Liquid Diving Adventures | All posts tagged 'Cebu'

Anilao, Philippines

18. Jan 2023 Liquid Diving Adventures Destinations, Anilao

A GUIDE TO ALL THINGS ANILAO

WHY DIVE ANILAO?

Credited with popularizing diving in the Philippines, Anilao is a haven for photographers and fans of macro life, critters, and blackwater dives. Anilao is on Luzon Island, three hours south of the capital, Manila. The municipality is covered in sprawling jungle and surrounding resorts with plenty of stunning greenery. Known for its diverse reefs, fish, critters, and nudibranchs, Anilao attracts divers to its crystal blue waters year-round.

ARRIVING AT ANILAO - HOW TO GET THERE

Visitors arrive at the Filipino- and English-speaking destination by first landing at Manila International Airport (MNL) and are usually met with a resort shuttle. The two- to three-hour ride from the airport brings guests to their resorts, liveaboards, and dive centers. Trips to Anilao are often combined with trips to Puerto Galera, Cebu, or Dumaguete.

DIVING IN ANILAO

A typical day in Anilao includes two morning dives before returning to the resort for lunch. Then, guests spend their afternoon at their resort relaxing poolside or exploring the jungle. After, there is an option for two late afternoon dives and one night dive. Night dives are considered a must in Anilao as they do not have strict time constraints and usually take place from house reefs. For guests looking for adventure, resorts can arrange blackwater dives.

Diving is made easy in the Filipino municipality—dive sites range from a 10- to 20-minute boat ride from most resorts. The healthy, colorful reefs keep divers in a state of awe, and the muck, blackwater, and night diving opportunities make them ready for more. Dives take place from bankgas, which are small boats that seat up to four divers and two to three crew members. The highly experienced crews keep divers safe while pointing out the vast marine life. Popular sightings include shrimp, crabs, nudibranchs, squid, cuttlefish, frogfish, pipefish, seahorses, wonderpus, blue-ringed octopus, and bobbit worms. With such unique experiences, Anilao is also beginner-friendly due to the often calm currents and shallow dive sites.

While Anilao is known for its small marine life, larger beings like jacks, turtles, and giant seahorses can be spotted. Sites like Manitit Point have strong currents that bring in larger life like reef sharks, hunting barracudas, and giant and bluefin trevally. In deep waters, there are rare sightings of small whale sharks.

With stunning jungles on land, guests also flock to the soft coral forests, which range from 70 to 130 feet deep. The untouched corals feature rare critters like seahorses and rhinopias.

TOP DIVE SITES

One of Anilao’s iconic dive sites is Twin Rocks, with vibrant life as shallow as 10 feet and as deep as 130. Photographers love this site for the macro life and wide-angle opportunities. Soft corals, jacks, jawfish, and more are just a few of the creatures spotted here.

Beatrice is popular with experienced divers who can brave the strong currents. With more wide-angle shots, Beatrice is known for swarms of anthias and stunning corals. Kirby’s Rock is another macro life mecca with a stunning wall and incredible visibility. For the muck diving fanatic, Secret Bay is a hot spot for mimic octopus, wonderpus, pipefish, and seahorses. Blackwater dive sites vary but spotting one-of-a-kind jellies, larvae, and invertebrates is a guarantee.

DIVE CONDITIONS AND WHEN TO VISIT

Waters are calm and warm year-round, ranging from 77°F to 81°F (25°C to 27°C) and a visibility of 40 feet to 50 feet (10m to 15m). The main season is from October to early June, with November and December as the peak. April and May tend to be the most crowded months for resorts. Monsoon season is in July and August, but dive sites can still be accessed.

WHERE TO STAY

Crystal Blue Anilao

Crystal Blue Anilao is set in the bay area and features accommodations for families, groups, and couples. Guests praise the resort for their dive facilities, which include a covered dive deck, rinse tanks, showers, camera rinse tanks, and a camera room.

Buceo Anilao

Buceo Anilao features a PADI-certified dive shop with Nitrox and air fills. The camera room includes eighteen workstations with air guns, rinse tanks, lockers, matted desks, and shelves. In addition to the iconic muck and macro diving Anilao is known for, Buceo brings guests to wreck and cave dives as well as weekly dive trips to Verde Island.

While Anilao itself doesn’t have much outside of diving and watersports, the resorts keep guests busy with karaoke, bars, spa treatments, and pools.

Ready for your Anilao adventure? Book with us today!

Thalatta Beach Resort - Philippines

14. Sep 2014 Liquid Diving Adventures Philippines, Travel Specials & Deals

Our dive buddies at the Thalatta Beach Resort are offering us a great deal on a dive package for travel between October 15 to December 1, 2014. Thalatta Resort is located in Maluay Zamboanguita and the resort faces Apo Island. The area offers fin-tastic diving and the resort is staffed with friendly and professional people. Our package at Thalatta for 7 nights, all meals + 2 drinks daily and 10 dives is normally $1650 for two divers (not per person) but is on sale now for $1350 for two divers, SAVE $300. Contact us for availability and other dive package options (15 dives and 20 dives).

