Philippines: Dumaguete, Apo Island & Bohol

Bohol's shallow reefs come alive after dark with the famously fleeting courtship of the mandarinfish, a display so brief and so electric that catching it feels like winning something, and the surrounding reef dives by day are equally spectacular.

Dumaguete's nutrient-rich upwellings concentrate extraordinary biodiversity, from flamboyant reef critters tucked into every corner to the real possibility of a whale shark cruising through the blue on any given dive.

Ringing in the New Year somewhere this vivid, a sunset cruise out of Dumaguete, warm water, and a group of people who spent the day diving, turns New Year's Eve into something genuinely unforgettable.