Colors and life everywhere! How beautiful it is, Cabilao! (Philippines, February 2019)
Colors and life everywhere! How beautiful, Cabilao! (Philippines, February 2019)

The beautiful surprises of Cabilao, a small coral jewel

#Philippines

  Philippines: Cabilao + Balicasag [Panglao-Bohol] - February-March 2019

Dear English-speaking readers, this page is an automatic translation of an article originally written in French. I apologise for any strange sentences and funny mistakes that may have resulted. If you read French, click on the French flag below to access the original, correct text: 


To make bubbles along coral reefs overflowing with life and colors, what happiness! In the Philippines, the island of Cabilao is a real little underwater jewel.

Cabilao, a quiet little island

I bring you back in February 2019, to the Philippines. For this diving trip, I only have two weeks in front of me and I decided to dedicate the first one to Cabilao, which has been on my mind for many years...

Cabilao is a very small island of less than 8 square kilometers. Triangular in shape, it is located on the northwest coast of Bohol, in the Cebu Strait. It is here:

Cabilao seen from the sky. It is the triangular island in the foreground. (Philippines, February 2019)
Cabilao seen from the sky. This is the triangular island in the foreground. (Philippines, February 2019)
The dive sites of Cabilao. (Philippines, February 2019)
The dive sites of Cabilao. (Philippines, February 2019)

Cabilao has five villages and less than 5,000 inhabitants, living mainly from fishing, agriculture and tourism. Unlike other islands near Bohol, it is not connected by a bridge, so the place has remained quite quiet.

It has a peaceful atmosphere that contrasts with the tourist frenzy of Alona Beach on Panglao, not far from there, which made me run away during my very first stay in the Philippines in 2008

Apart from diving, there is not much to do on Cabilao... There is a large inland lake that can be explored, lots of small roads where it is easy to ride a scooter, some tourist accommodations and a handful of diving resorts.

This is the perfect island to break away from the hustle and bustle of the world... 👌

Above: one of the small roads of Cabilao, easy to travel by scooter. At the small port of Talisai, on the southeast coast, we are greeted by the Ten Commandments. (Philippines, February 2019)

Bangkas (or bancas), traditional Philippine boats with pendulums, act as a "ferry" between Bohol and Cabilao. (Philippines, February 2019)
The bangkas (or bancas), traditional Philippine outrigger boats, act as "ferries" between Bohol and Cabilao Island (Philippines, February 2019)
The passengers on the bangka-ferry have just disembarked. (Cabilao, Philippines, February 2019)
Passengers of the bangka ferry just disembarked in Talisai, on the southeast coast of the island (Cabilao, Philippines, February 2019)
Under the gray sky, the lake and its mangrove have a somewhat melancholy appearance. (Cabilao, Philippines, February 2019)
Under the gray sky, the lake and its mangrove have a somewhat melancholy appearance. (Cabilao, Philippines, February 2019)
The pontoon on the lake is more than rocky ... (Cabilao, Philippines, February 2019)
The jetty on the lake is more than rocky... (Cabilao, Philippines, February 2019)
The lake is a popular walking destination. I strike a pose with a group of Filipino students who have come for a walk and admire the view. (Cabilao, Philippines, February 2019)
The lake is a popular walking destination. I'm posing with a group of Filipino students who have come to walk around and enjoy the view (Cabilao, Philippines, February 2019)
The small road at the back of the resort. (Cabilao, Philippines, February 2019)
The small road at the back of the resort (Cabilao, Philippines, February 2019)

Diving without too many divers around...

After browsing the internet and reading reviews on diving forums (I will often rummage on Plongeur.com and Scubaboard.com to prepare my stays), I opted for the Cabilao Sanctuary and its diving center Miscellaneous Cabilao (located right next to another resort often favorably recommended too, the Polaris).

I'm glad I went with the former (and I don't have any shares in them).

