Travel Philippines

Travel to Apo Reef Dive Sites and Destination- Second largest coral reef in the world

Apo Reef is one of the most best and famous diving site in the Philippines and the one of the most popular coral reef in the world. Apo Reef is the second largest coral reef in the world and the largest one in the country. Apo Reef is the largest among three islands ofthe Apo Reef Nature park. The other two Islands are the Apo Island and the Pand Island. Apo Reef is located 28 kms off the western coast of Mindoro Island, it is 34 kms long and divided into two lagoon systems, north and south.

Apo Reef is one of the world class diving site in the Philippines and is a pure bliss for divers. Apo Reef diving has some spectacular drop offs and walls with some of the best visibility in the country. The shallow lagoon with a depth of 2 meters to 10 meters surrounded by mangrove forest which serves as source of food, nursery and spawning ground of several coastal and marine species of fauna and sanctuary of birds. Its diverse corals are approximately 34 sq. km. of reef where different species of fish, marine mammals and invertebrates thrive. If you like big fish action Apo Reef will not disappoint you, schools of trevally, tuna and the photographers dream, barracuda’s, not to mention hammerheads, white and black tip reef sharks, manta, eagle and sting rays and turtles galore.

Apo Reef is a protected sanctuary and declared a National Park in 1996. Apo Reef Natural PArk has a unique natural phenomenon and has a high diversity of corals and has an island covered with terrestrial vegetation.

Trips to Apo reef are generally arranged from Pandan Island Resort on the west coast of Mindoro Island, Pandan Island itself to the south, or from Puerto Galera, 125 km away. Most live-aboard boats feature the area in their itineries also.

3 hours by boat from Pandan Island. 125 kms by boat from Puerto Galera. Live-aboards from 1-5 days.

Apo Island: This Island has some lovely and scenic view with a magnificent and good assorment of dive sites. Stunning and outstanding hard and soft corals are all around and enormous table corals, stag horns, brain corals and fire corals can be seen.

Huge drop-offs and spectacular walls are in the southern, northern and eastern side of the island. Exotic and enchanting marine life species can be experienced when the currents are strong because a variety of large pelagic species are attracted all around the island.Stunning Marine life will be encountered such as large pelagics, including tuna, jacks, humphead wrasses, mantas and hammerheads.

Shark Ridge: Located at the Eastern side of Apo Island. This diving spot is named Shark Ridge because many whitetip and blacktip sharks can be seen. Mantas are also common in this site but the corals are not so good.

Binangaan Drop-off: Site drop-off site is located at the southwest side of Apo Island and another good wall to explore. Impressive gorgonians and plenty of soft and hard corals can be seen in this site. Exotic Marine life is vibrant and schools of humphead parrotfish, tuna, groupers, snappers and other large pelagics can be experienced.

Hunters Rock: This reef is located 20 km off the west coast of Apo Reef. This site is not for beginners because the current is strong. Experienced guide is needed to find the spot. Numerous sea snakes can be found in here especially during mating season June and July. Beautiful marine life can be seen in here and masses of corals and sponges. This reef is home to schools of tropical fish, including butterflyfishes, snappers and sweetlips. Sharks, big trevallys and other predatory fish are common.

Merope Rock: This is similar to Hunters rock and is located 20 km off the west coast of Apo Reef. There is a good wall on the eastern side of this rock and you will find big fish, sharks, barracuda and trevally.

Pandan Island: Going to Apo Reef is by boat from Pandan Island. Located off the West coast of Mindoro Island and is a private resort. There are numerous beautiful dive sites here in Pandan Island that the depths ranges from 2m to 20m which is ideal for beginners. Wide variety of marine fauna and life, from colourful corals to small reef fish and larger pelagics can be found in here.

Puerto Galera Dive Sites - World's Best diving destination in the Philippines

Puerto Galera is one of the popular diving destination here in the Philippines and also is known worldwide because of its world class diving and snorkeling. Puerto Galera is located on the northern shore of Mindoro Island just 130 kms South of Manila and 14 nautical miles from Batangas.