Atlantis Resorts - Puerto Galera & Dumaguete, Philippines - Buy 1, 2nd Diver 50% OFF

21. Nov 2013 Liquid Diving Adventures Travel Specials & Deals

Atlantis Resorts in Puerto Galera and Dumaguete, Philippines are telling us the diving is fine and their resorts are in great shape after the typhoon. To encourage you to visit the Philippines to experience the diving first-hand, we have a great offer. Book one dive package and the second diver is 50% OFF. This special is good for travel until 31 December 2013 so book fast…! Contact us for availability as space is limited.

Some restrictions apply.

These cannot be combined with any other offer or discount.
Based on availability.
Full payment must be received within 15 days of the reservation for this special rate to apply.
The person paying 50% is the least expensive rate (ie, non‐diver).
Both people must be traveling on the exact same itinerary and share accommodations.
50% rate does not include: marine park fees, equipment rental, dawn dives, day trips, transfers,excursions, personal purchases, spa treatments, Nitrox fills and etc.
Singles get 25% off the single supplement rate.

Typhoon Haiyan - Philippines Update

16. Nov 2013 Liquid Diving Adventures Dive Travel News

Typhoon Haiyan Track thru the Philippines & Dive Report from the Siren Fleet

We count ourselves very lucky that our crew and yachts have survived unscathed

by the typhoon’s path, the devastation of which has been most felt in northern

Leyte, Malapascua, Panay and Busuanga islands.

For the Siren Fleet the majority of our trips remain unaffected. Reports of good

weather and diving conditions have been coming in from Cebu, Bohol and

Negros (Dauin) as well as the all clear given for diving in Anilao and Puerto Galera.

However Busuanga airport is currently closed and the next few trips of the

Philippine Siren will not be able to visit Coron. Our reservations team

are contacting all guests to make alternative arrangements and for the time

being trips will start and end in Batangas.

Whilst Leyte Island has been the most affected by the typhoon, the area of

Sogod Bay is far south of the main path and all trips planned from February

2014 will be going ahead as scheduled.

The Tubbataha reefs were not in the path of the typhoon so we can still expect

great diving there when the park opens in February.

The region around Donsol and Ticao was thought to be in the direct path of

Haiyan but the typhoon moved south leaving dive centres and resorts with

very minor damage.

Deep Blue Seafari - Untouched Diving - El Nido, Palawan, Philippines

2. Nov 2013 Liquid Diving Adventures New Dive Resorts

Yep folks, the stories are true. The Philippines has some superb scuba diving, very friendly people, good food, and photo opportunities that won't quit above and below the water. And El Nido in Palawan offers some very untouched dive sites. Our buddies and owners of Deep Blue Seafari are offering us some fin-tastic package for exploring the underwater world near Palawan. And the can even get you to the amazing Tubbataha Reef onboard the M/V Sakura. Join Jose and Diana, the owners of Deep Blue Seafari will welcome you to El Nido and treat you to beach BBQs, camping on an exotic tropical island, and dive sites including Coron, Paglugaban Cave, and Tubbataha Reef.

If beach camping is not your style, comfortable accommodations are available at Cauayan Island Resort, Golden Monkey Cottages, and El Nido Garden Resort. Our 4-day, 3-night dive packages with 14 dives start at $685 USD, accommodation packages and meals are extra. Contact us for resort and dive package availability.

Turtle Bay Dive Resort - Moalboal, Cebu, Philippines - FREE O/W Dive Course

19. May 2013 Liquid Diving Adventures New Dive Resorts, Travel Specials & Deals

For our dive buddies out there with a non-diving friend, here's a deal. Book a 5-night package at this #1 rated dive resort in Moalboal, Cebu, Philippines and get a FREE PADI or SSI Open Water Dive Course. This amazing summer promotion starts at $516 per person double occupancy. Here's what is included in this deal:

Free Open Water Diver Course (PADI or SSI)
5 nights in an air-condtioned deluxe room
Breakfast, lunch and dinner for 5 days
Round trip transfer between airport and resort

The FREE course package requires you to pay for the registration (SSI) or registration and materials (PADI).

Turtle Bay Dive Resort was built by a family of avid divers who want other divers to experience the great diving in the warm waters of Moalboal and to relax in their little corner of tropical paradise that they have enjoyed over the years. The modern villas are set amongst tropical gardens and overlook a private cove with crystal clear waters lapping over the boat jetty. The resort has 23 rooms that are furnished either in traditional English hand carved furniture or in Filipino furniture. Every room has a ceiling fan and air-conditioning; ensuite bathroom with hot water shower; and private balcony with room to relax and enjoy the ocean breeze.

The resort operates a fully equipped, modern PADI regsitered Dive Center. Daily dives are scheduled - a 2-tank dive at 8:30am, a 1-tank dive at 2:30pm and, on request, Manadarin fish dive at 5:00pm and a 1-tank night dive at 6:30pm. Almost daily dives at the famous Pescador Island.

You can enjoy all year round diving in Moalboal. There are at least 18 recognized dive sites around Moalboal and more are being discovered. The range of these sites is extremely wide: sandy slopes, vertical walls that drop to 50 meters, canyons and a sunken island.