I discover that the clientele there is rather family oriented, so there are few divers as keen as me (understand: chaining three dives per day). We are therefore very few on the boat for exploration trips (most of the other customers are doing baptisms or training) and consequently always in very small committee underwater... 👌

For a photographer like me (understand: who can't stand big groups that scare away the fishes), it is ideal. I must admit that I enjoyed watching, from a distance, the groups of divers that were piling up every morning on the boats of the nearby resort.

Two very nice young French instructors managed the Cabilao Divers center during my stay. They understand my expectations very well and I appreciate the way they organize the outings: choice of sites almost à la carte from day to day (depending on the conditions), small groups divided by level... And, regularly, I have one of the Filipino guides, who knows perfectly the Cabilao reefs, all to myself. The absolute luxury in my eyes! 🤗

As for the rest, everything is fine too. There are rooms for all budgets, a nice little pool for post-dive desalination, a nice terrace facing the sea to admire the setting sun and the staff is adorable. A detail that does not spoil anything: the management is French, so the food served in the restaurant is pleasant.

The two great Filipino guides who worked at the Cabilao Dive Center during my stay. (Philippines, February 2019)
The two great Filipino guides who worked at the Cabilao Dive Center during my stay. (Philippines, February 2019)
I have never managed to carry my camera myself to the boat ... There is always a helpful hand rushing to help me. (Philippines, Cabilao, February 2019)
I have never been able to carry my camera to the boat myself... There is always a helpful hand that rushes over to help me. (Philippines, Cabilao, February 2019)
The terrace was being repainted during my stay. (Cabilao, Philippines, February 2019)
The terrace was being repainted, during my stay. (Cabilao, Philippines, February 2019)
The resort faces west, the sunsets are sumptuous every evening. (Cabilao, Philippines, February 2019)
The resort faces west, the sunsets are sumptuous every evening (Cabilao, Philippines, February 2019)
The pretty little pool, slightly elongated and distorted by the panoramic mode of the iPhone. (Cabilao, Philippines, February 2019)
The pretty little pool, a little elongated and distorted in this photo by the panoramic mode of my iPhone. (Cabilao, Philippines, February 2019)

My "home" for the week, a simple bungalow... (Cabilao, Philippines, February 2019)

At night, the hermit crabs are on the prowl and the geckos have eyes bigger than their stomachs... (Cabilao, Philippines, February 2019)

Coral in great shape

Frankly, I was expecting at least "nice" dives in Cabilao, but I quickly realized that we are definitely a step above...

From the very first dive, at the aptly named Gorgonian Wall, I was won over. 😲 There is something exhilarating and moving at the same time to contemplate such a beautiful underwater landscape. I would almost shed a little tear in my mask...

The good health of the coral, exuberant, varied, dense, is so pleasing to see!

Colors and life everywhere! How beautiful, Cabilao! (Philippines, February 2019)
Everywhere colors and life! How beautiful it is, Cabilao! (Philippines, February 2019)

For wide-angle atmospheric photosI discovered with wonder huge orange and pink gorgonians, huge tables of Acropora, purple and yellow soft corals in profusion, impressive barrel sponges... And at each dive, or almost, we met one or several turtles! Day after day, I am subjugated by the coral reefs of Cabilao. In front of these vertical walls overflowing with life, the most delicate thing to manage is the sunlight for underwater pictures, because this one is not always positioned at the ideal place - depending on the orientation of the sites, the time of the day, the direction of the current... Yes, I have big problems in life... 😂

Macro photo sideThe small fauna usual in these latitudes presents here a rich diversity of species, whether you are bitten by nudibranchs (sea slugs), pygmy seahorses, antennae (also called toadfish or frogfish), delicate ghost pipefish or hideous scorpionfish... 😍 Impossible to get bored! Besides the drop-offs, there are also some sites more oriented "muck-dive" oriented sites (where you can look for small fauna hiding in the substrate) on a sandy bottom, with seagrass beds and coral rubble.

