Over the years, Anilao remains to be one of the most popular diving destinations in the Philippines. Strategically located in Mabini, Batangas, only 2-3 hours drive from Metro Manila, Anilao is known to be home to the beginnings of majority of the diving population of the Philippines. Divers who take their open water course in Manila or in any location within Luzon most likely have their first taste of real open water in Anilao, for example. In addition, it’s accessibility to Manila makes it a favourite among weekend warriors and excursionists.
Decades ago, Anilao was merely a secret haven for locals. Today, resorts line the coast of Mabini catering to a myriad of clientele. It is a town built upon the love of diving. As such, development in Anilao strictly abides by the rules of conservation and sustainability. Locals proudly hold that Anilao has been a protected marine area since the 70’s, and are determined to maintain it as such.
Today, there is an international boom in the interest in the Philippine diving industry, highlighting Anilao and its many diving opportunities. It is a haven that caters to divers of all skill levels and interests.
For example, those who like bigger animals will find that Anilao has no shortage of sharks, rays, and other good-sized schooling fish like trivially barracuda. It is also not unlikely to spot the occasional whaleshark or other bigger animals while diving. These can be found at the more advanced sights with good currents and some deeper reefs (eg.mainit point, bahura kanto, mapating larry’s garden and twin rocks).
In turn, those who prefer nice easy diving and colourful soft and hard corals will be fully-satisfied in Anilao. Located right in the middle of the coral triangle, Anilao boasts of some of the widest diversity of coral life that can be found on a dive. Good-sized hard corals such as brain, table and staghorn corals are on almost every dive, mixed with an array of soft corals, large sponges and gorgonian fans and you can have the most picturesque dive.
Lastly, for those with a keen eye and a love for critter photography, Anilao delivers critter diving that rivals the best critter diving in the world. Sites such as the more recently discovered “Secret Bay”, and the Anilao classic “Basura” offer critter diving that equals the shores of Dauin, and even Lembeh in Indonesia. Critters such as the frogfish(the giant, clown and the hairy), wonderpus, flambouyant cuttlefish, and, lately, even the pinnacle of critter diving, the rhinopias, have been spotted on a regular basis off the shores of anilao and have been photographed on a regular basis.
With a rich marine biodiversity within an environment maintained and protected by the local communities, Anilao proves to be one of the foremost marine conservation and diving destinations of the Philippines.
Aiyanar Beach & Dive Resort is the epitome of a stylish resort that strives to make staying ashore as pleasurable as diving itself. Strategically situated on the mountainside, Aiyanar presents you with a grand panoramic view of the sunset against the ocean’s vast expanse.
Take comfort in the luxuriously furnished rooms. Spend the day at the clubhouse and sample the sumptuous dishes catered by Sweet Bella, or lounge by the pool and soak up the sun. For the more playful guests, a variety of equipment is available for sports such as football, volleyball, badminton, and table tennis. Other facilities are available for those interested in water sports, such as jet skiing, wakeboarding, banana boat, fun 4 all, and Redondo.
Elegantly designed to blend perfectly with its natural landscape, are sixteen rooms spread over two floors, that provide an awe-inspiring sea view.
The warmly-lit rooms provide an inviting atmosphere for that well-deserved rest, complemented by soft pillows and high thread count sheets for a good night’s sleep. All rooms are well-furnished with all the amenities typical of a modern resort. Each room is also adorned with its own balcony area offering sea views over the sprawling manicured lawn below.
With it’s open-air dining area, the clubhouse provides an excellent venue for dining, where one can feel the fresh sea breeze and watch the sun set while sampling the exquisite meals prepared by our in-house chefs.
With a clear view of the sea and surrounded by a lush garden, the Aiyanar infinity pool is the perfect place to soak up the sun or just to wind down after an activity-filled day. Enjoy a smoothie, or an ice cold cocktail, while watching the sun setting on the Anilao coastline to end a perfect Aiyanar day. For those that wish to take up dive courses at Aiyanar Beach and Dive Resort, the infinity pool is a two-sided pool with one side having a depth of 15 feet.
Anilao is only 2.5 hours drive from Metro Manila and has long been a local Dive Destination in the Philippines, with its good mix of reefs, sandy slopes, caves, and piers. In recent years, Anilao has experienced a boom in UW Macro Photography tourism. There has been an influx of foreign divers visiting Anilao in order to photograph its diversely rich underwater subjects and seascapes. This led to the discovery of unique critters such as the Rhinopias and Sea Dragons, which are now regularly spotted in these waters.
Just a boat ride away from Puerto Galera and Verde Island; Anilao makes a perfect staging area to access all these well-known Philippine Dive Destinations.
Aiyanar Beach & Dive Resort has every tool to make a diver’s and, especially, an underwater photographer’s stay a pleasant and seamless experience. The boats have been custom-designed to be longer and wider to become better-suited for carrying UW photographers and their equipment. In addition, Aiyanar has 4 fast boats of different sizes to make dive trips to farther destinations such as Verde Island and Puerto Galera, more accessible.
The Dive Center is complete with gear and tools to suit all diving needs. It sits on more than 120 sq. of a well-designed space that assists in the efficient flow of divers departing and arriving at the resort during peak operations.
In recent years, Anilao has experienced a boom in UW Macro Photography tourism. There has been an influx of foreign divers visiting Anilao in order to photograph its diversely rich underwater subjects and seascapes. With the increasing interest in underwater photography in Anilao, more critters such as the Rhinopias, and Sea Dragons, thought to have only been in Lembeh, are being spotted regularly in these waters.
The camera room can comfortably house 18 Photographers actively working on their cameras; with provisions for double the number, if needed. It has been dubbed as one of the best equipped Camera Rooms in Anilao, Batangas.
Details such as air hoses are in place, ready for blasting and drying wet cameras. Camera Tables are covered in a non-slip rubber material helps keep all your parts in place while you prepare for your dive. The Aiyanar Camera Room is truly a space designed by Underwater Photographers to service Photographers.
FACES OF THE SEA SCUBA HOLIDAYS 