Diving Komodo National Park

Getting to Labuan Bajo from Bali

Got to stay a night in Bali to catch the morning flight to Labuan Bajo. There are no afternoon flights from Bali at all. So I made use of the time to visit the Uluwatu Temple I have missed in previous trips.

I was quite skeptical when the skies at Kuta were cloudy at about 5 pm but that did not stop me despite the expensive ride that cost me (IDR400,000). The sunset was the most beautiful in Bali I have ever seen. Had a quick dinner with the driver, Philippe and sent me back to hotel when I had to charge batteries and get my stuff ready to board the boat the next day.

Arrived at he airport at 6 am for the 7.30  am flight to Labuan Bajo.

Komodo Dive Cruise

Arrived Labuan Bajo where I was picked up to the Komodo Dive Cruises office to board the livaboard Mona Lisa. The boat which could fit my schedule instead of those which we have to follow.

I met up with our Divemaster, Rinaldi who appeared as a fine young man with five months experience diving Komodo. I was skeptical about his knowledge on the dive sites especially spotting unusual critters. I was right. We had breakfast together while waiting for the rest of the guests to arrived.

There came two Swiss guys, one with 80+ dives and the other a fresh open water diver. I thought there is a criteria of a minimum of 50 dives to dive Komodo ... Anyway we met and went up the boat with high aspirations that we're going to have the whole boat and the divemaster to ourselves! 

Finally after waited from 8 am to 11.30 am approx., we walked toward the back of the office to the beach where we took a thirty minutes ride on the speedboat to the livaboard.

We checked in to Mona Lisa and were disappointed with the bunks. The room is small though fit for two but I felt it's a bit too cramp.  The shower/WC sits right next to the bed, if you happened to take the lower bunk. And the shower head was replaced by the toilet spray. Shampoo and body wash were provided anyway. The first night was sleepless with the endless noises from the generator and every wooden furniture seem to be shaking, toilet flushing and the itchy bed sheets. After 3 nights, two couples from Australia and France joined us.I was glad to have changed to a room right at the end. It was much quieter except that the AC was not cool enough.

Diving

The first check out dive  in green water was disappointing. Following that the night dive was the best for the whole week. 

On the second day we dive Cauldron where we had to fight the currents in order to get over to the other side. We were not briefed about this and I was not mentally prepared for it. It is a passage where we drift from the east to west passing reef slopes and sandy bottom.  The view was beautiful but we were drifting too fast enjoying the ride but missed the view.

Diving the Castle Rock and Crystal Rock was exhausting. They had the most vicious currents. We had to dive against the currents and use a reef hook to stay in position and watch the sharks swim by. Diving Manta Point or Makassar Reef was almost the same kind of dive. Got to hook on or you get drifted away from the show. Visibility at these 3 dive sites was about 10 meters plus the bubbles from the divers blocked the view. 

Videos could not be filmed with a flawless blue water background and the mantas were too far for a decent picture. Sometimes I thought bringing the whole camera rig down was a waste of time.

Most of the dives I was trying to stay close with the group, fighting currents than taking time for pictures.  There were no schooling fishes such as those I encountered in Raja Ampat. I could barely spot a barracuda close enough for a picture. I could feel the best fishes and creatures have gone into hiding due to our bubbles. I have got a shot of the Napoleon anyway. I have missed hunting for critters nor did the divemaster spotted any nice ones except for a tiny robust ghost pipefish he borrowed my camera to shoot. But I was glad  to have  at least taken some nice wide angle shots.

Diving Apo Reef - The Ona Experience

The Ona Experience

After four days at Coron, I continued diving on board the Ona Experience for another four days.

Arrived Le Sereneta Restaurant where the ships docked, checked in with the Mexican owner, Yamil and met up with the other guests from all over the world. There were altogether only 8 of us (guests) who came from Australia, Zurich, France, Israel, Norway, Spain and Singapore.

It was a big boat which cater for 16 divers so all of us had a cabin to ourselves happily. However, the boat did not sail until the next morning due to an engine problem and there was no water to use. We were quite disappointed and felt cheated of losing a day and the loss of dives in Apo Reef. All of us were obviously anticipating diving the world's second largest contiguous coral reef system and largest in the Philippines.

The Diving

Apo Reef is located on the western waters of Occidental Mindoro Province in the Mindoro Strait. There are three islands with Apo Island being the largest where you can see beach goers, snorkelers and picnickers.