Below is a small selection of images, which give a good idea of what you can expect while diving in Cabilao.

Backlight on a double barrel sponge bristling with protuberances. (Cabilao, Philippines, February 2019)
Backlight on a double barrel sponge bristling with protuberances. (Cabilao, Philippines, February 2019)

Along the drop offs, you can admire imposing gorgonians, pink, yellow and orange... (Cabilao, Philippines, February 2019)

Gorgonians addict... (Cabilao, Philippines, February 2019)

Drifting along the reef. (Cabilao, Philippines, February 2019)
Drifting along the reef. (Cabilao, Philippines, February 2019)
Huge tables of Acropora hard coral are staged along the reef. (Cabilao, Philippines, February 2019)
Huge tables of Acropora hard coral are spread out along the reef (Cabilao, Philippines, February 2019)
This spectacular colony of Acropora has invaded all the space on this portion of the reef. (Cabilao, Philippines, February 2019)
This spectacular colony of Acropora has invaded all the space on this portion of the reef (Cabilao, Philippines, February 2019)
Atmosphere at the top of the reef. (Cabilao, Philippines, February 2019)
Atmosphere at the top of the reef. (Cabilao, Philippines, February 2019)
An imposing bright orange gorgonian extends its ramifications in the current. (Cabilao, Philippines, February 2019)
An imposing bright orange gorgonian extends its ramifications in the current. (Cabilao, Philippines, February 2019)
Tangle of corals on the top of the reef. (Cabilao, Philippines, February 2019)
Tangle of corals on the top of the reef. (Cabilao, Philippines, February 2019)
Always very photogenic, harlequin syngnaths or ghost fish (ghost pipe-fish, in English), often go in pairs, upside down. (Cabilao, Philippines, February 2019)
Always very photogenic, harlequin syngnaths or ghost fish (ghost pipe-fish, in English), often go in pairs, upside down. (Cabilao, Philippines, February 2019)
The much sought after Coleman shrimp (Periclimenes colemani), a species named in honor of Australian naturalist Neville Coleman (1938-2012). They are found as a couple, living in symbiosis with the formidable fire urchin which protects them from its stinging stingers. (Cabilao, Philippines, February 2019)
The highly sought after Coleman's shrimp (Periclimenes colemani), a species named after the Australian naturalist Neville Coleman (1938-2012). They are found in pairs, living in symbiosis with the dreaded fire urchin which protects them with its stinging stings. (Cabilao, Philippines, February 2019)
A pipefish, also called sea needle or pipe-fish in English, hunting on the sandy substrate. It is a cousin of seahorses. (Cabilao, Philippines, February 2019)
A pipefish, also called a sea needle or pipe fish in English, hunting on the sandy substrate. It is a cousin of the seahorses (Cabilao, Philippines, February 2019)

A cute bargibanti pygmy seahorse, clinging to its gorgonian branch with purple polyps and a denise pygmy seahorse. (Cabilao, Philippines, February 2019) Read also → Shy as a pygmy seahorse

The golden apogon, mouth closed then open, revealing its eggs that it incubates in its mouth... This is called oral incubation. (Cabilao, Philippines, February 2019)

Above, close-up portrait of a scorpion fish, and a nudibranch (sea slug) that thinks it is a bull... (Cabilao, Philippines, February 2019)

Too cute, this little scarlet frogfish (antennae). (Cabilao, Philippines, February 2019)
Too cute, this little scarlet frogfish (antennae). (Cabilao, Philippines, February 2019)
This giant frogfish is too big to fit under my macro lens ... (Cabilao, Philippines, February 2019)
This giant frogfish is too large to fit under my macro lens & #8230; (Cabilao, Philippines, February 2019)
An anemonefish monitors its eggs, which it regularly "aerates" with its fins. (Philippines, Cabilao, February 2018)
A clownfish watches over its eggs, which it comes to "air" regularly with its fins. (Philippines, Cabilao, February 2018)

As for hammerhead sharks that used to evolve in the waters of Cabilao (and that some diving tour operators still dare to mention or even to put in pictures, to lure the client), don't hope to see them. They were massively fished in 1999-2000 and their population never recovered. Besides, I did not see any big fish in the area...

