About the country
The Philippines are an archipelago of more than 5 000 islands and islets between the Sulu Sea, the South China Sea, the Celebes Sea and the Philippine Sea, bordered by the Pacific Ocean. It takes several trips to discover this vast country, where each destination has to be earned, since some spots are hard to reach and land transfers take time.
There are a lot of cyclones in the Philippines, but between February and May the weather stays a bit milder around Palawan and in the Visayas.
Here’s the best of : Barracuda Lake (Coron), Okikawa Maru (Coron), Shark Airport (Tubbataha), Jessie Beagley (Tubbataha), Kimud Shoal (Malapascua), Dakit Dakit (Malapascua).
In Coron, the dives are mostly wreck dives on Japanese ships sunk in 1944 by the American army. The wrecks are varied, at different depths, from 18 to 31 meters, and all interesting to explore, inside and out.
We didn’t get great visibility, nor much big stuff, but the wrecks are covered in soft and hard coral and small critters, great for macro lovers. The reefs are true coral gardens and hold their own after deep dives. We didn’t have much current, and entries are made easier by buoys attached to the wrecks.
Reachable by ferry, you’ll need to arrange transfers to get around.
At Tubbataha, via a cruise departing from Puerto Princesa, the two beautiful atolls treated us really well. Beautiful plateaus of hard coral and lovely gorgonians, with sharks on every dive but also turtles, Napoleon wrasse, jacks and barracudas make this spot the best in the Philippines, and we’re ready to believe it. There’s also tiny stuff like spider crabs and pygmy seahorses. There can be a strong current, and when it happens, beautiful surprises await out in the blue, like hammerheads at 40 meters. We had superb visibility. Tubbataha is 9 to 12 hours’ sail from Puerto Princesa.
Moalboal is a town in Cebu, one of the main islands of the Philippines, a 4-hour drive from Cebu City. The coast is beautiful and known for its sardine run, schools of sardines that live year-round in the bay, to the delight of snorkelers and divers. Pescador Island and the wall along the reef aren’t left out either : turtles, pygmy seahorses, coral crabs, lots of small stuff, squat lobsters, brightly colored soft and hard corals, frogfish tucked in sponges, … The dives here are easy (all drift dives) and full of discoveries.
Malapascua is a small island north of Cebu. People mainly come here for the thresher sharks at Kimud Shoal. The other sites, like the Dakit pinnacle, are also worth seeing for the macro. There are a lot of divers at the sites, but the dive masters generally enforce the rules well, and courtesy is the norm.
The weather is very changeable, and shark trips are sometimes cancelled by the coast guard, since the sites are an hour by boat away. So it’s worth planning extra time on the island to make sure you get a thresher shark trip in. The sites around the island are good for small stuff but less rich overall.
Reachable by private outrigger boats or “ferry” outriggers, a 45-minute to 1-hour ride.
Our opinion
Difficulty
Visibility
Diversity
Atmosphere
Practical
In February 2026.
Magic Island offers all-inclusive packages with 3 dives a day, a night dive on request, and the reef house available. The guides have a good eye for spotting small stuff, and the dives are really laid-back. The outriggers are fairly basic, we go out in small groups for 2 dives in the morning, with fruit and coffee waiting for us at the surface interval. The sites are less than 15 minutes away. The club runs a whale shark dive trip (10 m max) at Oslob.
Thresher Shark Divers, a very large, impersonal dive club. Groups are made up of 5 divers max, put together somewhat randomly, the various dive masters rotate ascents so everyone gets to make the most of the time underwater. There are several site options each day, and you have to sign up the evening before, everything is extra (marine park, dive site, fuel). The 3 large outriggers are fairly comfortable and have toilets, and they have two small rigid boats for dives around the island. It’s a shame there are no snacks at the surface interval.
In May 2023.
Tao Sangat Dive Resort , the club is run by Tom, a rather laid-back Brit, but very attentive and accommodating. You can dive à la carte, and the dive masters are passionate and always smiling. There’s nothing to carry, our gear was cleaned every day. The club is close to the wrecks and arranges good timing so that we’re the only ones, or nearly so, at the sites.
Seadoors , a company owned by Pierre-Lo, a French diver and photographer, whom we had during the cruise. The boat has several living spaces for 16 people, at every break we ate varied, good meals. The dive masters Greg, Jeff and cruise director Axel are very professional and friendly. The itinerary and dive schedules are worked out so we’re the only boat at each site : 4 dives a day, except on the first and last day. Two groups of 8 diving at staggered times, a big plus. The crew takes great care of us, towels waiting as we come out, we don’t have to worry about our gear at all.
In February 2026.
Magic Island on Cebu island, in the Moalboal area, is a beautiful dive resort set away from town, quiet and clean, small capacity, with mostly German-speaking guests. The menu is varied, with lots of fish and vegetarian dishes, and the food is tasty. The resort offers excursions as well as quality massages.
Tepanee Beach Resort a bit removed from town with a beautiful view over the bay. The bungalows are nice, the welcome is a bit rough around the edges, and it can be hard to communicate. The hotel might still be the quietest spot in town, aside from hearing boat engines from 5am onward.
In May 2023.
Tao Sangat Dive Resort on Sangat island, they handle the transfer from Coron airport or the port. A small eco-lodge resort, where the food is excellent and the staff attentive. The view and the quiet are a given.
Angel Nido is a tiny resort a bit out of town with a stunning view for sunsets, on Caalan Beach. Don’t hesitate to take a tuktuk along the beach from the ferry (it’s poorly signposted, but they do go there, …). The resort is comfortable, with a single bungalow offering a view over the beautiful beach. They offer simple, inexpensive Filipino meals.
Muting Paraiso, a really restful hotel for a transit stop, a pleasant pool and Thai massage available. The chef serves tasty dishes.
Belmont Hotel makes for a good transit stop in Manila. Small rooftop and pool bar on the top floor. The advantage is being able to walk from the airport to the hotel in under 10 minutes.
In May 2023.
Our itinerary in Palawan deserved a stop at El Nido, although much more touristy than Coron, the scenery and tours A, B, C or D (island hopping) are all stunning. We chose tours A and B, B is relaxed and takes you to quiet, paradise-like islands. A short tour of the town is also worth it, between the tuktuks and the joyful bustle everywhere.