Sangat Island Dive Resort

Dive resort · Philippines · Sangat Island, Coron, Palawan · Official Website

The resort and its bay on Sangat Island from the air

Timber walkway over the rocks along the shore

Booking by Tour Leader Club

5 room types · 18 dive sites · house reef

Sangat Island Dive Resort occupies almost the entire south-western cusp of Sangat Island, one of more than ninety islands in the Calamian group off northern Palawan. It opened in 1994 and has been the address for divers coming to explore the sunken Japanese fleet of Coron Bay ever since.

In September 1944 American aircraft caught a Japanese convoy here. Eleven vessels stayed on the bottom, and eight of them lie five to thirty minutes from the resort beach: the freighters Olympia Maru and Kyogo Maru, the two-hundred-metre refrigeration ship Irako Maru, the seaplane tender Akitsushima with its aircraft crane, the tanker Okikawa Maru, gunboats, and a submarine chaser right off Sangat’s eastern shore. Most sit at 25 to 40 metres with their hulls intact, and penetration is possible — encouraged, even — for divers with wreck or technical certification.

The bottom is not the whole story. In 2004 the waters and reefs around Sangat were designated a marine park, and the resort became its official custodian: it hosts research volunteers, monitors reef health, plants coral and removes crown-of-thorns starfish. The house reef and the Coral Gardens are the two most popular reef dives in Coron Bay, and the gardens can be reached by kayak or even on foot.

Then there is the part that exists nowhere else: Barracuda Lake, with three thermoclines and water that climbs to 38 °C at depth over a lunar landscape, and the half-submerged Cathedral Cave on the southern tip of Coron Island, with stalactites and a single shaft of daylight through a rock window.

Accommodation is twenty-two chalets of woven bamboo under nipa palm roofing, on stilts by the beach and against the limestone cliffs behind it. Only three have air conditioning and hot water; the rest rely on mosquito-netted windows, ceiling fans and ambient-temperature showers, which in this climate is enough. The island is entirely off the grid: everything, including the compressors, the desalination plant and the ice makers, runs on solar power, with diesel kept only for cloudy days.

Ashore there is an open-air restaurant at the water’s edge serving buffet meals three times a day, the Island Bar with a full-size pool table, and the over-water Rock Bar where the evening view is nothing but stars. Beyond diving: kayaks, paddle boards, snorkelling, geothermal hot springs through a mangrove tunnel, bird watching and trips to the neighbouring islands.

No markup

You pay exactly the rate the resort publishes. On top of that, only the actual bank costs of currency conversion and the international transfer — no commission of ours.

We run the deal

Correspondence with the resort, holding the room, the contract, booking confirmation and all paperwork are on our side. There is nothing for you to arrange yourself.

Card payment

We accept payment by card through Stripe and issue an invoice. The transfer to the resort is our job — you do not have to find a way to pay abroad.

Support all the way

We help you choose the room and dates, work out the dive package, answer questions about flights and gear, and stay in touch until you are home.

The exact amount is confirmed when we hold your booking: it includes the resort's rate at the day's exchange rate plus the actual transfer costs. No hidden fees.

About the resort

Country

Philippines

Location

Sangat Island, Coron, Palawan

Nearest airport

Busuanga (Coron), Francisco B.

Reyes Airport — 30 minutes by road and 40 minutes by boat

Transfer

Met at Busuanga airport with a sign, driven to the pier and taken to the island by resort boat

House reef

The Sangat house reef inside the marine park, with the Coral Gardens next door — reachable on foot or by kayak

Dive sites

Dive centre

Its own, rebuilt in 2018, PADI

Nitrox

Own membrane station, nitrox up to 40 % oxygen, charged separately

Rooms

Internet

Around the clock in the restaurant, bar and front desk

no Wi-Fi in the chalets

Languages

[English]

