General Info

[QUOTE=Marconista]May I suggest a family-resort. It's called Coco Beach, and is located on the northeast coast of Mindoro. It is a quiet place, but not to far from puerto galera, and you can go there with a banca to party. I never did, as with family. They have both aircon and non-aircon huts in classic style. Good restaurant. OK pool. The beach is not too good, but you can use their services/bancas and go to better beaches in the area. You may call them in Malate on (63 2) 521 52 60, (63 2) 526 45 94 or (63 2) 523 03 19 and ask their rates. They will also pick you up at the airport. You can also rent diving gear and go with their experienced dive masters, which I did a few years back.

You find it here: [url]http://www.cocobeach.com/web/index.htm[/url][/QUOTE]You have a nice enviroment at Cocobeach,But Atlantis is in the middle of the action,But since you are with your GF,Cocobeach has its own beach compared to the relatively dirty beach at Sabang.

[QUOTE=Wulfe13]When my wife and I were in Cebu we decided to go to Blue Water Resort one day so we could swim at the beach. We were in the water for maybe 15 to 20 minutes and started itching really bad. It really affected my legs and back while it affected my wifes back and arms. It was almost like a rash. We decided to swim in their pools instead. The next day we were fine. I never saw anything in the water. I even looked for Jellyfish but I didn't see anything. I've always been a little paranoid since I saw Jaws when I was 6 or 7. ha ha ha...

I was really disappointed as we didn't spend much time at the beach during my trip and the resort we stayed at the most in Bohol (Bohol Tropics) didn't have a beach for swimming.

Any ideas....[/QUOTE]Well Plantation Bay has packages for the day and you swim in a Saltwater Pool with an Artificial Lagoon,Shangrila s beach has a fine mesh net to keep the jellyfish out.These are 2 expensive but jellyfish free options

Another suggestion to Mindoro's places to stay or visit is White beach.You can take a bangka from Sabang or Puerto galera.You can also get to White beach by jeepney or tricycle,upon arrival to Puerto.The accomodations in White beach are basic,but if you prefer solitude with your GF,it is quieter than sabang beach and it has a much better beach.It is also less seedy.If you stay in Sabang,I will suggest you take a look at the Big apple dive resort.It has quiet rooms in the back from the beach(and their own bar,which is open 24/7),surrounding a nice pool.Their food is ok too and their location is close to everything.For swimming,thought,I will advice you to go Big La Laguna.The water there is cleaner and clear.You can walk there from Sabang(about 10-15 minutes),or you can take a bangka.
Enjoy your trip,

Avioneto

But when I asked if anyone had any ideas, I was actually refering to ideas about what caused the terrible itching... we won't be able to afford going back any time soon. Sorry, I should have worded that better. Do you think it was Jellyfish or maybe polluted water??? We were ok late that night and the next day.

Wulfe

I had a similar experience when I was in Anilao one weekend with a friend scubadiving (Anilao is close to Batangas with a lot of simple dive-resorts with mainly Pinoys visiting from Manila during weekends ).
The afternoon we arrived we went out snorkling in swimwear only and experienced a lot of itching when we were swimming and afterwards. We were using masks and fins only, but I could not see any jellyfish while in the water.
The dive-master told us afterwards that there are a lot of loose threads from the jellyfish that causes this. The other days, when scubadiving, I tried to look for the jf, but never saw any, so they were not present.
If this is seasonal, I dont know. But ask locals next time, and use a wetsuit, as another contributor mentioned earlier.

Hmmmm... loose threads from the Jellyfish. That makes sense. We didn't know what the hell it was! We sure as hell weren't gonna stick around to find out either. Thanks,

Wulfe

Just did a search on jellyfish and it appears that the 'box jellyfish' is the most deadly in the world and they are very common in the PI. One website claimed that 20-40 people die every year in PI due to stings from this, but that the real figure is probably higher because a death certificate is not required for burial in PI, and thus other deaths which should properly be attributed to jellyfish stings, are not.

That annual 'Manhattan island swim' is looking better. Worse thing that can happen is swallowing a turd or coming in close contact to a 'floater', the NYPD's affectionate term for a body.

Don

I forgot to mention that the search also turned up articles on (a) a power outage in Manila in '99 due to millions of jellyfish clogging the intake pipes of a power station, and (b) over a hundred Phillipine anti-terrorist police getting sick in '03 during exercises which involved drills in the water--I think it was the Cebu area--during which they got badly stung by jellyfish.

