Underrated Highlight of the Philippine Dive Scene My partner and I spent three days at Liquid Dumaguete in September, completing our open water scuba certification. We planned… read moreMy partner and I spent three days at Liquid Dumaguete in September, completing our open water scuba certification. We planned out our stay about seven months in advance after a ton of research and reading reviews on visitors' overall experience… Take these reviews with a grain of salt because honestly, Liquid Dumaguete is totally underrated. This place is spectacular, way better than the reviews describe and photos depict. Especially for the price! As backpackers in our 20s, we didn’t have much cash to spare, yet for about $40 USD/night, this beautiful resort placed us in a king sized cottage with private bathroom, effective ceiling fan, running hot/cold water shower, soap and shampoo provided, soft towels, daily housekeeping, large front porch, and best of all: we were directly facing a gorgeous private beach with a full ocean view. We couldn’t believe it. And that was just our room. This place is tucked away on the coast of Dauin, making it accesible from the Airport and Dumaguete City, yet also very quiet and safe with a 24/7 security officer and cameras. Upon arriving by tricycle (although they will arrange a van for you if you prefer), we were greeted by the friendly staff with two complementary, deliciously cold welcome drinks. VERY nice touch. There are two large, clean swimming pools surrounded by lounging chairs and plush green grass in the middle of the resort. Steps away you’ll find an open-air tiki bar/restaurant… My partner and I spent three days at Liquid Dumaguete in September, completing our open water scuba certification. We planned out our stay about seven months in advance after a ton of research and reading reviews on visitors’ overall experience… Take these reviews with a grain of salt because honestly, Liquid Dumaguete is totally underrated.

This place is spectacular, way better than the reviews describe and photos depict. Especially for the price! As backpackers in our 20s, we didn’t have much cash to spare, yet for about $40 USD/night, this beautiful resort placed us in a king sized cottage with private bathroom, effective ceiling fan, running hot/cold water shower, soap and shampoo provided, soft towels, daily housekeeping, large front porch, and best of all: we were directly facing a gorgeous private beach with a full ocean view. We couldn’t believe it. And that was just our room.

This place is tucked away on the coast of Dauin, making it accesible from the Airport and Dumaguete City, yet also very quiet and safe with a 24/7 security officer and cameras. Upon arriving by tricycle (although they will arrange a van for you if you prefer), we were greeted by the friendly staff with two complementary, deliciously cold welcome drinks. VERY nice touch.

There are two large, clean swimming pools surrounded by lounging chairs and plush green grass in the middle of the resort. Steps away you’ll find an open-air tiki bar/restaurant with a huge menu, reasonable prices, great hours and friendly staff. An early morning upper-level breakfast bar opens at 6:30am which I loved visiting for a cup of coffee while watching the vibrant Philippine sunrise.

Additionally, the resort offers laundry service, massages at the on-site spa, secure gear-storage room, gear rinse station, outdoor showers, air-conditioned classrooms for certification courses and beachfront lounging chairs.

Each day we took the required steps for completing our scuba certification and we couldn’t have been more pleased. Our instructor, Sandra, was phenomenal. She was incredibly flexible with fitting in our whole course in three days, and truly gave us her all. There wasn’t a question she couldn’t answer nor a skill she could not perfectly demonstrate. Our instructor in training, Josh, was so helpful and such a pleasure to have around. On our four open water dives, we went to a variety of sites near the resort to see flourishing coral reefs and colorful schools of fish. Even 5 steps into the water in front of the resort was filled with beautiful coral reef ecosystems. What more could you ask for.

Suggestions to future visitors: First, come here if you plan on diving/swimming/snorkeling. If you don’t plan on those things, I’m not sure what you’ll be doing all day. And bring your own wetsuits if you can. Second, airfare to the Philippines in September is ridiculously inexpensive as it is their off-season. In fact, Typhoon Mangkhut hit while we were there, which made the water very murky for a few days and really interfered with our diving. If this is the only time you can afford to go, definitely still do, just keep that in mind. If you can afford to go in the non-rainy season you will probably have an even better time. Also they don’t tell you this but you CAN’T spearfish (or fish at all) in the water in front of the resort.