The Cabilao sites therefore have everything to please Zen and contemplative diversThis is a place where you will find the most beautiful corals and a lot of strange and fascinating little animals, but it is clearly not a place for "big" divers (even if, as in Balicasag, not far from there, it is a place where you will find the most beautiful corals). But it is clearly not a place for "big fish" lovers (even if, like in Balicasag, not far from there, we are not safe from meeting by chance a big whale-shark passing by).

Marine protected areas

Good to know: you have to pay a small daily fee to be able to dive in Cabilao, because the island has two marine protected areas (MPAs). A chance for the coral and the fish of the area. It is undoubtedly thanks to them that the reefs have remained so beautiful...

MPAs are indeed very effective in preserving or regenerating a local underwater ecosystem, whether in Asia or the Mediterranean. In addition, they benefit the neighboring waters, helping them to repopulate, to enrich in species and biomass: it is the "reserve effect". This is the "reserve effect", which gives nature a real boost!

Unfortunately, this remains a drop in the ocean, compared to the three very destructive practices, unfortunately well known in Asia, which are dynamite fishing, industrial fishing and shark fin fishing

Dynamite fishing. In Asia in particular, dynamite fishing has destroyed many reefs in a few decades. Although it is now illegal and very dangerous, it is still practiced in some areas near the coral reefs. It happened to me several times, in Indonesia and in the Philippines, in particular, to hear explosions under water, during dives... Terrifying. The sound propagates underwater without being able to identify the direction or the distance.

Industrial fishing. On the high seas, these are the factory ships of industrial fishingThey continue to drain the ocean, depleting fish stocks that cannot be replenished. They continue to literally drain the ocean, depleting fish stocks that cannot be replenished, not to mention their countless so-called "by-catches" (dolphins, turtles, and other commercially unfit species).

Shark finning. Finally, there is also the juicy shark-finningi.e. shark fin fishingThis is disastrous for shark populations, which are predators that are essential to the balance of marine ecosystems... An ocean without sharks is a threat to life on land.

On my modest scale of tourist diver, I had the chance to discover many protected sites, reserves and marine parks, offering magnificently preserved reefs full of life. In Cabilao, as well as in Tubbataha and Balicasag in the Philippines, but also in Sipadan in Malaysia, at Komodo and Raja Ampat in Indonesia...

On divers' or travelers' forums, I sometimes read comments from people who are outraged to have to pay a tax to access some of these marine protected areas, in Asia or elsewhere - some of them even congratulating themselves for having managed to avoid paying it...

Nothing to brag about. Part of the money collected is used to involve local people in the conservation of their environment and fishery resources. But awareness and good will are not enough. Without financial means, it is impossible to protect a maritime area from poaching, concreting, overexploitation or pollution...

It wriggles on the reef ... (Cabilao, Philippines, February 2019)
It wriggles on the reef & #8230; (Cabilao, Philippines, February 2019)

My previous diving trips to the Philippines

After Cabilao, I chose to stay in the area and to devote the second part of my stay to dive sites accessible by day from Panglao: in particular the island of Balicasag and the sumptuous reef of Doljo. I'll tell you about it in future posts...

This stay from February-March 2019 is already my fifth trip to Philippines. As I often write to those who ask me for itinerary advices, it is impossible to discover the multiple facets of this huge archipelago and its countless diving sites in one go... You have to make choices. To inspire you, here are my previous trips:

  Philippines: Cabilao + Balicasag [Panglao-Bohol] - February-March 2019

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  1. I discovered your blog by chance while researching diving in the Phillipines where I had the opportunity to dive and I wanted to tell you that I really like the way you describe your experiences and the pictures that go with them. Your involvement in the awareness of our environment is also to be commended. Continue to make us travel and dream.
    Terima Kasih

  2. Hello Corinne
    Thank you again for this blog and this story, we were on Tubbataha last year and I was amazed and on Palawan (in road trip mode). I'm looking to do a trip to the Philippines again and I think I know where to go now ......
    As you say, it takes several stays to get an idea of the Philippines, but like you, we shun the tourist places. I confirm, and yes it is necessary to pay the parks if one wants to continue to be amazed in these places, one cannot have everything, without anything nor counterpart especially in these countries.

