Itinerary 1-2 weeks: "Close to Home"
Subic - Anilao - Puerto Galera!
Content:
Check out the main page on Subic Bay here!
Check out the main page on Puerto Galera here!
Close to Home quick summary:
- Manila 0-1 day
(3-4 nights) - Click here to book.
- Anilao - Top notch muck diving
(3-4 nights) - Click here to book.
(3-4 nights) - Click here to book.
"Close to Home" Day-by-Day:
Subic Bay.
To get to Subic you have quite a few options. From Manila and around:
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Driving:
Driving from Manila by car or bus, is pretty straight forward. Leaving Manila, heading north you will find yourself entering Subic Bay in approximately 3 hours.
You can take a bus from Manila Sampaloc to Olongapo, which takes 3,5 hours.
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By Taxi you can book this obviously from anywhere and prices vary from 45$ - 60$.
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Flying: Subic Bay has its own airport, used as an alternative option and serves international flights as well as domestic. When coming from outside the country, you might want to look to arrive at Subic Bay Airport, rather than Ninoy Aquino Int. Airport in Manila.
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Diving in Subic Bay is all about those wrecks. While Coron boasts mostly Japanese shipwrecks sunk during World War 2, Subic is more famous for the US shipwrecks found here.
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The most famous are El Capitan and USS New York, but many more can be found. It is advised to be an Advanced open-water diver since most wrecks are between 20 and 40 meters deep.
For more details check out the main page on Subic Bay!
Anilao
is about 3 hours driving south of Manila. You can easily catch a bus or transfer via a taxi. Once there, seek your favourit resort, and start diving!
Diving in Anilao is most famous for its macro life, and especially the denseness of it. You will see hundreds of nudibranchs, while also the occasional turtle, shark, and larger fish like barracuda and trevally.
Photographers from all over the world come here, to experience the knowledge and hospitality of Anilao.
It is the birthplace of diving in the Philippines and although there are many more places available for you to go scuba diving nowadays, this is still a solid choice.
From Anilao, you can easily catch a taxi to Batangas Pier to travel on to Puerto Galera.
For 5-7$ you book a taxi or transfer to Batangas Pier (not city). Make sure you arrive as early as possible, because ferries will start departing at 6 AM, until 4 PM. However, when I visited, the ferries became more and more susceptible to cancellation the later in the day you would arrive. So be sure to catch your ferry, and don't get stuck in Batangas Pier!
Puerto Galera.
When visiting Puerto Galera, you will need to take the ferry from Batangas Pier, like stated before. You will arrive at Balatero harbor. After registration and paying your environmental fee, you will need to book a tricycle for 250 pesos to Sabang.
Sabang is the one and only place to go diving really. And the whole town is dedicated to it.
In the past, Sabang was serviced by airplanes, however now, they are not operational unfortunately.
For more detailed information check out the main page for Puerto Galera!
Onwards or homewards
When leaving Puerto Galera - Sabang, you can return home to Manila, via Batangas Pier, and then taking a bus.
Alternatively, you can make your way south to Roxas. This takes you to Puerto Galera Town, with a bus to Calapan, and then another bus to Roxas.
In Roxas, you can take a ferry that will bring you to Boracay Island in 3 hours or so and costs 700 pesos, 1-way. Diving in Boracay is well worth it, with Shipwrecks, airplanes and beautiful reefs along clean, white beaches.
Check out the main page of Boracay for more information!