Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
leading up to it, commemorating the journey of Joseph and the pregnant
Virgin Mary to Bethlehem. Expect garish (and incongruous) decorations
and groups of children singing carols all over the archipelago, though
Christmas is primarily a family festival, celebrated in the home, without the
pageantry on show at other festivals. Christmas Day itself is spent with
family and friends - the country largely shuts down for the day.
to June. On deeper dives temperatures can drop to
22°C due to the upwelling of deeper, cooler water,
so a light (3mm) wet suit is essential. During the
typhoon season from June to November, be
prepared for your plans to be disrupted if a major
storm hits and dive boats are unable to venture
out. Visibility depends on water temperature, the
strength of the current and wind direction, but
generally lies in the 10-30m range, as good as
anywhere in the world.
There are currently five
recompression chambers
(aka hyperbaric chambers) in the Philippines to treat
recompression sickness (see opposite). All ostensibly
offer a 24-hour emergency service, but note that facil-
ities do close for maintenance and/or because there
are no staff qualified to use them. You might want to
check that your dive operator is aware of the nearest
operational facility. If it's not, go somewhere else.
Outdoor activities
For a sizeable proportion of the tourists
who visit every year, the main attraction
of the Philippines is the scuba diving.
The abundance of exceptional dive sites
and the high standard of diving instruc-
tion available have made the archipelago
one of the world's foremost diving
destinations.
It's not all about getting underwater though: there
are some superb wilderness areas in the Philippines
and dozens of volcanoes and mountains to be
climbed
, from the tallest in the country, Mount Apo
(2954m), to more manageable peaks close to Manila
in Batangas and Rizal provinces, some of which can
be tackled in a day-trip. The country also offers
opportunities for
caving
,
Dive trips
Most dives
cost
around P1800 to P2500, including
rental of the boat and equipment such as mask,
booties, wet suit, fins, weight belt and air tanks. For
night dives and more demanding technical dives,
expect to pay around P500 extra. If you've booked
a package that includes accommodation at a dive
resort, two dives a day will normally be included in
the cost.
whitewater rafting
,
surfing
and
sailing
.
Scuba diving
Courses
All PADI-accredited resorts offer a range of courses
run by qualified professional instructors. If you
haven't been diving before and aren't sure if you'll
Diving is possible year-round in the Philippines,
with surface water temperatures in the 25-28°C
range, the warmest conditions being from February
TOP 10 DIVE SITES
Anilao
Closest dive site to Manila, teeming with soft coral and tropical fish. See box, p.119.
Apo Island
Not to be confused with the reef (see below), this island off Negros is swamped
with fish and forests of coral. See p.320.
Apo Reef
Few divers and lots of big fish, two hours off the coast of Mindoro. See p.258.
Coron
The best wreck diving in the country, possibly in the world. There are 24 charted
wrecks, Japanese ships sunk in one massive attack by US aircraft in 1944. See p.395.
Puerto Galera
Unrivalled all-round destination with something for everyone, from novices to
old hands. See p.241.
Padre Burgos
Out of the way in undeveloped southern Leyte and a prime spot for
discovering new dive sites. See p.366.
Panglao Island
The dive sites close to the congenial Alona Beach resorts offer an exceptional
range of marine life. See p.294.
Samal Island
This sleepy island just off the coast of Davao, Mindanao, harbours numerous
dive sites. See p.428.
Subic Bay
The former US Navy base is an exceptional location for wreck dives, with the USS
New York
one of the highlights. See box, p.128.
Tubbataha Reef
You'll need to book a liveaboard trip but it's worth it, with guaranteed
sightings of sharks and a good chance of mantas and whale sharks. See p.376.
