Name: Buceo Anilao Beach and Dive Resort
Address: Sitio Balanoy, San Teodoro, Mabini, Mabini, Mabini, Mabini, 4202, Philippines
Rating: 9

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Buceo Anilao Beach and Dive Resort

Mabini

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Fantastic operation!!  The entire staff from office to restaurant to dive ops were so cheerful and helpful!  Food was very good and diving was spectacular!   Be warned that the resort is built into a hillside which means amazing views but it also means stairs -- a LOT of stairs!  If you have an issue with that, there are some lower level rooms that you can request that require less stairs to the common areas.   Hubby & I traveled with 2 friends - one a non-diver.  The 3 of us diving were assigned our own guide which really enabled us to see everything he pointed out and take our time with photos.  Anilao has a wonderful mix of muck diving and reef areas with tons of fish!  Hubby woke up sick one morning and the staff brought his meals up to the room and Dave, the resort manager, gave us Sudafed and offered to get any other medications we needed!  Many of the other guests we met were return visitors and by the 2nd day, we felt like family!  Looking forward to going back!!

Felt like Family!

For a family run resort it rivals the bigger, flashier resorts.  The resort is cozy and well maintained.  Rooms are clean, beds are comfortable and  a/c works great.  Spending the evening sitting on the deck outside was the perfect end to the day.  Staff is friendly and helpful.  There wasn't a single person who I felt didn't want to be there.  

I cannot say enough about the food.  Having multiple food allergies they adjusted the meals to fit my needs without taking anything away from the flavor.  I'm glad for the steps back and forth to the room to burn off all those calories.

The diving made the trip.  The boats are great for small groups.  Easy to get on and off, both in the water and at shore.  The boat crew is the best I've ever seen.  Always helping, either getting your gear on, coming out of the water, or offering drinks and snacks during the surface interval.  Teamed with a dive guide who listened to what we wanted to see, found them, plus a lot of things we didn't know we wanted to see, and paced the dive to our needs.  Can't thank them enough.  

If you are looking for a ritzy resort with manicured lawns and flashy bar/dining, this isn't for you.  If you want to be treated like they are glad you are there, eat tasty meals and enjoy some of the best diving in the world, stay here.  

I love to travel and see new things.  Sort of a been there, what are the other places like attitude.  But with the ease of getting there from Manila, how enjoyable it was to be there and the value for my dollar, this is one of the resorts I would come back to again.

Family run resort that makes you feel like family

I was asking for quotes from several dive resorts while planning this trip. Buceo's response was prompt from the very beginning! For a city girl addicted to immediate replies, this is a big plus. 

The land transport from Manila airport is painless. Dave gave specific instructions on where to meet our driver. It was a smooth journey in a big van and we slept like babies for most of the ride.

We got a lovely room called Hairy Shrimp. It’s one of the lower rooms so we didn't have to climb too many steps to the dining area or the dive area. For three days I thought the warm water in the shower was a little meh, like if I imagined harder it was slightly warmer than the cold water. 🤣 But that was resolved on the third day when my roommate raised the issue with the management office. For the rest of the stay I had hot water! Since I am so afraid of the cold hot water is a need for me.

The dive setup area is spacious. It took me three days to notice a shower tap marked with big letters HOT WATER. 🤣 But hey it's me. Lots of space for drying multiple layers of exposure suits.

What I really love about Buceo are the guides and boat crew. Joemar has to the bestest guide ever. He is not just excellent at spotting, but he was always aware and looking out for us too. I asked if there were blue-ringed octopuses around. He quizzed, "ONE ring, OK?" 🤣🤣🤣 and promptly found us a mototi octopus with one blue ring to rule them all in the next dive. And because out room is called hairy shrimp  I tried my luck and asked if there were hairy shrimps. Of course he found us one. 🤣

Food wise, the servings are generous. My roommate and I typically ordered one dish to share with rice.  The pork sisig is incredibly rich and satisfying. Breakfast is simple, with one carb and one meat. I didn't venture to see if there were minimarts nearby. It may be good to bring snacks!

Oh and weather wise we were superbly lucky! I was low-key worried about the monsoon and news abt supertyphoons and floods and oil spills. Everything was just perfect! We didn't even have rain for the entire five diving days!

