Warm water, limestone islands and world-class diving made NZDiver’s Philippines trip unforgettable. From El Nido reefs to tunnel and night dives, Palawan delivered on every level.

“Same planet, different world.”

It was standing room only at 6.30am in the bright white, stained‑glass interior of St Francis of Assisi Church in El Nido — a predominantly Catholic town on the island of Palawan, southwest of Manila. But wait… back the bus up a little. That scene belonged to day four of five spectacular dive days, on our morning walk to Palawan Divers for yet another day underwater.

Let’s rewind six days earlier.

From Christchurch to the Tropics

On a chilly Christchurch morning at 4.00am, five slightly bleary‑eyed NZDiver travellers gathered for the first leg to Sydney. Six hours later, after a short layover, we boarded the eight‑hour Qantas flight to Manila. A comfortable overnight stop at the Holiday Inn — complete with a memorable breakfast — set us up for the final hop north.

Manila traffic is not for the faint‑hearted. After a brisk ride around the sprawling airport precinct, we boarded a much smaller aircraft bound for El Nido on the northern coast of Palawan. Bags were weighed, tagged and processed in a way that felt delightfully old‑school compared with earlier terminals.

Ninety minutes later we descended low between jungle‑covered limestone pillars rising from a sapphire‑blue sea. The aircraft doors opened and the 31‑degree heat and humidity hit us like a wet towel. Luggage was unloaded by hand from the ATR‑42, carts appearing as fast as humanly possible.

A short shuttle ride later we arrived in El Nido township and checked into our accommodation for the next ten days. No lifts here — dive bags were hauled up three flights of stairs by energetic young locals. Rooms were simple and comfortable. Dive gear was immediately separated from “everything else” and sent ahead to Palawan Divers by tuk‑tuk (about $3), while we strolled the eight minutes ourselves.

Palawan Divers & First Dives

At Palawan Divers we completed the usual paperwork, hung gear to dry, and headed out in search of food and cold drinks in anticipation of the days ahead.

El Nido harbour is a postcard scene: hundreds of locally built bangkas of every size, mostly painted blue and white, floating outward from the shore. Some carry two or three people, others thirty‑plus. A few visiting yachts drift among them, and occasionally a Coastguard patrol boat cuts through the scene.

Our first dive day began with a short briefing, introductions to our dive guides Joel and JJ, then a walk to the beach. From there we boarded a small tender, donned lifejackets (yes, really), and motored out to Irrawaddy 5, our dive boat for the next five days. Our gear was already set up.

Twenty minutes later we reached Nat Nat. Conditions were overcast but warm, with light breeze — lingering effects from weather that had cancelled diving earlier in the week. No delays: kit on, shuffle to the edge, giant stride, and suddenly we were where we’d travelled all this way to be.

Water temperature: 30°C. Current: none. Visibility: around 12 metres.

At 12 metres I stopped, looked at my buddy Brandon, and thought: yeah… this is my happy place.

Anemones packed with clownfish, nudibranchs, scorpionfish, schools of neon‑striped fusiliers, angel fish pairs, damsels and chromis — it was sensory overload. Maximum depth 18 metres, bottom time 50 minutes, then a safety stop at five metres.

Back on board, fins and BCDs were removed by our ever‑helpful crew. Coffee appeared, along with sweet little bananas, and the familiar post‑dive chatter began:

“Did you see…?”
“What about those barracuda…?”

You suddenly realise you’re part of something much bigger than yourself.

Dive, Eat, Sleep, Repeat

Dive two at Entalula introduced a gentle drift and deeper profile (22m). The standout? Electric clams — glowing with colours that don’t seem physically possible.

Lunch followed: chicken adobo, baked fish, salads, fruit and rice (always rice). Jet lag caught up with me and I sat out dive three while the others continued. By 3.30pm we were back in harbour, gear rinsed and hung, and heading back through the vibrant chaos of El Nido.

The town assaults your senses in the best possible way — tuk‑tuk horns, wandering hawkers selling dry bags and phone covers, music spilling from restobars, aromas of lemongrass, grilled fish and wood‑fired pizza. Dogs are everywhere: sleeping, scratching, limping, breeding and blocking traffic with complete indifference.

Evenings followed a welcome routine: a short nap, then dinner. Indian, Thai, Italian, vegan, Asian — it’s all here, at roughly half to two‑thirds the price of home. Happy hour? Starts at 8am. Every day.

The next four days blurred together in the best way possible: sleep, eat, dive, dive, eat, dive, nap, eat, sleep — repeat.

Highlights included a night dive at Dolarog, accessed by golf carts down an improbably rough jungle track to an empty resort beach. Copepods swarmed our lights, bumping masks and bare arms, creating a completely different underwater world.

At South Miniloc, we encountered the unforgettable Yellow Snapper Highway — an endless stream of golden fish weaving around rocky outcrops, barely acknowledging our presence. A reminder that this is their world, and we’re just passing through.

The Tunnel at Helicopter Island was another standout. Entering one by one at 15 metres, we emerged into a huge sand‑bottomed chamber before exiting into daylight — and were rewarded with a frogfish waiting patiently outside. By the end of day five we had completed 16 outstanding dives with Palawan Divers.

Surface Interval: The Kraken Tour

Day six was a surface day. On Joe’s recommendation we joined The Kraken — an eight‑hour adventure visiting areas untouched by standard tours. Snorkelling into sunlit caverns, kayaking to hidden lagoons, swimming to secluded beaches, sipping rum and iced tea, eating banana fritters and enjoying a generous seafood buffet lunch.

Highlights included a sunset stopover… and the unexpected arrival of five Spanish “princesses” whose commitment to perfect selfies was truly world‑class. The scenery, it must be said, was impressive in more ways than one.

Sibaltan Adventures

Seeking something different, we spent several days diving on the east coast at Sibaltan, about 43km away. The drive took around an hour through rice paddies, villages, wandering livestock and schoolchildren — horns are mandatory driving equipment in the Philippines.

Dives included manta cleaning stations (sadly no shows), vibrant reefs, turtles, black‑tip reef sharks and stunning coral gardens. We also experienced the unsettling sound of illegal dynamite fishing in the distance — a stark reminder of ongoing challenges in marine conservation.

Four dives in a day pushed the limits for some of us more “mature” divers, but it was worth every minute.

Final Dives & Journey Home

Our final Saturday saw us return to Palawan Divers for three relaxed dives at familiar sites, sharing the water with Open Water students — who somehow all surfaced before us. Experience counts.

With gear rinsed for the final time and free Palawan Divers T‑shirts collected, thoughts turned to packing and the journey home. A last non‑diving day was spent at Lio Beach near the airport, watching planes deliver the next wave of excited visitors.

The return journey via Manila included a stop at the vast Mall of Asia — a retail city complete with ice rink and endless food options — before overnight flights back through Sydney to Christchurch.

Soon the Southern Alps appeared beneath us, then the plains, then Pound Road. Back home. Eight degrees. Reality.

Was It Worth It?

Absolutely.

Was it challenging? On many levels.

Would we do it again?

When can we leave?

Palawan Divers say it best:

“Same planet. Different world.”

Tags

Diving trip Reprts

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