Philippines, Dumaguete & Bohol · December 2023 - January 2024
Philippines: Dumaguete, Apo Island & Bohol
Some trips you plan. Others you ring in the New Year on the far side of the world, fins on, surrounded by some of the richest reefs on the planet. Our Philippines adventure carried us deep into the Coral Triangle, first to Dumaguete on the island of Negros, then across the water to Bohol, for two weeks of world-class diving, easy island days, and the kind of shared joy that turns a group into a family by the final dinner.
Day by day
Days 1-3
Across the world to the Coral Triangle
We left Los Angeles late on the 26th, lost the 27th entirely to the International Date Line (always a fun trip!), and made our way to Dumaguete, our home base on the island of Negros, right at the crossroads of the Coral Triangle. By the time we settled into our beachfront base, the only thing left on the agenda was the ultimate vacation, finally begun.
Day 4
First bubbles off Dumaguete
Dumaguete diving knocks your dive socks off. This coast is famous for small wonders, flamboyant critters tucked into the reef, with the ever-present chance of something very big, since whale sharks are drawn to these nutrient-rich upwellings. We eased in with two morning dives and an afternoon tank, getting reacquainted with 81-degree water and the sheer density of life below.
Day 5
A very special day at Apo Island
One of our favorite places on Earth. We struck out early for Apo Island and made three breathtaking dives along its protected walls and turtle-grazed slopes, with lunch on the water between dives and that giddy grin you only get back at the surface after a truly special day underwater.
Days 6-7
Ringing in the New Year underwater
We closed out the year the only way that makes sense in a place like this, diving by day and celebrating by night. New Year's Eve in the Philippines gives 'glorious' a whole new meaning, and a sunset cruise out of Dumaguete sent the old year off in style.
Day 8
Crossing to Bohol
We traded one slice of paradise for another, crossing gorgeous water to the island of Bohol and settling into a hidden stretch of white-sand coast in Anda, lush hills behind us, the sea at our doorstep, and some of the best food of the whole trip waiting when we arrived.
Days 9-13
The walls and night magic of Anda
Bohol is one of our absolute favorite destinations, and it earns every bit of that love: jaw-dropping reefs by day and pure magic after dark. On the night dives we went looking for mandarinfish, and were rewarded with their famously fleeting dusk courtship, quite possibly the quickest display of affection in the sea. Day after day of two- and three-tank diving on reefs you wouldn't believe were real.
Days 14-15
Chocolate Hills, tarsiers & farewell
For our grand finale we headed inland for one of our most beloved days anywhere, the surreal Chocolate Hills, the Philippines' own 'Eighth Wonder,' and a visit with the tiny, wide-eyed tarsiers. We flew home wrung out in the best possible way, having rung in 2024 thankful for every dive and every person who shared it.
From the trip
From the critter reefs of Dumaguete to the walls of Apo Island and the after-dark wonders of Bohol, this was two weeks of the Philippines at its absolute finest, and a New Year none of us will ever forget. This is exactly why we do what we do.
Want to do this one yourself?
We run trips like this every year. See where we're headed next and grab a spot before the group fills up.