Philippines recommendations

Hi,

I am planning a trip to the Philippines next year and having not been there before wanted some opinions from people on where to go.

I would like a mixture of macro (I have read Anilao is good) and perhaps Coron Bay (if it is worth a visit for some wrecks) and Malapascua for the Thresher sharks.

Is it realistic to do all of this in 14 days? If so how long would I need in Coron Bay and Malapascua?

Or anyone got any other ideas?

Thanks for reading.

Best Wishes

Dear bear35,

We always ask our friends and visitors: what do they want to see and do during their holidays?, since the Philippine archipelago is quite large and has over 34,000 sq km of coral reefs full of marine life spread over 7,107 islands. We can recommend the best destination based on your needs, budget, season, etc…

For example if you are a enthusiastic underwater photographer, surely you will enjoy the most in Anilao, probably the best macro and muck diving destination in the world, with also excellent wide angle sceneries, a wreck and a cave…

If you want to see WWII wrecks, Coron is the ideal place to visit, there is a dozen of them at reasonable depths and up to 169m long…

If you want to see thresher sharks then you should go to Malapascua and enjoy them on a daily basis, just remember to set your alarm on by 4am…

For whale sharks you should come to Donsol and snorkel with several dozens of gentle giants…

If you want to enjoy nice white sand beaches combined with good diving and some land tours or excursions, Alona would be the right island to visit but if you prefer a quiet and tranquil island Cabilao would be even better, both places in Bohol…

If you enjoy muck diving, aside of Anilao, you may also visit Dauin in Dumaguete…

For honeymooners, El Nido would be an amazing experience…

If you want to see large marine animals and pelagics, aside of the amazing Tubbataha (world heritage declared by Unesco, only possible during March to June from Live Aboard) and Malapascua, we will surely recommend you to consider Palau…

If you want to combine several destinations within a specific area, without the hassle of taking many domestic flights, an island hopping trip around the Visayas would certainly be a good option…

Just tell us what you want to do and we will advice and prepare an unforgettable dive trip for you!

Recommended Seasons

From March to May the weather is warm and somewhat dry (summer).

From June to October is the rainy season.

From November to February is somewhat colder (winter).

Average temperatures range between 25 °C to 32 °C. The average humidity is 77% up to 90%.

The water temperature ranges between 25 and 27 °C at the time from November to February and the rest of the year between 27 and 31 °C, making wet suits should be really thin (lycra, 0.5 or 3mm max) even with short sleeves.

The Philippines you can go diving all year due to the tropical country temperatures, but due to the rainy season from July to October, with an average of 10 typhoons a year, it is advisable to choose what destinations offer optimal conditions for diving.

Please take a look at www.buceofilipinas.com website and this chart http://www.buceofilipinas.com/index.php/recommendations/for-the-philippines or contact us if ever we can be of any help...

A cave in Anilao, really? Where is that? My DM has never mentioned such a site, so I'd like to check it out next weekend!

A cave in Anilao, really? Where is that? My DM has never mentioned such a site, so I'd like to check it out next weekend!

Thanks Troporobo, its Mapating Cave, for advance or better cave divers only, base is around 120ft. when you enter cave it can go down to 160-170ft...

Thanks for the tip. That's on the back side of Maricaban Island, right? I'm not a cave diver so would not penetrate far, but maybe the entrance is interesting

Yes, that's right and there is a very small one at around -10m @ Ligpo (Ligpo cave)

Thanks for the information divephilippines. We now need to decide exactly what we want to do. I will be in touch.

Yes, that's right and there is a very small one at around -10m @ Ligpo (Ligpo cave)

There is a short youtube video showing one diver entering Ligpo cave. No footage of the cave itself though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bw0Qc5ny0ls

Bart