CHUM - Houston's SCUBA Club is the sponsor of the 
- First Name
- Scott
This is a super-late trip report for a dive trip to Philippines in December 2024 (I’ve been busy). The lesson re-learnt for me is that trips really need to get closed-out within a few weeks or it’s a struggle. 
The trip was with @Sushi Boy and his (less late-ish) report with more details is filed here.
My photos are filed here.
This trip was to the same destination (Puerta Galera on Mindoro) as a great CHUM trip “Julie’d” by @ReefHound back in 2018 with a link here.
The logistics comprised flights to Manila, crash at a hotel, then shuttle bus south to the ferry port and a boat across to PG. The return journey was the same complicated by New Years Eve bookings and travel impacts. For the outbound, we crashed at the Holiday Inn Express at Manila which is very close to the main airport for obvious reasons, and the traffic in Manila is seriously insane. This is also the Makati suburb which is more upmarket and secure than many parts of town. The hotel is adequate, provides a good breakfast, and is next to an indoor mall that offers food courts and a 7-11 shop. Sorted. Since I had arrived a day earlier, I wandered around the streets of nearby Pasay which seemed safe enough although I did get back to the hotel before the sun went down.
After the separate flights in, the trip got going with travel south through Luzon in a shoulder of the rainy season (some showers every day, and a bit cooler than the full-on dry season). PG had changed a bit but there were still most of the same hotels and bars.
The diving was good and leisurely with mainly smaller stuff although a few big turtles, Giant Clams and a Giant Cuttle Fish were notable. I had my 5mm wetsuit which worked well, as before. The healthiest reef was across on Verde Island although the reef got a bit busy with divers. The dive shop (Asia Divers) was right next to the hotel (El Galleon) and the staff of both were friendly and competent.
Food and drink at PG were satisfying with a good selection around the town, compared to other potential dive options in more remote/restricted locations.
Getting back up to Manila, we stayed at a different hotel which was the Dusit Thani Manila, also at Makati. This was more upmarket and secure, and I could recommend it. It was right next to an expanded mall that included everything under the sun, and a bunch of restaurants too. We got a taxi down the old part of town to see layers of history with different invaders and rulers, surrounded by some pretty sobering slums to be sure.
I spent the final night (New Years Eve) watching a band play (it was televised), drinking Don Papa rum, and then one of the best firework shows I’ve seen over Manila from my room on one of the upper floors. A very early check-in on January 1st was less enjoyable but I’d used a load of airmiles for both long-hauls so it was reasonably comfortable.
A final couple of logistical tips is that the Philippines has implemented an online visa system and it was worth downloading an App and entering all data on that to speed thru immigration coming into Manila. There are also taxi services at the airport where the payment is controlled and there is a set fee to the destination (hotel) rather than get ripped off by the driver; much appreciated after falling off a long-haul early in the morning.
The trip was with @Sushi Boy and his (less late-ish) report with more details is filed here.
My photos are filed here.
This trip was to the same destination (Puerta Galera on Mindoro) as a great CHUM trip “Julie’d” by @ReefHound back in 2018 with a link here.
The logistics comprised flights to Manila, crash at a hotel, then shuttle bus south to the ferry port and a boat across to PG. The return journey was the same complicated by New Years Eve bookings and travel impacts. For the outbound, we crashed at the Holiday Inn Express at Manila which is very close to the main airport for obvious reasons, and the traffic in Manila is seriously insane. This is also the Makati suburb which is more upmarket and secure than many parts of town. The hotel is adequate, provides a good breakfast, and is next to an indoor mall that offers food courts and a 7-11 shop. Sorted. Since I had arrived a day earlier, I wandered around the streets of nearby Pasay which seemed safe enough although I did get back to the hotel before the sun went down.
After the separate flights in, the trip got going with travel south through Luzon in a shoulder of the rainy season (some showers every day, and a bit cooler than the full-on dry season). PG had changed a bit but there were still most of the same hotels and bars.
The diving was good and leisurely with mainly smaller stuff although a few big turtles, Giant Clams and a Giant Cuttle Fish were notable. I had my 5mm wetsuit which worked well, as before. The healthiest reef was across on Verde Island although the reef got a bit busy with divers. The dive shop (Asia Divers) was right next to the hotel (El Galleon) and the staff of both were friendly and competent.
Food and drink at PG were satisfying with a good selection around the town, compared to other potential dive options in more remote/restricted locations.
Getting back up to Manila, we stayed at a different hotel which was the Dusit Thani Manila, also at Makati. This was more upmarket and secure, and I could recommend it. It was right next to an expanded mall that included everything under the sun, and a bunch of restaurants too. We got a taxi down the old part of town to see layers of history with different invaders and rulers, surrounded by some pretty sobering slums to be sure.
I spent the final night (New Years Eve) watching a band play (it was televised), drinking Don Papa rum, and then one of the best firework shows I’ve seen over Manila from my room on one of the upper floors. A very early check-in on January 1st was less enjoyable but I’d used a load of airmiles for both long-hauls so it was reasonably comfortable.
A final couple of logistical tips is that the Philippines has implemented an online visa system and it was worth downloading an App and entering all data on that to speed thru immigration coming into Manila. There are also taxi services at the airport where the payment is controlled and there is a set fee to the destination (hotel) rather than get ripped off by the driver; much appreciated after falling off a long-haul early in the morning.
