The island Apo is one of the insider tips for divers and snorkelers around Negros. The island Apo can be reached from Zamboanguita or Siquijor Island.

The journey to Apo Island is normally made via the island province Negros Oriental. The provincial capital Dumaguete is only about 45 minutes by car from the small town of Zamboanguita, from where crossings to Apo Island are offered. The exact stop is "Malatapay", from where the Philippine fishing boats, locally known as “bangkas", can be booked.

The approximately five-kilometer-long boat ride on a typical Philippine boat takes about forty to fifty minutes, and it is advisable to be prepared for rough swells and associated splashing water attacks, especially in the afternoon.

Destinations such as the charming Apo Island are almost always only mentioned in connection with good diving areas and are therefore recommended for avid divers.  The island life mainly takes place along this path with all its small houses, which are lined up here and embedded in the hilly landscape. Besides the recreational value and good diving opportunities that Apo Island offers, there are also excellent areas for snorkeling.

The underwater world provides impressive pictures of various corals and colorful fish in all sizes and at water depths that allow the best visibility down to the bottom. Only a few meters from the coast you will always meet giant sea turtles, which like to cavort in the "Marine Sanctuary" maintained by Silliman University. It is no problem to get close to the turtles up to a few meters and to look at them up close.

Anda in the east of the province of Bohol is not only an insider tip among divers - more and more individual travelers find their way to this area.

The diving spots around Anda will make your heart, especially if you are a fan of "macro-diving", beat faster.

Anda is one of the most beautiful regions of the Philippines and offers brilliant white beaches, fantastic landscapes, wonderful snorkeling spots, and breathtakingly good diving spots. If you are looking for a nice place in the Philippines, where you can not only relax but also snorkel, dive, and discover great destinations, Anda in the east of Bohol is certainly not the wrong place. Unlike in much better-known areas such as Panglao Island, Boracay, or Palawan, Anda is extremely quiet - something those seeking relaxation will certainly appreciate.

Some of the most interesting destinations near Anda are the Can-umantad Falls and the rice terraces in Candijay, Lamanoc Island with the mystical Lamanoc Caves, and the Inday Potenciana Chapel.

The beautiful Public Beach in Anda, which is almost reminiscent of the White Beach in Boracay, is certainly worth a visit. The walk to the market, which is set up on Tuesdays near the Public Beach, can also be interesting. Of course, the Chocolate Hills and many other famous sights in Bohol are also accessible from Anda.

In the heart of the Sulu Sea and between the islands of Palawan and Mindanao lies the Tubbataha Reef, which is a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site. It is one of the oldest ecosystems in the Philippines and is home to over 350 species of coral and nearly 500 species of fish. 

Teeming with marine life and  marked by splendid underwater landscape, Tubbataha Reef is a magnet for divers from all over the world. Diving is limited to just three months a year between mid-March and mid-June - but it is this and the incomparable beauty of the reef that makes it so attractive for many.

Tubbataha Reef refers to a group of two atolls in the Sulu Sea and the Jessie Beazley Reef. The reefs are located in the middle of the Sulu Sea, about 160 kilometers southeast of Puerto Princesa, Palawan's capital. The entire national park covers an area of almost 1000 square kilometers. The atolls are about 6 kilometers apart and belong to the community of Mapun. The reef Jessie Beazley is located about 20 kilometers north of the two atolls.

The Tubbataha North Reef is about 17 kilometers long and 5.5 kilometers wide with an area of 80 square kilometers. The reef is a closed ring and has no boat entry. In the middle of the ring, there is a lagoon with a depth of up to 33 meters. Dive spots have some creative names like the "Shark Airport", where sea turtles like to hang out, but also sharks (whitetip and blacktip sharks) drop by from time to time.

In the extreme northeast of the atoll is the so-called "washing machine": Here the sea currents change their direction very often and unpredictably, sometimes even in the middle of a dive, which is why this area is recommended for more experienced divers. But underwater you can see very well here and very often you can meet the grey reef shark. The Tubbataha North Reef is suitable for night dives: The water here is very shallow and therefore there is a chance to see yellow head morays.

There are also two islands at the reef, North Islet, and Central Islet. The main island North Islet is only a few thousand square meters. The small sand island with some greenery offers space for seabirds like gannets and serves as a breeding ground for turtles.

The Tubbataha South Reef is 8 kilometers in length and 5.5 kilometers in width a little smaller than its northern sister island, but it is also an oasis for birds and a paradise for diving friends. There is also a small island, South Islet, which even has a lighthouse. Also characteristic is the Black Rock, the black rock in the northeast. Here you can watch sleeping sharks with a little luck. Not far away is the wreck of the Delsan, which sank many years ago. 