At the resort

Open-air restaurant at the water's edge with buffet meals

Island Bar with a lounge and a full-size pool table

Over-water Rock Bar with open-air seating

San Miguel and local Coron Brewhouse beer on tap

Dive centre with two BAUER K14 compressors and a nitrox membrane

Gift shop on site

Massage in your chalet, booked a day ahead

Kayaks, paddle boards and snorkelling gear for hire

Safe in every chalet and a large safe at the front desk

The resort's own fruit and nut farm on the island

Desalination plant and solar station instead of mains utilities

Three security guards on rotating 24-hour shifts

Diving

Eleven wrecks, eight of them 5 to 30 minutes from the beach

House reef and Coral Gardens inside the Sangat marine park

Barracuda Lake with three thermoclines and water up to 38 °C

Cathedral Cave on the southern tip of Coron Island

Speedboats, a large banka for 16 divers, a motor yacht and a trimaran

Nitrox up to 40 % from an on-site membrane station

Twin 12-litre tanks, 6-litre deco and stage bottles

INT and DIN valves, sidemount on request

PADI courses from Bubblemaker to Divemaster

Technical diving on the deeper hulls

The dive centre was rebuilt in 2018. The filling station runs on two BAUER K14 compressors plus an LW 280 unit with a Coltrisub 280 membrane. Technical divers will find O2-clean tanks and regulators, harnesses with double first stages, stainless-backed wings, O2 booster pumps and soda sorb for rebreathers. Every instructor is DAN certified, every boat carries an O2 kit, and a recompression chamber and hospital are minutes away in Coron and Culion.

Dining

One restaurant for the whole island, open veranda by the water

Buffet meals on a fixed schedule three times a day

Fresh seafood, chicken, pork, vegetables, salads and fruit

Afternoon snack and a tea and coffee station around the clock

Picnic lunches for island trips

Vegetarian dishes and special diets on advance notice

Wines, cocktails, juices and draught beer in two bars

There is no à la carte menu: the dive schedule is tight and the kitchen works buffet-style so divers eat between boats. Some of the fruit and nuts come from the resort's own farm on the island. Allergens are catered for with ample notice and clear instructions. You may bring your own alcohol for a corkage fee of 800 pesos a bottle. The resort sells no bottled water: drinking water is provided in the chalets and refills are free at the restaurant.

Beyond diving

The island's geothermal hot springs through a mangrove tunnel

Snorkelling on the house reef and the Coral Gardens

Single and double sea kayaks

Stand-up paddle boards

Bird watching with the resort's own species guide

Massage in your chalet

Island trips to Malcapuya, Banana, Pass and Calumbuyan

A day out to Kayangan Lake and the Twin Lagoons of Coron Island

Calauit sanctuary with its African wildlife

The hot springs on the western shore are five minutes by speedboat or half an hour by kayak; the way in is a thirty-metre mangrove tunnel, the water sits around 40 °C, and the best time is between low and high tide, before the sea dilutes it. "The Birds of Sangat Island" was written by ornithologists Paul and Janet Martin during their stay at the resort; the Palawan hornbill the resort logo is drawn from lands regularly beside the chalets.

Rooms

Chalet

View: Coron Bay

Beds: Two double beds

A stone's throw from the beach, on stilts, with a terrace looking out over Coron Bay. A six-by-seven-metre living and bedroom area with two double beds and a spacious western-style bathroom. Woven bamboo walls, nipa palm roof — assembled by local artisans from locally sourced materials. Large windows are mosquito-netted, and a hammock hangs in the shade beneath the structure.

Bay-view terrace Shaded hammock lounge beneath the chalet Ceiling fan Large mosquito-netted windows Western-style bathroom 220-volt outlets Safe Drinking water in the room

Chalet

View: Forest and limestone cliffs

Beds: Two double beds

At the foot of semi-timbered limestone cliffs, a thirty-second walk from the grass-edged beachfront. A six-by-seven-metre living and bedroom area with two double beds, a wet-room style bathroom, a generous terrace and a hammock beneath the chalet. Mornings here come with tropical birdsong.

