Thinking about taking a dive trip or dive route through the Philippines? You’ve come to the right place! Here, as lovers of diving in the Philippines, the place where we took our first fin kicks in the underwater world, we’re going to tell you how to put together a route that includes the archipelago’s best destinations at your own pace.
Of course, we’ll also include other destinations of interest, since we’re sure you’ll also see a few things above the water. And, if you have any questions or want more suggestions, we’ll see you at the end of the article in the comments.
Why take a dive trip to the Philippines?
The simplest answer: because the Philippines has some of the most incredible dive sites in the world, covering every kind of flora and fauna. Located in the so-called “Coral Triangle,” the archipelago has something for every type of diver (beginners, advanced, and professionals), but also for every taste. You’ll return home satisfied whether you love “big animals,” the strangest creatures, or underwater landscapes with stunning coral walls or even canyons. Seriously, the Philippines has EVERYTHING.
And even if you want to focus your trip on diving, the good thing is that the country also has wonderful things to see on the surface and you won’t have to go too far, since the main dive spots are right next to incredible places. We’ll delve into them later, but, for example, you’ll fall in love with Coron, Malapascua, Bohol, or Apo Island, among many others.
On the other hand, another reason to take a dive trip to the Philippines is its prices. Dives, starting at $25 including equipment, are considerably more economical than in Europe or America, making it much more affordable. Added to this is the good service provided by dive centers in the Philippine archipelago and, if you value this, the convenience. Most centers usually assemble and carry the guest’s equipment to the boat, so you barely have to move a finger.
Finally, the weather conditions are good almost all year round. Sea temperatures rarely drop below 25°C and can exceed 28°C, which allows you to dive even without a wetsuit (as long as you’re not too sensitive to the cold). Unless the wind blows hard (which is not very common), there isn’t usually much swell, allowing for safe and calm entries and exits from the sea.
In short, taking a dive trip to the Philippines is a true success in every sense, and for this reason, we’ve decided to share some routes that might interest you.
By the way, if you’ve come this far because you’re interested in starting this wonderful hobby of diving, head to our article on Open Water courses in the Philippines.
Some tips for planning dive routes through the Philippines
- Best time to do a dive route through the Philippines: all year round, but perhaps the months when the sea is calmest and visibility is best are March, April, and May. From August to October there are usually more tropical depressions (sometimes typhoons) mainly in the Visayas and Luzon parts, so the water can be rougher and cancellations can occur. Even so, we encourage you to read our articles Traveling to the Philippines in August and Traveling to the Philippines in September to see which areas interest you most.
- Creating the route: pin the points that interest you most on a map and then check the transport schedules when the date approaches. In reality, the order usually doesn’t matter much; the most important thing is to minimize transfer time and, for that, you need to know dates and schedules. On our website you have a lot of routes explained step by step and we try to keep all movements updated, but it’s always good to go directly to the company (in the Philippines, Facebook works very well in this sense) to confirm.
- Seasons and sightings: as in almost the whole world, there are better times of the year to see certain animals or dive in certain areas. Such is the case with mantas in the Ticao Pass, liveaboard cruises in Tubbataha, or visits to Apo Reef. Therefore, when designing your dive route through the Philippines, you should be mindful of this.
- Focusing on the liveaboard: if you’re thinking about doing a liveaboard, as there aren’t that many compared to the Maldives or the Red Sea, the best thing is to see when the one you want is available and then create your dive trip to the Philippines with those dates in mind. At the end of this article you have the most interesting cruises.
More tips for your dive trip to the Philippines
- Transfers: keep in mind they can be long, especially if they are between non-touristic places, and that at 18:00 it is night. Calculate that you will need to spend at least one day to move from one side to the other and, of course, you must also take into account the number of hours that must pass so that you can safely board a plane.
- Own or rented equipment? While this does not affect your dive route in the Philippines, think that all domestic airlines charge for checked baggage. Evaluate, according to the dives you’re going to do, if you’re interested in bringing your own dive equipment. Renting it here is quite cheap.
- Things to do beyond diving: as we told you, the Philippines is much more than scuba diving. To know which way to go, we advise you to read Things to do in the Philippines and see how to fit it with your dive route through the Philippines. Even so, we will give you some suggestions below.
