Jean and Jonathan’s review of The Philippines- Anilao and Tubbataha

Buceo Resort: The cabin was great – not too high up the hill which was good for us! Very comfortable beds, great shower and plenty of hot water.  We were a bit disappointed by the food ; there was not a lot of choice when there was a buffet, but the restaurant staff were very keen to please, and did provide us with mangos on request!

The dive guide was brilliant – Enzo – he seemed to be able to spot the smallest of creatures, and there was no shortage of nudibranchs, I don’t think we’ve ever seen so many different shapes & colours.

The resort staff were extremely helpful and went out of their way to help us when we decided to leave a night early and book a hotel in Manila.  One of the reasons we decided to do this is because on the Friday when we couldn’t dive, there isn’t actually anything to do locally.  There are trips available, but they were all located two or three hours drive away which didn’t appeal.

With regard to Solitude One, the Tubbataha marine park itself was spectacular and very beautiful as expected.  We were a bit unlucky with the weather as there was a storm the first night and then a lot of wind which meant that we couldn’t dive some of the sites, and the vis was a bit poor, but that couldn’t be helped! The water was choppy, which meant we had to ascend as a group, stay together on the surface and wait for the skiff to come to us.  Underwater, there was virtually no current, so the dives were easy.

We found the boat a bit less than luxurious when compared to the liveaboards in the Maldives, but we were comfortable enough, and the boat was stable in the bad weather.

The food was very good, and there was always snacks, fruit and fresh coffee available which was much appreciated.  The fact the food was so good on the boat highlighted how poor it was at Buceo.

The dive guides were all very efficient and hard-working and very safety conscious.  The second dive we did was possibly the best dive ever.  There were mantas, a whale shark, a tiger shark, huge napoleons, and schools of everything.  This shows how amazing the dives can be. We’re almost tempted to go back and hope for better weather.