Tag: Scuba diving

Day trip to Apo Island for diving and snorkelling

Apo Island is one of the best places in the Philippines for diving / snorkelling based in large part to its protected status going back to 1985. Expect to see a lot of turtles, the electric clam, pretty beaches and a sensational view back across the water to Mount Talinis in Negros 

I’m sure you could stay there for the night, but makes more sense to just do a day trip from Siquijor as it’s only around a 50min boat journey 

We went with the Coco Grove Hotel’s dive school and would recommend 

Diving Palawan’s Tubbataha Reef by live-aboard

Tubbataha Reef is a UNESCO World Heritage marine reserve in the middle of the Sulu Sea, often compared to the Galapagos Islands and the undisputed premier diving site in the Philippines … so much so that it is on the back of the 1,000 Peso note

You’re almost guaranteed a world-class diving experience, but it’s a commitment – the reef can only be accessed via one of the 15 or so liveaboard companies (with prices for the super basic, and likely very busy, bangkas at around $1.5k up to the more luxurious ones north of $4k); it’s in the bloody middle of nowhere! – a 12-15 hour boat journey from Puerto Princessa in Palawan . . . and due to weather it can only be accessed mid- March to mid-June

Overall – I really enjoyed it as the diving is brilliant, the experience of being in the completely open sea is an unusual one, and it’s no doubt up there in most diving bucket lists. But you have to be 10/10 into your diving – the lack of the beautiful island scenery and varied activities you tend to get with other liveaboards puts it just outside of the world-class liveaboard category in my opinion 

Diving the Bacuit Archipelago off El Nido

The Bacuit Archipelago is seen as one of the highlights of the Philippines – hundreds of islands with huge jagged limestone sides looking like something from the Lost World often opening up to reveal a turquoise coloured lagoon or perfect white sandy beach.  Most people go by a tour to check these spots out, but its also worth considering doing some diving around here – you still get to have the experience of taking a boat through the beautiful islands, but with some diving also included.  Only things you won’t see are the lagoons and spend time chilling on a beach

 

Top tips:

  1. Make sure you dive the Tunnel on Helicopter Island – you know that scene at the beginning of the Little Mermaid when she’s in her cave?  Yep, that’s it.  A 40m / 130ft long tunnel that runs through Helicopter Island, has two entrances and a large wide cave in the middle cave.  It also has the benefit of some great micro things to see – variety of slugs and even Mandarin Fish
  2. South Miniloc Dive is also great – this is actually the more famous dive.  There is a huge Cabbage Coral Garden (more impressive than is sounds) and thousands of Yellow Snappers
  3. I went with Submariner Diving Centre and would recommend
  4. Where to stay – El Nido has way more options than the likes of Coron, but still light on mid range (or at least very few if don’t book ahead).  I’d actually recommend The Outpost Beach Hostel – it’s a party hostel, so be prepared for that, but it more than makes up for it with its sensational views out to the archipelago
  5. When to go – for weather, you ideally want November to May as this is when it’s driest in Palawan.  For visibility – lower your expectations.  The sensational 80+ visibility to the east of Palawan in places like Tubbataha Reef is not found in El Nido.  But, it is by no means restrictive and aiming for April – May time will see a clear improvement

Wreck diving in Coron

On 24th September 1944 over a period of only 15mins, 120 American Navy fighters and bombers attacked and sunk the Imperial Japanese Navy support fleet in the sheltered harbours near Coron. 10 ships ranging from 160m / 525ft oil tankers and sea plane tenders to smaller 25m / 80ft gunboats were sunk that day, and the result is some of the best wreck diving in the world that can be easily accessed on day trips from Coron Town (detailed dive tips listed in the Tips section below)

 

As with so many dives in this part of the world, the surrounding scenery is also idyllic-paradise-lovely, which makes this a really enjoyable experience even for the non divers who can join in snorkelling some of the shallower wrecks and generally just enjoying the islands. It’s also the start point for an adventure through overall Palawan, and the start / end point for the unforgettable experience of sailing through the island chains from Coron to El Nido (see the 3/6 day island experience here)

7/8 week itinerary for the highlights of South East Asia

South East Asia has to be the premier world traveling region.  A big call?  For sure, but consider what genuinely world class offerings it can provide:

 

  • World class beaches and coastal areas – think of THAT beach in Ko Phi Phi and HaLong Bay, one of the Natural Wonders of the World
  • World class food – think Thai, Vietnamese, Malay and the genuine fusion into the mix with the large established Indian and Chinese communities
  • World class ancient sites and history – think of the temples of the “8th Wonder of the World” of Angkor Wat, and the breathtaking site of the pagodas stretching across the plain in Bagan
  • World class cities and party locations – think of Singapore as the city of the future and the Full Moon Parties on Ko Pha-Ngan

 

And all this in a place that is super safe, outrageously friendly, easy and cheap to travel in.  A must for any keen traveler and the below itinerary will give you the highlights – enjoy!

