Blue Ribbon Dive Resort
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#228 of 4,034 hotels in Luzon
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Blue Ribbon Dive Resort has moved it’s business from Puerto Galera to Anilao in 2018, seeking better diving opportunities. Anilao is often debated to be the top dive destination for muck diving, with a vast number of critters most sought out by underwater photographers. Anilao, and the neighbouring Tingloy island also has world class Coral reef diving, with some exceptional sites close to the resort and a little further away. The Verde Island passage brings clear waters to Tingloy, and its famous Sombrero island, offering some amazing coral dives with some exceptional visibility. Blue Ribbon Dive Resort has been totally renovated in 2018, including the addition of a training pool, new bar and restaurant, and a lounge area overlooking the ocean. A fully fitted camera room has been designed by one of the owners, to meet every underwater photographer’s needs. Blue Ribbon Dive Resort offers PADI Freediving courses, the only resort in Anilao to do so. We are proud of our high standards
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Property amenities
Free parking
Free High Speed Internet (WiFi)
Pool
Free breakfast
Beach
Children Activities (Kid / Family Friendly)
Airport transportation
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Breakfast available
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+1
Ok I'll start with the negative first. No hot water on most days very frustrating after a few dives when you are chilled. Wanted my room cleaned one time and they never came, annoying. 1st night I went down for dinner someone at the table next to me was getting a pedicure in the restaurant with toenail clipping flying around! Gross thankfully none landed in my food. The restaurant is small and they allow smoking it smells and you cannot get away from it, not fare to non smokers. Cats and dogs all over but they are well behaved. Beer can be colder. Place can use some upgrades paint cleaning and fix the crumbling steps. If you like to sunbath not the place for you no chairs by the pool or on the rocky beach. Good stuff Food was good and the portions were very big and a lot of variety on the menu, and Donna the server is so sweet! The dive crew are awesome from the boat captain to his helper. Jeff the divemaster is awesome he watches out for everyone and if you don't have enough weight to get down he is right there with extra weight! They go to a variety of spots for muck and reef dives. Shout out to Jeff nd Dan for being some of the best spotters anywhere!…
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Date of stay: December 2023Trip type: Traveled solo
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
43 Helpful votes6 Reposts
Helpful
A sweet little place run by lovely people. I accidentally dropped my dive computer as I was checking out and they immediately sent it over to where I went next—before I could even message them about it! Thank you BR ❤️ You saved me! Also, I appreciated the low-key vibes, and that it caters to both international and local divers. I’m always on the lookout for accommodations that aren’t overly developed—for environmental reasons—and it had all the basics I needed, plus a camera room for photographers! It’s perfect for young people seeking a chill getaway. Highly recommend their fresh mango and calamansi shakes/slushies too 😋 Definitely coming back for those…and obviously the super spectacular dive sites! 🤩
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Date of stay: April 2023Trip type: Traveled solo
Room Tip: Best enjoyed on weekdays if you want the boat to yourselves
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
+1
I stayed 3 nights at 'Blue Ribbon Dive Resort' in Mabini to get some diving done in Anilao. The room I stayed in was quite basic but I never came thinking it was a 5 Star Luxury resort. What is it is a super friendly resort run by divers for divers... So basically you are coming here for quality diving with experienced guides and this resort delivers that in spades. It is run by a British guy (Jon) who is friendly, fair and fun with a team around him who are superb. All the staff at Blue Ribbon were excellent. Attentive and friendly both at the resort and on the dive boat (Bangka). My room was comfortable (great bed and great Air-Con) and clean, my only comment being that the bathroom could do with a bit of an upgrade. The food at the resort is first class. I ate from the local Filipino menu every day and all my meals were delicious, good portion size and affordable. If you want a burger, pizza, etc this is all available to. There is also a well stocked bar with a beautiful sea view, particularly so at sunset. As for the diving, this was superb and reasonably priced at 1800php per dive. In the 2 days I dived I did 4 dives each day and spent a total of 8 Hours 50 Minutes underwater. We dived a different site each dive and the resort guides, (Jeff and Dang), were both superb, as was Ogie their Dive Master. I had some of my own kit and rented some resort kit and everything I had was in good order and everything felt safe and organised... Relaxed diving. The amount of marine life and unique Anilao 'critters' were amazing and I will definitely be returning to Blue Ribbon March/April 2024. Keep it up Jon - Just what a diver (well this diver) wants from a resort. Superb.…
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Date of stay: April 2023Trip type: Traveled solo
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
quite basic accommodation for this price. Room with no hot water during some of the days, which is extremely unsatisfying especially after diving. After complaining they always called someone to repair it. Food is ok, but I really missed some more options after a while, like a steak or grilled fish. Also, they somehow never had orange juice available for breakfast despite me asking every day ("Maybe tomorrow."). Same for tea on the dive boat, despite asking a couple of times for it, they only served coffee between the morning dives. There are some dogs and cats running around, which is ok for me , but not a big fan, if the dogs are so smelly and sit next to you while eating. For the dive prices, I guess they are average, but they have a misleading rule: a dive with guide for 1 person only is 1800P. If it is 2 or more persons it is 1600P, what makes sense to me, because of cost for dive guide, boat, etc. I was always diving with a bigger group -never alone, but when paying they explained to me since I TRAVEL alone I have to pay the higher price. Not very logical to me.…
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Date of stay: January 2023Trip type: Traveled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Response from Jonathan Venn, Owner at Blue Ribbon Dive Resort
Responded Apr 4, 2023
