Everyone has come prepared for epic dives! How to get to Apo Reef: By Air: Nearest airport to Apo Reef is located in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro. White-tips are abound, although not really huge ones. San Jose, Occidental Mindoro is the gateway to Sablayan by air. Only tourist with an adventorous heart can tolerate its rawness . Train, fly to Dumaguete, Jeepney, Local Banca 6h 42m. I did a bit of a background check and learned hes organized several trips in the past with Pentagon. But given NAIAs air traffic situation, expect delays on flights. There are regular sea turtles but every now and then wed see a large one, which Im guessing would be very, very old. Rome2rio says from Puerto Galera, I need to take a taxi for 4 to 5 hours to Sablayan Pier. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. It is no surprise that scuba divers come from all around the world just to experience the adventure underneath. The room is good for 4 people. Our organizer Peng planned the menu with them and asked them to buy the ingredients. 1630H 1800H: Wash up in Eco-Tourism Complex Batangas to Abra de Ilog Schedule of Ferry /RORO (Montenegro Lines) as of March 2011 : Montenegro Lines contact number: 09208775542 (Roger Guttierez). Just got back from a long day trip to Apo Reef with Dugong Divers. Air-conditioned Dimple Star Transport Buses from Sampaloc costs around P800 (as of April 2017) inclusive of the ferry and terminal fee in Batangas Port, last trip is 8PM from Sampaloc. From Manila, you can take Cebu Pacific to San Jose. We were amazed ! If you dive with Mariposa in Pandan Island, they might require you to do a checkout dive in their house reef before diving in Apo Reef. Because it was declared as a Marine Protected Area (MPA), fishing within the reef was banned by the Philippine government. Visitor Entry Fees (Per person per visit): The Apo reef is also considered the home to the largest atoll in the Philippines and also known as the world's second largest continuous coral reef. Its about 11km away and costs up to 550 PHP (about 10). 1300H 1430H: Arrival in Apo Reef/Setup Camp/Prepare Lunch/Lunch Patulong na lang kayo sa kanila maghanap ng kasabay, I need to clarify fees that I will be charged to dive in Apo reef from MY own boat. Also, be prepared for the office in Sablayan to gouge you remorsefully for every item, service, or favor imaginable. She hasnt been diving everywhere in the Philippines, but its on her list. After our overnight stay in Pandan island we went to apo reef via boat for 2 and a half hour. A liveaboard would be worth it! In Abra de Ilog, transfer to a Roro Bus or a Dimple Star Bus to Sablayan for another three hours ride, fare is P240 (as of February 2019). 09190029643 / 09102801768 / 09456708620 Apo Reef Image Source Spread across a region of 27, 469 hectare, this natural Marine Park is located between Mindoro and Palawan province. Its that crystal clear! From my first dive trip in the Visayas, around Cebu City, I discovered a country filled with affordable, world-class diving spots, easily reachable with a bus or ferry ride (or a combination of both). Make sure to bring insect repellent as there are some months where there are sand flies, locally known as niknik. Its surrounding islands shine with their white sand on waters teeming with vivid and superb marine life. Where to book your tour? Apo Reef Natural Park (Sablayan) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go, Hotels near Ninoy Aquino Intl Airport (MNL), Motels near Ninoy Aquino Intl Airport (MNL), Private All Inclusive East Coast Keys Trip & Snorkel Experience. You can do a bit of snorkeling or just chill by the beach. If you need to go back to Manila using the same route in reverse, the buses from San Jose should get to Sablayan around 2 hours after it leaves the San Jose terminal. Contact: (43)7430209 / +639207013551, Emely Hotel & Restaurant Boat fare to Apo Reef is Php 8,500 (day trip) and Php 9,500 (overnight trip), good for 10 pax. If youre staying in Apo Reef, you need to bring and cook your own food. Listed as the second biggest reef in the world I had high expectations on this reef. @media(min-width:0px){#div-gpt-ad-taraletsanywhere_com-netboard-1-0-asloaded{max-width:336px!important;max-height:280px!important;}}if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'taraletsanywhere_com-netboard-1','ezslot_25',801,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-taraletsanywhere_com-netboard-1-0'); Are you into snorkeling and freediving? WATCH OUR VIDEO ON YOUTUBE! Contact: +639203489415, Along D Beach Resort July 14, 2023 | 12:00am. But be advised, entrance fee for divers is over 2000 pesos for 48 hours, plus the dive boat, gear, guide, tanks, etc. In fact, when we visited, we were able to do 9 dives instead of just 8 dives. The fare is inclusive of RORO (Roll on and Roll off) /ferry fee