Terrace Shaded hammock lounge beneath the chalet Ceiling fan Large mosquito-netted windows Wet-room style bathroom 220-volt outlets Safe Drinking water in the room

Chalet

View: The bay from above

Beds: A queen bed in one, a king in the other

Two chalets on the hilltop, each for two guests. One has a queen-sized bed, the other a king — and that second one is among the resort's three rooms with air conditioning and hot running water. Getting up here means steps.

Elevated view over the bay Air conditioning and hot water in the king-bedded chalet Ceiling fan Mosquito-netted windows 220-volt outlets Safe Drinking water in the room

Villa

View: Its own private beach

Beds: A joined double-queen bed, a queen, a double and a single

A tri-level villa set into a limestone cove with its own white sand beach, two hundred metres from the nearest neighbour and reachable only by kayak or a hanging footbridge. The ground level holds an open-air common area with a hammock lounge and a Balinese rock shower where fresh water spills straight out of a fissure in the rocks. On the second floor is the master bedroom with two queen beds joined together, its own bathroom and a small tea and coffee station; the mezzanine has a double and a single bed with ocean views. There are three bathrooms in all.

Its own white sand beach Reachable only by kayak or hanging footbridge Open-air common area with a hammock lounge Balinese rock shower grotto fed from the cliff Three bathrooms Tea and coffee station Ceiling fans above every bed Mosquito-netted windows 220-volt outlets

Cottage

View: Sangat channel and Apo Island

Beds: One queen bed, an extra bed on request

A stand-alone cottage on a secluded hundred-metre beach on the south-eastern edge of Sangat, off the resort grounds. A queen bed, a kitchen area with a gas cook top, utensils and an ice box, a tiled wet-room bathroom and a terrace overlooking Sangat channel and Apo Island. Power comes from solar panels. A kayak comes with the cottage; for a small fee the resort will run drop-offs and pick-ups by boat. Food can be ordered from the resort in advance, or caught with the native fishing gear provided.

Secluded hundred-metre beach Kitchen area with gas cook top, utensils and ice box Wet-room style bathroom Terrace with table, chairs and hammocks Its own kayak Solar-powered 220-volt outlets Drinking water delivered from the resort

Rates

Diving

	Price
Single-tank dive	₱2,500
Twin-tank dive	₱2,900
Dive with a 15-litre tank	₱2,760
Night dive, torch excluded	₱2,800

Prices in Philippine pesos for one daylight dive, including tank, weights, boat and dive guide. VAT is already included. Ancillary equipment — mask, snorkel, booties, fins, BCD, torch — is charged separately.

Nitrox and technical tanks

	Price
12 L tank, nitrox up to 40 %	₱460
15 L tank, nitrox up to 40 %	₱600
12 L twin tank, nitrox up to 40 %	₱920
6 L tank, nitrox up to 40 %	₱220
3 L tank, 100 % oxygen at 200 bar, per day	₱500
6 L stage or deco bottle over 40 %, per day	₱460

Fills with nitrox up to 40 % oxygen. Single and twin 12-litre tanks are available, as well as 6-litre deco and stage bottles, with INT or DIN valves.

Equipment rental

	Per dive	Per day
Mask and snorkel	₱115	₱150
Fins, per day with booties	₱115	₱150
Wetsuit	₱115	₱150
BCD	₱115	₱350
Regulator	₱115	₱350
Dive computer	₱200	₱500
Underwater torch	—	₱150
Back-up torch	—	₱150
Full equipment	₱300	₱750

Left column per dive, right column per day. The per-dive full set covers mask and snorkel, fins, wetsuit, BCD and regulator and is 15 % cheaper than renting the items separately. The per-day full set excludes the dive computer and torches.