The marine animals mentioned so far are only a few that occur in Tubbataha Reef. In 1988, then Philippine President Corazon Aquino declared the reef and the surrounding area to be the Tubbataha Reef National Marine Park. Commercial fishing and coral gathering were prohibited, but this was only ended with the establishment of a ranger station that constantly monitors the atolls.

In 1993, it was then included in the UNESCO World Natural Heritage List. "The Tubbataha Reef contains excellent examples of pristine reefs and diverse species of marine life," the declaration states. Tubbataha Reef meets three of the ten criteria: it is an outstanding natural phenomenon of extraordinary beauty, has significant ecological and biological processes, and provides a home for rare and endangered species of marine life.

The national park has extensive shallow reefs, vertically sloping reef walls up to 100 meters deep, and a huge area of the deep sea. Tiger sharks, turtles, and large schools of fish are at home here. The Tubbataha Reef National Park plays a crucial role in science: in this natural "laboratory", researchers can study the coral system. No humans live in this area; it is visited by only about 1000 tourists a year.

Tubbataha Reef National Park is one of the best dive sites in the country and is rightfully listed in the top list of the best dive sites worldwide.

One of the highlights in the north-east of Cebu is Monad Shoal off Malapascua Island. This is the only place in the world where the thresher sharks cavort almost daily in the early morning. The thresher sharks visit this area to be cleaned by small fish. To further increase the chances of seeing the sharks, a Nitrox course in advance is offered to go even deeper down with a special gas mixture.

Another highlight of our stay on Malapascua was a day trip to the smaller tropical island Kalanggaman. This small island, surrounded by white sand, shady palm trees, and other tropical plants, is about 90 minutes away by boat, in the direction of the island province of Leyte. For this day trip you should be equipped with sufficient provisions and above all with plenty of drinking water. Besides the excursion experience itself, there are good opportunities to swim and snorkel in tropical warm water. 

The small Camiguin Island attracts especially the adventurers. Besides diving, snorkeling, and freedom diving you can climb volcanoes, visit waterfalls, swim in cold and hot springs. 

Camiguin Island in northeastern Mindanao looks like a natural water park: dream beaches, coral gardens, waterfalls, hot and cold springs surround and run through the island. If you love splashing around, swimming, snorkeling, and diving, Camiguin should be a destination on your trip to the Philippines. Mantigue Island is one of the best dive sites around Camiguin.

Northwest of Camiguin's capital Mambajao there is an own airport, which can be approached at the moment e.g. from Mactan-Cebu International Airport with Cebu Pacific Air. The arrival by ferry is possible from the nearest islands Mindanao from Balingoan or Cagayan de Oro, Bohol from Jagna, and Cebu from Cebu City.

The ports of call are in Mambajao, Benoni, or Guinsiliban - on arrival, numerous jeepneys, multicabs, and motorcycle cabs are already waiting for you, offering further transport to the chosen accommodation.

And there is no shortage of accommodation in Camiguin - there is something for every taste and requirement.

Even if it is possible to circumnavigate the island within 3 hours - a time window of three days is at least necessary to take full advantage of the rich offer of excursion destinations. Those who rent a motorcycle are independent, save their time and can enjoy the fresh sea breeze on Camiguin's well maintained coastal road. Inexperienced travelers travel safer with jeepneys and multicabs.

There are seven volcanoes on the island, the most famous of which is the Hibok-Hibok. The ascent takes about three hours, and the descent about 1.5 - 2 hours. Since the way is not always easy to find, you should take care of a guide the day before.

Camiguin is composed of five communities, and each district has something special to offer visitors.  In Guinsiliban, a special snorkeling experience attracts visitors through a species protection facility of giant clams, which shimmer in all colors and can weigh over 200 kilograms! 

An especially suitable place to experience the colorful sunset on the island is the well-known Sunken Cemetery. Also from the so-called White Island, the sunset is impressive. The white sandbank in the sea also offers a great view of Camiguin. And even after nightfall, the bathing fun is not over yet: the Ardent Hot Springs in Mambajao are open 24 hours including the restaurant. The four pools have different temperatures up to 38°C: Relax your muscles and recharge your batteries for another exciting day on the island.

Donsol, which is best reached via Legazpi, became famous for the whale sharks that naturally cavort in the bay. The best season for whale shark sightings is from about February to May. For divers, a trip to the nearby Ticao Island is especially suitable, where besides the whale sharks, sometimes big manta rays can be seen.

The sea is a fascinating habitat inhabited by the most beautiful, bizarre, eerie, and incredible creatures on earth. One of them is the whale shark - a giant of the sea whose sight alone takes your breath away because of its size. In the Philippines, several spots attract tourists from all over the world every year: Donsol, Leyte, and Oslob.