and terminal fee. 0700H 1000H: Arrival in Sablayan/Register and Settle Payments at Sablayan Eco-Tourism Office/Breakfast/Shop for camping supplies She is a PADI Rescue Diver with a goal to dive in all the best places around the Philippines. Christmas gatherings here and there, but I cant, A must when in Dubai! It would be best to join a group to share cost for the boat. Apo Reef Natural Park is located in Mindoro straight, 28 kilometers (roughly 2 hours) from Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro. The wall is in two parts, the first part ends in a large sand step between 60 and 90ft. Also try: Apo Reef Natural Park Scuba Diving. Whitetip sharks and sea turtles are so common that youll end up ignoring them at one point. We opted to stay in Apo Reef Island since its the best way to experience the island. Tourism office offers various tours, trips and packages which include trip to Island Experience, Caving, Diving, Snorkeling, Trekking, Museum Tour, etc. 1000H 1030H: Break Camp Dive shops charge it, but I haven't seen anyone on the island or anywhere else collecting it, so I am not even sure where it goes. There are several recommended ways to get here. We book our flight from Philippine Airlines from Clark to San Jose Mindoro. While scuba diving in Apo Reef in February 2019, I saw a lot of bleaching and dead corals. Address: Laya, Poblacion, Sablayan Corde Point This location has a large reef plateau with coral ridges and some smaller coral gardens. I've been doing some great diving in the last couple of months, I did 25 dives in Komodo National Park which is one of the greatest dive sites in the world. From San Jose, you need to get to Sablayan which is a 2-hour ride from the airport. I can NOT afford to visit if this is correct and I am NOT going to sail all the way up there hoping that the figures are wrong only to find I have to sail away again. 90-Minute "Conquistatour of Saint Augustine" Historical Walking Sightseeing Tour, Sail Splash and Sailing Excursion in Ft. Lauderdale, Naha: Full-Day Snorkeling Experience in the Kerama Islands, Okinawa, Oslo Combo Tour: Grand City Tour and Oslo Fjord Cruise. Angeles U. Reyes Here are the current rates (as of our visit in March 2019): Entrance fee to Pandan Island is not required if youre not going to set foot on the island (i.e., ask your boatmen to wait several meters from the shore so you can snorkel around the island), but you still have to pay the environmental fee. The boat captain /guide was really an expert because we did'nt get lost eventhough he has no navigating tool like a compass with him. It is an easy 10-minute walk from the campsite. If youre a budget traveler, option 1 is the cheapest option. So for you to fully enjoy Apo Reef, it is highly recommended that you are an experienced diver. By clicking on 'ACCEPT' or any content on this site, you agree that cookies can be placed. Liveaboards in Apo Reef makes it practical for scuba divers to explore Apo Reef for several days at a time. Whats great about Anilao is the diversity of not just the marine life but also the type of dive sites you can find here. Address: Poblacion, Sablayan If youre coming from Metro Manila these are some of the bus lines that go to Batangas Port.Jam LinerAlps BusBus Fare is approximately Php175. When we were not in the water, we were either replenishing ourselves with Ate Perlas cooking, taking a nap in hammocks or beside the beach or otherwise exploring the island. Otherwise, schedule your trip on a Saturday like we did and we joined another group. We came all the way down through Mindoro (takes a couple of days) to go to Apo after hearing it is such a great dive site (Which it emphatically is). But hey, for some it's worth it. I only see it rarely on scuba diving blogs. Its flanking coral reefs are approximately 34 sq. These sites are identified to have the best corals and sightings for pelagics and turtles! Can someone please clarify what are the total fees. One of the premier dive sites in the Philippines. Several trails lead to the sum. Pay the terminal fee of Php 30.00. Before anything else, let me give you a short bit of introduction. This is a spot where an unknown freighter has sunk a long time ago. Ara is the founder of DiverBliss.com and PhilippineDives.com. Upon reaching the Sablayan Bus station, ride a tricycle to take you to Sablayan Tourism Office. It was actually a fun detour and the trail to the lagoon looked like a scary forest from a fairy tale, with tree brambles along the way, a boardwalk with queasy steps to the lagoon and the proliferation of mangroves which creates a quiet, dense ambience. It reminded me of the long coral wall Ive snorkeled at in Tomia Island in Southeast Sulawesi. Yes. You can search for diveUNDA online. What if the diver comes back after 2 or 3 days? How to Get Us Travel Information *Transfer from Manila to Apo Reef Club