More Philippine Dive Resort Picks

The two well-known Atlantis Resorts in Puerto Galera and Dumaguete offer diving comparable to or better than the Caribbean and at bargain prices. Atlantis recently quoted us a seven-night package with taxes (but not transfer charges) for $1,555 at Puerto Galera and $1,613 at Dumaguete.

Full reviews of the two resorts appeared in our September 2006 issue. But we’ve had some recent reader reports about them since then. “Staff will go out of their way to make your stay fun and comfortable,” says Steve Woerner (Huffman, TX) of his January trip to Atlantis Puerto Galera. “Brilliant colors, soft corals and world-class muck diving.” Kriss Kirchhoff (Boise, ID), who went in November, says the highlight is a day trip to Verde Island, 90 minutes away, for good wall diving with thousands of reef fish and 150-foot visibility.

“The Atlantis Dumaguete staff, from the front office to the guys hauling gear to the boat, were kind and helpful,” says Pec Indman (San Jose, CA), who visited last April. Robert Ayets (San Jose, CA), who went last February, says the muck diving is spectacular. “Many frogfish, crocodilefish, leaf scorpionfish, and ornate ghost pipefish everywhere, and the DMs find them for you.”

You can read the September 2006 travel story and the full reader reports at Undercurrent.