After our short week on Cebu Island, we continued our way south to Negros oriental. It is easily reachable from Alegria where we were staying before. The Ceres liner (yellow) will drop you at Liloan where a ferry leaves every hour.

The boat ride takes approximately 20 Minutes from Cebu island to Sibulan on Negros Oriental (62PHP). Any place you will be staying at will happily organize the transfer for you

We were going to stay four night and end up staying 6 at the Atmosphere Resorts & Spa, a little gem facing the Bohol Sea. Atmosphere Resorts is located a little after Dauin and it got everything you could hope for.

There is a marine protection area right in front of the resort with incredible corals and underwater life, the best we have seen in The Philippines. A 5* PADI dive center that offers every possible course and specialties within the complex. To be honest a simple snorkeling equipment could keep you busy for days as there is so much to see from the shore if you pay attention.

A tiny trace on the sand leading to a seashell in search of adventure.

Maybe a rockfish or a sand sole.

Now you can understand why its called a coral garden.

I had such a wonderful time in the water (30°), every photo I published was made with the GoPro or the DXO if I needed a closer look at something.

As I don’t own a macro lens (yet) I just bought a reverse ring and use it on my 50mm. The big problem with such use is the amount of dust. The resorts do have the biggest camera rooms I’ve seen in a Hotel, 20 spots with air guns, personal lights, 110 and 220-volt charging stations. So whether you are an underwater photographer or not you do know that there won’t be any cleanliness problem.

While the water just in front of the resort is amazing, it would be a shame not to visit Apo Island when in the area. It is only a short 40 minutes Bangka ride and the perfect way to witness how full of life are The Philippines: 650 documented species of fish and estimated to have over 400 species of corals.

But Negros Oriental isn’t just about Diving. There is much to do for everyone.  Beautiful waterfalls like its neighbor island Cebu.

Casaroro Falls near Valencia is easy to reach and the hundreds of steps will make your journey more enjoyable 😄. Don’t forget to wear proper shoes as you’ll have to walk on slippery rocks.

There is also the Pulangbato Waterfalls (literally translates into “red rocks”) with its particular tint.

On the way to the falls, you could witness every Sunday one of the most popular pastimes in the Philippines (among Karaoke and basketball). The Cockpit in Valencia host weekly event, and while the Sabong isn’t of course for everybody taste, Cockfighting was already flourishing in the pre-colonial Philippines and is part of the culture.

Once you are back to the resort it is time for some fine dining. The hospitality service in The Philippines is well known worldwide. You won’t have the time to realize you want something that it will already be provided to you. The rule did apply to the restaurant and trust me the taste is as good as the dishes are beautiful.

Here is a small list of the dish you could find on the menu:

• Tofu & Quinoa tortilla wrap
• Brown rice arroz caldo
• Spicey honey garlic baby back ribs
• Chicken Inasal
• Haloumi and cherry tomato skewer
• Steamed dorado fish fillet with malunggay flavored coconut milk (my favorite)

You’ve been absorbing a lot of nitrogen and losing body heat and energy. If you decide to take a day off from diving, you will have plenty of options to burn these calories. The Yoga and Pilates classes are given in the treehouse with a group or can be privates lessons. It is now time to relax with one of the treatments offered at the award-winning spa.

In a nutshell:

Atmosphere Resorts & Spa :

Website : https://atmosphereresorts.com/

Email : [email protected]

Address : Maayong Tubig, National Road, Dauin, 6217 Negros Oriental, The Philippines

Telephone : +63 35 400 6940