Other Areas

[X Man]

Someone asked, and I dug up a book on Philippine diving 2006. There were very high recommendations for places in the bay just outside of gsc.

I'm not a diver, but I like snorkeling, and this book gave high remarks for both diving and snorkeling for most of the sites on the map I have attached.

This book gave 3 stars for Puerto Galera and 5 for GSC.

X

[Ostevo]

Hey Snow Koala,

Thats great help.

What rooms at the dig apple do you like?

PG is the best place for diving and dipping in Phil. You need to get yourself to Batangas Pier before 3.30pm to get the last ferry. Batangas is about 2-3 hours from Manila depending on traffic. I prefer private car. I use Jesse +639194732951 or e-mail jessesaludares@yahoo.com. Make sure you keep his phone number in your mobile to organise your return trip (read report entitled "Batangas Pier Scum").

I prefer to dive with Mareit Dive on the foreshore. They are a small operator, with good prices, a great Filipino divemaster (Buddy) and because they are small, they can often take you where you want to go.

I prefer to stay at Big Apple but dont dive with them (www.divebigapple.com).

Snow

[Snow Koala]

PG is the best place for diving and dipping in Phil. You need to get yourself to Batangas Pier before 3.30pm to get the last ferry. Batangas is about 2-3 hours from Manila depending on traffic. I prefer private car. I use Jesse +639194732951 or e-mail jessesaludares@yahoo.com. Make sure you keep his phone number in your mobile to organise your return trip (read report entitled "Batangas Pier Scum").

I prefer to dive with Mareit Dive on the foreshore. They are a small operator, with good prices, a great Filipino divemaster (Buddy) and because they are small, they can often take you where you want to go.

I prefer to stay at Big Apple but dont dive with them (www.divebigapple.com).

Snow

Its my first trip to Philippines. Its going to be a 30 day trip of diving and dipping. A few days in Manila. On to AC to get warmed up and some nice Philippine hospitality. Then on to PG to do some great (so I hear)diving. Any suggestions on how to get to PG from AC, the easy way if there is one. The two places I'm looking at to staying PG is Atlantis and the Tropicana Castle. Any suggestions here. And here's a list I found great to visit

Phuket. Great diving on a live aboard

Bay Islands-Honduras. I got certified there, day later shark dive

Galapagos Islands. Great diving. You will only see blue footed boobies there

Brazil. I found the diving in Fernado de Noronha to be better than Galapagos, it was the best so far. But its no place to monger, plenty to be had in Rio

I'm heading to Philippines on the 30th through the whole month of Feb. My 1st time. Any suggestions on where to go, places to stay ect. What would you dive and monger in a month. I'm also looking at diving Yonauni in Japan to see some hammer heads. Msg. Me if your in the area durning Feb.

[Delbert]

Tuna port in Gensan is huge,theres an international airport just up the road from there for the sole purpose so I was told of flying fish direct to the japanese market,I would give Gensan a miss though,its dusty and unimaginative,a poor cousin to Davao,I ended up staying a few miles down the road at Polomolok when I visited the DOLE plantation for a tour.

[GoodEnough]

I've only been to GenSan once, though there are guys from my company who go there frequently as we have an office there. I've never heard anyone exactly rave about the nightlife. There is an entertainment complex with a KTV and the usual rent-a-girl set up and there are a couple of bars where I understand the bartenders can hook you up but the area is not I think, worth going to the nightlife.

I have never dived there and don't know anyone among my diving friends here who has ever gone there to dive. There's an enormous commercial tuna port that pretty much dominates the town and most of the waterfront that I saw, but there may be other diving areas about which I know nothing.

I agree with X. If you're stuck in GenSan, take the bus to Davao and I'll introduce you to the diving scene here. As to the girls, there's a lot that's been written about that on the Davao thread and the Davao thread on the DS forum.

GE

[X Man]

Two hours drive from GSC is Davao, so you might want to post your question there as well. I know GE dives in Davao area and he can introduce you to Hennie, a divemaster who runs a restaurant in Davao.