The diving was a bit over-exaggerated on many websites. Maybe our operator was not professional enough. We dive in the blue on most of our dives searching for Threshers, sharks etc. Most of the time we descend right to 30 m at least and swim in blue and ran out half our tank. There was no nitrox available and all the search and waiting for a congregation of sharks had wasted our air. We did see a huge shark, and giant tuna when we looked down to about 50 m (we were at about 30 m) with good visibility.

On some of the reef dives, we saw a few the normal size white tips and black tips, turtles and the common topical fishes. The night dives and the Karma wreck was the best dive site we dove. There were the uncommon sea slugs, nudibranch and jellyfishes and beautiful coral on the wreck blew me away.

More pictures can be viewed here

Enjoy my movie ...

Movie : Diving Wrecks of Coron & Apo Reef

Diving Coron, Palawan

View from Al Faro

Coron & Busuanga Bay

The wrecks in Coron Bay, and surrounding shores of Busuanga, are some of the finest dives sites in the Philippines today. Knowing a little about the history of these wrecks, and how they got there, will enhance your enjoyment and appreciation of the diving once you are in the water.

I am not a big fan of wrecks but just wanted to experience diving into history and penetration into the inside of big ships, ensure comfortable manoeuvring in the dark and narrow paths while maintaining buoyancy and capturing some silhouettes. None of the pictures taken inside the wreck was up to standard to post publicly but some short video clips were processed in my diving movie for memory's sake. 

Most of the wrecks were filled with hard and soft corals on the outside. Some with big school of yelow snappers and fusiliers surrounding the wrecks. There were big jellyfish during some of the dives and few nudibranch, sweetlips, lionfish. batfish and scorpionfish.

Visibility was so bad, the best was 10m and the worst at 5m. So it is better to stick close to your dive guide or bring a compass so you will not get lost in the murky waters.

Did I enjoy it? Well ... not for the scenery but the adventure excites me.

Kayangan Lake was quite an experience. As we approach the lake, the view was breathtaking. It is made of of rock formation with the lake in between. We had to climb some steps to get over and a steep stairs to get into the lake, in full equipment holding the fins and camera rig in my hands. A mix of cold and warm water made the dive interesting and that was all. There were almost no fishes except for a bunch of catfish  and shrimps.  The other ladies were enjoying the weightless feeling doing somersaults as the water got colder. 

Kayangan Lake

Islands Around Cebu, Philippines

Cebu is the main island of Cebu province in the Visayas. It lies to the east of Negros Island; to the east is Leyte and to the southeast is Bohol Island. It is flanked on its west side by the Tañon Strait (between Cebu and Negros) and on the east side by the Cebu Strait(between Cebu and Bohol). Cebu is located between 9°25'N and 11°15'N latitude and between 123°13'E and 124°5'E longitude in the center of the archipelago.

1. Bantayan Island

Bantayan Island is an island located in theVisayan Sea, Philippines. It is situated to the west of the northern end of Cebu Island, across the Tañon Strait. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 136,960.[2]

A beautiful Island, and currently Cebu's little secret paradise still unknown to many, just off the northwest tip of Cebu's mainland.

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Largely undeveloped and definitely not over crowded and over priced with the commercialization of some other Islands; it’s a perfect place for those seeking peace & quiet, blue skies & clean air, with spectacular turquoise water & great white sand beaches, along with some of the most beautiful sunrise & sunsets in the world!

Getting There

1. From the North Bus Terminal Via taxi from Cebu City: make sure it’s a METERED taxi to avoid a price gouge, and insist the driver actually uses the meter (if not, just get another taxi; there's plenty to choose from without a long wait time).

2. From the North Terminal, Ceres Coach Buses (yellow & white) & Cebu AutoBus Corp. (orange & white) run all day from approx. 5 am. onwards at approx. P150 aircon from very early in the morning, to the port town of Hagnaya in Northern Cebu (travel time 2.5 to 3 hrs. or longer - and buses depart every 30 to 45 minutes, or thereabouts)

3. From Hagnaya's Port you'll hop a 75min boat (P170) to Santa Fe on Bantayan Island, and the boats run from 5:30 am early morning until the last boat leaves Hagnaya at 5:30 pm.

TIP: arrive at the Cebu City North Bus Terminal by 1:15pm/2pm at the latest, in order to make the last Ferry of the day at 5:30pm in Hagnaya Cebu.

Also, please be aware of road repair work being done through 2014 on the Cebu City main highway north, and this will increase your travel time beyond 3 hrs. especially when traveling later in the day (early am travel is always best).

