Philippines Island Explorer │Feb 2020

The wealth and range of reef sites to be discovered in the Philippines is exceptional due to the the vast number of islands that make up the country. With well over 7000 islands, many uninhabited and covered in lush vegetation and white sandy beaches, and surrounded by fringing reefs, the beauty of this country is breathtaking. Aside from the friendly locals, stunning topside scenery and classic island beaches, snorkeling in the Philippines presents a dizzying variety of marine life to encounter.

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This Philippines snorkeling safari combines three fantastic resorts, each offering spectacular yet different scenery, land excursions and marine sightings. The Visayas, the group of islands we will be visiting, are known for emerald islands, the calm sea lapping onto bright white beaches, stunning coral reefs and welcoming friendly people.

Touring the islands and reefs of Cebu, Bohol and Cabilao, we will snorkel on some of the healthiest reefs in the country - colourful and busy with fish, turtles and reef sharks. We will also visit some fabulous land-based attractions including viewing tarsiers (small primates), the famed Chocolate Hills, rice terraces and local villages.

We'll be based between three fabulous resorts, each ideally situated to allow for beautiful land-based excursions and easy access to some of the best snorkeling in the area. Trip highlights include snorkeling with turtles and several large schools of fish, visiting beautiful waterfalls on Cebu, exploring mangroves where juvenile fish and shark pups are often seen and enjoying some of the most beautiful coral and beaches in the country.

This tour is fully guided by a member of the Snorkel Venture team.

Day 1 - Arrive Cebu - Magic Island Resort

• Arrival into Cebu, collect your luggage and meet with our representatives from the Magic Island Resort who will be waiting to transfer us to the island by road
• Check into our rooms with the rest of the day at leisure to relax from our journey. Evening orientation and briefing about the next few days

Overnight Magic Island Resort, Superior Deluxe Cottage on a full board basis

Day 2 - 4 - Magic Island Resort

• Over the next few days we have unlimited snorkelling by private boat
• The stunning house reef is straight off the beach and is full of lively corals and teeming with fish. We have a snorkel session at Panagsama which is well known for schooling sardines in their thousands - we hope to see their extraordinary formations as they shift and change shapes as predators approach
• We also will visit Pescador Island - an uninhabited islet where we hope to see turtles, soft coral and sea fans, barracuda, sea stars, lion fish and whitetip sharks if we are lucky. Also on the agenda is a range of other Moalboal snorkel spots along the coastal peninsula, which is home to an extraordinary array of corals, ferns, anemones, sponges and brightly coloured fish. Groupers, turtles and sea snakes are among the commonly encountered residents
• On our down day there is an optional day canyoning on the Montaneza River, as well as a half day trip to visit the magnificent Kawasan falls where we swim in the crystal-clear water with a barbecue lunch to follow.
• One evening we will depart the resort by boat on a firefly watching tour - floating down the riverbanks after darkness we will see thousands of fireflies lighting up the river banks

Overnight Magic Island Resort, Superior Deluxe Cottage on a full board basis

Day 5 - Magic Island Resort - Argao - Cabilao Island

• We check out of Magic Island Resort today and join our transfer by land and sea to Cabilao Island, a journey of approx. two and half hours
• Check into our rooms at Pura Vida on arrival with time at leisure, an afternoon orientation of the island, with time available to snorkel the house reef
• Evening briefing as to the day to day running over the next few days

Overnight Pura Vida, Cabilao Island including breakfast

Day 6 - 7 - Cabilao Island

• Over the next few days we have 5 snorkel sessions by boat scheduled plus unlimited house reef snorkeling.
• The house reef is situated right in front of the snorkel centre and has a huge variety of anemonefish, turtles and various coloured anemones
• We will visit Gorgonia Wall which runs parallel to the shore which is covered in lush corals of various species, sponges, giant gorgonians, colourful fish and nudibranchs
• Other sites include Sandingan which has a beautiful coral garden with seagrass and coral blocks. We have a great chance of seeing turtles, barracuda and frogfish here. Bamboo reef is large area of seagrass with coral bommies up to 9m.

Overnight Pura Vida, Cabilao Island including breakfast

Day 8 - Cabilao Island - Magic Oceans Resort

• Check out of the Pura Vida resort this morning and join our transfer to the Magic Oceans Resort which is located in Anda. This day we will enjoy a land tour en-route. We will visit the Bohol Chocolate Hills - there are an estimated 1,268 hills - as well as visiting the Tarsier Sanctuary to glimpse the world's smallest primate. On our day trip we also visit a butterfly farm, cruise the Loboc River and have the opportunity to see packs of Macaque monkeys
• Arriving at the resort check in. This evening we have a briefing as to the running of the next few days

Overnight Magic Oceans, Superior Deluxe Cottage on a full board basis

Day 9 - 10 - Magic Oceans Resort

• Over the course of the next few days we have unlimited snorkeling by private boat
• The spectacular location of the resort comes complete with fine white sand beaches, enchanting caves, cave pools and hidden waterfalls
• Straight offshore the top of the reef wall hosts pristine soft coral gardens. The best section of the wall is without doubt the Paradise Garden which has a colony of turtles in residence feeding on the sea grass
• We will also visit Poaling - a protected site which teems with fish and large hard corals
• Titantic Rock is another highlight, which is a shallow, rocky spot with interesting marine life including lobsters
• We also hope to see sharks, barracuda, squid, nudibranches, octopus and different species of rays amongst others

Overnight Magic Oceans, Superior Deluxe Cottage on a full board basis

Day 11 - Magic Oceans - Cebu

• We check out of the resort this morning and bid farewell to Magic Oceans Resort
• We transfer back to Cebu airport by road and boat in time for international transfer

Land Price - £2300  per person

Single Supplement - £265 per person

Includes:

• Group transfers throughout
• Accommodation and board as specified
• Services of Snorkel Safari guide throughout
• Entrance fees
• Snorkel sessions as specified
• Land-based tours as specified
• Marine park fees

Excludes:

• International flights
• Snorkeling equipment
• Tips
• Travel insurance
• Some meals (lunch and dinner at Pura Vida)
• Soft drinks and alcoholic drinks, laundry and general sundries
• Spa services
• Canyoning from Magic Island

On our Philippines snorkel safari we will stay at the following resorts:

Magic Island Resort (All meals incl.)

Located in a private corner of Moal Boal, the resort has a small number of traditional style cottages set around the property, offering spectacular views of landscape of eastern Cebu.

There is a pool to cool off in between snorkelling excursions and plenty of loungers for lazy afternoon book reading.

Pura Vida (Breakast incl.)

Pura Vida is situated on the north-eastern point of the isolated island of Cabilao. The resort is multi-storey and stretches from a white sandy, palm tree fringed beach up onto an overlooking cliff-side. Pura Vida has only 20 room, ensuring personalised service and an intimate environment.

Magic Ocean Resort (All meals incl.)

Magic Oceans Resort has just 16 bungalows set in private grounds with lovely ocean views. The air-conditioned rooms are spacious with mini bars, tea/coffee making facilities, private verandas and pool views. Full board is included, and the restaurant serves fresh Asian and Western-inspired dishes.

To join us on our Philippines snorkel safari:

There are many flight options leaving from the UK to Manila (MNL) - the Philippines capital airport. Philippines airlines now fly directly with other indirect options via Singapore (SIN), Dubai (DXB) or Hong Kong (HKG) with an average travel time of 13 hours direct or 15-17 hours.

It is also possible to fly indirectly into Cebu (CEB) via Singapore (SIN), Dubai (CXB) or Hong Kong (HKG) which may make your journey more convenient. Flight times from the UK take around 15-17 hours.

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