Name: Sandingan Island Resort
Address: San Francisco Road, brgy. Ubojan, Loon, Loon, Loon, 06327, Philippines
Rating: 10

Smoking areas

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Multi-language staff

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Sun Deck

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Parking

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Children swimming pool

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Location

At the resort

Bohol–Panglao

Mactan-Cebu International Airport

Sandingan Island Resort

Loon

child-bed

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not-guaranteed

wired-internet-access

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We spent 10 days at Sandingan Island Dive Resort (SIDR) as part of our Honeymoon. It was our first stop on the Philippines and we never regretted our decision.
First of all the whole booking process was super smooth (we even changed our arrival date one day in advance!!). Communication was very quick, we usually got responses in less than 1 hour and even ironed out the final details via text message.
After transfer from Tagbilaran ferry port (organIzed by SIDR) we instantly felt at home at Erwin and Richelle's little paradise. Everything was clean and well kept, the rooms (there are only 8 rooms in 4 cottages) are spacious very pretty furnished and everything is provided for. The team are all (as far as we know) local people from the island and friendly and helpful in every way. They act like a little family and seem really happy to work there. We had a personal diving instructor for our open water certification (as we were the only people diving at that time). Diving Equipment was also in perfect condition and well kept.
There is a choice of Breakfast options included in the room rate, with more options to chose à la carte. Food is always fresh - which also means that some dishes are not available one day but certainly the next. There is also a free water station and water is provided at every meal or even when you just sit in the restaurant to read, study or plan your future trips.
Due to the constant breeze from the sea and ceiling fans in the reataurant, there were barely any mosquitoes. However, there are some friendly cats to keep you entertained...
There is no beach at the resort, but direct access to the sea and boats for diving or snorkeling.
They are happy to organize a driver to do some sightseeing in Bohol or give you tipps where to go close by (beaches, waterfalls etc.) and how to get there.
It's the perfect place to feel at home, dive, relax and enjoy life. You can do everything at your own pace and you never feel obligated to do or buy something.
We were sad to leave this little home so far away from home and hope to return again sometime.

P.s. There was the occasional blackout, but they have a backup generator for the kitchen and restaurant and emergency light is provided. Wi-Fi in the rooms didn't work, only in the reataurant, but we barely missed it after a while.

+ Big and beautiful rooms
+ Super clean
+ Very quiet, split AC
+ UV mosquito trap in the rooms
+ Food is good, good mix between local and international dishes and always fresh
+ people always super helpful
+ small and familiar (just 8 rooms)
+ modern and well kept dive equipment
+ high quality dive course / almost private class with 1 Instructor per 2 students, flexible schedule at our own pace
+ very responsive and helpful in communication, usually replied in less than one hour
+ 3m deep pool for confined dive instructions
+ very helpful when asking for local beaches, organising sightseeing tours etc.

- Wi-Fi in the rooms was not working (no big deal, Wi-Fi in the restaurant was always working, even during blackouts)
- 5% credit card fee, so bring enough cash (common in the Philippines)

A home far away from home

The Sandigan Dive Resort is one of our favorite places to stay and to dive! We are beyond impressed by the beautiful view from the dining balcony, the charm of the facility, including family friendly extras, the helpful staff, the diving opportunities and of course Erwin the owner, head dive master and genuinely nice person. We experienced several dives with dive master Ryna and consider the dives comparable to Central America’s Cancun  and Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. We received professional care with transportation to and from the dive site and in getting in and out of the water. I witnessed the guidance of our dive master and the boat staff. Thank you Sandigan Dive Resort!!

Fantastic Scuba Experience, Friendly Staff And Excellent Accommodations!

We stayed there 2 nights , the room was clean and good decorated but there is no fridge and internet never worked, we asked couple of times to restart the modem but they did not even restarted. The kitchen stuff is nice and trying to do everything but i can not say the same for managers and owner, first of all they are all money oriented, the first time you arrive without giving the key and let you change or refresh they ask you the payment and they welcome you with credit card machine, eventough the price is fixed by booking or wherever you made your reservation for everything you want to spend money they charge you %5 more. The name of the resort is Sandigan İslang DİVE CENTER so i guess most of people is going there to make a dive so that was the reason also we were there, they told us everyone is tired and there is no minimum of 4 people so they can not do diving!!! so they offered a night diving in the backyard of the resort... The other scandal is day trips, they told us we can go to day trip , we can see 9 places and the cost is 3500 which is around 70 Usd , we accepted it but ended up only seeing 3 places and we have been token out the resort back, the other caos is taxi, while going to hotel from airport we paid 1000 Pesos which is around 20 Usd for a distance of 75 km , for going back to boat in Cebu which is around 30 km , they charged us 2000 which is half of the distance but 2 times more money. When you are on vacation of course you are there to spend money but to fell like stupid about being overcharged is making people sad. We definitely do not recommend this place because of the overall mentality and how they see the client like a money tree, if you go please be carefull about the extra money they are trying to make on you