Unfortunately, the peaceful giants are on the red list of endangered species, as their population has been reduced by more than half in the last 75 years. In the waters around the Philippines, the hunting of whale sharks is not allowed, but in other countries, unfortunately, this looks differently: In China, Taiwan, and Oman, for example, they are considered a delicacy. Whale sharks also perish again and again as by-catch in trawls. Many animals are already killed before they have even been able to reproduce because a whale shark - which is estimated to be up to 100 years old - only becomes sexually mature between 15 and 30 years. 

Whale sharks are omnipresent in the Philippines and dives that promise encounters with these huge fish are advertised a lot. In principle, there are whale sharks everywhere where the sea is pleasantly warm 20 to 25 degrees. But in the Philippines, there are three places where whale shark swimming is offered with professional guidance: Donsol, Leyte, and Oslob. While Donsol and Leyte have been less well known for a long time, but are all the more respected by animal welfare activists, Oslob is a true "Whale Shark Mecca", which however works with questionable methods regarding animal welfare. And exactly therefore we decided not to organize trips to the whale shark swimming in Oslob, but to support the spots in Donsol and Leyte.

Donsol is a small village in Sorsogon province and is known by travelers interested in the underwater world, nature lovers, and Philippine connoisseurs as the best spot for whale shark diving. Here everything happens very naturally. The approximately three-hour tours include looking for whale sharks, as soon as one of the animals appears, the group jumps into the water under the guidance of a guide and if you are lucky, you can swim up to a few minutes next to one or even several whale sharks. Unfortunately, the opposite can also happen, namely that not a single whale shark shows up during the whole tour.

The registration takes place at the Whale Shark Centre, which is easy to find since whale shark swimming is in principle the only attraction of Donsol. Before the trip starts, each participant will be trained in the morning of the trip on how to behave during the whale shark swim and how to handle the animals, which includes for example keeping a safe distance and a touch ban.

Whale sharks are around Donsol mainly between November / December and May / June, the highest chances to meet the mysterious creatures are in March and April. What an incredible feeling it is to swim with a whale shark!

The Philippine province of Southern Leyte is rarely mentioned when it comes to whale shark swimming. In principle, this is not a well-known diving area, but it is all the more beautiful because mass tourism is completely absent here. Also, whale sharks visit here regularly, the main season is from January to April.

Swimming with whale sharks here is - similar to the one in Donsol - completely dependent on the favor of nature. There were already weeks, there the probability to meet a whale shark was up to 90%, on the other hand, there were phases, in which the animals had made themselves extremely rare even during the main season. If you are lucky, you can swim with one or more whale sharks in Leyte under completely natural and animal-friendly conditions.

As already mentioned, under natural conditions - i.e. without feeding - it is never exactly predictable whether you will encounter a whale shark or not. This can be disappointing in the end, but it is also a great attraction and if you bring enough time and money to try again and again, you will have your whale shark experience sooner or later.

The chances of seeing a whale shark also increase the better the weather and the calmer the sea is. Sometimes it even happens that the sea is so stormy that a planned trip cannot take place and must be postponed.

By the way, you don't have to be able to dive to see the remarkable fish, snorkeling is enough and is usually what is offered on the whale shark trips. Additional dives are usually possible for an extra charge.

Concerning safety during the trip, one thing can be said with a fair amount of certainty: A whale shark will not attack or even eat you on its own. However, whale shark swimming is not completely harmless, because given the power a whale shark has simply because of its size, it can be very painful and cause injury if this creature accidentally hits you with its fins.

Balicasag Island is another dive site in the province of Bohol that has been attracting divers from all over the world since the 1980s. The colorful underwater world there has contributed significantly to the fact that Panglao Island is so well known today.

An excursion to Balicasag should be planned with one of the local diving schools as a visit must be approved. Among the most popular spots are "The Black Forest" and "Royal Garden", where you can admire jackfish schools, eels, and barracudas.

Not far from Panglao in the Philippine province of Bohol, there is a small, attractive island called Balicasag, which is visited by many vacationers. This has several reasons. On the one hand, Balicasag offers one of the best and most productive dive sites in the Visayas, on the other hand, large beach areas around this island are also very suitable for snorkeling.

Depending on the season, dozens of outrigger boats packed with tourists, mainly from Southeast Asia, cavort in the waters around this island. Even the less experienced swimmers can reach the reefs relatively easily, where often larger shoals of fish are also found and where partly still well preserved coral areas can be seen.

For some time now, there has been another reason why many activists head for this island. The sea areas south of Bohol are populated by a relatively large number of dolphins, which often show up on the surface. To take advantage of this opportunity, however, you have to get up early. 

There is also the small, uninhabited Virgin Island on the way back to Panglao. The way there is not without danger, as the trip goes through very shallow waters with sharp cliffs. The experienced, local boatmen know how to steer the small boats through this danger zone with great skill. The visitor is offered a wonderful view of a wide sandy beach, which is only really exposed at low tide. There is a 'culinary' specialty, namely sea urchins, which are offered for sale by the local fishermen for direct consumption.