    1. Thank you Corinne, you have the art of finding dream destinations !! Where do we go to get to this paradise? And is it affordable?
      We return from the Banda Sea, cruise from Ambon to Kaimana a treat & #8230;
      Let's go back at the end of April with marine biologists from Sorong to Ternate & #8230; we discover these corners & #8230;
      Sincerely
      Yves

    2. @ marcopolo8356: Tubbataha is really apart, in the Philippines. But there is a way to have fun with sites that are easier to access and not too crowded, like Cabilao...
      🙂

    3. @Yves Guénot: Cabilao, yes, it's very affordable and easy to get to. It is close to the very touristy islands of Bohol and Panglao, served by a brand new airport in Tagbilaran. Obviously, it is less exceptional than the Banda Sea, but the sites of Cabilao offer, from my point of view, a triple ratio of quality of dives / price / tranquility really ideal for a short stay.

      Well, your cruise itineraries are quite dreamy too... Ambon-Kaimana, Sorong-Ternate, we don't deny ourselves anything 😉 I'm glad you're discovering these corners. As you have already seen, the Indonesian archipelago really deserves that we devote some time to it... I go back there without getting tired, it's a wonder every time. I'm going to drool again in front of your next pictures... 😀

    4. Hello Corinne
      Another great article that brings me back 6 years earlier to Cabilao
      I loved it!
      I remember the walk to the lake, the women who sell their handicrafts, the kindness of the inhabitants and the great dives
      Thank you for this time travel
      Happy Holidays

  3. Hello Corinne. Thank you for these beautiful pictures. I was in Cebu last winter but as it was a diet exclusively without bubbles, I did not enjoy the nearby reefs. Nice discovery in any case and thank you for sharing it with us.

    1. @ François: It's nice to run into you again on the blog 🙂 Without bubbles, you mean freediving? Just verticality? If it's not to see any coral or fish, it's a bit of a shame from my point of view as a photographer... I prefer to go down with my string of bubbles to enjoy the show... Glad, in any case, to manage to share my wonder through these images!

    1. @Feulvarch: you should enjoy it! For my part I am delighted with my stay. Great diving center, great guides, a good atmosphere and a really nice little resort... Happy end of year too! 🙂

  4. I have been following you for a long time, reading but also sometimes traveling. I also practice photography but I don't know anything about underwater photography even if I am a diver. But these pictures of Cabilao are amazing. I'll be in the Philippines in a few days and I think that, yes, diving in Cabilao, it would suit me well!
    Thank you Corinne!

  5. Fan of all your articles that make you dream. I have been diving in the Visayas and Palawan and Cabilao seems to be perfect for what I am looking for. What is the best time to go there, because I would like to make a small tour to Apo Island near Siguiyor and a diver tells me that the visibility for Apo is from June to November? What do you think ?

    1. @Dominic: thank you very much 🙂

      In general, people, whether they are divers or not, prefer to avoid the monsoon and typhoon season in the Philippines, which corresponds roughly to the period from June to November that you mention... We often recommend to travelers to prefer the period from December to May because of the weather (December-January-February: period supposed to be dry and cooler; March-April-May: hot season)

      For the underwater visibility precisely on the side of Apo Island, I don't know if there is a time in the year better than others. I went to Siquijor and Dauin / Apo Island, etc. more than ten years ago, in 2008, it was in February. I refer you to the link of my posts from that time:
      https://petitesbullesdailleurs.fr/voyage-philippines-iles-visayas-2008/

      This being said, it is quite possible to travel and dive in the Philippines at any time of the year... The archipelago is vast, I also imagine that the weather is not the same everywhere at the same time. In short, I can only refer you to this page of the Evaneos agency, which summarizes at a glance what to expect, month by month, according to one's interests in the archipelago, from the visit of rice fields to scuba diving (but nothing about underwater visi):
      https://www.evaneos.fr/philippines/voyage/quand-partir/

      Good preparations!

