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- GREAT DIVES. GREAT VIBES.
Visayas
Visayas is the central island group in the Philippines. You’ll find some of the country’s most popular destinations here: Cebu, Dumaguete, and Bohol. There’s a fun variety of coral reefs, and the region is quite famous for whale shark encounters.
Best Time to Travel: Dec – April. Diving: Boat and Shore Diving. Unique Marine Life: Whale Sharks, Hammerhead Sharks, Sardine Bait Balls, Tuna, Yellowfin, Sea Snakes, Razor Fish, Fusiliers, Rainbow Runners, Mandarin Fish. Level: All. Sea Temps: Average 84°F. Air Temps: Average 84°F. Accommodations: Land-Based Resort. Other Adventures: Volcanos, Architecture Tours, Waterfalls, Temples.
It’s tough to knock out all 3 destinations on a single trip, but most of our divers will go to Cebu and Dumaguete, or Cebu and Bohol.
Cebu
Moalboal — a 90-minute drive from Cebu City — is the diving hotspot. There’s long, beautiful walls offshore with caves, swim-throughs, dazzling gorgonians, and healthy hard coral on the top of the reef. Most excitingly, Moalboal gets huge sardine bait balls that attract all sorts of pelagic fish and sharks.
Dumaguete
Dumaguete, with current-struck seamounts, has tougher drift diving but also scores of pelagic animals like yellowfins, jacks, barracuda, and tuna. Most dive resorts offer excursions to see the whale sharks at Oslob.
Bohol
Bohol also gets stronger currents (which sometimes draw schooling hammerheads and manta rays). But there’s also really great critter diving, with numerous sea stars, turtles, nudibranchs, ribbon eels, and garden eels.
If You’re Seeking Pelagic Encounters
Big fish and shark encounters — especially whale sharks — are a major draw for scuba divers.
If You Enjoy Drift Diving
Cebu is pretty calm, but Dumaguete and Bohol get tougher currents. At Dumaguete, some dive sites are exposed to down currents, so it’s best to have a few drift dives under your belt before booking your trip.
If You’re Looking for Variety
When you combine one or more destinations at Visayas, you’ll have a really nice variety of marine habitats and diving styles: drift diving, calm coral reefs, critter diving, big pelagics, whale sharks, walls, and seamounts. Never gets repetitive.
Just a twenty-minute drive from the local airport (just a sixty-minute flight from Manila), on a long peaceful stretch of beach, lies the lush and luxurious Atlantis Dive Resort. Surrounded by an amazing tropical garden with some of the rarest plants to be found in the Philippines it is just a short trip to some of the most renowned dive sites in Asia – Apo Island, Balicasag reef and of course the local Dauin Marine Sanctuaries.
Standard Package Includes:
*Basic Package. Can be upgraded.
Magic Island is an intimate getaway, with 10 beautiful cottages just steps away from the water, and a swimming pool, restaurant, and bar. Enjoy high-speed internet, air conditioning, and a shady bluff where you can take in the ocean and sunset views. The restaurant serves both western and local cuisine, and can make dietary accommodations.
Magic Island uses graceful bangka dive boats which are sturdy and quiet, and the friendly staff is ready to show you Moalboal’s incredible sardine bait balls and coral reefs. The resort can also arrange a day trip to Oslob for whale shark snorkeling.
Standard Package Includes:
*Basic Package. Can be upgraded.
Looking for a quiet, off-the-grid getaway? Book one of 16 air-conditioned bungalows at Magic Oceans Dive Resort in Bohol. Book a spa treatment at Mahika Spa, a Japanese garden-style spa facility that will refresh your body and mind.
Ready to go diving with sea turtles, pygmy seahorses, and mandarinfish? Magic Oceans’ in-house dive operator is ready to show you the magic of the Coral Triangle. You can also book day trips to explore Bohol’s famous Chocolate Hills and tarsier sanctuary.
Standard Package Includes:
*Basic Package. Can be upgraded.
On the topside, most of the fun happens in Cebu City, but your dive resorts will offer excursions to the surrounding areas. This is a pretty good destination for non-divers
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