Apo Island in Dauin Philippines

Apo Island Marine Reserve in Dauin

If you have the time to swing by the volcanic Apo Island Philippines on your next adventure, I totally recommend it. Not only can you really experience island life and walk among the amazing people of Apo Island, but you can also find some top-notch food and stellar diving experiences. Apo Island is a marine reserve located about 4 and a half miles off the southeastern tip of Negros Island. It is currently documented to have over 650 species of  fish and 400 species of coral! There are two locations you can check out, Island Beach Resort and Liberty’s Lodge. In all of my trips to Apo Island so far, they have been on at the Liberty’s Lodge site. The Island Beach Resort area at Apo Island does offer a more private area if you prefer a secluded getaway, turtles included!

Setting sail to Apo Island Philippines

Price

Our group decided to take a boat to the island, which cost us about $60 USD per person. You can find a ton of different rates both online and locally. We had some local connections and paid the local Pinoy price rather than the foreignor price!

• Note: You can find many packages online that will take care of everything for you. Some range from $100-$300. Please be diligent and make sure they have reviews or that you use a trusted website before considering using one. There are many scams out there! Also, make sure it is the Apo Island in Dauin Philippines!

How long does it take to get to Apo Island?

The journey to Apo Island took us approximately 30 minutes, and we were provided with safety equipment for our trip. It was fascinating to observe how every opportunity was utilized to transport items to the island. During our journey, we even helped transport trees! Expect to spend 3-5 hours on this trip if you do a standard half-day trip. Plan for prep time and boarding, snorkel time, lunch, and the return trip.

As we approached the island, we encountered some rough waves. The captain, prioritizing safety, decided not to bring the boat too close to the rocky shore. Instead, we waded our way to the beach. The crew worked together, forming a human chain to transport our packs and bags over one by one, ensuring they remained safe and dry.

Apo Island off the coast of Dauin, Philippines

Once on the beach, we made our way along the main village path. While you could stop here to enjoy the amenities the island has to offer, we decided to venture further into the village. Here, we encountered the local residents going about their daily lives. We had the opportunity to purchase locally-made items such as clothes, blankets, jewelry, and more, directly from the locals themselves. If you miss out on buying a shirt here, don’t worry! You will have another opportunity as the ladies from the village bring down their sacks of shirts to sell you on the beach while you’re gearing up or eating lunch! They are persistent and I did walk away with a couple of shirts after some negotiation.

After exploring the village, we headed to one of the eateries located on the beach, nestled beneath a manufactured roof. We dropped off our belongings and then proceeded to speak with the snorkel and dive staff. They quickly helped us gear up, and we began our underwater adventure. If you’re someone who enjoys more of a free-roam snorkeling session, you may find this setup a bit restrictive initially.

Snorkeling at Apo Island Philippines

I have had multiple experiences at Apo Island and they did differ slightly. On the first visit the staff required us to hold onto their rope and flotation device as they guided us along their designated route in pairs. While the trade-off was incredibly clear water and the opportunity to see fascinating marine life such as turtles, I prefer a bit more of an un-guided snorkel session as I discuss in my Mabuhay blog post here. The second trip however was a bit more of my style. While our guide did initially lead us on a path, we quickly discovered it was just to see some of the behemoth sea turtles that were swimming nearby! Swimming with the turtles was an experience I will not forget! After that, he took us out to some beautiful coral where we were able to snorkel a bit more freely. Here we spent some time taking dive shots with our GoPro cameras and getting some great shots of the coral!

Lunch Time – Food at Apo Island Philippines

After a few snorkeling sessions, we returned tired and hungry to our table area, where our orders of food had been delivered. The dishes ranged in price from $5 to $10 USD and offered some of the best-tasting food I encountered during my time in the Philippines. The lunch was made up of fresh grilled fish, noodles, pork adobo, chicken, rice, mango, watermelon, and more!

The ride back to the mainland was smooth sailing. As we depart Apo Island Philippines, I can never help but feel a sense of longing to return. I will definitely continue to return and to explore more of Apo Island’s charms!

Where is Apo Island Philippines?

Apo Island in Dauin is an awesome little volcanic island that rests comfortably just 7 km off the southeastern edge of Negros Island and 30 km south of the Negros Oriental capital Dumaguete City.

Getting there is pretty simple. The ride from Dumaguete City to Dauin is only around 30 minutes. I think the longest wait for us was waiting for them to launch the boat we were going to be taking once we got there! Though, it was pretty neat watching them roll the boat from the beach into the water to take us to Apo Island in Dauin Philippines!