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The Philippines was easily reached from Toronto with a quick connection in Hong Kong to Manila. A transfer to Puerto Galera and we arrived at Sabang Beach, home of the first Atlantis Hotel in the Philippines. The resort staff’s welcome greeting and check-in service was first class. This small boutique hotel has 40 very clean and comfortable rooms, all with mini fridge, snacks and satellite TV. The resort and its facilities and rooms, starting from Sabang beach climbs up a small hill set in tropical gardens and provides good views of the surrounding bay and mountainous landscape.
The dive operation, and the dedication and hard work of the dive staff made this the easiest diving I’ve ever encountered at a land based resort. The dive locker room is by far the best I have seen, with each divers name printed on their individual spaces. Once you have showed your dive guide how you like your gear setup, they will take care of doing all of the gear prep, transfer to the boats and rinsing and storage in your locker at the end of each days diving. The dive schedule allows up to 4 dives per day in small groups of up to six divers on small 20 foot speedboats, with very short 2 – 10 minute boat rides to most dive sites. The small groups allowed the Divemaster to offer much more personal attention in finding all of those exotic critters we wanted to photograph. The bio-diversity of the marine environment is amongst the best I have ever seen, with countless varieties of fish, corals and macro critters. The nudibranchs and anemone fish alone had this photographer in a state of bliss, not to mention the Ornate Ghost Pipefish.
We mostly dive what most would call typical reef type structures and walls, but a few sites are muck dives. For the uninitiated, muck diving usually involves diving on or around flat and featureless areas of the bottom. At first one would think that it is as devoid of life as the moon, with barely any reef structures visible anywhere and highly variable visibility. But upon close examination and with the help of the trained eye of the local dive guides, the most unusual and exotic critters can be seen. Flamboyant cuttlefish, tiny frogfish, ornate ghost pipefish, devilfish, ribbon eels, porcelain crabs and the list goes on and on.
The Verde Island dive was a special treat and is not to be missed. This pinnacle barely protrudes from the water and provided a wonderful underwater mountain landscape with gin clear visibility and large schools of fish and critters everywhere. The dive site is offshore of Verde Island, about a 45 minute boat ride from Puerto Galera. We completed one dive on the pinnacle and motored a short distance to the Verde Island beach, where we were greeted by locals who had prepared a tasty BBQ lunch of chicken, pork, rice and salads. After lunch, we returned to the pinnacle for a second dive, which was as fantastic or better than the first. During the return trip to Puerto Galera a third dive was planned at a shallow coral garden with untold numbers and varieties of nudibranchs and tiny macro life.
The boat rides around Puerto Galera to the various dive sites are very scenic and provide many photo opportunities. I have never seen such beautiful green landscapes with dense palm trees climbing hills and mountains. One morning we passed the local elementary school, located on a small neighboring island, with dozens of children all arriving by boat for the days lessons. Keeping a small camera handy at all times in a ziploc bag was a good idea to capture scenic and candid shots.
The dining at Atlantis requires special mention, because from the cooks to the service staff and Maitre D, they worked tirelessly to provide a quality and variety usually reserved for very expensive world class hotels. It is both a culinary and gastronomic experience I have rarely seen anywhere. All of the staff knew and remembered our names and preferences almost immediately from day one. Breakfast is buffet style with eggs and pancakes cooked to order. Lunch is a 3 course meal, with the choice of two appetizers, three main courses or the Mongolian Wok and two desserts. The Mongolian Wok was one of my favourites and allows you to choose a selection of fresh vegetables and meats which you present to the chef for stir frying with a choice of sauces, all served with rice or noodles. Supper, once again offered a 3 course meal, with choice of two appetizers, three or four main courses or a selection of meats or fish for BBQ, and two desserts. The variety and quality of the meals is one of the trademark signatures of Atlantis.
At the end of the week, I sadly left Atlantis Puerto Galera for a transfer back to Manila and a one hour flight to Dumaguete, home to the second Atlantis Hotel. Dumaguete is the Philippines sixth largest city, and it is thriving with activity. Upwards of 30000 students attend the local colleges and universities. This is a city that has a little bit of everything.
It’s a short transfer to the Atlantis Hotel in Dumaguete located about 20 minutes south of town. The staff once again greeted us like Kings and Queens with welcome cocktails and a very efficient check-in and orientation. Another small, beautiful boutique hotel with 40 rooms set in very lush and tropical gardens on the most beautiful volcanic sand beach that stretched on for miles and miles. The restaurant has the most wonderful setting right upon the beach with a great ocean view.
The dive operation is similar in efficiency and operation to that of Puerto Galera. The boats are the more traditional Bangka style Filipino boats with outriggers, which are to be seen everywhere. They provide a very large, comfortable, covered and stable dive platform, and pleasantly add to the cultural experience of diving the Philippines. The dive sites around Atlantis Dumaguete will not disappoint, and offer much variety, from typical reef and wall diving at Apo and Siquijor islands, to muck and patch reef diving the coastal sites. A number of marine sanctuaries have been created where sections of the reef and ocean are protected from any type of hunting and fishing. Some of my favourite sites are at Apo Island, Siquijor, the Ducomi Coconut Mills pier, which is not to be missed, and the house reef right in front of the hotel which allows shore diving any time. The Apo Island and Siquijor Island dives are special excursions, about 45 minutes ride on a large Bangka boat for 3 dives and a delicious buffet style lunch provided. The diversity in dive sites and quantity of critters make it a macro destination to rival any other. One of our guides, Marco, a marine biologist by education provided knowledge and information about the behaviors of various reef animals and corals. I have rarely ever had the pleasure to dive with someone who can so easily increase my appreciation for the beauty and diversity to be found in the ocean.
The restaurant, food and service was just as impressive as the sister property in Puerto Galera. The meal selection was very good and presentation always impressive. Dumaguete has a very good market and fresh fruits and vegetables are plentiful. The waterfront al fresco dining experience was very pleasant and a fond memory.
I had come with no expectations except that for good diving, good food and a comfortable hotel. I sadly departed; having made, great dives, and ate incredible food at a wonderful hotel that made me feel like part of the family. However, my most treasured memory from my experience in the Philippines was the natural friendliness and charm of the Filipino people. They spoil you with service, kindness and appreciation. Visit the Philippines and you will surely be amazed by the country, the ocean and most of all, by its people.
Written by Michael O’Meara