- Safety on your dive route through the Philippines: it is essential that you hire a travel insurance for the Philippines that responds well to any mishap, whether medical or otherwise. Unfortunately, we are experts in using insurance in the Philippines and we can “proudly” tell you that we have always come out unscathed from the bills. Here is a 5% discount on the best travel insurance for the Philippines, which includes coverage for dives down to 40 meters. On the other hand, traveling with insurance is now an entry requirement for the country.
Dive route through the Philippines: 11 days
With 11 days, between the arrival and departure flight and transfers, you won’t have time to cover much of the archipelago, so our advice is that you focus on several Visayas destinations. In the itinerary we will give you below, you can see the wonderful thresher shark in Malapascua (it is the only place in the world where natural sightings are almost guaranteed), great coral formations in Panglao, Balicasag and surroundings (as well as plenty of marine life) and “rare creatures” on the shores of Dauin (Negros). Without a doubt, this is a most varied itinerary for all types of divers.
Here is a proposal for an 11-day dive route through the Philippines. If you click on the links we provide, you will get recommendations for transfers, activities, restaurants, and much more:
Day 1: arrival in the Philippines and transfer to Malapascua
Recommended hotel: AABANA Beach&Watersport Resort
Days 2, 3 and 4: Malapascua – dives at Monad Shoal (thresher shark), Gato Island and others (possible excursion to Kalanggaman)
You can find all the information you need in our Malapascua Guide and Diving in Malapascua
Day 4: transfer from Malapascua to Bohol
Recommended hotel: La Sirenita Resort
Days 5 and 6: Bohol – dives in Balicasag, Panglao and/or Pamilacan
You might be interested in: Diving in Panglao
Day 7: explore the interior of Bohol or a relax day on the beaches of Panglao
Don’t miss our article Things to do in Bohol to plan the route
Day 8: boat from Bohol to Dumaguete and transfer to Dauin
Recommended hotel: Mike’s Dauin Dive Resort
Days 9 and 10: Dauin – dives in Dauin and excursion to Apo Island
In our Dauin Guide you have all the information
Day 11: transfer to Dumaguete and flight to Cebu or Manila to return home
If you want tips from divers for divers, we have several recommended centers in these areas. Leave us a comment and we will send you all the information.
Alternatives to this 11-day dive route through the Philippines
Of course, this is a model route, totally modular. Other alternatives for 11-day dive itineraries in the Philippines:
- Panglao + Cabilao + Malapascua
- Anilao + Puerto Galera + Panglao
- Panglao + Anda + Padre Burgos
- Malapascua + Padre Burgos + Panglao
- Panglao + Anda + Camiguin
Dive trip to the Philippines: 15 days
With this time you will be a little more relaxed and, therefore, we encourage you to get lost among the wrecks on the shores of Busuanga Island. Thanks to this 15-day dive route through the Philippines you will be able to discover the interior of World War II ships, greet the thresher shark, be amazed by the enormous sardine run in Moalboal and spend your last days combining diving with other activities on the mystical island of Siquijor.
If all this sounds good to you, go ahead. You can also modify it to your liking and follow other suggestions that we give you below.
Day 1: arrival in the Philippines and flight to Coron
Recommended hotel: Acacia Garden Inn
Days 2, 3 and 4: Coron – wreck dives and island hopping in Coron
Read Things to do in Coron for more information
Day 5: journey from Coron to Malapascua – flight to Cebu and transfer to Malapascua
Recommended hotel: AABANA Beach&Watersport Resort
Days 6, 7 and 8: Malapascua – dives at Monad Shoal (thresher shark), Gato Island and others (possible excursion to Kalanggaman)
Don’t miss everything about diving with the thresher shark in Malapascua
Day 9: journey from Malapascua to Moalboal
Recommended hotel: Beyond Island
Days 10 and 11: Moalboal – diving and canyoneering at the Kawasan Falls
In our Moalboal Guide you have everything very detailed
Day 12: transfer from Moalboal to Siquijor
Recommended hotel: Tropical Fun Ta Sea Rentals
Days 13 and 14: Siquijor – diving, possible excursion to Apo Island, waterfalls and more
Discover everything about this island in our Siquijor Guide
Day 15: return home through Dumaguete or Cebu
As in the previous case, we can also give you recommendations for schools and dive centers if you leave us a comment below.