Puerto Galera has numerous beautiful and marvelous dive sites to offer and these diving sites are very accessible. Snorkeling is usually good just offshore. The depth of the diving sites are from 5 meters to 40 meters and the water temperatur is between 26 to 29 degress centigrade. The currents of these diving sites are oftern brisk and unpredictable and this create a challenge to novice divers. Snorkeling is usually good just offshore.

Puerto Galera is rich in marine life and it has many to offer to the divers. Puerto Galera is also a divers paradise because you can see different exotic marine life species. Big fishes like White tip Sharks, Barracudas, Tunas, even Eagle Rays, Turtles can be seen on selected dive sites like the popular Canyons, Shark Caves, Boulders, especially so on a drift dive during big tide exchanges.

Not only that, you will also experience the presence of thriving fish life like batfish, angelfish, surgeonfish, wrasses and butterfly fish. Aside from rarely seen exotic fishes like Spanish Dancer, harlequin ghost-pipefish and at least 5 different colors of camouflaged frogfish, fire gobies and blue-ribbon eels.

Puerto Galera has has so much to offer to marine biologists and underwater photographers because of the beautiful and enchanting varied species of soft corals, gorgonians, crinoids, colorful sponges and turnicates, crustaceans, shrimps and the most popular the "NUDRIBRANCHS".

Puerto Galera holds the reputation as the best diving area in the Philippines and Asia because of the great ecological complexity and the abundant of exotic marine life species that experts come here to study the ecostructure of micro-organsims, marine life, animals and plants.

2 hour drive to Batangas pier. 2 hours by boat to Puerto Galera

Kilima Drift: This is one of the places where drift dives can be exhilarating when Puerto Galera currents are strong. In this site, you can see schools of barracuda, mackerel, trevally and the occasional Blacktip reef shark all waiting for their food. You must have experienced guides on this drift.

Sinandigan Wall: This dive site has a depth of 5-30m and the current can be fierce. This dive site is well known because of the variety of invertibrates that can be found. Nudibranches are found in profusion and colour-changing cuttlefish are common.

Medio Island: Located in the west of Mindoro Island and north of Puerto Galera town. Spectacular dive sites can be found in this Island and these are the Manila Channel, Coral Gardens, Batangas Channel and Sweetlip Cave.

Manila Channel: This dive site has a depth of 18m and is good for novice divers. An abundance of stony hard coral can be found at this dive site. The reef starts in 1m/3' of water and extends out until two small walls are encountered. Exotic marine life can be seen here like different types of anemones with clownfish, lionfish, sea stars, Christmes Tree Worms and reef fish.

Coral Gardens: This dive site has a depth of 10m and is the best snorkeling snorkeling in the area and a great dive for novices and photographers. You can see carities of corals and moray eels hiding out in crevices. This site can also be an exhilarating drift dive from Manila Channel to Batangas Channel. Small Whitetip reef shark may be encountered occasionally.

Batangas Channel: This dive site has a depth of 15m and a good drift dive on the right tide. You will see shoals of jacks, sweetlips, fusiliers and snappers thrive here. You can also experience on seeing stingrays and Whitetip and Grey reef sharks. Unusual creatures such as blue-ribbon eels, crocodile fish and stonefish. In this dive site, many unusual sponge and coral formations.

Sweetlip Cave: This dive site has a depth of 55m and is a very spectacular dive site because variety of marine life can be seen in here. This is actually a cavern with a tunnel running through it that brings you back to the reef. This dive site is for experienced diver only.

Coron Bay Palawan Philippines Dive Site - World Famous Wreck Diving

Coron Bay is one of the most popular diving destination here in the Philippines. This site is one of the most famous wreck diving destinations of the entire world due to the amount of historic sunken ships which can be visited and seen with great clarity due to these area's waters usual transparency.

The wrecks in Coron Bay are alive with soft and hard corals and variety of exotic wild marine can be found. The wrecks in Coron Bay are some of the finest sites in the Philippines today. Some of the wrecks are huge up to 160 meters in length. Coron Bay is located in North of Palawan that lies between Busuanga and Culion Islands.

