Philippines diving
Diving Escapades  ·  Philippines Dive Circuit

You Know You Want to
Dive the Philippines.
So What’s Actually Stopping You?

Too many islands. Conflicting advice. And no clear route that makes sense.

The research rabbit hole is real. Tabs multiply. Advice contradicts itself. And somehow a trip that should feel exciting starts feeling like a project.

It doesn’t have to be this hard.

Yes — Show Me the Itinerary

47 pages  ·  instant download  ·  $27 one-time

47Pages
6Islands
4Trip lengths
2026Prices updated
Sound familiar?

Planning a Philippines dive trip is harder than it should be.

You’ve been dreaming about this trip. Thresher sharks at sunrise. Millions of sardines spiralling around you. Turtles on almost every reef. The kind of diving that makes you forget there’s a world above the surface.

But then you start planning, and reality hits:

  • Every blog has a different “best” itinerary and none of them agree on the order
  • Ferry schedules exist somewhere on the internet — but not in one place, and half the information is outdated
  • You can’t figure out which dive operators are actually worth booking versus just well-ranked on Google
  • You’re not sure if your certification level is enough for the dives you actually want to do
  • You don’t know which islands are worth spending more time on and which ones you can comfortably do in two days
  • Your non-diver travel companion is starting to wonder if there’s anything in this trip for them

So you open more tabs. You join a Facebook group. You post on Reddit. You get seventeen different answers and you’re still not sure you trust any of them.

And the trip stays on the list. Year after year.

Thresher shark, Malapascua, Philippines

Thresher shark at Kimud Shoal, Malapascua — one of six dive experiences on the circuit

Here’s the truth

The Philippines doesn’t reward vague planning.

I say this with love, because I was born there. This archipelago has 7,641 islands. There are no roads between them. You move by ferry — and if you miss one, your whole day, sometimes two, unravels.

The dive sites that everyone talks about — Kimud Shoal, the Moalboal sardines, Apo Island’s reefs — they’re not difficult to reach. But they require knowing the right operator, booking at the right time, and staying in the right place to make the logistics work.

Getting it slightly wrong doesn’t ruin the trip. But getting it right means you spend your days underwater instead of standing at a port trying to figure out which boat is yours.

The worst version of this trip is doing things in the wrong order, missing a connection, skipping an island because you ran out of days, and coming home knowing you left the best dives on the table.

That is entirely avoidable.

What if it was already figured out for you?

The route. The order. The ferries. The operators. The budget. The backup plans. All of it — based on firsthand experience across every island on this circuit, not guesswork from someone who read it somewhere.

Diving in the Philippines — Coron
Introducing

The Philippines Dive Circuit Itinerary

47 pages. Every stop on the circuit, mapped out properly. Written by someone who has dived each of these islands — not in theory, but in the water, with the actual operators, on the actual ferries.

This covers Malapascua, Bohol, Siquijor, Dauin, Apo Island, Moalboal, and Coron as an optional extension. It gives you the route in the right order, the logistics for each leg, the dive sites worth your time, and the practical information that most guides gloss over — or simply get wrong.

Trip variations for 1, 2, 3, and 4 weeks. Real 2026 prices. Dive operator contacts. Ferry booking instructions. Budget breakdown per island. Everything clickable.

What’s inside

Everything you need to plan this trip properly.

No filler. No generic advice you could find by Googling. This is the specific, practical information that takes weeks to pull together yourself — laid out so you can use it in minutes.

1

Before You Go

Best time to visit with honest notes on the wet season, what certification level you actually need for each stop, how money and ATMs work across the islands, a Filipino food guide, language basics, and how to route your flights through Cebu.

2

The Dive Circuit — All Six Islands

Full coverage of each destination: the dive sites worth your time, the operators I’ve actually used, where to stay at different budgets, where to eat, the daily schedule that works, and the local things worth doing when you’re out of the water. Including what most guides don’t mention — like Siquijor’s monthly marine closure and why Dauin’s diving looks unimpressive until it completely isn’t.

3

Trip Variations — 1 to 4 Weeks

Four different versions of the route depending on how much time you have. One week if you want the highlights. Four weeks if you want to do it properly. Each variation tells you exactly which islands to prioritise and which to cut without losing the best dives.

4

Practical Information

Full ferry logistics step by step. Real 2026 budget breakdown per island. A Green Fins guide to responsible dive operators. The most common mistakes people make on this trip and how to avoid them. A full FAQ covering solo travel, non-divers, weather, safety, language, and more.

The Route

Six destinations. One route that actually flows.

Fly into Cebu. Move between islands by ferry. Fly home from Cebu. No internal flights needed for the main circuit.

Malapascua Philippines

Malapascua

Thresher sharks at dawn

Bohol Philippines diving

Bohol / Panglao

Turtles, reefs, Chocolate Hills

Siquijor Philippines diving

Siquijor

Calm water, consistent reefs

Dauin macro diving Philippines

Dauin + Apo Island

Macro on black sand, reefs above

Moalboal Philippines

Moalboal

The sardine run. Year-round.

Coron wreck diving Philippines

Coron

WWII wrecks + limestone lagoons

Lorie — Diving Escapades
Written by

I’ve dived across this entire route.

I’m Lorie, the person behind Diving Escapades. I was born in the Philippines, grew up around the ocean, and have been diving here since 2013, across different trips, seasons, and stages of my diving.

I’ve explored other parts of the country too, from Anilao to Puerto Galera, Subic Bay, and Boracay.

But if you’re visiting the Philippines and want the best mix of diving without overcomplicating the logistics, this is the circuit that makes the most sense.

You get variety: big stuff, macro, reefs, and iconic dives. And you can actually move through it without wasting days in transit.

I’ve planned trips across the Philippines from both Australia and now Luxembourg, so I know what it takes to organise this from abroad, with real-world constraints like limited leave, long-haul flights, and a set budget.

I’ve also just come back from a trip in April 2026, so the routes, logistics, and costs in this guide are based on what it’s actually like right now.

I know what it’s like to plan this from abroad. And I know where the gaps are, because I’ve hit most of them myself.

This guide is what I wish had existed when I planned my first dive circuit.

Ready when you are

Stop researching.
Start diving.

The Philippines will still be there. The reefs are intact. The threshers still show up at Kimud Shoal every morning before sunrise. You just need to actually go — and this is what makes that possible.

$27 One-time  ·  instant download  ·  47 pages
Get the Philippines Dive Circuit Itinerary Instant download after purchase  ·  14-day money-back guarantee

14 Day
Guarantee

If it’s not useful, I don’t want your money.

Buy the guide, read it, and if you genuinely feel it hasn’t helped you plan your trip — email me at hello@divingescapades.com within 14 days and I’ll refund you in full. No questions, no forms, no fuss. I’d rather you love the Philippines than feel like you wasted $27 on something that didn’t deliver. That’s the deal.

Get the Itinerary — $27

Instant download  ·  14-day money-back guarantee