Alternatives to this 15-day dive route in the Philippines
Here are other possibilities (they are almost infinite!):
- Coron + Malapascua + Moalboal + Dauin
- Coron + Malapascua + Siquijor
- Coron + Malapascua + Panglao + Anda
- Anilao + Apo Reef + Coron
- Anilao + Puerto Galera + Apo Reef
- Cabilao + Panglao + Padre Burgos + Malapascua
Dive route through the Philippines: 20 days
When they ask us how many days to be in the Philippines, we always answer at least 20 days, so this would be the dive trip through the Philippines that we would do. In it we combine a bit of sightseeing with all kinds of dive sites. It is a good trip also if you are thinking of traveling in July/August, since it encompasses parts in which it is the dry season in the country.
The last stop of the trip we have made more tranquil so that you can enjoy both diving in the World War II wrecks and the island hoppings and we suggest a much quieter area of Coron, where you can treat yourself to a stay in a cool place. As in previous cases, you have some alternatives at the end.
Here is the best 20-day dive route through the Philippines:
Day 1: arrival in the Philippines and flight to Camiguin
Recommended hotel: Mountain View Cottages
Days 2, 3 and 4: Camiguin – dives, exploration of the island and island hoppings in Camiguin
Don’t miss our Camiguin Guide to organize everything
Day 5: transfer from Camiguin to Bohol/Anda
Recommended hotel: Three Little Birds Resort
Days 6 and 7: Anda – dives and tour through the rice fields and different points of interest
In Things to do in Anda you have a super detailed guide about this destination
Day 8: from Anda to Panglao passing through Loboc
You can do a tour by car with a driver and have him take you to explore the Chocolate Hills and other points to see in Loboc
Recommended hotel: La Sirenita Resort
Days 9 and 10: Panglao – dives and beaches
Read Things to do in Panglao to get the most out of the island
Day 11: from Bohol to Malapascua
Recommended hotel: AABANA Beach&Watersport Resort
Days 12, 13 and 14: Malapascua – dives and explore the island
Read Diving in Malapascua to get the most out of it
Day 15: transfer from Malapascua to Coron – back to Cebu and flight to Coron
Recommended hotel: Busuanga Bay Lodge
Days 16, 17, 18 and 19: Coron – diving, island hopping and the Concepcion area
Here we recommend taking it slower and staying in the Concepcion part, unknown and closer to the wrecks, moreover, you could attempt dives with dugongs from here
Day 20: flight from Coron to Manila or Cebu and back home
You can ask us in comments to recommend dive schools in the different points of this 20-day dive route through the Philippines.
Alternatives to the 20-day dive itinerary in the Philippines
If in the 15-day route the possibilities were almost infinite, imagine with 20 days… These destinations we have proposed are very interesting for divers, but there are so many others more. Here are other alternatives to consider:
- Malapascua + Moalboal + Dauin + Siquijor + Coron
- Malapascua + Padre Burgos + Moalboal + Coron
- Coron + El Nido + Panglao + Anda + Camiguin
- Anilao + Puerto Galera + Apo Reef + Coron + Malapascua
- Anilao + Coron + Malapascua + Padre Burgos
Liveaboard cruises in the Philippines
Another great alternative for taking a dive trip through the Philippines is focusing on a liveaboard. It is the most comfortable way to do some of the best dives without having to endure very long transfers moving equipment from one side to another. As a general rule, these types of trips in the archipelago last about 8-10 days and are usually operated in the dry season (March-June). You will also find shorter expeditions of 3-4 days, in case you have less time.
The prices of liveaboard cruises are quite moderate compared to other destinations, especially at this time. Thanks to the coronavirus, some quite interesting offers can be found.
These are the ones we recommend considering:
- Tubbataha: if we had to do a liveaboard, it would be this one because it is a site only accessible this way and it is the country’s diving jewel. Boats: Philippine Siren, Discovery Adventure, Narayana, Discovery Palawan and Stella Maris Explorer.
- Visayas sharks: traveling to Malapascua to see the thresher shark, Southern Leyte for the whale shark and Bohol and Apo Island for other reef sharks. Boats: Seadoors and Infiniti.
- Visayas in general: most try to include Malapascua, Bohol, Apo Island and Dauin. You will see the best destinations in this part of the country. Boats: Philippine Siren and Infiniti.
- Apo Reef: most set sail from Coron because they also combine trips to the bay’s wrecks and dugong sightings. Boats: Liberation, Atlantis Azores, Azalea, Agos and Resolute.
In the links we have provided you can also see prices and opinions from other divers.
We hope we’ve helped you prepare your dive trip through the Philippines and your route. If you want to leave us any suggestion or doubt, you can write to us in the comments below. We are all eyes!