Aircon Buses currently run only occasionally from Cebu City - Non Aircon Buses run every day, all day long.

Where to Stay

There is something to offer everyone, on just about any budget.

Find a hotel in Bantayan Island

2. Camotes Islands

The Camotes group of islands located east of Cebu. The islands are made up of the Pacjian, Ponson, Poro and Tulang.

For a regular traveller, most tropical paradise or your dream islands are expensive but it is not for Camotes. Surprisingly it is affordable to stay in a beautiful island like this; sometimes you just need to know where to find hidden gems. Away from the crowds and mainstream tourism, Camotes is only a couple of hours away from Cebu City. Enjoy a piece of seclusion and delight in one of the world’s most undiscovered paradises, home to some of the Philippines best beaches.

Getting There

Best time to visit is March/April when the weather is fine and the waters become crystal clear.

You can get there from the city via Danao then ride a boat at 200 (aircon) or 180 (non aircon) pesos per ticket.

The bus ride from the city to Danao was about an hour. You can catch a bus or van from the North Bus Terminal which has trips every 30 mins or so. You can also ride a jeepney from White Gold, still heading to Danao. But we find the bus more comfortable as it has more legroom.
You then get off at the Danao port and get tickets to the boat. I’m not sure of other shipping lines running from Danao to Camotes but the one we were at was Jomalia shipping lines. If there were others, I’m sure they were pretty much the same.

Where to Stay

Mangodlong Paradise Beach Resort is one the best resorts to stay on the Camotes, it has some great modern rooms and the best swimming pool on the island.

Mangodlong Rock Resort is a popular resort on Camotes Island having its own private cove and a small rocky outcrop that has few cottage huts to relax in. The resort offers snorkelling, kayaking as well as having its own dive centre. The pool is tiny and is more for cooling off from the tropical heat than for swimming. Day use of the resort is available and you can rent out snorkels.  The Coco Groove rooms are located outside the main resort a few minute walk just past Mangodlong Paradise Beach Resort. Mangodlong Rock Resort is the sister Hotel of Santiago Bay Garden only 10 minutes away. This used to be the only resort in this area, now shares the area with 2 other resorts (Paradise Beach and BBR).

Santiago Bay Resort sits on a hilltop overlooking Santiago Bay with arguably has one of the best views on the Camotes Islands. The resort has 51 rooms starting from the Standard Room (around 1000 PHP a night) which they have 6 non air-conditioned and 7 air- conditioned rooms in this type. The Deluxe Room is the most common room and these are the room types you can actually book online with sites like Agoda This is the most convenient to pay as you can do it pre arrival. Santiago Bay Resort doesn’t have credit card facilities it’s the easiest way to book. Otherwise you will need to pay by cash.

3. Mactan Island

For a pampered and lazy holiday, then Mactan Island is for you. This is where you can find some of the finest 5 star luxury resorts in the Philippines. Relax by the pool or beach with a refreshing cocktail, indulge in some of the best spas, try some of the action water spots (jet skiing, parasailing, scuba diving) or go island hopping to some nearby islands. Mactan is more developed and commercialised than the other islands, so you can do a bit of shopping, enjoy the nightlife or take a day tour of Cebu City.

Being one of the major tourist Islands of Cebu, Mactan Island boasts of a diverse collection of tourist spots and attractions. Being a coral island, Mactan offers some of the best diving, snorkeling, island hopping, jet ski, sailing and cultural activities of any island in the Philippines.

The only aquarium attraction in the Visayas is also located on the island.

Getting There

Mactan is less than an hour away from Cebu City, an international gateway.

The best time to go is from July to November. 

Sun, sea, sand, it's just a quick drive from the city!

Where to Stay

Accommodations in Mactan range from affordable inns to the ultra-posh Shangri-La Mactan Resort & Spa, hailed as one of the top resorts in Asia by Travel + Leisure and Condé Nast Traveler.

Pulchra Resort

Dolphin-House Resort-SPA-Diving

Find a hotel in Mactan

Don’t leave without dining at a local sutukil restaurant, where fresh seafood is cooked according to your preference — sugba (grilled), tuwa (stewed) or kilaw (raw).

If you can tear yourself away from a lounge chair, Lapu-Lapu City is home to Cebu’s guitar-making heritage. Get an inside look at the local industry with factory tours of local manufacturers like Alegre Guitars. Don’t forget to take one home; Cebu-made guitars are known for their quality, durability and affordability.

