Dive Review of Buceo Anilao Beach & Dive Resort in
Philippines/Batangas

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Buceo Anilao Beach & Dive Resort: "Set up well for Diving and Underwater Photographers", Mar, 2024, by Carol D Cox, FL, US ( Sr. Contributor 22 reports with 18 Helpful votes). Report 13066 has 2 Helpful votes.
Photos Submitted with this Report Click on an image to see an enlarged version and captions
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations	N/A	Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving
Snorkeling
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	Buceo Anilao is a dedicated dive resort in the Philippines only 2 to 3 hours from Manila. I was drawn to the resort because it bills itself as the “Nudibranch capital of the world”. It sits on a peninsula jutting into Batangas Bay and features both coral and muck dives. We took a van from NAIA airport in Manila and was dropped off by a rocky shore. After walking along a 2-ft wide seawall, we boarded a traditional “bangka” outrigger boat for the 15-minute ride to the resort. It felt like the beginning of a great adventure. My husband and I were greeted by a fresh fruit drink and paperwork while staff carried bags up the numerous steps to our deluxe cabana overlooking the sea. Of the 23 rooms, all but three have sea views and balconies. Those three smaller rooms are sometimes comped to special guests, like an underwater photographer who brings them a lot of business. Rooms accommodate from 2 to 5 guests. We had two double beds and a twin, a desk, small fridge, and large armoire. The spacious bathroom had a double sink and lots of natural light from the skylight. Our patio had two racks for drying clothes and two cushy chairs for enjoying the view. It was equipped with a smoke detector and fire extinguisher. I quickly found my favorite spot to sit and edit photos – the twin bed next to the large picture window where I could enjoy the views while working away on my computer. My husband always prefers the desk. I also enjoyed the balcony where I could pick up the fast Wi-Fi provided by Starlink satellite equipment. I could also connect to Wi-Fi at all of the public areas like the pool, bar, and restaurant. We rendezvoused with some friends at Buceo and our group of six opted for 8:30 am dive departures. The larger groups left at 8:00 am so by the time we moved into the equipment area to gear up, the other groups were heading out. When we boarded what was our dive boat for the week, I was pleased to find our group of 6 had a 40-ft bangka to ourselves, along with two sharp-eyed dive guides, Enzo and Nanni. The boat had no restroom or rinse tank for the cameras, however it offered plenty of space and shade. Our checkout dive was at Red Rock, where true to the resort’s claim I saw at least 5 different nudibranchs along with a small painted frogfish. During the dive, one of our newer divers, Bruce, intently watched a sea snake make its way to the surface. I couldn’t resist reaching out and pinching him on the leg, making him turn with a startled look on his face. He laughed as soon as he realized he’d been pranked. My favorite dive, besides some of the sand dives, was a pinnacle called Kirbey’s Rock. A small pinnacle rises from the sea floor close to shear rock walls. There were lots of colorful hard and soft corals, along with sea fans where Enzo found a pygmy seahorse. The rocks were covered with thousands of small, yellow sea cucumbers. Hidden amongst them was a yellow leaf scorpionfish. On the sand dives, I became accustomed to bouncing back and forth between our two dive guides as they pointed out juvenile rhinopias, painted frogfish no larger than a fingernail, pipefish, nudibranchs of all shapes and sizes, and numerous other cryptic creatures I would never have spotted on my own. We quickly adapted to the routine at Buceo Anilao. The included breakfast began at 7:00 with eggs, toast, fruit cereal, juice, meat such as Spam or corned beef hash, and a starch of rice or potatoes. After breakfast you pre-ordered lunch, and after lunch you pre-ordered dinner. Oddly, menu items like parmesan chicken or tenderloin steak did not come with any side dishes. Except for the daily specials, and sandwiches which came with fries, you had to order everything separately. Tables were set up to accommodate the various groups diving together. There didn't seem to be many other options for meals besides our resort. We analyzed nitrox tanks before they were carried out to the dive boats. I soon became confident walking up the steep plank to board the boat, but there was always a crew member there to offer a hand. Divers are responsible for masks, computers, and cameras. Everything else was managed by the crew. As I boarded the boat on day 3, I asked if everyone had masks and computers. Enzo started searching around, hopped off the boat, and checked the compressor and equipment room on shore. As he dejectedly returned to the boat, Nanni held up the missing computer which had been on the boat all along. The next morning, I shouted out to Enzo, “Do you have your computer?” That sent Nanni running back to the equipment room to retrieve his. I did three night dives while there. On one night dive I recorded 7 different nudibranchs, some as large as my hand. On another, the octopuses were very active, and the dive guides pointed out at least 3 different kinds including multiple wonderpus. All this activity kept our cameras rolling. Except for the lack of rinse water on the boats, the resort is well set up for photographers. They have four camera rinse bins on shore and a large camera room set up with towels, air guns, and 220v outlets at each station. Each station is labeled with the photographer’s name. There are areas inside the gear room and outside in the sun to hang wetsuits between dives. Each diver is assigned a basket for gear. There are several outdoor showers including three that put out amazingly hot water. We were there during unusually cool waters. I even rented a 3 mil shorty wetsuit to wear over my 3 mil full wetsuit. Many of the divers at Buceo Anilao were repeat customers and I can understand why. The diving is varied, it’s a macro photographer’s fantasyland, and It’s an easy side trip when traveling through Manila. Cost: 7 nights in a deluxe room with breakfast, $952. 15 dive package $585. Nitrox $5 per tank. Marine Park fee, $6 per diving day. Transfers, $120 round trip.
Websites	Buceo Anilao Beach & Dive Resort
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	Over 1000 dives
Where else diving	Caribbean, Bahamas, Florida, Turkey, Palau, Truk, Mexico, Red Sea, Cypress, Guam, Indonesia, Revillagigedo, Costa Rica, Philippines, Galapagos, Dominican Republic
Closest Airport	Manila	Getting There	Fly to Manila, van or car to Batangas, resort boat the final leg.
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, windy, dry	Seas	calm, choppy, no currents
Water Temp	79-80°F / 26-27°C	Wetsuit Thickness	3
Water Visibility	40-75 Ft/ 12-23 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	No decompression diving.
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	yes
What I Saw
Sharks	None	Mantas	None
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	1 or 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish	N/A
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's	N/A	Shore Facilities
UW Photo Comments	Except for the lack of rinse water on the boats, the resort is well set up for photographers. They have four camera rinse bins on shore and a large camera room set up with towels, air guns, and 220v outlets at each station. Each station is labeled with the photographer’s name.

Report currently has 2 Helpful votes

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Dive Review of Buceo Anilao Beach & Dive Resort in Philippines/Batangas

Buceo Anilao Beach & Dive Resort: "Set up well for Diving and Underwater Photographers", Mar, 2024,

Photos Submitted with this Report

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Dive Review of Buceo Anilao Beach & Dive Resort in
Philippines/Batangas