Family diving in the Philippines; Malapascua, Cabilao & Dauin
The Philippines is hands down my most favorite place in 30 years of diving, and I personally feel it’s perfect for kids of all ages. We work with Sea Explorers only as I feel they are the only kid-friendly and safest for kids’ operator in the Philippines. Most of their Philippines staff are parents and they just really get the concepts of Kids Sea Camp.
MALAPASCUA: This destination is an ad-on pre-trip to our Kids Sea Camp main week. Our Malapascua dive trip starts on June 11-13 we are here specifically to dive with the Thresher sharks that come up from the deep each morning on Monad Shoal to a cleaning station at 70ft. It’s one of the most humbling and majestic dives I have ever done. Watching these beautiful sharks with tails as long as their bodies, shimmer through the water as they pass overhead while being surrounded by little yellow and black cleaner fish is a WOW for anyone who loves sharks.
Diving in Malapascua is not for little kids to dive. Having said that we can and do arrange for younger kids to be watched while parents are diving. We provide Malapascua as 3 nights and a 2-day add-on, the resorts are located in a beautiful village and on an amazing white sandy beach. Pura Vida Resort and Buena Vida Resort are the two resorts we use. Buena Vida Resort is a luxury Spa and offers vegan and Paleo foods, yoga, etc. and is located in the Village and a 3 min walk to the beach. Ocean Vida Malapascua Resort in the Philippines is oceanfront and has the Sea Explorers dive show located on the property with 1 restaurant.
Kids can be accommodated with child care at either resort while parents are diving. Diving here starts at 5 AM in the morning. We put Malapascua first because jet lag is a bonus here as most people are waking up around 4 am. So diving for kids age 12+ and adults starts at 5 am out to Monad Shoal for 2 dives and back by 9 am for breakfast. The rest of the day is enjoying the beach and village etc. There is no pool at this resort.
Cabilao: June 13-18 for 2020 is already sold out. We are using Ocean Vida Cabilao Resort with Sea Explorers. This resort is remote and private, it has several beach rooms and Ocean view deluxe rooms on the hill. The diving here is generally big schools of Fish, Cuddle Fish, Mandarin Shrimp, clownfish, and turtles along with some great macro diving. The beach is beautiful, and the food is fantastic family-style, with made to order dishes. There is no pool at this resort.
Our Kids Sea Camp group trip above to Cabilao is full, however, we have families that are booking Cabilao after Dauin on the 25th of June or also exchanging Cabilao for June 13- 18th can be booked with Amun ini or post-Dauin-June 25-29th.
Amun ini is in Ando on the island of Bohol with Sea Explorers.
This is a beautiful boutique resort with a large beach and infinity pool. It is a 5-star resort about two hours from Cabilao and TAG is the airport to fly into for this property as well as for Cabilao. Amun ini mostly features macro diving. The rarest of nudibranchs, octopus and pygmy seahorses are the norm to see on dives.
Dauin Pura Vida Homes and Pura Vida Resort with Sea Explorers is our next stop from June 18-25th in the Philippines. We will be including a trip to Oslob to snorkel and dive with the whale sharks. Little kids will be supervised and allowed to come and snorkel. We also have a dive excursion to Apo island and tour to the Mountain village school.
Dauin is our main Kids Sea Camp event and we have a lot going on there from SASY, to Seal Team (in the ocean) Jr. Open Water courses, specialty courses, Whale Shark Aware, and even a Dive Master program. Families from all around the world attend with kids from ages 5-18. The younger kids’ programs here are heavily supervised with 1 instructor to every 2 kids in the water. The rooms offered are 1,2- or 3-bedroom villas with ocean and garden views at Pura Vida Homes. These are the luxury rooms located in a private area that we have charted with private pools and swim-up bar and beach access.
Some guests can also choose to stay at the sister property just next door attached to Pura Vida Homes called Pura Vida Resort. This resort has hotel rooms that are less expensive. Guests can stay longer or come in earlier or even come to Dauin Kids Sea Camp from June 18-25th and then add on Cabilao. There are lots of options. We also can arrange individual trips outside of our Kids Sea Camp events on a year-round basis and create a custom family trip for you on other dates that fit better with your schedule.
I hope this information helps you to make a decision about traveling with us to the Philippines this year.
Margo Peyton