Pura Vida Resort - Dauin

Dumaguete is a small city situated on the south-eastern tip of Negros, one of The Philippines' larger islands and part of the Visayas group. The island of Negros and Dumaguete town are still relatively undeveloped, but becoming increasingly popular with tourists due in part to ease of access and to the diverse range of activities available in addition to the diving.

Negros Island is beautifully lush and tropical and well known for its verdant sugar cane plantations in the north and coconut plantations in the south. Beaches are partly volcanic sand, giving the island a distinctive grey sand colour.

Located in Negros Oriental province, Dumaguete town is a very friendly place, with the atmosphere you can expect from a place with seven universities and colleges. Malatapay market happens on Wednesdays and would be a good way to spend a break from diving.

Close to the city are trekking in tropical forests, waterfalls, hot springs, hill climbing, golf, and dolphin and whale watching in Bais Bay. Still, the main reason why people come here is for the incredible diving, especially to visit the famous Apo Island.

Dauin dives, all day long…

Dauin is a spot famed for its macro life. Seahorses, ghost pipe fishes, frog fishes, different kind of lion and scorpion fishes and nudibranchs are common. The area referred to as Eel Garden is also rather unique and an excellent place for photographers and night dives.

Apo Island

The main attraction in the area is Apo Island (not to be confused with Apo Reef, Palawan) one of the best known Philippines diving destinations. Surrounded by white sand in contrast to its black sand neighbours, Apo is a tiny marine sanctuary. The island itself covers just 72 hectares and is teeming with fish, beautiful corals and is especially known for green turtles. There are ten dive sites around the island and each has something different to offer from exhilarating drift dives at some locations to gentle shallow dives over hard and soft corals at others. At Apo Island there is a huge variety of fish species, crustaceans and nudibranch. The schools of jacks can sometimes number over 2,000 fish. For both micro and macro lovers this is truly blue heaven. Apo Island is about 45 minutes boat ride away.

House Reefs

Both Pura Vida Resort and Atmosphere Resort benefit from fantastic house reefs. Ideal for extra shore day dives after your boat dives, the perfect environment for great night dives and ideal for easy photography and training.

Sea Explorer’s house reef at Pura Vida has been revitalised over the last few years into a protected artificial reef for these water’s smaller species. Seahorses, hair frogfish, a wonderpus and ghostpipe fish have all been spotted. The sandy bottom slopes down from one to twenty metres and there is also a 12m long steel boat wreck.

Atmosphere Divers house reef along the Dauin coast offers two entry points; north and south. A shallow sea grass bed descends to the main reef at about 7 metres, continuing to 20–30 metres at each respective end with hard and soft corals and a sandy bottom hiding all sorts of well camouflaged macro life. This area will keep any diver entertained for multiple dives and is an especially great night dive.

In 2011, Atmosphere Divers sunk 3 shipping containers. This artificial reef project is already home to a variety of corals, juvenile and macro species and promises to get better and better.

Masaplod

Reached by boat in around fifteen minutes, you can encounter big schools of fish at Masaplod. Large snappers, sweetlips, stingrays and different kind of scorpion fishes are common at this dive site and sightings of large turtles are also frequent.

Dive Packs

We recommend that you book your dive packs with Regaldive prior to departure, in order to secure your diving or course and so that the dive centre is expecting you. Options available with Sea Explorers include 5, 10 and 20 dive packages, plus an unlimited diving option. Please discuss your requirements with the Regaldive team, who will prepare a quotation suited to your requirements.

Note: 12 litre aluminium cylinders with INT fittings. Some 10 & 15 litre tanks may be available. Divers with DIN regulators should take their own adaptors.

Dive Courses

A range of diving courses is available for those looking to learn to dive. Please enquire for details.

Extras in Resort

• Apo Island Park Fees: Fees vary depending on whether you’re diving inside or outside the marine sanctuary and whether you’re using a camera.
• Dauin/Dumaguete Park Fees: Fees vary depending on whether you’re diving with or without a camera, and for specific sites such as the pier.
• DIN tanks - it is recommended that you take DIN adaptors with you
• Nitrox fills 32% and 36%
• Dive equipment rental: Full equipment (excluding computer) is available to hire

You will be requested to fill out a dive medical questionnaire. If you have any pre-exisiting conditon that may affect your diving, please ensure you travel with a fit-to-dive certificate, valid within the last 12 months. Please note that not all localities will have access to a specilist diving medic close by for you to be assessed before diving.

The Philippines is an island nation located in South East Asia with Manila as its capital city. The Philippine archipelago comprises 7,107 islands in the western Pacific Ocean. These islands are home to spectacular scenery, pristine beaches, incredible sights and lively cities. Dramatic drop offs, wrecks, caves and a richly varied marine life also guarantee fabulous diving. Combined with the renowned Philippine hospitality and warmth, an unforgettable dive holiday awaits.

You will find a true blend of cultures; the people are generally of Malay descent, but Philippine history has introduced Chinese, Spanish and American elements as well. The Philippines is a predominantly Christian country where eight out of ten Filipinos are practising Catholics. Filipino hospitality is legendary and the Philippines is the fiesta nation of Asia. Fiestas celebrate harvests, births and victories, as well as religious events. The Filipinos like to party and celebrations are found in every ethnic group and may be large regional events or small local happenings.