Would I come back to Buceo? Yes! I will come with a wishlist of critters to see next time!

Already deciding when to come back again!

Pre-trip: 
I got in touch with Joy within hours of submitting an enquiry on the Buceo Anilao website. Throughout the booking process, she was responsive and readily answered all of my queries promptly. PDF’s of the full pricing list, restaurant menu, information sheet and FAQ’s were all sent to me as well. The resort is highly transparent with their pricing upfront so there are no hidden costs to be aware of. 

Resort:
As there is no road access, a short 5min boat ride will be arranged by the resort to get you there. The beautiful resort is nestled along the coast, with a spectacular view of the sea. The resort’s restaurant serves a wide range of delicacies ranging from Filipino to Western. Some of my favourite dishes include the burger, carbonara (cream sauce pasta) and the baby back ribs. The latter is definitely a must try! The bar nearby serves alcoholic and canned drinks, providing a quaint place to chill out in between dives or at night. The resort also comes equipped with two swimming pools facing the ocean with plenty of sun chairs to rest and relax on. There is a small gift shop for you to purchase souvenirs and pick up any essential items, though I highly recommend getting them before your arrival. 

I stayed in the superior room which has an outdoor balcony with bean chairs and a drying rack. The ensuite bathroom is spacious, with hot showers and good water pressure. One thing that struck me about the room and resort in general, was simply how clean it is. There are no odd stains on the room walls, towels or sheets. Considering its close proximity to nature, there were also hardly any creep crawlies in the premises. Not sure if it is seasonal but I went an entire week without getting bitten by a single mosquito, truly a first for a South East Asian resort.

Diving:
Before I rave about the diving here, I would first like to commend the diving related facilities. Every guest is assigned their own nifty storage area within the equipment room. In the camera room, there is plenty of charging sockets for your electronics, and airguns that you can ‘dry’ your cameras with. There are also many outdoor showering areas, with soap dispensers…. And hot water! Nothing beats a warm water rinse after diving in (slightly) cooler waters. All dive times were about 1 hour long and are done from a traditional boat which leaves just mere steps from the resort. Clean towels are readily available and are handed out after dives.

While Anilao is renowned for their world class muck diving, you would be pleased to know that there is no short of healthy reefs and beautiful coral. The topography varies significantly between dive sites, making every minute underwater nothing short of an adventure. On one dive you may be hunting for critters on a sandy bottom, on the next you may be diving around a pinnacle covered in colorful coral and on the next, you may find yourself weaving through the remnants of a wreck. Even though I came during the low season, there was still plenty to be seen. Tons of frogfish, crustaceans and (living up to its title as the ‘nudibranch capital of the world’), nudibranch. Other divers who I met during the trip mentioned that during the high season, sandy bottoms would be teeming with cuttlefish, octopus and even more species of nudibranch. 

Having done both Lembeh and Anilao, I must say without hesitation that Anilao offers more in terms of variability of sites, appealing to both muck diving enthusiasts and people who enjoy admiring colorful underwater landscapes (yes, there are turtles here too). There are over 50 dive sites in the area. While some of the best dive sites lie across the strait, those 5-10 minutes away still have a lot to offer too. Some of my favourite sites off the top of my head are: Daryl Laut, Mainit, Twin Rocks and Kirby’s rock. Selection of sites ultimately depend on both current and weather conditions but should you request a particular dive site, the staff will try their best to accommodate should conditions permit. One important thing to take note is that I STRONGLY recommend diving nitrox in Anilao. Most of the time, you would be spending quite a bit of time at 20m+ hunting for critters so having the extra NDL allowance is necessary. I tried diving air at first but ultimately decided to switch after 3 dives because I felt that I was missing out on a lot with less bottom time.

Service:
Of course, the experience would not have been perfect without the impeccable service and radiant smiles from all of the resort staff. From the ladies in the admin team, to the restaurant staff and those working at the dive shop, all of them played their part in running the operations smoothly. Just some names that I can remember: in the restaurant, Sandra, Joanne, Rico(??) and Enrique were attentive in serving delicious meals and clearing utensils as soon as I was done. Orlie, who single handedly lugged two suitcases from my room down to the boat was also helpful during my short stay here. My DM’s were Romnick and Benjie, both of them masters of their craft, with the ability to conjure creatures out of thin air. I never felt unsafe at any point so rest assured that you will be in extremely safe hands.