For a good day trip, there’s the nearby Olango Island, where birds of a feather flock together — literally. It’s a favorite spot for more casual bird watchers.

Like Mactan, Olango has several diving and snorkeling spots, including the shark-inhabited Mabini Point, the soft coral haven of Santa Rosa, and the deep wall dive of Baring.

But the star of the show in these parts is the Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary. Up to 60,000 migratory birds from as far as Siberia and Northern China make these 920 hectares of mangroves, sea grasses and mudflats a pit stop during their global migration. Chinese egrets, Asiatic dowitchers and Eastern curlews are just some of the species that can be found here. 

Diving Malapascua - Evolution Dive Centre

Evolution Dive Centre & Resort

Stayed at the native fan room right in front of the restaurant and the first room from the beach, I enjoyed the strong breeze day in day out and during the late hours, the windows are almost shut. Everywhere within the resort can be reached within steps with lots of walking and breathing space in between, hammocks and settees to relax, have a drink, read or chill out while waiting for your next dive. With a few steps more, you may like to get a massage by the beach or sunbathe. The dive centre is well-equipped and is popular for technical diving. On the wall outside the office are nicely handwritten diving rules and prices on black boards. You may write your name on the white board for the daily dive schedule. Please follow the same format of writing and inform the divemaster or instructor.The rinse buckets are sufficient with clean water. Ample space to hang your wet stuffs and separate tanks to rinse your camera and equipment. The classroom is a hut on its own furnished with a white board, a big table and chairs with writing facility.

 

                                                                                                 

Diving Monad Shoal

Most divers around the world come here for the regular sightings of the thresher sharks. The Monad Shoal is where you need to descend at 6 am to be on time to see the sharks. You got to get up as early as 4.30 am to get ready to set off before 5.30 am. The boat ride take s about 30 minutes not forgetting you have to transfer from the small tug boat to the outrigger boat (banca). Well It was still dark at 5.30 am but by 6 am the sun has risen. So no need to worry that you will be setting up your equipment in darkness. 

The boat ride to Monad Shoal was unforgettable watching the beautiful sun rise while anticipating meeting the threshers. Feelings of excitement and the adrenaline rushes each morning as the boat approaches Monad Shoal.

As I was there on the first week of February, it was still winter season and water was about 25 degrees celsius throughout. But it feels like 23 to 24 degrees after 45 minutes of bottom time with another 30 minutes with 100 bar before we ascend. Th average depth was about 27m and my maximum depth was about 31m.

On my three days diving at Monad Shoal, the thresher sightings added up to about 20 with an average of 6 to 7 sharks each dive. My first dive had the best sightings. Watching the long-tailed, cute-looking round eyes, shy and harmless shark swam by and one even came towards me and turned around right before my eyes and my camera left behind a spectacular experience and a memory I would never forget. Today, I am still missing the threshers and sometimes would wonder when I would go back again.

Critter Diving

Lacy Scorpion FIsh

The other dive sites are more for spotting critters. My favourite is the Lighthouse where I did 2 day dives and 1 night dive. The other popular dive sites are Lapus-Lapus, North Point and while at Deep Rock, I found my favourite pygmy seahorse. I saw many nudibranch, different type crabs, pipefish, porcupine fish, puffer fish, snow-flake moray, shrimps and the flamboyant cuttlefish. The Lacy Scorpion fish was my best finding on this trip.  

Gato Island

Pygmy Seahorse

Take a day trip to Gato and swim through the tunnel coming out the other side. Diving through the cave you can see banded sea snakes that might scare you, different types of crabs, sea slugs and nudibranch. Coming out  from the cave are some overhangs and swim through's to swim through the cave can get up close to the baby whitetips sleeping under the rocks. I found another pygmy seahorse here!

Kalanggaman Island

The journey is about 2 hours to reach the beautiful white sand bar, a picturesque postcard view of a desert island, with nothing but palm trees, white sand clear blue water. There were a few huts as shelters for tourist to sit and have their barbequed lechon lunch.

There are no hotels or dive centres on this island. You have to book a trip from the dive centres or watersports centre in Malapascua.

To book a resort in Malapascua, click here.

Here are some pictures taken during my trip. More pictures can be viewed on Flickr.

Arriving Logon beach, Malapascua

Kalanggaman Island

Security outside my room

Getting on the tug boat from Logon beach

Pathetic Maya Port aftermath from typhoons Haiyan and Ruby

Family business - Mr Kwitz Restaurant