  6. Great pictures! It's also great to have the Sanctuary speed boat to yourself. (Some reports on Scubaboard inspired you 😉 ... )
    Personally, it is one of the best dive plans I have found in the Phils.

    1. @ Ludo / Luko: thanks a lot... But because of you, photo questions, I will also have to discover and learn the joys of snoot one day soon 😉
      In any case, yes, it's a real good plan in the area. And I must admit, I love having "my" guide and "my" boat. #petitesbullesdeluxe
      Finally, we have to admit that there are excellent contributors, on Scubaboard... 😀

  7. Hello !

    As always, superb report and magnificent photos & #8230;

    I was on Cabilao 4/5 years ago and you make me want to go back on my next trip in March/April 2020!

    It's a good thing, I have almost no more "new" places to discover in the Phils (although I did find a few...)

    thanks again & #8230;

    1. @Chris Cool: thank you very much 🙂 Yes, Cabilao is well worth going back to see if it's still great... But it's so big, the Philippines, that there are surely still lots of nice little spots to dive and not too well known to discover. You will tell us soon 😉

  8. I am in the process of finalizing my trip to Cabileo and Siguijor, just a small question: Why did you choose the Cabilao Sanctuary over the Polaris, the price difference being enormous, I wonder! Apparently both resorts are facing the beach, so what is the difference between them? I'm going to the diving show on January 12 in Paris, maybe I'll find some details

    1. @Dominique Dujardin: Not having visited the Polaris, I wouldn't know how to make the comparison... 😉 As I write above, the two resorts are side by side, so their location is identical. I had booked the cheaper bungalow at Sanctuary, which was still affordable for my budget. As for the diving prices, they are similar...

      As I explain in the article, it is the various reports found on divers' forums that made me choose the Sanctuary, because as a photographer, the lowest price is not my main criterion to choose a resort, I am interested first in the service and the possibility to do underwater photography in the best possible conditions... The Polaris had certainly good appreciations too, but at the time when I was doing my researches, it seemed to me less adapted for underwater photography than the Sanctuary. Hence my choice.

      What convinced me, while reading the reviews, was the prospect of being in a more "family" resort (with a clientele that is not exclusively composed of divers), therefore much less crowded for the diving trips and more flexibility. This has indeed resulted in an almost "à la carte" service according to my requests and the possibility to be in a very small group underwater, as underlined by some reports of other photographers. These are really important criteria for me as a photographer...

      I must admit that once I was there, I congratulated myself more than once for my choice, as I said above, when I saw numerous groups of divers crammed on the boats of the neighboring resort, while I was sometimes alone with my guide on the boat... 😉

      But the best thing, indeed, will be to go and meet them at the Dive Show and ask all the useful questions to make your choice, according to the important criteria for you 🙂

  9. Hello Corinne
    Thanks again for making me travel again , and the pictures are great as usual. We don't know Cabilao, but only the Visayas and Anilao, so it will be a good idea for a next destination 🙂 !
    I am now waiting for your post about Raja Ampat in July ! We were there almost at the same time... Good dives!

    1. @Pascal: thank you for your message, it's very nice that you took the time to leave a little note.

      Yes, Cabilao really deserves a few days of diving, I really enjoyed my little stay there. Of course, it is not as spectacular as Raja Ampat or Komodo in Indonesia, but the ratio "quality of the dives / ease of access / price" is excellent, a real good plan...