Suggestions to Liquid: We were under the impression that we were going to be going to Apo Island as part of our dive course, based on research we did. We were really disappointed when that wasn’t the case. We ended up going on our own later in our trip and it was phenomenal. You should definitely take all your dive guests there!! More read less

Great dive and relax Even if you are not a diver, while staying in Liquid you can really feel like on holiday since all… read moreEven if you are not a diver, while staying in Liquid you can really feel like on holiday since all fifteen bungalows are surrounded by a beautiful, carefully maintained garden which extends down to the rocky beach. On the premises there are two clean swimming pools (a smaller one for divers to train and a bigger one with sunbeds and umbrellas for leisure), a bar, a restaurant and a small shop with some necessities and souvenirs. In addition to being five star PADI resort they are also an instructor development centre, which means there are a few instructors employed on a regular basis and many courses are organised. They also have two dive masters and a few more dive guides. Dive equipment they offer to rent is in good condition. Yet, be prepared to pay extra money if you want to have the same set within all your diving days. Most dives are from the boat and they own one. But whenever the boat is out of order (it happened twice while we were there), divers are taken by a jeepney to other divesites accessible from shore. As far as divesites are concerned, you can find both great muck dives and places to see some bigger staff (e.g. Apo Island). The room was quite spacious, well lit and air-conditioned, with a big bed, small fridge and a flat TV. However, I would be happy to exchange the TV (we didn't… Even if you are not a diver, while staying in Liquid you can really feel like on holiday since all fifteen bungalows are surrounded by a beautiful, carefully maintained garden which extends down to the rocky beach. On the premises there are two clean swimming pools (a smaller one for divers to train and a bigger one with sunbeds and umbrellas for leisure), a bar, a restaurant and a small shop with some necessities and souvenirs.
In addition to being five star PADI resort they are also an instructor development centre, which means there are a few instructors employed on a regular basis and many courses are organised. They also have two dive masters and a few more dive guides. Dive equipment they offer to rent is in good condition. Yet, be prepared to pay extra money if you want to have the same set within all your diving days. Most dives are from the boat and they own one. But whenever the boat is out of order (it happened twice while we were there), divers are taken by a jeepney to other divesites accessible from shore. As far as divesites are concerned, you can find both great muck dives and places to see some bigger staff (e.g. Apo Island).
The room was quite spacious, well lit and air-conditioned, with a big bed, small fridge and a flat TV. However, I would be happy to exchange the TV (we didn’t switch it on even once) for a bigger wardrobe or other furniture to keep your clothes and other belongings.
Another inconvenience was lack of wi-fi in the room. The internet is available in the rooms which are close to the bar but in those more distant it doesn’t work and we had to go to the common areas to get access to the Net.
A little bit annoying was also not having any coffee/tea facilities in the room, hence having to go to the bar/restaurant to get it. We were also surprised that it wasn’t free of charge – apart for breakfast you have to pay for every cup of tea or coffee. Drinking water is for free although you have to buy a metal bottle first and then you can refill it without limits.
All the meals are a’la carte so you should come well in advance in the morning to have enough time to order and eat your breakfast and come in time for diving. They serve western and Filipino cuisine as well.
Since there are no shops or diners around, practically you spend all the time in the resort. The nearest eatery (with delicious and cheap local food) is 10-minute walk away but if you want to explore further, you can hire a motorbike at the resort.
All the staff – the dive and boat crew, the restaurant staff, the reception and housekeeping personnel, as well as managers and owners were friendly and willing to help. The manager even let us use his computer to help us buy our flight tickets and he recommended to us a dive resort in Sogod Bay, which proved to be worth it. Oh, and the massage was incredible! . More read less

Lovely room, great diving, but most of all the service! I stayed late last year for five nights at Liquid and really didn’t want to leave!! The rooms are spacious,… read moreI stayed late last year for five nights at Liquid and really didn’t want to leave!! The rooms are spacious, clean and facing the sea which is so beautiful at sunrise. I did quite a number of dives and was impressed by the skill of the local dive guides and the friendliness of the boat crew. My guides were amazing at spotting the rare critters that I came hoping to see!