Verdict:
Staying at Buceo Anilao was truly an impeccable experience. It is already rare enough to find a place that happens to tick all of the boxes but yet, this resort does just that and more. It isn’t hard to see why people keep coming back year after year, to escape their busy lives and find tranquility in this idyllic place. It is worth every single cent and I would come back again in a heartbeat, hopefully during the high season next. To anyone on the fence about booking your next holiday here: whether you are an experienced diver, a novice, an underwater photographer, someone looking to learn how to dive or even a non-diver, Anilao is the place to be and Buceo Anilao is definitely the resort to be.

The quintessential Anilao experience

Very warm greetings, cars & boats arrangements are excellent. Relaxing stay at hotel with nice swimming pool. 

Diving arrangements are perfect. We had 4 dives a day but still feel energetic. Romick, our DM was experienced and always able to find us macro creatures.  Every dive is amazing and plenty of different kinds of nudibranches can be found. 

Crews and hiatal staff are really nice and this is a great place if you are looking for a place to spend for a relaxing vacation and dive with surprise.

Relaxing stay & wonderful diving experience

Stayed there for seven nights and had done 22 dives in total (4 dives per day, 3 day dives and 1 evening dive) instead of our original plan, 2 or 3 dives per day plus 1 to 2 evening dive in our stay, we were enjoying every minute during our stay.

Room was clean and tidy with reasonable settings, huge bathroom, hot water for shower available all day. Wonderful house colour tone, love it.

Anilno is a famous scuba diving area in the world but a DM also major factor for any dive, many thanks our DM Romnick 👍 he has a super eyesight and experience, he showed many rare critters that i never expected.

Dood is the another person need to say
 thanks, Dood patiently replied my dozens question about our trip.

Smooth transfer services between airport and the resort

Food are yummy in most of time😋

We got a wonderful diving holiday 

What an amazing place. I came for diving and it is indeed a very good spot for critters and macro photography. The diving crew is a perfectly organised team and the guides are exellent. The standard room that I'm in is clean and has everything I need. I've been around the philippines so I can compare. This is a great place. The resort staff is friendly, helpfull and everything runs smoothly. Definitely a top destination

Great place, great staff, great diving

Wow! Buceo Dive Center in Anilao is such a a great place to experience the underwater world of the Philippines from. The location, the diving, great marine biodiversity, skilled dive guides and flexible staff and small diving groups makes it a superior experience. 

I am a professional underwater photographer since 30+ years and Buceo dive center, with Dood and Dave at the rodder, is such a gem to visit. There is a family-run-feeling with customers in focus. 

The macro photography and the dive guides are world class, the "black water diving" as well and I was surprised and impressed by the reefs and wide-angle options available. All just a short boat ride from the dive center. Diving is easy and exciting. 

The location is just some hours south of Manila making Buceo in Anliao a wonderful place for a diving holiday, especially with your underwater camera. Also a perfect option if you want to extend your Philippine-trip with extra days or an extra week. Highly recommended. I go back in a few months time again.

Thank you Dood and Dave and see you soon again.
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Great Dive Cneter in diving paradise full of marine biodiversity close to Manila

Following a friend's recommendation, we had made reservations for a two-week stay at the renowned Buceo Anilao Beach & Dive Resort. The booking process was seamless, as we directly communicated with the resort. 

Our superior room, Jaw Fish, provided an ocean view with a gentle shade from surrounding trees. The accommodations, though simple, were comfortable. Each superior room has a small balcony furnished with cozy chairs, which quickly became our favored spot for relaxation.

Nestled on a hill, the resort demanded a fair amount of climbing, guaranteeing daily exercise. Even in our relatively low-lying room, we found ourselves ascending an average of over 30 flights of stairs per day during our two-week stay.

