A friend and I took a dive trip to the Philippines, July 7-22, 2011, organized by A-1 Scuba & Travel Center (Englewood, CO; 800/783-7282 or 303/789-2450).
We were part of a group of 16, and the cost, including international air from Los Angeles, seven nights aboard the outrigger Atlantis Azores and nine nights in a resort on Negros Island (the last two nights were on our own), was about $6,000 per person.
Divers are constantly searching for sites with pristine conditions, healthy reefs and uncrowded diving, and the Philippines’ Bohol Sea certainly fit the bill. We saw no other divers as we cruised the Bohol’s waters, visiting three to five new dive sites a day. The visibility was excellent and there was not much current.
Cabins on the Atlantic Azores, which was purpose-built for divers, were small but thoughtfully planned, with facilities en suite. The upper decks also were well designed, with areas for reading, sunning, hot tubbing or discussing the day’s diving. There was ample room for gearing up plus a convenient worktable for cameras.
The boat was exceptionally clean, and any problems were promptly addressed. The crew could not have been more helpful and were genuinely nice and cheerful — an attitude we found with most Filipinos (this despite the internal difficulties their country is having).
The food was outstanding, with plenty of fresh fish, fruits and vegetables, homemade soups and desserts plus snacks of warm cookies or muffins when we returned from our dives. Wine and beer were included.
The motto on a live-aboard dive boat is “Eat, sleep and dive,” and that is truly all we did.
After a satisfying week on the boat, we motored to a land-based dive resort in Dumaguete on Negros Island (Oct. ’11, pg. 67). The resort’s setting was lovely, with a fine view of the beach and the shallow Mindanao Sea.
The food there was even better than what we had on the boat, with three or four entrée choices at meals. As a seafood lover, I was delighted with the fresh, thick tuna steaks grilled or broiled to a rare perfection. The service was impeccable.
The resort grounds were exquisite — an oasis of peace and quiet not too far from traffic-ridden Dumaguete. There was a small swimming pool and a spa that featured massage therapists. Each massage lasted a full hour and cost $20. We tipped generously.
Golden Ataulfo mangoes grow everywhere on these islands, and in a very short time we became addicted to cold, creamy mango smoothies. The Ataulfo mangoes are far sweeter and less fibrous that those we get in the States. While still on the tree, each fruit is hand-wrapped in a paper square by traveling teams to prevent bug damage. A large mango tree with its papered fruits is definitely a curious sight.
From the resort, the diving, which was from outriggers, was excellent. We spent much of our time creeping around on the bottom looking for very tiny creatures, but we also saw gardens of perfect, undamaged soft corals. There were not many big fish, though we spotted turtles on almost every dive.
Although there is a US State Department warning advising against travel to the Philippines, at no time did we feel threatened, even though we were fairly close to Mindanao. Alas, for the Filipinos, this warning has hit the tourism industry very hard, with about a 50% reduction in visitors.
The only unpleasant parts of the trip were the flights on Philippine Airlines, giving meaning to the term “flying bus.” The seat pitch was not good when trapped in for 16 hours. The food was so-so and infrequent. I suggest flying in business class or on another airline.
Manila International Airport is old, unattractive and dirty. There was little food available, and baggage delivery was very slow.
ELLEN JACOBSON
Centennial, CO