6 months trip of a lifetime around Latin America

My girlfriend and I went on a 6month trip around Latin America (excluding Brazil).  Started in the far South in the Tierra del Fuego in Argentina and, broadly, made our way up the west coast to the Yucatan Peninsular of Mexico.  Best large scale trip I’ve done, and wanted to share the overall itinerary and tips here to hopefully help those who are considering something similar

A few high level points:

  • Other than the flights there and the first hotel, there were only three things we booked in advance: the Inca Trail (which we knew we needed to for permits); plus for Patagonia a trip through Torres del Paine National Park and a ferry through the fjords (as we were going at peak season and only a couple of weeks after we landed).  Everything else, we booked when in Latin America and, in our opinion, that is the best way to do it – gives you the freedom to relax in the places you find that you love and be super flexible to do what you want to do
  • Total costs – my girlfriend and I went in our 30s, with no kids and on sabbaticals from work.  We’re not poor, but certainly not mega wealthy.  We didn’t stay in super expensive hotels (other than for the occasional splurge), flew economy and used a bit of common sense for timings of certain expensive items, but never held back on doing the things we wanted to do.  Some examples of big ticket items: US$5k for a week diving in the remote Wolf & Darwin Islands in the Galapagos; US$1.2k for 4 days in Torres del Paine National Park in Patagonia; US$800 for a helicopter trip to see the El Mirador Mayan ruins in the Guatemalan jungle; US$700 for the Inca Trail.  Total cost of the whole trip was US$34k each.  This included all flights, transport, hotels, activities, food, drink, guides, screwing things up, credit card fees – the lot.  Expensive, but so are most Experiences of a Lifetime
  • It’s not about trying to “do everything” – in a place as large as Latin America, you couldn’t even if you tried – so don’t think of things as a big tick box exercise.  Brazil, for example, we knew we couldn’t do justice whilst also trying to enjoy all the other amazing places we’d heard of, so left it for next time
  • In the similar vain, make sure you give yourself big chunks of time to chill out.  Not only to recharge the batteries, but also because most places are enjoyed when you spend time to soak up the feel for the place.  There were some places . . . like Lake Atitlan in Guatemala, Buenos Aires in Argentina, Isla Mujeres in Mexico, Bocas del Toro in Panama . . . where I could have spent weeks there just because the general vibe of the place was so wonderful
  • Safety – we weren’t robbed, but many people do either having a bag stolen or, unpleasantly, get robbed face to face.  Other than a couple of cities, we generally felt super safe the places we went and tried to just apply common sense to reduce our risks
  • Learn a bit of Spanish before you go – the app DuoLingo was great for getting us to a basic level that made a lot of difference.  But also don’t be afraid to pull out google for simultaneous conversation translations to really be able to have a conversation with someone – some long trips became some of our highlights just from being able to properly talk with the driver / locals.  I particularly remember a long taxi ride in Colombia where we went back and forward for 2 hours with the driver on everything from his home town to politics to football to his favourite movies to his family problems- never could have done that without Spanish or google.  In a similar vein, and using the right level of common sense, don’t turn down an invite for drinks / dinner / house visit with locals.  There are some truly unforgettable natural and cultural spots to see, but similarly an evening with a local family will be something likely to be just as unforgettable
  • Whenever checking out a place or must-do-site, its easy to get templed / churched / ancient site / beached out.  Always do a very basic bit of research to see if there is a more out of the ordinary way to experience it – by bike / drinking tour / kayaking / helicopter / whatever.  Thats what we tried to do, and I hope it reflected in some of the cool stuff listed below

Scuba diving in Cozumel

Cozumel is all about the diving and the 30m+ visibility.  From what we could see, there were some nice spots outside of the main tourist areas, but the huge influx of cruise ship tourists kind of dominates the main town of San Miguel.  If a diver, its a great spot for nice 1-2 day adventure heading over from the mainland, and where you only spend the evenings in the main town.  If not a diver, give it a miss unless you can find a quieter spot

We went with Maple Leaf Scuba for 2 dives and they were great.  1st dive –  Palancar Bricks (26m), where you work your way through the maze of coral walls which was fun.  Highlight was the 2nd dive – Paso del Codral (18m), a long drift dive along the coral floor, one of my favourite dives for its colours and sheer amount to see

Scuba diving the Cenotes of Tulum

I know there are so many dives in the world that are “must do’s”, but the Cenote dives near Tulum really are “must do’s”.   As you drive through the scorchingly hot, thick Mexican jungle, one of the last things you’ll be expecting is to go scuba diving.  Yet, after only a few minutes of getting your gear on and pushing through the undergrowth, you find yourself transported to another world of intricate underwater cave systems with mysterious depths – no wonder the Mayan thought they were entrances to the underworld

The whole experience is unique.  But the highlight is the Angelita Cenote – a circular sink hole in the middle of the jungle that, due to the different densities of the salt and fresh water and a 3m / 10ft hydrogen sulphate layer, gives the impression of flying above dark clouds of some otherworldly swamp land – a bit like a combo of the Mayan Underworld and that scene in the swamp from The Empire Strikes Back.  Unique and a must do if you’re a diver in this part of the world

Chilling, diving and drinking in Caye Caulker

Chilling – Go Slow is on the street signs, used when people say hello to each other, and just the general culture of the place.  Such a wonderfully laid back Caribbean beach town

Diving – some fab dive sites no distance from the shore, and of course access to the world famous Blue Hole

Drinking – the Spit, the narrow channel that splits Caye Caulker in two and with a series of beach bars to allow you to chill in the water whilst having your drinks, makes for one of the best drinking spots you can dream of

Caye Caulker – a must if in Belize

Itinerary for 10 wonderful days in Guatemala

We were blown away by our 10 days in Guatemala.  Two of the most idyllic and beautiful places you can imagine with Lake Atitlan and Semuc Champey; a gorgeously preserved insight into former Spanish colonial times in the Old Town of Antigua; world-class ancient ruins with the #1 Mayan site of Tikal and the adventure into the jungle to see the mystic El Mirador; gorgeous jungles and mountains across the country; and all done so with the wonderful Guatemalan people

Really rated Guatemala and I’d place it as my favourite country for travelling in Central America