When I was living in Dumaguete city, I knew I had to visit Apo Island once. It was just situated south of Negros Island. A 30 minute drive + 45 minute boat ride. It was just the perfect opportunity.
What makes Apo Island famous? It is a diving oasis, a turtle paradise, a heaven made on earth for all mermaids by heart.
To get there, one can simply ride a bus from Dumaguete going to Malatapay Market. However, I decided to rent a car to take us there to lessen the travel time. There is also a centralized port for all boats going to Apo Island, you can opt for the public regular trips (less Php500 per person) or you can rent a private boat (Php2000-3000). We went for the cheaper one. Expect to pay a tourist and environmental fee once you get to Apo island.
This trip lasted 3 days/2 nights. I didn't plan anything special. Our only activity was just to freedive and swim with the turtles as much as we could. It was just a small island anyway which one can explore its entirety in just a day.
We got a room at Mario's Scuba Diving and Homestay. It was just a simple yet cozy place. The only thing to remember when staying in Apo Island is they have a designated time during the night where all power is cut off. Then it comes back the next day. So during the day, we had to charge our phones. Good thing, they had solar panels so we were still able to use the fans during the night.
After we settled down, the first thing we did was get changed into our dive gears and head straight to the water.
Swim with the Turtles
The underwater scene was teeming with a variety of corals, fishes, marine life. The first thing that came to mind was "the place was untouched" by human pollution and corruption. However the turtles were so unbothered with our existence as long as there is no physical contact made. They would just go about their own chill life of eating, sleeping, and gliding along the current.
You don't need to be a freediver like us to witness the turtles up close. Just snorkling was enough because most of the turtles can already be found at 5m depth.
The turtles here were far more bigger compared to the ones in Moalboal. There were thriving here. I would see another group of turtles just a few meters ahead after witnessing turtles nearby. In just a day, I saw maybe 20 turtles or more! My mermaid heart was full.
Aside from freediving, you can do the following:
Hike to Apo Island View Deck
This was not to be taken lightly. Though it was just a few minutes hike, it took up a lot of my energy. There was a clear pathway up to the viewing deck but it wasn't a straight line. There were a few rough turns and I had to take a breather midway. There were large boulders to go through at the top however it was manageable.
It was all worth it once we reached the top. We got a beautiful view of the ocean and parts of the island.
Enjoy the local dishes
We found a small local eatery that served this delicious grilled fish! Because it was just that good, I ordered the same dish for the next days we stayed here. The price was Php300. This simple diner had a hut where there guests are able to eat in front of the ocean.
There were only a few establishments who offer food here. It was also best you order a few hours ahead of time because noon time are packed with tourists.
Watch the Beautiful Sunset
The sunsets were absolutely stunning. Orange and Gold hues cover the whole skies with silhouettes from boats afar. We stayed at the hut where we had our lunch earlier. No one was there. Just us two. We got to enjoy the sunset all to ourselves. One of the sunsets I will never forget.
I plan to visit Apo island again this year! Perhaps you would want to join me?
Dive into Clara's world of bliss as she ventures out into the universe and travel to awesome destinations. If her content made you 😁, then drop some ❤️ by upvoting and leaving a comment.
Join her as she take on the road to self-discovery and limitless possibilities.
Also, click the Follow button to keep posted on her whimsical musings.
Wow, these under water pictures with you and the turtles are simply stunning and fantastic!! 😍
When I look at my photos and videos, just makes me want to be living underwater all the time.
You can check out this post and your own profile on the map. Be part of the Worldmappin Community and join our Discord Channel to get in touch with other travelers, ask questions or just be updated on our latest features.
The place was indeed beautiful, but I was curious sa Afam! 😀
Hahahaha. huwag na po ma curious sa afam. past tense na po yan. hahaha/
Ay, excited pa naman ako 🤣😁
Wow, what an amazing post.
You managed to capture every beautiful moment very well, I was so entertained watching some of the activities you did in the sea.
That's awesome have a nice day
I will published a video soon! Stay tuned!
oh my G ! the turtles are so cute
Absolutely!
Very nice place ❤️
Wow, what a fun adventure, the beauty in the water with the turtles, the beauty is very entertaining ❤️
Travel Digest #2506.
Become part of our travel community:
- Join our Discord
Hiya, @ybanezkim26 here, just swinging by to let you know that this post made it into our Top 3 in Your post has been manually curated by the @worldmappin team. If you like what we're doing, please drop by to check out all the rest of today's great posts and consider supporting other authors like yourself and us so we can keep the project going!Small islandés are magic Paradise in the middle of the ocean!