by flight The Cebu Pacific Air is the only airline which flies the route Manila - San Jose - Manila. Apo Island, not to be confused with the one near Dumaguete, is the largest of these three. Scuba Diving Apo Reef Natural Park in Occidental Mindoro with Pentagon Dive Center Sablayan. They can leave really bad bites if youre not careful. Read this post on, Boat good for 20 pax (count including boatmen and tour guide) P13,000 + P2500 per additional day + P500 visit to the shipwreck, If you need to hire a cook: 1 cook P1000 per day / P300 assistant. Pentagon Pro Dive Centre started its operations in 2015 by the Lontoc family. Often acclaimed as one of the best dive sites in the Philippines, Anilao is an excellent place for all levels of divers and offers a bit of everything for freshly open water certified divers like experienced underwater photography enthusiasts. Anyone want to go to APO REEF budget liveaboard diving in 2019? Your email address will not be published. BOOK YOUR BUS/PLANE FROM MANILA TO SAN JOSE, MINDORO. Nearest airport to Apo Reef is located in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro. 0030H 0200H: Assembly/Buy Ticket/Board Ferry This website accepts forms of advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions, affiliate links or other forms of compensation. The biggest municipality and the top ecotourism destination of the province of Occidental Mindoro, Sablayan offers variety of activities specially to those adventure driven souls who want to commune with nature. I feel like there is so much more to see. I would like to dive twice per day there are two of us on a live aboard- I am NOT Philippina. My special tip: for such a long bus ride, travel at night and save one night of accommodation. Wed board our rented boat and our tour guide would stop at specific spots around the island. By taxi, yes directly from Manila, for the reasonable cost of 1800-2200 PHP (30 to 40), you can reach Anilao directly in about 2 hours. Recommended option Bus, car ferry, travel Take the bus from Paranaque Integrated Terminal Exchange to Batangas Port Read our. Apo Reef Liveaboard boarding is in Batangas (to be advised). \when we finally arrived we immediatley set up our tents , ate a little then went snokelling right away. Disclaimer: Articles in this website may include affiliate links. 30h 11m. How to Get to Sablayan, Apo Reef & Pandan Island Manila to Sablayan By Air San Jose, Occidental Mindoro is the gateway to Sablayan by air. We climbed up the lighthouse and the views were breathtaking. Then you take the same ferry to Puerto Galera. There were table corals and other types of corals, fishes such as parrotfish, mameng (humphead wrasse) and other types of fish Im not familiar with. Option 1: Via Air Option 2: Via Land & Ferry Transportation Important Contact in Apo Reef Where to Stay? Apo Wreck- There is a wreck at 40ft which has some great coral growth. You ain't Acrophobic A towering 110-foot lighthouse has a view deck halfway through the top that offers a breath-taking 360-degree view of the crystal clear waters and the verdant mangrove forest, where you can enjoy a magnificent sunset and a glimpse of the Calamian group of islands. But to make sure theres another group visiting Apo Reef, contact the Sablayan Tourism Office at the number I provided above. Food is brought in from the mainland. When we arrived at Apo Island, the first thing I noticed is the beach. Ultimate Travel and Dive Guide to the Philippines, Philippine Packing List: What to Bring to Your Dive Trip, hotel in Sablayan Occidental Mindoro via Agoda.com, Coral Cay Conservation: Scuba Diving Scholarship in the Philippines, Scuba Diving in Anilao, Batangas, Philippines: Complete Guide. Required fields are marked *. It is bordered by three islands which marks as its surface; Apo Island, Apo Menor which consists of Binangaan Island and Cayos del Bajo Tinangkapang. By checking Rome2rio, my go-to online tool to find alternatives to flying, I found two possible itineraries, a cheap one and a fast one: Just a little bit further after Anilao, Puerto Galera is another incredible dive site in the northern Philippines. How to get there Apo Reef lies around 40 kilometers (22nautical miles) west of Sablayan (Occidental Mindoro). km. Apo Reef falls under the jurisdiction of Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro. 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The boat trip takes a few days. Ive never been to Mindoro actually, so its a win win. Is Apo Reef in your dive bucket list?What are you looking forward to seeing in Apo Reef?Leave a comment below! Fare is approximately Php220-250 . You may use these HTML tags and attributes: Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. What is the best and easiest way to get to Apo reef area from Manila for a foreigner? Address: Sitio Puting Buhangin Poblacion, Sablayan