On World War II, Twelve Japanese supply ships are anchored in Coron Bay where US Navy launched a massive air strike. These ships were sunk at depths of 10 to 43 meters. Eight of these ships are discovered in Coron Bay where it is now became a wreck diving paradise in the country. All the wreck ships are still intact structurally and some stunning penetrations and swim throughs are possible. Some wrecks have huge blast holes, allowing masses of natural light to penetrate deep into the wrecks, making for a magical experience for the novice wrecker!

The Coron wrecks are one of the best kept diving secrets in the World and, as a result, you will be unlucky to find another dive boat at any of the wrecks you visit. Today, Coron is not only famous for its wreck diving, it is also become popular for its reef diving too. Coral reefs are re-establishing itself because of the fish sanctuaries that are being implemented. Spectacular and beautiful artificial reefs can be found outside the wrecks and are laden with both hard and soft corals and an abundance of fish life.

by air from Manila to Coron airport. Live-aboards

Irako Wreck: This is a Japanese refrigeration ship which is about 147m long. This is probably the best wreck dive in the Philippines. Irako is located at the mouth if Coron Bay. This shipwreck is still intact and has a good visibility. This is the best of any wreck in the area and also popular with diver enthusiast. Spectacular marine life is varied and you can see big groupers, schools of tuna and yellow fin, lion fish and scorpion fish live around this wreck. Sea turtles live in the crumpled and folded metal of the superstructure.

The best to explore in this wreckage is the underneath of the superstructure. It is possible to go down into a cargo hold at 36m and swim through to the galley. There are still pots, pans and wiring to be seen. From here, you swim out through a stairway amidships. There is a beautiful deep penetration through the engine room for trained, experienced and properly equipped divers.

Okikawa Maru Wreck: This wreckage was a civilian tanker/oiler which was sunk near Sunk near Busuanga Island, 2 miles south of Conception, near Coron Bay. The ship is 160m long. The shipwreck is lying upright in 26m of water and by length, width and volume is the largest of the Coron wrecks and an hour long dive is possible. This wreck site is also known as Conception wreck. This wreckage is totally covered with beautiful corals and offers a variety of marvelous marine life.

The deck of this wreckage is between 10m and 16m and is good for wreck dive beginners. For advance wreck divers, many penetration are possible including the propeller shaft from the outside of the ship all the way into the engine room. A spectacular swim through is possible from the front portion of the ship which is accessible, starting at a cargo hold on top and coming out of the twisted wreckage at the front.

In this wreck dive site, you will ecounter sweetlips, grouper, lionfish, surgeons, wrasse, tang and soldierfish. In addition, the whole wreck is covered with soft and hard corals and sponges.

The Akitsushima Wreck: This is the only Japanese warship sunk in Coron Bay. This ship is 118m long. The ship was hit directly towards the stern where the flying boat was kept but still the ship was intact. The ship was almost torn into two pieces and the flying boat disappeared. This is a beautiful wreckage to dive because the wreck also attracts a good amount of marine life. You will experience a magnificent marine life like giant groupers, schools of barracuda hiding under the bow, yellow fin tuna, yellowfish, grouper, snapper, batfish and a huge assortment of smaller reef fish.

Kogyo Maru Wreck: This Kogyo Maru was a Japanese freighter carrying construction materials for building a airfiled for the Japanese and was sunk into Coron Bay. The ship is 158m long, displaces 6,353 tons and situated to the north of Irako Wreck, just off Tangat Island. This wreck site is good for beginners and most swim throughs are large. You can see cement bags are evident and you'll come across a bulldozer, tractor and air compressor, all of which are intact and encrusted.

Swim through the cavernous engine room and look at the hardware then out through the bridge. If air is low go up to the port side of the bridge and look at the soft corals growing there and the fish life living on this artificial coral reef at 22 meters.