PADI courses

	Price
Discover Scuba Diving, 2–3 hours	₱5,500
Discover Scuba Diving follow-up, 2 dives	₱4,350
Scuba Tune-Up refresher	₱4,350
Junior Open Water Diver, ages 12–14, 3–4 days	₱24,450
Open Water Diver, 3–4 days	₱31,000
Advanced Open Water Diver, 2 days, 5 dives	₱27,500
Deep Diver, 1 day, 2 dives	₱18,450
Wreck Diver, 2 days, 4 dives	₱25,500
Nitrox Diver, 1 day, 2 dives	₱21,000
Wreck and Nitrox combined, 2 days, 4 dives	₱37,000
Rescue Diver, 6 days	On request
Divemaster, 2–4 months	On request

Prices in pesos. The resort describes the Bubblemaker programme for children aged 8 to 12 but publishes no price for it. The Discover Scuba Diving fee is waived if the guest goes on to the Open Water or Junior Open Water course.

Kayak and paddle board rental

	Price
Single kayak, 4 hours	₱500
Single kayak, 8 hours	₱900
Double kayak, 4 hours	₱600
Double kayak, 8 hours	₱1,000
Paddle board, 1 hour	₱400
Paddle board, 4 hours	₱1,000
Paddle board, 8 hours	₱1,500

Prices in pesos. Snorkelling gear — mask and snorkel, booties and fins, wetsuit — is ₱150 per item per day.

Trips from the resort

	Trip	Fees per guest
Sangat hot springs, any time in daylight	₱1,500	—
Submarine chaser off Sangat's eastern shore	₱2,000	—
Lusong Gunboat and Calumbuyan Island, full day	₱5,000	₱200
Lusong Gunboat and Concepcion Falls, full day	₱5,000	₱200
Calumbuyan and Pass Island, full day	₱6,000	₱400
Malcapuya and Banana Island, 8:00–16:00	₱6,000	₱1,000
Coron Island, Kayangan Lake and Twin Lagoons, 8:00–16:00	₱6,000	₱1,000
Malajon Island and Panlaitan village, full day	₱12,000	₱200
Calauit wildlife sanctuary, 5:00–18:00	₱12,000	₱400

Prices in pesos per trip; entrance and environmental fees are charged on top, per guest. Lunch and refreshments are included on the full-day trips.

Rates and availability can change. Message us — we will confirm current dates and prices.

When to go

Best time: The warm dry season from October to March is the best time
Water temperature: 28–30 °C year round
Visibility: Usually 7–30 metres, 20 metres and more near open water

The resort divides the year into three seasons. Warm and dry from October to March is the best of them. Hot and dry from April to June, with air temperatures of 30–37 °C. A cooler wet monsoon from July to September, when the outer edges of typhoons occasionally reach Palawan, although they usually track further north. From roughly February to April strong southerly winds build larger waves and can cancel island trips. Visibility depends most of all on the moon: it is best between the first and third quarters, when the tides are slackest. The best season for visibility is October to May; run-off from June to September reduces it.

Getting there

The nearest airport is Busuanga, Francisco B. Reyes Airport near Coron. It is served only from Manila and Cebu, by Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific.

A resort driver meets you at the airport with a “Sangat Island” sign. From there it is thirty minutes by road to the pier at Bintuan or in Coron town, then forty minutes on a resort boat to the island. An environmental fee of 200 pesos per person is paid inside the arrivals building.

The alternative to flying is the ferry from Manila: the 2Go service reaches Coron in sixteen hours and costs considerably less. From El Nido, the Montenegro fastcraft takes three and a half hours, leaving El Nido at 6:00 and Coron at 9:30. The cheapest route from El Nido is the banka ferry — seven to eight hours, tickets sold over the counter a few days ahead and only once the weather has been assessed.

Domestic baggage: Cebu Pacific allows 15 kg checked and 7 kg hand carry, with excess at 100 pesos a kilo; Philippine Airlines allows 10 kg and 7 kg, excess at 115 pesos. Terminal and excess baggage fees in Manila and Busuanga are payable in pesos only.