Diving in Dumaguete

Things to Do in Dumaguete City

Dumaguete City, is the capital of the province Negros Oriental, in the central Visayas. You can get to Dumaguete either with a 60-minute flight from Manila or by bus and ferry from Cebu. Most of the Dumaguete dive-sites, hotels and dive centers are 15 kilometers south of the city in the beautiful little town of Dauin.

Diving in Dumaguete is a paradise for macro-lovers and many professional underwater photographers regularly visit Dumaguete. The dive resorts around Dauin are also a good starting-point for full day-trips to the well-known surrounding islands like Apo Island, Sumilon Island or Siquijor Island.

Diving in Dumaguete

Most dive shops are offering up to four dives daily and additional night dives and Mandarin fish-dives. All dive spots in this area are protected areas or Marine-Sanctuaries. A line of buoys around this sanctuary ensures that no boats or fishermen may enter the area. This also means the dive boat must anchor outside the area and the diver therefore has to swim inside the sanctuary after the water entry and also return to the boat at the end of the dive.

Depending on the time of the year, the moon and the tides you may experience some currents from time to time. The well-trained guides usually change their dive plans if that happens and drift with the group all the way to the other side of the sanctuaries. The dive boat will follow the group to ensure absolute safety at all times and then collect them on the other side.

Sanctuary Fees in Dumaguete

The local community also charges a marine-park fee and this is charged per dive. It is worth finding out beforehand if this fee is already included in the dive-package or not. Although some operators run a low-price policy initially, they may then charge extra for boat, guide, marine-park-fees etc. which means that you could end up paying more than at another dive shop which includes all fees in the original quote.

Diving in Dumaguete - Philippines

What to do in Dumaguete

It is relatively quiet after sunset in Dauin. For those in search of nightlife the best option is to go to Dumaguete. The city has a good number of restaurants, bars and discos. Transfers can be organized through the resort or you can also use public transport and pay some pesos to get to the town.

Tourist attractions around Dumaguete

The surrounding areas of Dumaguete are also worth exploring. Make a trip to the Casaroro Waterfalls, Twin Lakes, the Wednesday Malatapay Market or the Geothermal Power plants on your non-diving and off-gassing days. For the more adventurous seeking action you can book an ATV-Tour through the jungle of Negros Oriental. There are also some professional SPA-centers for relaxation days and a nice golf-course in Dumaguete.

Island Hopping in the Visayas

Some dive-operators are also offering Island-hopping to the more remote Islands of Bohol and Malapasqua. The dark volcanic sand is home to an enormous variety of wildlife. The 15 dive sites around Dauin can be reached within 15 minutes with a speedboat. Some of them are accessible even as a shore-dive.