Resorts have been hand picked, not only for their comfort and surrounding scenery but most importantly, for their proximity to incredible dives sites. Whilst out of the water, guests can relax on some of the best beaches in the world, enjoy the local markets, festivals and sights or even spend a night in the exciting and bustling Manila or more laid back Cebu.

As the Philippines is a strong Catholic nation, festive holidays such as Easter are very busy. Either book well in advance, or avoid the main religious holiday periods where possible.

Climate

The climate of The Philippines can broadly be described as hot and tropical. Most people visit The Philippines during the dry season. However, many regular visitors attest that the best time to visit is during the wet season and that the proliferation and variety of marine life is the best in June, July and August.

Dry season: December to May
Wet season: June to November

During the dry season, easterly winds prevail and air temperature is in high 20s to mid 30ºC. February to May are generally the hottest. Wet season winds are from the west, with air temperature in mid to high 20s. You can often strike lucky and have weeks of brilliant blue skies and unlimited sunshine. On the other hand, the rains, when they come, are impressive and prolonged. There are few rivers, so run off and its effect on water visibility is not generally a problem.

The Philippines is a large country and has many climatic variations from east to west and south to north.

Best underwater visibility: April to July
Water temperature average: 24–30ºC

Time

8 hours ahead of GMT.

Language

Filipino is Officially the national language of The Philippines. This language is based on Tagalog which is the most widely used of the 70 plus dialects used within the country. English is also prevalent throughout the country, especially in tourist destinations. English is also widely used as the medium for education, communication and business. Eight major dialects spoken by majority of the Filipinos: Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilocano, Hiligaynon or Ilonggo, Bicol, Waray, Pampango, and Pangasinense.

Currency

The unit of currency is the Philippine Peso (PHP). The US dollar is the most widely recognised foreign currency. Euros & GBP are also readily exchanged.

The majority of larger towns have ATMs, however, facilities for money withdrawal or changing are far less widespread away from the main centres of population. There are bank machines at the airport.

Tipping

Tipping is expected for many services. The standard is 10% of the total bill or optional where there is a 10% service charge.

Flight Information

Regaldive can offer packages to the Philippines on a number of different airlines.

London - Manila: Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways, Malaysia Airlines and KLM all fly daily via their national hubs.

London - Cebu: Singapore Airlines via Singapore on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday; Cathay Pacific via Hong Kong daily.

Carry-On Luggage Restriction

Philippines Office for Transportation Security rules include 'Scuba Diving Equipment' (including regulators) on the list of blunt instruments that are not to be in carry-on/cabin baggage on flights originating within the Philippines. Please ensure that all scuba equipment is secured within checked-in baggage on all domestic flights and on all departing international flights.

Internal flights:
Manila - Cebu
Manila - Busuanga
Manila - Dumaguete

Transfers

Whichever island you are staying on, you are met at the airport/ferry port and transferred to your resort. Whether by flight, jeepney or banca boat, there are fantastic sights to enjoy on your journey there and back. Although some transfer can take up to a whole day, most clients pass feedback that this was a very interesting part of their overall trip. The below information is to give you a general idea of transfer times between regions; actual transfer times may differ slightly according to individual arrangements and ferry timetables, tides etc.:

Cebu - Dumaguete: 4–5 hours by vehicle, ferry and hotel shuttle

Dumaguete - Bohol / Panglao / Cabilao: 3 hours by hotel shuttle, ferry and vehicle or 3 to 4 hours by Outrigger conditions permitting
Dumaguete - Malapascua: 8–9 hours by vehicle, ferry, vehicle and outrigger.

Visas

Entry requirements vary from country to country, and it’s important to check the latest visa information well before you travel. Some destinations may allow visa-free entry for a limited period, while others require an eVisa or a visa obtained in advance. To ensure you have the correct documentation for your trip, we recommend checking the official advice from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) or contacting the relevant country’s embassy or consulate. Other nationalities should check with their own consulate/embassy.

Passports

Before you travel, make sure your passport is valid for the full duration of your trip and meets the entry requirements of your destination. Many countries require at least six months’ validity beyond your planned return date, while others may have different rules. For the most reliable and up-to-date information, visit the UK Government’s passport guidance or the official travel advice pages for your destination. Other nationalities should check with their own consulate/embassy.

If you’re planning to travel to or via an EU country (with certain exceptions) your UK passport must meet two key requirements, it must be less than 10 years old on the day you enter the country and it must be valid for at least three months after your planned departure date.

Vaccinations & Health Advice

Health and vaccination requirements differ depending on where you're travelling. Some destinations may require proof of specific vaccinations or recommend certain precautions to protect your wellbeing.

We’re not qualified to provide you with specific advice on vaccinations and strongly recommend that you contact your healthcare professional before you travel to discuss the inoculations you may need to consider.

For trusted guidance on health and vaccination advice, refer to the NHS Travel Vaccination Advice, Masta Travel Health or Travel Health Pro websites.