Philippines Diving

Of the more than 7,000 islands that make up the Philippines, only 2,000 are inhabited, and 2,500 of them are not even named. Though it may seem a mind-boggling feat to decide where to go diving here, most dive travellers settle for one of six main areas: Batangas, close to Manila, with gentle sloping reefs and mini-walls; Bohol, with its wide variety of sites; Boracay, with beautiful beaches, shallow reefs for beginners and deep drop-offs for advanced divers; Cebu, an urban setting with coral gardens and loads of tropicals; Mindoro, with drift diving along sheer walls; and Palawan, with walls, wrecks and mantas.

Snorkel among sea stars and sea snakes along the northwest and southeast coasts of Bohol, and the coral gardens off the small island of Balicasag.