Wonderful marine life can be seen in this wreckage like giant pufferfish, waspfish and barracuda. Soft and hard corals are everywhere as are sponges.

Olympia Maru Wreck: This was Japanese army cargo ship which was sunk in Coron Bay. This ship is 120m long and lies on her starboard. This wreckage is located south of Busuanga and west of Tangat Island. Penetration in this wreckage is easy at the cargo holds. This wreckage is a very good wreck dive site because it has a fantastic variety of marine life with large shoals of banana fish, scorpionfish, giant bat fish and giant puffer fish, especially around the mast, bow and stern. The superstructure of this wreckage is covered with beautiful soft corals and bushes of black corals.

Kyokuzan Maru Wreck: This is a Japanese army cargo ship which was sunk in Northeast of Busuanga Island. The ship is 136m long. This wreck site is far from Coron Bay in which that it is not often visited by divers. This is a beautiful wreck dive site. This huge ship is still intact and offers a good visibility. You will discover various cars and trucks from a bygone age in the cargo room.

East Tangat Gunboat Wreck: This is a Japanese gunboat or a submarine hunter and is located off the eastern side of Tangat Island. This wreckage is ideal for novice divers. Beautiful coral reefs can be seen.

Nanshin Maru Wreck: This is a Japanese oil tanker which is located close to Black Island Beach and can be reached in a day from Coron. The ship is 50m long that sits upright on a sandy bottom. This is a good wreck dive site for beginners. Photography is good in this area because the water is clear. Exotic marine life can be seen in this area like scorpionfish, batfish, groupers, lionfish and trumpetfish. Night diving is excellent as well.

Japanese Freighter: This is an unknown Japanese Freighter but some say that this is the Taiei Maru, The Morazon Maru or even The Mamiya Maru. But no one seems so sure if what is the name of ship. This ship is located not far west off Tangat Island in 25m of water and is 140m long. The massive boilers in the center of the ship are still intact and are a big attraction to the divers. If you time your dive between 10am-2pm and it's sunny, the wreck is lit up like a cathedral.

This is an impressive wreck dive site because variety of marine life can be experience. Hard corals cover the port side and you'll also see groupers, sweetlips, sea snakes and the occasional turtle. See if you can find the two resident trumpet fish that hang out half a meter over the part side corals. Many scorpion fish hang out around the wreck area.

Lusong Gunboat Wreck: This is a Japanese gunboat or a submarine hunter which is sunk in the east side of Lusong Island. This wreck site is good for snorkeling and photography. This site has a good variety of hard corals and marine life.

Skeleton Wreck: All that remains of this 25m steel-hulled boat are the keel, ribs and stringers. This wreck was beached with the bow a dozen meters from Coron Island. The stern points directly away from the island. A pass through on the starboard side of the hull at 14 meters allows you to swim from the inside of the boat out over the coral reef.

Cathedral Cave: This site is an unusual sites which is located on the south end of Coron Island on the east side. This cave illuminates when a shaft of daylight penetrating from a fissure higher up the outside rock face. Breathtaking colorful corals are visible in the area and look out for lobsters and cowrie shells.

Barracuda Lake: This is also one of the unusual dive site. Firstly, you will have to climb up a limestone mountain in full gear for 15-20 minutes until you arrive at the lake. Then there's a 33m dive to a cave with 30m of penetration. The cave is situated on the north wall of the lake and so named for its resident barracuda who may deign to show you around. The opportunities for photography at this point are excellent.

Palawan is the Philippines' most exotic tourist destination with it's deserted islands, limestone cliffs, coral reefs, misty mountains and teeming wildlife. Palawan is a paradise in the Philippines. Palawan is known for it's name as the 'Last Frontier'.

Palawan, an island province is surrounded by coral shelf that is home of colorful marine life and because of this, Palawan is declared as a nature sanctuary. Palawan has 1,768 island and islets. It's land area is almost 1.5 heactare land and is rich in rainforests, majestic mountains, primeval caves, and untrodden beaches.

