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The trip to Scandinavian Divers is made in two parts: First you go to Manila, the capital of the Philippines. Then you continue - normally by minivan and boat - on to Big Lalaguna on Mindoro island (you can see some maps of the Philippines and Mindoro by clicking on this link).
Therefore, you should take care of the following in preparation of your trip:
The following sections go through each step...
You probably need to go to Manila. From most countries there are many airline connections to choose from to go to Manila. Your local travel bureau or airline can help you, or you can get the information on the Internet. A few of these may be able to handle the transport on to Mindoro.
| It's up to you to decide if you want to stay overnight in Manila or
continue to Mindoro immediately. If you want to make the most of your time, we
recommend that you immediately continue on to the beautiful surroundings on
Mindoro instead of spending your valuable time in the polluted atmosphere
of a very big city (population estimated at 10-15 million). From Manila your trip continues on to our location: Big Lalaguna on Mindoro. This can be done in one of two ways: The first one we call "The easy way", and the other one is called, you guessed it, "The not-so-easy way". We go through each below: |
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Manila to Big Lalaguna: The easy way - VIP Express Transport Service
"The easy way" is our VIP Express Transport Service: We will pick you up at the airport (or elsewhere in Manila) in an air-conditioned minivan, drive you to Batangas Harbor, and sail you directly to Big Lalaguna in a boat specifically for you - not one of the public ferries. The price is 135 US dollars for up to six people (not each, but split among you), each way. Please note that the VIP Express Transport Service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
NOTE! If it, due to bad weather or other unforeseeable circumstances, is necessary to stay in Batangas (a pretty rare occurrence), then that hotel stay is on you. However, you do not pay for our rooms during the same period.
Walk-through of pickup from Manila airport
If you request that we pick you up at the airport, this is how you will find our
van: When you come out of the arrival terminal, you
cross the pavement, and on the other side there are tunnels going off to the left
and right that go down to the level below. Both the tunnel on the left and on
the right go down to that same level, but you should take the one on the right.
When you get down you will arrive at a platform from which you will be picked
up. Above, there are signs like ABCD, EFGH, IJKL and so on. Plant yourself under
the one that includes an "S" (for "Scandinavian Divers", of course), and keep an
eye out for a chauffeur with a Scandinavian Divers sign and/or your name on it.
The length of the trip down to us with VIP Express Transport Service varies (partly due to the traffic), but in general it usually takes about two hours to get to Batangas and one hour to take the boat over.
These pictures show a typical pickup at Manila International Airport:
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When you come out of the arrival terminal, |
...this sign shows you the way to the two
tunnels going |
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...overview of the pickup area, where our van
is waiting for you. |
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Manila to Big Lalaguna: The not-so-easy way
As this description takes a good deal of space, we have put it on a separate page, which you get to by clicking here.
There are numerous hotel accommodations at a reasonable price in and around Big Lalaguna. During the low season (June-November) it is usually not necessary to make reservations in advance. On the other hand we highly recommend it during the high season.
Scandinavian Divers currently has nine new high-quality and clean rooms each with bathroom (with a hot shower and toilet), your choice of air-con or fan, cable TV, and a small refrigerator (minibar). Room prices are listed further down on this page. Incidentally, you can see a few more pictures from the resort under "About the area" - or by clicking here.
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| Room | Price per day, for diving guests | Price per day, for non-diving guests ("walk-ins") |
|---|---|---|
| Air-con | 41 US dollars | 48 US dollars |
| Fan | 33 US dollars | 38 US dollars |
| Room | Price per day, for diving guests | Price per day, for non-diving guests ("walk-ins") |
|---|---|---|
| Air-con | 33 US dollars | 41 US dollars |
| Fan | 29 US dollars | 33 US dollars |
Once you've been through the three previous steps you are ready to put together your dive package and making us aware that you plan to come. You do that by clicking on "Prices" in the main menu to the left, or by clicking here.
Please ask your own doctor for advice with respect to vaccinations.
We recommend that you bring your own medicine if needed on a regular basis, since the drug stores in the Philippines - although there are a great number of them - do not have the same variety of drugs as you might be able to find at home.
In the Philippines it is not advisable to drink the local water or use ice cubes made from local tap water.
Even small cuts or insect bites can cause infection. They should, therefore, be cleaned at once and a band-aid applied. It is advisable to bring an antibiotic with you for treatment, such as Fucidin cream or something similar that your doctor can prescribe.
During the summer months, temperatures on Mindoro are often close to 90 degrees F. (about 30 degrees C.) in the daytime a little cooler by night. You should, therefore, only bring light clothing. It's also a good idea to bring practical items such as sun tan oil, plaster (as mentioned above) and a flashlight, since power interruptions are not uncommon in the Philippines.
Normal travel insurance, including health insurance, should be taken out before departure from home.
The best foreign currency to bring is US dollars, since it can be used everywhere. Bring only undamaged notes. Travel checks and credit cards can also be used, but they are not accepted everywhere, and the fees for using credit cards are high - the fee for a cash advance on your VISA card runs between 6.5 and 8.5 percent! Scandinavian Divers Inc. does not accept credit cards.
In the Philippines it is against the law to exchange foreign currency "on the street". Such an offence is punishable by a prison term and deportation.
Food prices are generally low. A regular breakfast f. inst. costs around 2-3 US dollars, and a main meal around 6-10 US dollars. Tipping is customary and normally around the 10% range.
Also many other items - such as gold, watches, clothing, wood-carvings, liquor, tobacco etc. - can be bought at bargain prices. You should bring your own films, but development is very inexpensive. One hour development is available, but the quality is rather poor.
Please contact your local authorities as to the requirements for traveling to - and staying in - the Philippines.
An airport tax of 550 pesos, or 15 US dollars, is charged for each passenger before departure from the Philippines.
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Scandinavian Divers Incorporated® © 2000 - 2008 |
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If there is no menu to the
left (perhaps because you have entered this page directly from a search engine),
then you can enter our site properly by clicking on this link: www.scandinaviandivers.com.
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