      As for Raja Ampat, I have already written so much about it, that there is less urgency to publish a new post. My "reference" article which compiles a lot of information is here :
      https://petitesbullesdailleurs.fr/plonger-raja-ampat-voyage-20130303/
      And all my articles tagged "Raja Ampat" can be found at the end of this link :
      https://petitesbullesdailleurs.fr/raja-ampat/

      Good dives too! 🙂

  10. Hello again,
    I come back from the diving show without finding more explanations I managed to book 0 Malapascua, the groc HIC is the transfer from Cebu to Cabilao. The banca ferries only run twice a week, and the Sanctuaru does not answer my emails. Do you have any idea how to organize? Our plane is booked as well as the 1st hotel in Malapascua. Sincerely

    1. @Dominic: hi, sorry, but I can't really help you to organize a transfer from Malapascua to Cabilao, I'm not a travel agent 😉 and then I live in Rennes, Brittany, so I don't know by heart the schedules of the Philippine ferries between Malapascua, Cebu, Bohol, Cabilao...

      For the Sanctuary, you should insist and send them emails, they should end up answering you (I don't know them personally)… If not, your first hotel in Malapascua can perhaps help you on this?

      At worst, you should be able to find out once there, in Malapascua or Cebu, about the ferry timetables and the best solution for your transfers ... The hotels are quite well aware of these things in general and can organize transfers for you.

      Good preparations!

  11. @Dominique,
    I take the liberty to intervene because I follow this topic.
    I am in your situation and the resort responded via Booking.
    It is necessary to take the ferry to Tagbilaran and from there to Mocpoc by road.
    The crossing towards the Sanctuary is done in "public banca". I have just asked if there are precise schedules and will have the answer tomorrow...
    cordially
    Alain

  12. @Dominique:quick response from the hotel...public bancas from 6am to 6pm that go directly from Mocpoc to the resort. 800 Pesos per person. The hotel also has a shuttle between the two ports, which is nice if you are several.
    Have a good stay.

    @Corinne: you're welcome, I've used your blog so much for my travels!

  13. Alain and Corinne, Thank you very much for your clarifications which are useful to me. I get in touch with my hotel. I leave on April 1st on Malapascua and then Cabilao. Cdt

  14. Hello, Big, big disappointment because I am writing you from Normandy and not from Cabilao as planned, because due to the events we have been forced to cancel our trip. At the moment we should be admiring the underwater world, but unfortunately there are much more serious and it is by staying at home that we will, I think, succeed in getting out of this crisis. Congratulations again to all the caregivers and doctors who fight daily against this damn virus! We still have the chance to dream by looking at your pictures.
    Cdt

    1. @Dominic: hello, I understand your disappointment... But for now, we must be content to dream at home. The most important thing is to be healthy and to do what is necessary to stop the spread of this damn virus.

      Personal anecdote: I was very lucky in mid-March, when I returned from a two-week vacation in the Philippines. My stay was not affected and I was able to return in extremis! My domestic flight back to Manila, then my international flights from Manila to France were on March 14, the day before the lockdown of the Philippine capital (prohibition to enter or leave Manila) fixed on March 15 two days earlier by the authorities... Huge stroke of luck.

      I hope for you that this will be a part of the future, and that you will be able to discover the beautiful funds of Cabilao when this health crisis is over.

  15. Hi Corinne, I am currently in Cabilao at the Sanctuary diving resort; we arrived 2 days ago, the hotel is EMPTY, we are the only guests and divers. It is advantageous for my husband and me, but it is sad to see that only 50% of tourism has returned to the Philippines. All of them thank us warmly to be back. After 2 years of pandemic, they suffered the Odette thyphoon with great damage. I don't know how much the seabed was affected, 20 % destroyed according to our super guide. But it is full of species, I feel like in Lembeh! Each dive brings me great happiness! Here I wanted to share my experience here; we spend 11 days and we really enjoy the VIP treatment we receive!

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