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Resort Report: Azure Dive Resort, Philippines

The Azure Dive Resort is located in the small coastal town of Dauin, which is in the acclaimed Dumaguete region of Negros Oriental Island. The waterfront resort grounds face a private beach and showcase an architectural style that combines modern design with traditional Filipino elements. Guest accommodations cluster around a central pool and ocean-view restaurant. Interior spaces combine the charm of traditional woods and cogon thatch roofs with a full suite of modern amenities, including air conditioning, memory foam mattresses, flat-screen televisions with cable connection, refrigerators, and private baths with rain showers.

Learn more about the Philippines.

The oceanfront pool is the centerpiece of the resort.
The oceanfront pool is the centerpiece of the resort.

Thirteen deluxe twin and king bedrooms with private terraces or balconies that provide ocean views, and an additional three bedroom is well-suited to families or dive buddies. Guests enjoy complimentary WiFi in public areas and can book in-room massage services for after-dive relaxation. With just 14 guest rooms, the resort staff is able to devote ample attention to providing personal service. Babysitting, laundry, and motorbike rentals are available.

The resort's rooms and public areas showcase traditional materials and clean architectural elements.
The resort's rooms and public areas showcase traditional materials and clean architectural elements.

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served at the on-site Beatriz Restaurant, which is located on the waterfront, with semi-al fresco seating. The menu features a chef's take on traditional Filipino cuisines, served a la carte against the backdrop of beach and ocean.

Beatriz Restaurant serves Filipino-inspired menus with ocean views.
Beatriz Restaurant serves Filipino-inspired menus with ocean views.

The resort is located some 11 miles south of the port city of Dumaguete. Private van shuttle service is available from the Dumaguete airport, which is a one-hour domestic flight away from the international airport in Manila.

The Diving

The Dauin coastline provides a variety of underwater environments that includes hard and soft coral reefs, slopes and rock formations that attract large schools of fish. The resort's house reef provides macro and muck diving opportunities, with common finds including frogfish, dragonets, pipefish, nudibranchs, blue-ring octopuses, bobtail squids, mandarin fish, seahorses and cardinalfish, plus numerous varieties of nudibranch, shrimps and crabs.

Learn more about Diving in the Philippines.

Dive sites offer a variety of hard and soft coral landscapes.
Dive sites offer a variety of hard and soft coral landscapes.

The acclaimed dive sites of Apo Island are a 30-minute boat ride away. The waters surrounding the island are a designated marine preserve and are known for an abundance of fish life. Underwater landscapes include slopes, walls, and shallow coral gardens. A favorite dive at Apo Island is the well-known Clownfish City, which is an unusual site that is home to a colony of several hundred clownfish.

 

The resort is located near the Masaplod Norte Stingray sanctuary, which is home to more than 1,000 species of marine life. An added adventure that can be arranged through the dive shop is an excursion to the village of Oslob to dive or snorkel with whale sharks in clean, shallow water.

Macro and muck diving sites provide a wealth of subjects. Image Credit Walt Stearns
Macro and muck diving sites provide a wealth of subjects.

Nitrox is available, and the dive center stocks a complete line of rental equipment, including dive computers and Go Pro cameras. Private dive guides are available on request, and photographers are provided with an air-conditioned camera room outfitted with 110-240v electrical outlets.   

 

The months from October to early June are considered peak season at Azure Dive Resort, but conditions remain favorable throughout the year, and there is always an abundance of unique marine life to discover. Dive packages and airfare for Azure Dive Resort can be arranged through Caradonna Adventures, with experienced agents providing turn-key planning and booking services.

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