Travel/Diving in the Philippines

Anyone been there done that? I have a friend I am visiting that lives
east of Manila about an hour. It's my first time there and I'm
interested in knowing what to expect as far as the travel is concerned
(friendliness of the people, crime, terrorism, etc.) as well as some
good dive sites in/around the Manila area. I won't ahve much time to
travel about. It's more of a business trip than pleasure, but would
like to get a dive in just the same.

Any ideas on the travel side of things as well as the dive side?

Many thanks.

Smitty

so many of their reefs have been destroyed by dynamiting the reef...or
pounding the reef. The Philippines once had some of the best reefs in the
world -- the diversity was mind boggling....I mean, so many different
types of corals that couldn't be found anywhere else and in such
profusion.

Then the country became front page news with insurgents and fighting --
and the people who ran dive trips there couldn't sell it anymore.

I was on a dive charter boat off Mindoro Island (south of Luzon) on the
way to Apo Reef and it was fantastic. That was back in 1979 before the
country became front page news for trouble. But I've never known that the
Philippines was a place to dive just after getting off the plane, which is
what you seem to suggest.

Today...the preferred sites where all of the excitement is found would
involve traveling to remote areas (for the most part, like Palawan or
maybe out into the Sulu Sea where pirates operate and no one goes there).
Also, out in the Sulu Sea is that "haunted" atoll which people are afraid
to dive -- bad things have happened there.

smitty91@firehousemail.com wrote:

> Anyone been there done that? I have a friend I am visiting that lives
> east of Manila about an hour. It's my first time there and I'm
> interested in knowing what to expect as far as the travel is concerned
> (friendliness of the people, crime, terrorism, etc.) as well as some
> good dive sites in/around the Manila area. I won't ahve much time to
> travel about. It's more of a business trip than pleasure, but would
> like to get a dive in just the same.
>
> Any ideas on the travel side of things as well as the dive side?
>
> Many thanks.
>
> Smitty

<smitty91@firehousemail.com> wrote in message
news:1109309642.679734.198920@o13g2000cwo.googlegr oups.com...
> Anyone been there done that? I have a friend I am visiting that lives
> east of Manila about an hour. It's my first time there and I'm
> interested in knowing what to expect as far as the travel is concerned
> (friendliness of the people, crime, terrorism, etc.) as well as some
> good dive sites in/around the Manila area. I won't ahve much time to
> travel about. It's more of a business trip than pleasure, but would
> like to get a dive in just the same.
>
> Any ideas on the travel side of things as well as the dive side?
>
> Many thanks.
>
> Smitty
>
As far as traffic is concerned, there is one thing that I'm sure will
frustrate you and that is the horrendous traffic in Manila. At times, it
literally takes hours to cover just a few miles. Since this is a business
trip, I would assume that you will have a car rental. It would probably be
better if you get a car with a driver. That way you don't have to be a road
warrior and battle the Manila traffic.

As far as diving is concerned, you would probably want a dive site closest
to Manila that would be Anilao in Bantangas. Here's one of the many websites
about Anilao

http://www.travelsmart.net/ph/Diving_Sites/Batangas.htm

Any advice as far as travel safety and such? My first time travelling
to the Philippines. I ahve read some warnings on the government
webpages. As far as the dive, I am hopeful I can get a dive in. I
won't have enough time to travel to the more exotic locations, at least
not this trip.

Dont believe all the press rubbish and hype!! I was there for 3 months in
2004 and had a fantastic time.I've never felt safer whilst travelling.The
added bonus of just about everyone speaking English(all be it
Americanised!!) makes everything a doddle.
Cant really tell you much about the diving near Manila other than it aint
supposed to be too good.I went to Palawan and dived the Coron wrecks -
FANTASTIC!! and I aint normally to hot on wreck diving - too creepy!
Have a great time whatever you do - I only wish I was there as well

> As far as diving is concerned, you would probably want a dive site
closest
> to Manila that would be Anilao in Bantangas. Here's one of the many websites
> about Anilao
>
> http://www.travelsmart.net/ph/Diving_Sites/Batangas.htm

I've found the diving in Sabang to be fantastic. It's an hour on the
ferry from Batangas (which is about 2 hours by car from Manila).

I've got some photos at http://www.imagestation.com/members/nathan56
(you'll need to create a free account unfortunately) in the Sabang2005
album. The diving is incredibly diverse, with a healthy reef, a variety
of small wrecks, lots of the little stuff, and on one occasion I saw a
Hammerhead.

I've used

http://www.actiondivers.com

Although the whole bay is full of dive shops.

Nathan

Good diving close south of Manila, try http://www.mayamaya.com/dive.htm

Carl


<smitty91@firehousemail.com> wrote in message
news:1109309642.679734.198920@o13g2000cwo.googlegr oups.com...
> Anyone been there done that? I have a friend I am visiting that lives
> east of Manila about an hour. It's my first time there and I'm
> interested in knowing what to expect as far as the travel is concerned
> (friendliness of the people, crime, terrorism, etc.) as well as some
> good dive sites in/around the Manila area. I won't ahve much time to
> travel about. It's more of a business trip than pleasure, but would
> like to get a dive in just the same.
>
> Any ideas on the travel side of things as well as the dive side?
>
> Many thanks.
>
> Smitty
>