BTW, there is also a Davao thread in Dragonslayers private area -- and GE does post there.

Hope that helps.

X

I've searched the forums and come up with almost nothing on General Santos City - Gensan. I am possibly interested in doing some scuba dives down that way but can find no info on nightlife there. I am not interested in BYOG.

Does anyone have any info on the scene there?

[Ostevo]

Its my first trip to Philippines. Its going to be a 30 day trip of diving and dipping. A few days in Manila. On to AC to get warmed up and some nice Philippine hospitality. Then on to PG to do some great (so I hear)diving. Any suggestions on how to get to PG from AC, the easy way if there is one. The two places I'm looking at to staying PG is Atlantis and the Tropicana Castle. Any suggestions here. And here's a list I found great to visit

Phuket. Great diving on a live aboard

Bay Islands-Honduras. I got certified there, day later shark dive

Galapagos Islands. Great diving. You will only see blue footed boobies there

Brazil. I found the diving in Fernado de Noronha to be better than Galapagos, it was the best so far. But its no place to monger, plenty to be had in Rio

I'm heading to Philippines on the 30th through the whole month of Feb. My 1st time. Any suggestions on where to go, places to stay ect. What would you dive and monger in a month. I'm also looking at diving Yonauni in Japan to see some hammer heads. Msg. Me if your in the area durning Feb.

[Jet Guy 2]

Hey Spivey,

Here is my version of your report on Diving/Mongering combination places

Cozumel D:8 M:6 Great drifts and gotta love Palancar and Devils Throat. Mongering is pretty good at the California club. Quality is astounding at Platinos but prices are off the charts.

Grand Cayman: D:8 M:0 (East End) 6 (West End) Overdived at the West, Ocean Frontiers rocks at the East. M: no action anywhere I found (and I brought my own anyway)

Puerto Vallerta Mx D:7 M:7 (at the islands far out in the bay, 4 near shore). Would not go back for just diving, too limited variety of sites. M: Girls easily available for LT at reasonable prices from a couple of bars.

BVI D:8 M:? Great diving including the famous RMS Rhone. Cannot comment on the M one way or the other (was with wifey)

Cyprus D:1-9 M:9 Diving can be just awful (grass bottom and literally no fish) at the western end of the island BUT it has one of the world's top 10 wrecks (the Zenobia) in 130 feet in Larnaca harbor. WOW what a dive and easily accessible to non-tech experienced divers. Google for photos. M: Paphos is loaded with takeout bars and you will find a wonderful selection from your favorite minor CIS countries.

Dubai UAE D:? M:10 Dubai is a contradiction in cultures, perhaps the most hedonistic place anywhere yet in the Mid East, the Vegas of the Muslim world. Truly astonishing range of M options for all tastes and budgets. Diving: Can go to Oman about 3 hrs east, keep meaning to, have not yet.

Costa Rica D:11 M:8 OK what is he doing, scoring Costa Rica 11 out of 10 for diving. Well I refer of course to Cocos Island which is accessible only after enduring 34 hours one way into the open ocean across sometime rough seas. But when you arrive it is serious hardcore diving like nowhere else. Not for the faint of heart, this is cold-ish water (72) with strong currents, you ar backrolling into a 3 foot swell and dropping straight to 80 feet to hang on to volcanic rock with your kevlar gloves....to watch 500 Hammerheads cruise by in front of you. I have also dived the GBR and the Galapagos, this takes the award for Best Anywhere. M: 8 in SJO, ok maybe 9. Amazing range of options, I recall waking up in a strange ST hotel with 2 girls going "uuuurgh, what a night"...going back to my hotel and starting over...

