Atlantis Dive Resort Dumaguete

Good for experienced divers but not for new divers, solo travellers, relaxing beach time or a deluxe experience even though it was £200+ a night so I did not think it was good value. For me it was just the wrong choice and I didn't do enough research. The main disappointment comes down to me basing my expectations on the price instead of the 3 star rating. I haven't paid that much for a hotel before and usually go for 4 or 5 star places so I just don't understand the pricing, maybe that's just how it is in the Philippines. The staff and service are good, breakfast and the room are ok, spa and diving are the good amenities so it might be the diving location which warrants the price. Lunch and dinner are good. I recommend the honey yoghurt muesli with mango and the chicken salad (with a dressing) for breakfast. Everything I had on the lunch/dinner menu was great - the tom kha gai soup, Dorado, burger, curry etc all good. Small range of beers and cocktails available but cocktails were good too. The room and bathroom are fine for 3 star standards. There is termite stuff falling from the wood beams and dead moths or similar insects on shelves which did not get cleaned away. The Swedish massage was good, I recommend Gail. The shiatsu was painful and pinched my skin so she switched to Swedish. The pool is murky and not enticing to swim in, lots of mozzies around it too. I much preferred the beach and water conditions further down at Dauin. I like to relax on a nice beach and swim etc. that's where the great snorkeling is too. But the water at Atlantis is too rough and windy and the beach too narrow. Although the dive masters are great for leading dives and probably for the other diving skills, I wouldn't recommend getting your open water certificate here especially if you're at all nervous about it. There were some differences with the SSI videos like being able to practise boat entry in the pool first and using a snorkel that I would have preferred what with the condition of the water there. The beach, water and entry conditions are so much better 20-30min down the beach at Dauin, Bongo Bongo beach. I managed to earn my open water and it was the reason for this trip but it wasn't a pleasant experience and I watched the divers enter at Dauin quite jealously. Considering you can do 4-5 dives a day here plus a day for Apo island, I think 3-4 days here would be perfect. The hotel tour prices were a bit more expensive than others I found and they do not arrange joiner tours so as a solo traveller, their tours were prohibitively expensive. For some reason there were no joiner tours available outside the hotel either, I don't know if that's because of the season (jan-feb) or that's usual for the Philippines but it's the first time I've experienced that in my travels. The tour to Apo Island is good and well arranged. The only thing is as a snorkeler you have to wait until after lunch to get to the shallow turtle area but it was great and a benefit of going with the hotel is you leave on their boat right from the hotel, no need to drive to the ferry.

Can't say enough about this place. Great resort, great people. We were on a dive trip and heard great things and it lived upto and exceeded expectations. The diving was excellent mostly due to the enthusiasm the dive guide had in preparing us for the dive and the actual dive. Cyrus Cuizon was unbelievable. Always preparing us for the next dive. While on a dive he was patient when needed and genuinely happy for us when he pointed out everything possible. He searched out all the creatures on every specific dive. Thank you Atlantis for providing us with a great guide. Cyrus thank you. You were a true professional and you're forever in my diving lore.

Atlantis Dumaguete Resort was our Washington DC based ( Underwater Adventure Seekers) #1 choice for diving & resort amenities in the Philippines for celebration of our 65 year old club's existence! Highlights Pretrip communication electronically was proactive & thourough..do read the website esp FAQ ..lots of perfect trip planning info and links regarding expectations and guidance for travel Seamless conceirge dive experience ( besides analyzing your tank if you use eanx) you don't lift a finger to bring your gear on & off the boat Professional extremely knowledgeable dive guides finding all sorts of sea creatures in the much ( Warfi genie Alf wing jason junnar sorry for those we missed blame it on our forgetful head not our heart) Restaurant services know you name, food preferences & can adjust easily regardless of your requirements? ( vegetatian/ vegan etc)..Alfred runs an awesome service with bar staff..King made my expresso daily and wait staff during our stay Annie Rozy Rachel were rock stars Administration/ management from desk staff on point t ready to answer any logistics ( eg tours, room issues) under steady had of manager Joseph his assistant Brian and sales/ marketing Marco , Maribel for travel.. all made our grp stay pleasant & coordinated We were able bring supplies to the local schools & provide a donation to their efforts thru Blue Sky Education Project and do some coral reef work..make sure you support the local economy... venture off site ( highly recommend the red rock water falls hot springs half day tour) Housekeeping & grounds maintenance excellent..daily cleaning with smiles and true pride in their work SPA staff gracious, affordable treatments & appointments able to be done around dive schedule Camera & classroom topnotch modern spacious Resort itself is well laid out with luscious tropical feel flowrs, plants, winding cobble stone pathways( with updated room layouts, & good shower pressure with places to lay out your wet clothes ( reasonable laundry service avaliable) Dive briefings are organized & timely, divers have assigned spaces and rinse gear & outdoor shower area spacious Dive boat options whether bangka or speed boat are safe, stable & well-equipped ( o2 1st aid/water) with knowledgeable captains & crew I'm sure lm missing some names & other crucial elements but their tag line" come as guests leave as friends" is TRUE