The resort catered exceptionally well to underwater photographers and videographers, with an array of facilities to support their needs. Traditional Filipino boats called "bangkas" served as our diving vessels. While the boats lacked rinse tanks, the resort itself featured four large rinse tanks exclusively for cameras. The camera room, though not air-conditioned, was well-equipped, complete with air guns to aid in equipment maintenance.

Throughout our stay, I completed a total of 36 dives, including three night dives and two black water dives. Anilao is known as the “The Nudibranch Capital of the World," and it certainly lived up to its reputation. These vibrant and intricately-patterned creatures adorned the seafloor, their dazzling colors and delicate forms captivating our attention.  But nudibranchs were not the only critters that enthralled us during our dives. Anilao's waters teemed with a plethora of fascinating marine life: seahorses, ornate ghost pipefish, frogfish, octopuses, rhinopias and many other critters and fish.  

For the duration of our stay, we were fortunate to have Jimson assigned as our dive guide. Jimson's unwavering support and expertise proved invaluable, taking care of our heavy camera rig, assisting with critter spotting, and even capturing stunning videos. 

After exhilarating dives, we savored tranquil moments at the resort. Two large swimming pools provided the ideal gathering spot to witness breathtaking sunsets, while indulging in rejuvenating massages during the afternoon, highly recommended by my wife.

The resort's spacious restaurant offered a diverse selection of delectable meals and refreshing drinks. However, we did encounter some limitations regarding specific dietary requirements, such as vegan options. While the menu did feature several vegan dishes, their selection was rather limited.

The resort staff exemplified exceptional warmth and helpfulness, always ready to assist with any needs or inquiries. It was evident that several fellow divers were repeat customers, attesting to the fact that Buceo Anilao is considered one of the premier resorts in the area. We, too, were captivated by our experience and eagerly anticipate returning to this remarkable destination in the future.

For more information about diving and the resort, you can check my video-report about this trip, “Wonders of Anilao | A Colorful Marine Adventure | Scuba Diving in the Philippines in 4K”,  on my you tube channel.

In conclusion, our first expedition to Anilao proved to be an unforgettable journey of discovery. From the awe-inspiring underwater wonders, including the magnificent nudibranchs, to the friendly faces at Buceo Anilao Beach & Dive Resort, every aspect of our trip left an indelible mark on our hearts. We departed with newfound skills, cherished memories, and a deep appreciation for the remarkable beauty that lies beneath Anilao's waters.


Photographic Paradise - Excellent Resort, Exceptional Staff, Fantastic Diving, Great Value

After having to postpone our trip for over two years (COVID) we finally got to Buceo Anilao Beach & Dive Resort and we are so glad we did.  We had the most wonderful/ammazing dive trip.

From the time we were picked up at our hotel in Manila to our final day where we had to change our plans due to a family tragedy we could not fault Dave Santos and his team.  A heartfelt thankyou for arranging transport back to Manila International Airport on such short notice while the rest of our friends continued their travels.

The resort is a "divers resort" set up and run for scuba divers. Almost everything is in close proximity to the "dive centre" The camera room si perfectly set up for any size equipement you might bring, the gear room lets you leave any excess gear in your allocated hanger and box space without fear of losing anything and the fresh water showers (cold and hot) worked a treat.

As stated Buceo is a dive resort nd as a group of 7 were were allocated our own boat and guides for the duration or our stay.  Our guides Benji and Erwin were fantastic and locating the macro and micro that the area is renound for, all the while ensuring we were safe.  Having a group of avid divers asking to see so much the catch phrase of "no promises" was heard a lot however they always seemed to produce.  Our captain Ey-Youh was always spot on and deck hand Jake always seemed to be there when needed.

We stayed in a superior room which was both spacious, clean and had a good working airconditioner. (effiecient and quiet)  We were lucky and were not far up the hill (on the pool level) The view from our balcony over the ocean and sunset was amazing.  The pool was clean and warm with a excellent view out accros the water.

Being rather isolated we ate three meals a day at the restaurant and cannot complaint with the ample menu and daily specials, their was enough variety to keep our group happy.

If you are looking for an absolutely brilliant muck or small critter dive location and resort you can't go past Anilao and Buceo Anilao Beach & Dive Resort.

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