Pensacola FL, D:8 M:-5 Diving the Oriskany should be on every US divers list. Flight deck was at 138 (my my computer) now post-Gustav it settled to 146, too deep. But it's just a parking lot anyway. Go for the tower, go in and out of the flight deck bridges, way cool. M: fuggedaboutit. I wasted hours looking for it. Finally evac-ed myself to Biloxi where at least I could head to a casino, but it was slow there too.

Other divers please continue....

Dive Safe and Often

So why is this in the PI thread? I am heading to PG in late May as it seems to be a potential D:8 M:8 combination. Report to follow.

EDITOR'S NOTE: I would suggest that the author or another Forum Member consider posting a link to this report in the Reports of Distinction thread. Please Click Here for more information.

[Spivey24]

Rick, we definitely are on the same page. I would love to hit Tubbataha, but unfortunately I am coming in too early. Late February to mid March. I'm not a huge fan of liveaboards either as I love nightlife and sleeping on land. Tubbataha is not guaranteed big stuff either.

I am considering Malapascua this time around for the sharks and rays. No nightlife there though but a few hours out of Cebu. I am also talking to an operator out of General Santos claiming to be doing some killer dives though a bit "adventerous". Nothing but tuna fisheries there though and good sashimi. I may hit Subic for a few days just to chill and check out some wrecks. Looks like a fun place to spend a few days.

Last time I did Angeles for 3 days, PG for 5 days and Panglao for 5 days. PG is a must, though not much big stuff. Panglau/Alona beach was fantastic diving but definitely BYOG. I did but she got annoying after a few days. Maybe you could find something is Tagbilaran at the malls, but no pickup bars.

Here are my findings to date:

1. PI-- D: 9, M: 9. Its got it all, but unfortunately as you know its tough to find them together.

2. Cuacao-- D: 8, M: 7. Stayed at the Habitat and drove into Campo every night. Cheap ST, great slection, but very little LT options. Spanish helps. Diving was great for corals/macro and the house reef was amazing. 24h shore diving is the greatest and most relaxing diving.

3. Costa Rica-- D: 5, M: 8. Diving was terrible off shore, but is supposed to be really good if you go further out. Unfortunately I got a cold and couldn't clear my ears so gave up and enjoyed the local talent and land tours. San Jose is where most of the talent is. More expensive than Curacao. Beautiful contryside and scenery though.

4. Dominican Republic-- D: 6. 5 M: 6. Unfortunately the talent is in the north and the better diving is in the south. Why can't they ever be together. I didn't try the diving in the North. Love the ones with lighter chocolate skin.

5. Aruba-- D: 6 M: 5. Diving is ok. Talent is on the far side of island. Must drive. ST in their rooms. Found some hotties.

I am really trying to decide on whether to head to Thailand this trip. It would just be for a week so I don't know if its worth it. It not enough time to do a liveaboard so I would be stuck with local dives like phi-phi.

What do you think Rick, worth it?

EDITOR'S NOTE: I would suggest that the author or another Forum Member consider posting a link to this report in the Reports of Distinction thread. Please Click Here for more information.

[Delbert]

You can always pop across to Sabah and dive at Sipadan.

You wont get better in Pinas,not even tubbataha comes close.

[Rick Steves]

Sopwith, Bonbon John, Colokem, and Spivey24, thanks for your replies to my question. I am planning for a two-week trip sometime between March and May. My tentative itinerary is about five days at the Atlantis in Sabang, followed by a five-day live-aboard to the Tubbataha Reefs, and then a few days in Angeles. Tubbataha is supposed to be the best place in the PI for big-animal encounters (sharks, rays, tuna, jacks, turtles, etc.). However, I doubt that it would be practical to take a bar girl along. Too boring for her. I don't know, I may change my mind and just stick to the land-based diving and mongering scene in Sabang.

On the topic of diving and mongering, here are my findings to date:

1. Phuket--D: 9, M: 8. The diving is fantasic if you do a live-aboard to the Similans and Richelieu Rock, but it is only decent if you do day trips to places like Phi Phi. The coral at Richelieu was brilliant I saw everything from tiny seahorses and nudibranches to 15-foot-wide manta rays. The mongering in Patong is pretty good, but a couple of notches below Bangkok and Pattaya.

