Philippines Safari │Nov 2019

Known for its tropical beauty, the Philippines is comprised of thousands of green islands and islets surrounded by bright white sand and palm trees, dotting the abundant aquamarine seas.

Located within the Coral Triangle, the ocean holds some of the most biodiverse reefs in the world and one can expect good visibility combined with hundreds of coral, reef fish and critter species.

Many of the mostly Catholic population speak English which makes getting to know the locals easy. The people are friendly, smiley and happy to share their stunning country with visitors.

This fantastic itinerary combines two of our favourite Filipino destinations, Moalboal and Dauin, to bring you this 12 night fully guided safari.

Together these locations give us two weeks of varied diving over stunning healthy colourful reefs, deep drop-offs and muck diving sites, with opportunities to see everything from pygmy seahorses to frogfish, Wonderpus to turtles, reef sharks and schools of fish thousands strong.

We have chosen comfortable waterside resorts offering excellent service, delicious food and ideal proximity to dive sites.

Moalboal diving is known for schooling fish (trevally, jack, barracuda etc). At Pescador Island a sea mount complete with caverns and swim-throughs can be found, with reef sharks and a diverse abundance of tropical fish. There is also a small aeroplane wreck which is home to many corals and fish and critter species. At Panagsama Reef there is a resident shoal of thousands of sardines. The options in Moalboal are plentiful and there is a lot here to keep us busy for the week with anything from walls, slopes and tunnels.

The diving in around Dauin is well-known and for good reason- the variety of underwater environments in the area is truly special. With access to Apo Island with some of the country's finest reefs as well as world-class macro and muck dive sites, one has great opportunities to see a wide variety of marine life including schooling barracudas and jackfish, turtles, reef sharks and more. The muck sites are home to facinating critters including various octopus, several species of nudibranch, ornate ghost pipefish, seahorses and more.

26 October 2019

Arrive into Cebu International Airport with an included transfer to Magic Island Resort, approx. two and half hour drive. Check-in and relax, meet with the group and enjoy a welcome dinner together.

Overnight at Magic Island Resort inclusive of Full Board

27 - 31 October 2019

Dive the sites around Moalboal. The tour includes 12 boat dives, and opportunities to dive the house reef and add night dives to your package. All dives are done from traditional Filipino Bangka style boats.

We will enjoy an afternoon outing to Kawasan Falls during our stay here. This outing involves only a short drive, and then a lovely hike through the jungle passing through villages along the Kawasan River. We approach the five tiered waterfalls which are simply beautiful and crystal clear, with opportunities to have a swim and snack before returning to the resort.

Overnight at Magic Island Resort inclusive of Full Board

1 November 2019

We transfer by road and plane to the island of Negros, to the coast just south of Dumaguete. Check-in and familiarise ourselves with our new home. The rest of the day is at our leisure.

Overnight at Mike's Dauin Dive Resort inclusive of Full Board

2 - 6 November 2019

Whilst at Mike's we will spend our days diving with a total of 12 dives included in the package. Between dives we can relax by the pool, stroll along the beach or snorkel off the beach.

Overnight at Mike's Dauin Dive Resort inclusive of Full Board

7 November 2019

Today we travel together to back to Dumaguete to depart on our connecting flights home or to begin post tour extensions.

Our first resort is in Moalboal, Magic Island Resort. Nestled in between tropical gardens and the shore there are 10 bungalows with private balconies waiting for us. Each room has either a pool or sea view, air-conditioning, en-suite and complete with all the usual creature comforts including a minibar.

The pool is ideal for cooling off in between dives and there are plenty of loungers for lazy afternoons. In the evening starlit drinks are served on the terrace before dinner, which is served on a communal long table in a beautiful open space with a view into the kitchen. The resort also has a spa for those who want a little rest and relaxation.

Magic Island Resort boasts a fantastic house reef, which is accessible by foot from the shore. Here we can expect to find all manner of creature living in amongst the healthy corals from nudibranch, mandarin fish, pygmy seahorses to turtles and rays.

Mike's Dauin Dive Resort

Located on Negros Island, on the south eastern coast just south of Dumaguete. Here the spacious air-conditioned en suit rooms have beautiful garden and sea views and private outside seating areas. The rooms have free drinking water and tea and coffee making facilities, TVs, and free WiFi.

The lagoon style pool is the focal point of the garden which, together with the restaurant and bar, have beautiful ocean views. The restaurant offers an array of dishes including international and Filipino fare with nightly specials available.

Land Price - £TBC

Single Supplement - Available on request

Including:

• Accommodation and board as specified in the itinerary
• All internal transfers
• 12 dives with tanks, weights & guide at Magic Island Resort
• Kawasan Waterfall excursion
• 12 dives with tanks, weights & guide at Mike's
• Fully guided by a member of the Dive Safari Asia Team
• All Marine Park fees

Excludes:

• International flights - from £550 per person
• Nitrox & Equipment Rental
• Tips
• Alcoholic and soft drinks

This tour starts in and finishes in Cebu.

There are many flight options leaving from the UK to Philippines Manila international airport (MNL), Philippines Airlines fly direct with an average travel time of 13 hours. All other flights route indirectly via Singapore (SIN) or Hong Kong (HKG) with an average travel time of 15-18 hours.

It is also possible to arrive into Mactan-Cebu International Airport (CEB) from the UK with indirect flights via Singapore (SIN), Dubai (DXB) or Hong Kong (HKG) with an average travel time of 15-18 hours. This is the most convenient option for joining the start of the tour.

26 October - 7 November 2019 - Available

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