Just back from Anilao in the Philippines

[diverjen]

We just booked air for Pi. I agree you pretty much need 2 weeks of vacation time to get 10 dive days.

Of course it will be an exciting new adventure for us and we are so excited to try pacific diving. I am nervous about the long flight time but excited too for the adventure.

I will report back!

 

[SKMoss]

Kirby's Rock
Daryl's Laut (this is actually the girders and framework of a floating hotel that obvioulsy isn't floating any longer, only four years, but ALIVE with fish and small stuff)
Mainit - there are some sharks and baracuda now regularly, but it's the perfect drift (not to fast, not to slow) that is a treat, along with the view.
Cathedral - it's pretty awesome at night, and during the day
Eagle point

Used to dive the Cathedral almost every weekend. We would stop there for first dive then head down toward Sombrero Island or some other place. I remember taking plastic bags of breakfast rolls down and getting swarmed by fish as soon as you opened it up.

I was talking about the Cathedral this weekend while heading toward Catalina this weekend. I'm seriously jealous at the moment.

 

[btonthemove]

Hi
I am going to Anilao in October, do you happen to have contact details (phone number, email) for CLub Oceallaris? The website is no use, and the only contacts are via travel agents. If you have any other recommendations for accommodation/dive resorts with hot water showers and airconditioning, that would be great
many thanks
Bel

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Crystal Blue Resort
I stayed at Club O last year, and while the diving and staff were great, there was no water in our room. It felt great when we finally were able to shower at the airport.

 

[Searcaigh]

+1 on Crystal Blue, I have used them twice

 

[diverjen]

FYI Crystal Blue appears to be booked for uw photography workshops from April 11th-21st 2015 and April 23rd-May 15th 2015. Imagine our surprise! Buceo is also booked from May 3-9th or 15th 2015 for an uw photography workshop (altho there is space to join the workshop at Buceo). Acacia, Solana, Portulano, Arthurs Place and Aiyanar have space...

Club O:

We are in the midst of confirming with Club O, and are excited to dive with them (especially uw photo hubby). I really hope they have water when we get there, apparently they are in the middle of renovations right now.... I am pretty good about rustic and roughing it, but hubby not so much. Maybe we will have to pony up for Atlantis in PG to make it up to him?

It seems that Jose will answer he has just been out of town and it takes a couple of days sometimes. He said he got all of my emails to the three below, so now I just use the gmail one.

jsvenus@gmail.com
inquiries@clubocellaris.com
boyv@clubocellaris.com

 

[Indydiver2]

I'm jealous right now. I stayed at Aquaventure too 4 different times last year. Got my OW, AOW, and Nitrox certs all through an instructor that uses that resort exclusively. All of the places we went to dive around the resort were legit. Now I'm diving quarries and thinking of switching to drysuits. Sigh...

---------- Post added August 13th, 2014 at 02:12 PM ----------

I agree with some others that distance is a big factor. I've had Bonaire trips where the flight from Atlanta to Bonaire was roughly 4 hours. By the time we touched down, I was quite ready to come up out of that seat! Especially since the earlier flight from Nashville to Atlanta might run, oh, somewhere close to 2 hours?

Just for fun I hit Orbitz to look at airfare roundtrip for Nashville (BNA) to Manila, 9-6-14 to 9-13-14, and got prices in the $1,200 to $2,200 range ($1,400 seems ball park), but more importantly, sorting by shortest flight, the trip there would, counting layovers, take at least 21 hours & 31 minutes, only about 2 hours of which is in layovers.

Now, maybe somebody else can do better than that, but that many hours on a plane could figuratively drive me insane.
Richard.

I've flown to Manila and back each year for the past two years from the east coast. The trips were all for about 9 months each though, but the flights are definitely no fun. You definitely need some tylenol pm and a lot of patience. I won't be going back for at least the next 5 years simply because of the flights. It usually takes me at least a week just to get used to the time change and jet lag. I couldn't imagine having to get ready to leave and experience that again after I had just gotten over it.

 

[PhatD1ver]

Hi
I am going to Anilao in October, do you happen to have contact details (phone number, email) for CLub Oceallaris? The website is no use, and the only contacts are via travel agents. If you have any other recommendations for accommodation/dive resorts with hot water showers and airconditioning, that would be great
many thanks
Bel

I'lll see what I can round up between now and then... I'm going back first weekend in September, so if I can't find anything sooner, I'll stop in and get contact info.

---------- Post added August 14th, 2014 at 04:35 PM ----------

I'm jealous right now. I stayed at Aquaventure too 4 different times last year. Got my OW, AOW, and Nitrox certs all through an instructor that uses that resort exclusively. All of the places we went to dive around the resort were legit. Now I'm diving quarries and thinking of switching to drysuits. Sigh...

---------- Post added August 13th, 2014 at 02:12 PM ----------



I've flown to Manila and back each year for the past two years from the east coast. The trips were all for about 9 months each though, but the flights are definitely no fun. You definitely need some tylenol pm and a lot of patience. I won't be going back for at least the next 5 years simply because of the flights. It usually takes me at least a week just to get used to the time change and jet lag. I couldn't imagine having to get ready to leave and experience that again after I had just gotten over it.

Yeah, I've looked at the other locations, and all you are paying for is prettier rooms that you won't spend much time in, it's not like you have much time with four to five dives each day... (we squeezed SIX dives in my last trip on the day before DRY DAY)... their reef isn't all that, but I found it fun to poke among the rocks just freediving (stupid no-fly time)... and, the helicopter wreck 100m off their beach is a hoot with the lion fish family...

So for a place to crash at night, good meals, good boatmen, and easy transportation, I'm up for them again.

 

[frostc]

Halo dive resort is an excellent place, they have their own housereef, food is magnificent and the service is very good.

 

[PhatD1ver]

FYI, I'm booked for this trip (Sep 5-9) with El Pinoy (our LDS just switched to them)... rooms are much nicer, they've upgraded their meals (and will make to order without extra charge), pool, gameroom for night activities (you are still kind of locked in)... kayaks, jet skiis (unfortunately).. did I mention massage?

WARNING!! - this resort has a 200 step stairway from the parking lot down to the resort (and thus back). They do assist with bags and gear, but you still have to make the trip down. I am already dreading it on my knees, but that's the price you pay.