2. Hawaii--D: 6, M: 5. Maui has some nice dive sites, but it lacks the fish and coral diversity of the Indo-Pacific. There is some decent, if expensive, mongering in Waikiki, but Maui is dead.

3. Cozumel--D: 7, M: 4. Drift diving in Cozumel is pretty cool. I travelled about a mile on most dives. There are a few-low cost brothels on the island, but I didn't see any hotties.

4. Utila--D: 5, M: 0. I was hoping to see a whale shark, but no dice. What I saw was a sparce population of tiny little fishes no longer than 8 inches in length. Apparently, the locals catch and eat all the big fish. Even the captain of my dive boat fished during our dives. I have seen reports of a very low-key mongering scene with local freelancers, but I didn't have any luck.

Hopefully, the Philippines will take over the #1 spot in my list. The mongering scene, in particular, seems to hold a lot of promise. Other locations on my to-explore list include Indonesia, Malaysia, Cabo San Lucas, Curacao, Brazil, and Yap (topless natives!).

EDITOR'S NOTE: I would suggest that the author or another Forum Member consider posting a link to this report in the Reports of Distinction thread. Please Click Here for more information.

[Spivey24]

I've searched the forums and come up with almost nothing on General Santos City - Gensan. I am possibly interested in doing some scuba dives down that way but can find no info on nightlife there. I am not interested in BYOG.

Does anyone have any info on the scene there?

[Spivey24]

As part of my ongoing research project on the world's best dive 'n' monger locales, I am planning a trip to Sabang.

Atlantis gets high marks on diving boards. Can anyone tell me if they are bar girl friendly? If they are not, perhaps you can recommend a nearby hotel that I can stay at while diving with Atlantis?

The following post addressed this topic in general, but it did not mention Atlantis.

http://www.internationalsexguide.inf...ing#post765415

TIA

Its good to see a fellow dive & mongerer! I have been searching the world for these places. Sabang is an excellent location for these combined activities. PG has fantastic diving, about 6 discos, and some great beach bars for hanging out and putting some San Miguels back. The bars are not quite Angeles, but I had some great selection. Hotels are all girl friendly. I did not bother making a reservation. Just get off the boat and walk to the left and find a place. I got a place right on the beach for 22 USD a night. Also there is a legit massage parlor up the road a few blocks that is not to be missed. Find a reputable dive shop that will take you out to Verde. Its a further ride so they don't always like to do it. I really enjoyed PG.

I will be back in PI in late February and am looking for diving spots with added nightlife. Not too many. May try Subic this time or head far south.

[Colokem]

As part of my ongoing research project on the world's best dive 'n' monger locales, I am planning a trip to Sabang.

Atlantis gets high marks on diving boards. Can anyone tell me if they are bar girl friendly? If they are not, perhaps you can recommend a nearby hotel that I can stay at while diving with Atlantis?

The following post addressed this topic in general, but it did not mention Atlantis.

http://www.internationalsexguide.inf...ing#post765415

TIA

You should have no problems at Atlantis.

I can honestly say that 95% of the hotels in Sabang are girl frendly.

[Bonbon John]

Hi

I've been in atlantis several times and have not had any major problems to stay there with girls.
Once or twice the a night guard has tried to ask something but I have just walked pass him without answering.
They have some rooms in beach house, which is even easier to access. I usually take room from that because of view and access.
Atlantis is only place to stay!!!

John

As part of my ongoing research project on the world's best dive 'n' monger locales, I am planning a trip to Sabang.

Atlantis gets high marks on diving boards. Can anyone tell me if they are bar girl friendly? If they are not, perhaps you can recommend a nearby hotel that I can stay at while diving with Atlantis?

The following post addressed this topic in general, but it did not mention Atlantis.

http://www.internationalsexguide.inf...ing#post765415

TIA