Sugar Beach, Sipalay - the best kept secret Diving paradise

Having been to Philippines for over 15 times, covered almost all exotic diving sites - Malapascua, Moalboal, Apo Island, Siquijor, Coron, El Nido, Tabbataha, etc, we really struggled to find another diving paradise in Philippines!

SIPALAY springs to my mind: 2008, in the famous local eatery of JingJing on Malapascua, one retired US Marine wispered to me: try Sugar Beach of SIPALAY, the best kept secret!!! Here we go, log on google, Sipalay is actually only a click away.... We stayed there from 28 Jan to 9 Feb for the CNY, fabulous diving, cozy accommendation, variety of food, and good bunch of people (btw, we met no Chinese, no Japanese, no koreans for the whole 14 days during the CNY, amazing isn't it)

????? Tried a few hours to update some decent underwater pictures, seems with very little success. Here are some tips of the place.

Transport: Cebupacific Air - Shanghai to Manila to Bacolod, then Taxi arranged by hotel or CERE (local coach)to stop at Sugar beach conjunction, then tricycle to the pier, then local boat to the beach, then walk 200 meters to the resort.

Lodging: there are only 5 local lodges on the beach, and all run by Swisses and Germen!! We stayed at Takatuka Diving Lodge (the best one and the only one with Dive shop). The lodge is THE highlight of our trip. Check out their website www.takatuka-lodge.com/ things are crazier, better, charmer than the owner said on its website. There is another dive shop in the area called Easy Diving. It is on another beach, more commercial and crowded beach. Cant give comments as we didnt stay and dive with them.

Food: NO CHINESE FOOD!!!! of course dont expect it on this isloated and remote rural seaside. All lodges serve good European and Filipplio food. We also found good food at Big Bamboo lodge and Sulu Sunset lodge, both are about 200-250 meters away from Takatuka.

Diving: there are about 35 sites with variety of wreck, coral, Micro,wall, cave etc. My wife liked the place very much as it is heaven of small things (same par with Anilao or mabul in Sabah). For me though, a bit poor, as very hard to see sharks, rays, manta, all those sorts of big things. But the visibility is good 20-30 meters, color is full, reef is boom. So overall, great dive sites (But Sipadan are THE best in Asia). Takatuka runs a well-managed dive shop, the owner Marc and dive master Arne are very handy.

Beach: Sugar beach is white and spotless. The water is calm and pretty shallow, the sea bed is stretching out for about 30-40 meters. It is perfectly safe for the people with young kids. The beach itself has no road connecting to the outside so that no cars, no tricycle, even no strangers. We have been told there had been no single crime for the past 8 years. We felt pretty safe anyway. You dont need to carry any cash on you as there is nowhere you can spend money.

Sunset: one of most romantic things on the beach is you will see sunset everyday (provided if there is no cloud of course) as all lodges are facing the West towards absoluatly open ocean...

Others: the beach is a sleeping local fish village, no TV, no shop, no cash machine, no public bar, no market, no nothing but full of nature, smile and peace.

有问题尽管问，中英文都行，我中文打得太慢，所以写英文了，见谅！也不明白为何图片upload不上? 谁能之个招？

timococo · 2011-02-20 14:51

是滴，从杜马盖地也可以去。 最经济的玩法是杜马盖地的APO ISLAND 和 SIPALAY 一顺溜玩了. 很多鬼佬就是这样的

timococo · 2011-02-20 14:56

自带全套装备：十潜 1100P/dive, 二十潜1050/dive, 租装备加250-300/dive. Taxi airport pickup 4200peso/one way, 酒店派船免费接

timococo · 2011-02-20 15:16

店主Marc是个瑞士人取了个菲律宾太太，有个性 - 不夜潜，一天也只安排两潜。 他们一家人住在那十年了,现在MARC的哥哥KELLE和他太太CATHY都从瑞士搬过来了, 他们生活悠闲, 开店好玩为主, 也不会把自己弄的太累.

timococo · 2011-02-20 15:19

你去住了会发现更有意思, 甚至感动. 他们用了很多废弃物件. 很有创意, 很花心思

timococo · 2011-02-20 16:10

补充一句 , TAKATUKA可以收美元和欧元结帐. 汇率我不清楚. 我们是在马尼拉TENIMAL3国内出发处换了PESO. 汇率好象是1USD = 43.5 PESO, 1月28日价