Worst Experience in Philipines

Staff were very helpful in arranging a motorbike rental (Honda XRM), taxi connections, and customized dives. The room was comfortable and tastefully decorated. Most of the grounds were well kept, although the waterfront area could use improvement (a boardwalk, more frequent removal of fishing boat litter and debris, etc). The atmosphere of the resort is casual, and compared to Panglao, well off the beaten path and away from the crowds, which is a good thing. The resort will appeal to more casual divers, as Nitrox wasn't offered at the time of my visit. For those new to diving, I think this would be a terrific place to learn. The reefs around Cabliao were uncrowded and in very good condition (nice soft corals, big sea fans, no bleaching) and on the Lighthouse dive, I spotted several big sea turtles at least 2 meters in length. Food and drink were on point, although I would recommend that the kitchen open 1 hour earlier for the jetlagged early birds. This is a good base for those who want to motorbike and dive, as Sandingan Island, unlike others in the area, is connected to the mainland via a sealed causeway that passes through a massive mangrove. Several waterfalls are within a 1-2 hour motorbike ride of the resort, which overall is great for those who want solitude and quiet, and are turned off by the loud and overpriced mega-resorts around Panglao. People on the island are friendly, and often said hello to me as I was passing by on the motorbike. 

FYI: There is no beach here, so if you're in search of white, sandy beaches you may want to look elsewhere in The Visayas. Alona Beach, the most famous in Bohol, is located about 50 km south of Sandingan, and wasn't very nice in my opinion (lots of annoying touts and erosion). Good street massage and foot scrubs on Alona Beach at night though. Also a jumping off point for boat trips to Balicasag, which has some of the best diving in Southeast Asia.

Off The Beaten Path Sandingan Island

I had spent a week in the bustle of Alona Beach on Panglao Island and was looking for respite before journeying on. My regret was I had only allowed one night. Shout out to Shariin the manager and the staff who made a solo traveler feel at home. Is is isolated but if that’s what you are looking for or are into diving, I could not recommend highly enough. Magic views from restaurant area. Beautiful rooms, tastefully decorated. Pool available. I’m not in Cebu. Wish I was back at Sandingan.

My Perfect Place

Great location whether it be for diving or just taking a family holiday this resort has fabulous staff nothing is too much trouble, the resturant serves food that is up there with the best I have had simple but full of flavour and cooked to perfection.

This place is absolutely fabulous

Really wonderful stay! The rooms were lovely, with nice modern decor and a very comfortable bed. My boyfriend and I completed 2 fun dives, with a great guide (Gilbert) who took us to some fantastic spots. Massive thankyou to Erwin for helping us get to the ferry port on time! All the staff were so friendly with Shereen showing us around and everyone making us feel welcome. The food was spot on, 100% recommend trying the local dishes! Thankyou!

Excellent

Been here twice now, leading a school diving trip. Rooms are lovely, spacious and clean. Bathrooms are considerably better than one might hope for. Staff are super friendly and no request is too small or big for them. Owners are knowledgeable about the local area, both on land and in the sea and are EXCELLENT teachers. Again, they cannot do enough to ensure your visit is a success. Diving around here is gorgeous: clear waters with plenty to see though pay attention to migration patterns if you're after big ticket experiences. Food at Sandingan is a highlight, not one bad choice the whole time we were there. TV in every room with plenty of channels, free WiFi, beautiful grounds. If you're looking for a diving holiday in the Philippines, you can't go wrong with Erwin and Richelle at Sandingan dive resort!

Flawless in every aspect

We had a fantastic stay at the Sandingan Dive Resort. The staff there is super friendly and if you have any questions or problems they are happy to help you out. The rooms are all individually decorated and very clean. There is a room service every day so the rooms stay clean and nice. Also the service in the Restaurant is really good and fast. The breakfast is delicious and you can choose from a fairly big range of food. Also the Dive Center there is amazing. The gear they have is almost brand new and clean as well. No ripped suits or dirty regs. The corals are really healty and there are heaps of fish around. I can just recommand you to book some night in the Sandingan Dive Resort and enjoy the holidsys there. 

Big thank you to the great staff

Julia & Johannes

I may not be a diver i am not a fan of under the ocean experience but this place makes me feel at home during my stay.
The place is well maintained all the staff and crews are very accomodating and easy to talk to.
I will surely comeback in this place.
Thank you sandingan dive resort for all the good memories i can share with my family and friends.

RONNIE MANGALINO

Sandingan Island Resort

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