Your adventure on a liveaboard will unveil the wonders beneath the waves, revealing a world of vibrant coral gardens, mysterious wrecks, and schools of whimsical fish dancing in the gentle currents. The Visayas region has a rich history, with each island telling tales of the ancient civilizations that once thrived here. The blend of cultural heritage and natural beauty creates a unique backdrop to your underwater exploration.
The Visayas region in the Philippines is a diver's paradise, offering a range of unique diving experiences across its various sites. Best experienced with a Visayas liveaboard, here's a closer look at some of the prime diving destinations in this region:
Малапаскуа: Known for its thresher shark encounters, Малапаскуа Island is a jewel in the Visayas diving crown. Apart from thresher sharks, divers also frequently spot manta rays, hammerhead sharks, and a rich variety of smaller marine creatures. The dive sites here cater to all levels of divers, with Monad Shoal being the most famous for shark sightings.
Остров Пескадор (Моальбоал): A marine park located near Moalboal, Pescador Island is celebrated for its vibrant coral walls and abundant marine life. The Cathedral, a cavern dive site, is one of the highlights here. The island is also home to schools of sardines, frogfish, and occasionally, whitetip sharks.
Остров Сумилон: Known for its crystal clear waters, Sumilon Island offers stunning coral landscapes and a variety of marine life including reef sharks, rays, and a multitude of fish species. The island also has a marine sanctuary which has greatly helped in preserving the local marine ecosystem.
Moalboal: Помимо острова Пескадор, Моальбоал сам по себе является центром дайвинга в Филиппины known for its sardine runs. The sight of millions of sardines swirling together in unison is a spectacle not to be missed. There are also numerous dive sites here suitable for all levels of divers, featuring beautiful coral gardens and diverse marine life.
Остров Апо (Негрос): Leading the diving scene in Negros, Apo Island is a protected marine sanctuary. It's a haven for divers, boasting healthy coral reefs teeming with colorful marine life. Popular dive sites include Coconut Point and Chapel Point, each offering unique underwater landscapes and a variety of marine species.
Бохоль: The waters around Bohol are a playground for divers. Sites like Alona Beach and Panglao Island offer a mixture of wall, drift, and macro diving. The area is rich in coral gardens, small caves, and overhangs, housing a diverse range of marine life from nudibranchs to reef sharks.
Остров Баликасаг: A small island off the coast of Bohol, Balicasag is famed for its wall dives. The island’s steep walls are adorned with beautiful corals and are home to a variety of marine species including turtles, barracudas, and jacks. Diver's Heaven and Black Forest are among the popular dive sites here.
The best time to visit the Visayas region in the Philippines for diving would be outside the typhoon season and the rainiest months, which occur from late November through February.
В этот период, особенно с декабря по февраль, восточные Висайи, включая Себу, Бохол и Лейте, испытывают влажный климат из-за сезона Амихан (северо-восточный муссон), приносящий сильные дожди, особенно влияющие на места для дайвинга в Южном Лейте. Тайфуны также случаются с ноября по январь, особенно в Лейте и северной части Себу.
The waters can get rough during either the northeast or southwest monsoon (Habagat) as winds stir up the waves, potentially affecting the diving conditions. However, it's mentioned that dive trips are still recommended year-round as dive operators are knowledgeable about the seasonal variations and can guide divers to sheltered areas offering great diving experiences despite the prevailing weather conditions.
Для более предсказуемого и приятного погружения идеальным вариантом может быть планирование вашего визита в период с марта по начало ноября. В частности, некоторые лайфборды переносят свою деятельность на Туббатаха с марта по июнь, пользуясь более коротким дайвинг-сезоном, что также указывает на то, что этот период благоприятен для дайвинга в регионе Висайи.
Маршруты трансфера могут меняться в зависимости от погодных условий и других непредвиденных обстоятельств. Оставайтесь гибкими и открытыми для корректировок, чтобы обеспечить приятное путешествие.
Имейте под рукой несколько филиппинских песо (PHP) для непредвиденных расходов, чаевых или небольших покупок на местных остановках. Хотя в крупных городах есть банкоматы, их может быть мало или они могут быть недоступны в отдаленных районах.
Приобретите страховку для путешествий и дайвинга перед поездкой. Висайяс-Филиппины - удаленное место, и некоторые места для дайвинга могут быть довольно далеко от ближайших медицинских учреждений.
Большинство лайфбордов на Висайях требуют минимального опыта, такого как открытая вода. Проверьте минимальный опыт дайвинга, так как для некоторых дайв-сайтов требуется расширенная сертификация или определенное количество зарегистрированных погружений.
Cebu City and Malapascua are two common liveaboard departure locations for Visayas liveaboards. Cebu City is a booming metropolis and the regional capital of the Visayas, with a port that sends ferries, cargo ships, and liveaboards out in every direction. Getting to Cebu City is easy with a 1.5-hour flight from Manila or direct flights from select Southeast Asian countries nearby. International flights can get to Cebu City via a transfer in Asia. Conversely, Malapascua has no airport, but it can be reached by taxi, van, or bus (and small boat). From Cebu City, getting to Malapascua requires a five-hour bus journey; taxis take about half that time.
In addition to Cebu City and Malapascua, the Visayas region offers other departure points like Moalboal (in Cebu) and Dumaguete (in Negros) for some Philippines liveaboards due to the variety of destinations and itineraries. Moalboal can be reached by bus from Cebu City or by bus and a short ferry from Dumaguete. On the other hand, Dumaguete has its own airport with daily flights from Manila, making it a convenient point of entry. International travelers can also reach Dumaguete through connecting flights, typically with a layover in Manila or Cebu City. Upon arrival in Dumaguete, travelers can easily find transportation to the port where liveaboards are anchored, ready to embark on the underwater adventure.
Примечание. Ознакомьтесь с конкретными условиями выбранного вами лайвборда, чтобы узнать о дополнительных сборах за пользование морским парком или требованиях к поездкам.