Because Palawan is rich in natural resources, it attracts local and foreign visitors. The enchanted beauty of the place is unsurpassed that tourist keeps on coming back. Palawan beach resort and diving spots are among te worlds best. Palawan is a diver's paradise because of the reefs which surround the costs and coves teeming with a multitude of marine life.

Exotic animals exist in Palawan in which it cannot be found anywhere in the world. Flora and fauna like the mouse deer and scaly ant eaters are among the animals that cannot be found nowhere but only in Palawan.

Not only world-class beach resort and dive sites, Palawan has also enchanting scenery like caves, underground river, Wildlife Sanctuary and Honda Bay Islands.

Calauit Island Wildlife Sanctuary: This sanctuary is devoted to wildlife preservation of animals coming from Africa such as zebras and gazelles, giraffes and elands and our own animals which can only be found in Palawan like bearcat, mousedeer and peacock pheasant. This santuary is has an area of 3,700 hectare

Coron Reefs: One of the enchanting scenery in Palawan in which tourist want to go. It has Seven enchanting lakes, perfectly surrounded by craffy limestone cliffs. It attracts tourist and nature lovers to this island in northern Palawan. This is one of the world-famous diving sites in the world.

El Nido Marine Reserve: is one of the most popular ecosystems tourist destination in the Philippines. Palawan is proud to have this popular diverse ecosystems such as rainforest, mangroves, white sand beaches, coral reefs, and limestone cliffs. Here divers can see the rarest marine mammal, the sea cows locally called "dugong".

St. Paul Subterranean River National Park: A very attractive natural scenery in Palawan and One of the world's wonders. The river stretches eight kilometers deep into an underground lagoon with crystalline waters. The captivating limestone cave reveals the stalactite pillars, rock formations and domed amphitheaters.

Tubbataha Reefs National Marine Park: Is reputed as the country's best diving site and one of the world's best diving spot. The reef is abundant in marine life and because of this it was named a World Heritage Site. The island consists of two islets with lots of soft corals and small cave. Divers can see Tubbataha shark, turtles and manta rays.

Why do you choose Philippines for your adventure outdoor escaped?

The Philippines is an excellent place for an outdoor adventure travel. The country has many things to offer to local and foreign tourist visitors especially to outdoor adventure enthusiasts. There are variety of extreme outdoor adventure escapes that Philippine have that are waiting for you. These outdoor adventure will push you to your limits and surely you will enjoy it have fun. If you get tired or exhausted then there you can pursuit for relaxation and you will love it.

Affordability? Then you don't have to worry because here in the Philippines, everything is within your budget. Yes, because everything here in the country is very affordable from accommodation, food and transportation. You will get great value for your money especially in the provinces where the outdoor adventure escape usually located. You'll be surprise at how far you money can go.

The outdoor adventure travel escape destinations in the Philippines are now very accessible by air, land and water. These destination are equipped with modern facilities and amenities for the convenience of local and foreign tourist travelers especially communication. Internet access and cellular network phone network and convenient pre-paid mobile phone services are excellent so that it can help you in touch with friends and family. Modern infrastructure and facilities are installed so that travelers and tourist can enjoy in their adventure.

Just choose what kind of extreme outdoor adventure travel you want from aquatic adventure travel to land adventures or Eco-tourism adventures or maybe aerial adventure. You will always get thrill when you go to these adventure travel destinations because you will have full of fun and adventure. The aquatic adventure includes watersports such as sea kayaking, scuba diving, board sports, surfing, white water rafting and many more. The land adventures includes mountain biking, rock climbing, trekking, cave exploration and etc. The eco-tourism adventures includes the whale and dolphin watching, canopy walk, bird watching and more. And the aerial adventures includes sky diving, ultralight flying, hot air ballooning and etc.

About the language barrier where it is always a problem especially when you go to remote areas, here in the Philippines almost everybody can speak and understand English. Leave those phrase books at home.

It's a one of a kind experience when you travel in the Philippines especially the outdoor adventure travel escapes and you will never forget this one kind of travel experience.