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April/May diving in the Philippines

Replies: 8 - Last Post: Feb 21, 2013 6:30 AM Last Post By: leotam

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Afrilady

Afrilady avatar

Jan 28, 2013 2:30 AM
Posts:  5

April/May diving in the Philippines

From 20th of April until the 5th of May we are planning to dive in the Philippines, but are really doubting what to do (too much options:) ). We want to combine diving with seeing something of the country. We are looking for a relaxed dive atmosphere, basic is no problem.
After reading travel books, this forum and other websites we came up with the coming options:

Option 1: Apo Island - Malapascua island and Palawan (flying on Cebu)
But we realize that this is a little to much for 2 weeks?
If we skip either Apo Island or Malapascua what should we skip?

Option 2: Apo Reef and staying on Luzon

Option 3: Tubbataha (liveaboard tips?) and Palawan or only Palawan

We have a little budget but it should be worth it. Any tips what to do?

Thank you in advance for your help!

irishman12

irishman12 avatar

Jan 28, 2013 3:47 AM
Posts:  852

1

hi -aslo look at bohol island and dumaguete/siquijor

surfboy

surfboy avatar

Jan 28, 2013 3:59 AM
Posts:  3,136

2

Liveaboards to Tubutaha are expensive and probably booked up by now. For Apo Reef you would need to travel to Mindorro, not Luzon
I would go with Apo Island, Alona Beach on Bohol and Sogod Bay in Leyte as a good route for 2 weeks..

Jagman

Jagman avatar

Jan 28, 2013 10:20 AM
Posts:  722

3

Going to be lots of naval activity around Tubbataha Reef for the near future while they try to extricate the American minesweeper that ran aground last week.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/25/world/asia/us-navy-ship-aground/index.html

bounty98

bounty98 avatar

Jan 28, 2013 12:30 PM
Posts:  1,061

4

pretty much agree with all this, I would defiantly skip Malapascua. That is a long haul from Negros all the way up to northern Cebu. Personally I am not a big fan of Malapascua and I wouldn't allocate the percentage of a two week trip it would take to get there and back

howardsommerville

howardsommerville avatar

Jan 28, 2013 5:31 PM
Posts:  344

6

Agree with surfboy...Manila..fly Dumagette/Apo Island...ferry Tagblaran, Bohol/Alano Beach....bus to ferry to Maasin, Leyte..taxi to Sogod Bay.

If you are doing the trip after a long flight do it back to front. Sogod Bay was a 2 a day dive, so you have time to catch up on rest. Apo Island is 3 dive day, long day.

karwengng78

karwengng78 avatar

Jan 28, 2013 8:31 PM
Posts:  20

7

going between Bohol and Southern Leyte is a very common route for divers. so i would do that. Can easily spend a week in Bohol, diving off Balicasag, Pangloa and Cabilao islands.

If you do to Sogod bay do not miss the Padre Burgos pier as a night dive. Arguably one of the best night diving locations in the Philippines in my opinion.

leotam

leotam avatar

Feb 21, 2013 6:30 AM
Posts:  16

8

I am planning to do coron and then apo reef liveabord with DIVECAL.
Its the most inexpensive offer i found.
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