--me? not so much. So why was I in Dauin? Apo Island--but sometimes you need to do what you may not enjoy so much to be able to do the things you love. I love diving Apo Island! Don't get me wrong--I still enjoyed my muck dives--hell I just like being in the water. Out of 13 dives that week seven were muck dives and six dives at Apo Island--I was completely satisfied with the complete experience. Two three tank dive trips to Apo Island (a all day experience) and mostly two tank dives along the coast of Dauin. Our weather for the week was perfect--sunshine and 85 degrees each day and water temp 82 degrees--calm seas, it doesn't get any better than that. Vis at Apo was in the 70 to 80 foot range and a bit less so along the coast of Dauin--maybe 50 to up to 60 feet--again pretty good. Apo Island has a little something for everyone---from shallower dives with no currents but still beautiful reefs and critters to fast ripping currents at Coconut Point and Cogan for the more advanced divers. Lots of turtles everywhere--tornadoes of Jack fish, soooo many banded sea snakes and plenty of frog fish. The resort has two large Bangka boats that will hold up to 15 divers easily--the most we had was five divers and one day about 6 or 7 snorkelers. The cost for a three tank dive with lunch is about $110 US. Muck dives are about $36 US each--nitrox 32 was an extra $5 per fill. If they have enough people they will go to Oslob on Cebu to snorkel with the whale sharks there plus do two dives on the way back (look at their website for prices). The restaurant is good--lots of choices including a good selection of Mexican food and a nice selection of imported and local liquors at the bar. Prices are in line with the economy of the Philippines. The standard rooms are in the $50 range and two deluxe rooms about $10 more but we liked the standard rooms just fine--just wish they had refrigerators in them. Beds are foam mattress which I found a little hard--big bathroom (with hot water) and good a/c. Nice long common veranda upstairs with two comfortable chairs and small table in front of each room plus a drying rack for swim suits and dive gear. The dive boats have no set-up for cameras. One small bucket that everything went into--small cameras will fit--my SeaLife Micro 2.0 with light fit just fine but I put it in and out to avoid everyone's mask from piling up on top of it. If you're into muck diving and like beautiful reefs like Apo you'll be in diver heaven at Mikes. I miss it already and will more than likely be returning next year. . ,