Now I know why we don't get bombarded with ads for beach vacations in the Phillipines, unlike the Caribbean getaways. Its the jellyfish, kidz.

Don

[QUOTE=Dashing Don]On an earlier trip this year, I snorkelled and swam both in Puerta Galera and Davao's Pearl Farm. In both places, we were bitten constantly by transparent jellyfish. If the sun's rays hit the water at the right angle, it is possible to see the jellyfish; I would guess they are about three inches long and the color of glass. Impossible to avoid.

The Coral Gardens near Sabang was the worst as we snorkelled there for about an hour and spent the next several days scratching the bites. When we got back to the Atlantis, we asked the guys at the dive shop about this but they were non-committal. One said that it was a seasonal thing.

Its definitely something to keep in mind. Anyone else have this problem?

Don[/QUOTE]On the west coast of Canada , jellyfish are not a big problem but can sting if incountered.

A few tips #1 . Jellyfish tend to be more abundant around fresh water mouths,something to do with salinity.

#2 . Carry MSG meat tenderizer. It breaks down enzimes [sp]. Jellyfish stings are enzime based, as are most animal stings. Make a paste of MSG and rub on sting. Hope this helps. Happy diving from a old seal

The 'itchy sting" is most likely is seasonal hydroid bloom and not technically a jelly. Very common in PG. A lycra suit will proect you if you'd rather not hassle with a wet suit.

I hadn't heard about the box jellies. But they do follow a predictable season, at least they do elsewhere. I'll post anything further I find.

FD

Box Jelly season is Oct to May. A suit will protest you. Remember, lethality depends upon the number of nematocytes fired into you. Small stings are just painful. So any skin covering is better than nothing.

Found a lot of good info on this at: [url]http://www.mja.com.au/public/issues/dec2/fenner/fenner.html[/url]

Good luck,

FD

[QUOTE=Cebu Local]You have a nice enviroment at Cocobeach,But Atlantis is in the middle of the action,But since you are with your GF,Cocobeach has its own beach compared to the relatively dirty beach at Sabang.[/QUOTE]Yes but the beach at Cocobeach is tiny and not much fun for swimming. Also, to get to Cocobeach you take their outrigger boats which are really too small to be safe. I've heard that one of these outriggers that Cocobeach uses has capsized before.

[QUOTE=On The Go] "I am in the midst of establishing a million dollar start up
company" [QUOTE]

This is from the Colombia thread...don't laugh! :-)

As you can see, OTG is "in the midst of establishing a million dollar start up company". Please send your resumes to: Amway International, ATTN: Juniour.

Just having some fun. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

Guinness

[QUOTE=Guinness][QUOTE=On The Go] "I am in the midst of establishing a million dollar start up
company" [QUOTE]

This is from the Colombia thread...don't laugh! :-)

As you can see, OTG is "in the midst of establishing a million dollar start up company". Please send your resumes to: Amway International, ATTN: Juniour.

Just having some fun. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

Guinness[/QUOTE]


[I]Homo Boy[/I] aka Dashing don/Tee It up/Guinness/Teed Off/Face Pisser/Jakers/ tbc/ etc

Is there any reason why you have had to put my name, once again, in your pathetic post? Is this for some dramatic effect?? Dude, shit that happens in Colombia should stay in the Colombia thread. We don’t need you to spread this useless information.

What happened are you applying for the position of press spokeman?

If the man wants to start up a million, 500 million or Billion dollar start up how would this effect you?

Can someone tell me is this how you now get to senior status with posting pure and utter nonsense all over the forum, because last week you were only a regular member, with not one proper post to your name.

After several visits to Sabang, I would say don't go there for general swimming. Sabang beach has several channels of raw sewerage flowing from Sabang town into the small bay. A walk along the beach will reveal all. As for Cocobeach, I found the slimy seaweed everywhere very unattractive. Cocobeach is good for a chill out (BYO), no swimming break. Sabang is a rubbish town but can be fun for sex and diving. Maybe I am the worrying type, but I also find those bankas used for travel between Sabang and Batagas Port rather fragile and unsafe, especially when the sea is rough. If they capsize, then one is in real trouble as I understand the current in the strait is very fast.