Coral Restoration in the Philippines
Emily C, Eleanor and Jacqui are here to help give you the inside track.
Explore one of the most biodiverse destinations in the world and take part in coral restoration on this 12-day holiday to the Philippines. Strategically set in the Coral Triangle, you'll spend your days exploring the gin clear water and reefs layered with hard corals, sea fans and sponges, pulsating with a constant buzz of fish. From frogfish and nudibranchs to turtles, eagle rays and sharks, you'll see the big, the micro and everything in between.
Itinerary at a Glance:
- Complete SSI Coral Identification Specialty Course
- Work alongside local marine biologists to plant new corals out on the reef
- Dive secluded sites away from crowded tourist spots
- Dive in one of the most biodiverse places in the world. Spot octopus, turtles, sharks, rays and a multitude of reef fish and corals
- Explore nearby waterfalls and rockpools
Why Book with Original Diving?
When To Travel
All of the holidays we create are completely tailor-made to you
Day 1: Adventure Begins
Your Philippines adventure begins today as you board your flight to Cebu, via Singapore. The journey to Singapore should take approximately 13 hours, so settle in with a few movies and try to catch some zzzz's. After a short layover in Singapore, you'll have a three-and-a-half-hour flight to Cebu, where you'll be collected by our driver upon arrival and transported to your hotel for the night.
Day 2: Overnight in Cebu
After your long day of travel, enjoy a luxurious night in an ocean front hotel. Be sure to get plenty of rest and perhaps splurge for a full body massage to arrive refreshed and rejuvenated in Bohol tomorrow.
Day 3: Arrive in Bohol
This morning, our local driver will collect you from the hotel and transfer you to the pier where you'll catch the ferry across to Bohol. Once you disembark the ferry, a driver will be waiting to take you the rest of the way to your resort. The entire journey should take approximately four hours.
Day 4: Coral ID Certification and Outplanting Dives
Today you'll embark on a new type of diving, during which you won't only observe and enjoy the underwater world around you but also help it to thrive. While the corals in this area are thankfully still vibrant and abundant, they have sadly suffered due to pollution and damaging fishing practices, like most everywhere else in the world. Today you'll help combat this, by acquiring a specialty certification from SSI in Coral Identification and then putting your new certification to use. Accompanied by a team of marine biologists, you'll learn how to take coral fragments grown on a local coral nursery and secure them to the reef with a cement putty mixture. Glancing around, you'll notice past outplanting sites and see the real benefits and growth that occurs within a very short time. And, on your next visit, you'll be able to see just how much your baby corals have flourished!
Day 5-9: DIVE DIVE DIVE
It's not all work, work, work on this holiday; now it's time to enjoy a bit of carefree diving for the next few days. Bohol is smack dab in the middle of the Coral Triangle and a mecca for biodiversity, harbouring 76% of the world's coral species and over 2,000 reef fish species. You'll be hard pressed to find them all, but it's safe to say that each dive will be chock full of incredible marine life encounters. From, Bruno the resident octopus and six of the seven marine turtles, to bumphead parrotfish, frogfish and nudibranchs, keep your eyes on a swivel and your camera battery full of charge. You won't want any of your dives to end.
Day 10: Explore Candijay Waterfall on a Half-Day Tour
Lauded as the most beautiful waterfall in Bohol, Can-umantad Falls is well worth the stunning journey. This morning, your driver will collect you from your resort and drive you past lush rice terraces for the 50-minute journey. Located high in the hills of Candijay, it's a short five-minute walk from the parking area to the falls, made up of dirt trails, stone steps and wooden bridges over freshwater streams. Take a refreshing dip in one of the many rock pools that lead up to the falls before ending your journey at the impressive 60ft waterfall.
Day 11: Time to Say Goodbye
Sadly, the time has come to say farewell to this slice of white sand paradise. Your driver will collect you from the resort and transfer you to the pier, where you'll catch the same ferry back to Cebu. From there you will be driven back to the airport with plenty of time to catch your flight home, again via Singapore.
Day 12: Home
After an overnight stay in the Changi Pearl (located in arguably the best airport in the world), you'll board your final flight, arriving back home this evening. Make sure to take advantage of Singapore Airport while you're there, by exploring the butterfly garden, indoor waterfall and delectable restaurants!
All of the holidays we create are completely tailor-made to you
A Rough Idea of Price
This Itinerary
If you would like to book the exact itinerary mentioned above, with economy flights, during mid-season and staying in our preferred room category at our preferred hotels.
From
£3,455pp
Bare Necessities
If you would like to pare back the above itinerary by travelling at non-peak times, staying in a standard room and removing some or all of the guided activities.
From
£3,005pp
Bells & Whistles
If you are looking for something extra special and would like to add business or first class flights, stay in top room categories at some of the most luxurious hotels we work with, and add more activities and guiding.
From
£4,319pp
Emily C, Eleanor and Jacqui are our experts for this itinerary and as seasoned travellers they have the inside track on the most memorable adventures.