My favourite thing about Liquid though was the overall vibe created by the staff and the excellent and genuinely friendly service they provide.

This was the highlight of my trip to the Philippines and I definitely recommend a stay here if you can! read less

Underestimated destimation in Philippines! We stayed at liquid only one night、since already booked a hotel in downtown. We should stay longer. Services are excellent…. read moreWe stayed at liquid only one night、since already booked a hotel in downtown. We should stay longer. Services are excellent. When it comes to diving dive guide is a lovely spotter. Muck diving would be as good as Lembeh. Beaches are black sand, but if you would like white sand, you could opt the short trip to Apo and Similon Island .Compared to well-known destinations such as Bohol and Cebu, accessibility from the airport and downtown is much better. The Dumaguete city has a lot of adequate restraints and massage parlors. The place to go in a short vacation, however we hope this place would not be so crowded. read less

Underestimated destimation in Philippines! We stayed at liquid only one night、since already booked a hotel in downtown. We should stay longer. Services are excellent…. read moreWe stayed at liquid only one night、since already booked a hotel in downtown. We should stay longer. Services are excellent. When it comes to diving dive guide is a lovely spotter. Muck diving would be as good as Lembeh. Beaches are black sand, but if you would like white sand, you could opt the short trip to Apo and Similon Island .Compared to well-known destinations such as Bohol and Cebu, accessibility from the airport and downtown is much better. The Dumaguete city has a lot of adequate restraints and massage parlors. The place to go in a short vacation, however we hope this place would not be so crowded. read less

Gear Up, Get Wet Before my trip started I, like most do, Googled the dice centres close to where I will be staying and… read moreBefore my trip started I, like most do, Googled the dice centres close to where I will be staying and this is how my first class experience started with Liquid Dumaguete. Email after email sent to dive centres in the area and within minutes, Tom from Liquid Dumaguete replied. To the point, no B.S answers to my initial questions. Second round of questions in regards to dives, dive locations and the like produced the same standard of: to the point, no B.S answers. Finally the cost: no messing around, to the point, no B.S answers. Not a Peso more was charged to me. I had two days of diving with a Dive Master called 'Ian' but he goes under many other names for some reason. Anyway, Ian as I knew him is a great guy, my type of Dive Master, not pushy, identifies those who need him to assist and lets the others do their own thing but keeps a close eye on both. Ian has eyes like a hawk and uses them to point out the smallest of macro but also understands who is interested in what so tailors his attention accordingly. For an old sea frog like me, Ian could not have been better: there if I need him, there if I don't but discretely and not glued to my fins. All in all my experience with Liquid Dumaguete was first class, good condition gear, good service, great… Before my trip started I, like most do, Googled the dice centres close to where I will be staying and this is how my first class experience started with Liquid Dumaguete.

Email after email sent to dive centres in the area and within minutes, Tom from Liquid Dumaguete replied. To the point, no B.S answers to my initial questions.

Second round of questions in regards to dives, dive locations and the like produced the same standard of: to the point, no B.S answers.

Finally the cost: no messing around, to the point, no B.S answers. Not a Peso more was charged to me.

I had two days of diving with a Dive Master called ‘Ian’ but he goes under many other names for some reason. Anyway, Ian as I knew him is a great guy, my type of Dive Master, not pushy, identifies those who need him to assist and lets the others do their own thing but keeps a close eye on both.

Ian has eyes like a hawk and uses them to point out the smallest of macro but also understands who is interested in what so tailors his attention accordingly.

For an old sea frog like me, Ian could not have been better: there if I need him, there if I don’t but discretely and not glued to my fins.

All in all my experience with Liquid Dumaguete was first class, good condition gear, good service, great team: would not hesitate to recommend Liquid Dumaguete or hesitate to visit again.

One small constructive comment: They really need some better and bigger thermos for coffee as it ran out or was p155 warm

Best wishes to all at LD, hope to see you again soon. More read less