Hey Florian, Sorry you weren't totally satisfied with your stay, but I'd like to clarify that we have been working on a lot of the issues you described. Orange Juice is now a thing, apparently the old brand couldn't be found so they stopped buying it, we now have it back.... Also, we used to have Steak, Ribs and more other things in our old restaurant in Puerto, but didn't have the freezer space here as we're quite small compared to our last resort. We now have bought a new freezer, and have Steak, Ribs, Grilled Salmon and some other things coming to the menu, which at the moment is in the printers. After even I followed up about the tea issue, found out the reason was a lack of thermos for hot water....which are cheap and shouldn't have been an issue. We have more now, to cover multiple boats. The price discount thing we only put in place in the pandemic, as we were so desperate for business, and sending one diver out alone was unprofitable, we used it to incite Manila folks down to us as they were our only business. We have now removed this, and now just offer a 10% discount if you dive for multiple dives. I can see why this annoyed you, but it was only put up during troubled times. We were just getting back on our feet after the pandemic, so things weren't running perfectly. If you ever come back I'd be happy to give you a free night or two to compensate you for the issues you stated. Things are running a lot smoother now. Jon
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
This may be one of the finest dive resorts in Mabini/Anilao, especially well-suited for macro photographers wishing to ply their skills or add to them. A great place to spend the day diving, enjoy a good dinner and maybe a drink at the restaurant/bar, then crash your tired body into bed to get up and do it again! Owner and master photographer Jon is particularly welcoming and accommodating. What Blue Ribbon is not, is a luxury resort. Your room is small with sparse furniture and few amenities. The grounds could use some cleanup and landscaping, the pool is basic – nice for introductory dive lessons but not the place for lounging around. Not necessarily the place for my wife and I, but if you’re really wanting a great dive experience at a reasonable price, this may be the place for you.…
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Date of stay: March 2023
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip: Rooms are small, sea view with balcony at least gives you some area to stretch out.
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
We visited November 2021 and again in April 2022. Our first family trip in November was for our quadruple birthday celebration. We were looking for a small resort as it was our first family trip during the pandemic. We chose Blue Ribbon based on Trip Advisor reviews and I'm thrilled to say they didn't disappoint. With less than 10 rooms, the resort is very cozy and the staff make you feel right at home. Service is highly commendable as they go out of their way to make your stay extra-special. You can always tell when people enjoy what they do for a living, and the Blue Ribbon Team are definitely happy folks. We loved our trip so much in November, we booked again for January, but had to hold off til April because of Omicron. Our second trip was just as fabulous. We did several dives on both trips and their dive shop crew is awesome. On top of the daily sea turtle sightings and all the other majestic sea creatures Anilao is know for, the Blue Ribbon dive masters all have the ability to spot the tiniest and rarest sea creatures. If you're into macro diving, you'll want their DM's on your team! We love both their seaview and standard rooms, they're always immaculately clean with quality linen and mattresses. They have local and international food on the menu but can also accommodate special requests if you place your orders at least a day in advance. Have I mentioned they're pet friendly? They have resident dogs and cats who were also gracious hosts to our little poodle. ALSO, their sunset view is out of this world! To pass on this amazing Trip Advisor referral: YES, we absolutely recommend Blue Ribbon Dive Resort for everyone looking for a second home in Anilao - from single to family to group bookings!…
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Date of stay: April 2022
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Had a great time staying and diving at Blue Ribbon Dive Resort! The room was clean and cozy with a great balcony with a view. Sunsets were spectacular. Diving was great - got my advanced open water certification and also enjoyed some new and different underwater experiences. The staff was excellent - very friendly and accommodating. Definitely recommend!
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Date of stay: November 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
+1
Blue Ribbon Dive Resort is a perfect place to take a breather during this pandemic. Just Wow! Beautiful sunset, live corals and colourful fishes just a few steps from the shore. Jonathan was so kind to manage a short notice dive. My first timer daughter learned some good skills and was instantly hooked. Thank you! You’re the best! No kidding. We sure will be back for more OW+Advance course & will tug along a few young divers. And oh the staff are very friendly, helpful and kind. Very safe and relaxed atmosphere! And of course, The Breakfast! Jon, you made the right decision, because you knew that you are right at the doorstep of the Center of the Center of Marine Shorefish Biodiversity and as the Center of the Center of the Marine Biodiversity of the World. Hope soon it will be a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I also learned Blue Ribbon Dive Resort is very much on hand in helping the community around the area esp. the victims of the recent typhoons. So come and dive for a cause!…
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Date of stay: November 2020Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
We recently spent 5 nights and 6 days with Blue Ribbon during Covid and during one of the most impactful typhoons to hit Luzon, and this area specifically, in quite some time. The weather impacted our dive plans and everything else for 24 hours and the Blue Ribbon staff were up to the task before, during, and after. These are trying times and Blue Ribbon is a great example of adapting to the ever-changing regulations and requirements with the commitment of bringing diving and dive training to customers amidst the challenges. Getting over and through some of the hurdles placed by the local government was a bit of challenge and Blue Ribbon guided us through that well so that we could safely join their bubble and finally get some dives in this year. The staff are all incredibly helpful and the atmosphere is relaxed and they work with the customers in a way that is refreshing and can-do (within reason). We are very experienced independent-minded divers and it is worthwhile to call out the excellence of the DM and the boat staff. The dives were at our pace, well-led, and the DM adapts fabulously to the skill level he is dealing with. The boat staff are very helpful, recognize preferences in set-up, and manage any issues efficiently. What can we say, giant Hawksbill turtles finding us over and over again, mating octopi, schools of baby barracuda, dogtooth tuna, squid families, more morays and variety of morays than we can count, magical nudi-branchs, blue spotted sting rays, incredible reef dives and the magical creatures of the muck dives in Anilao...joy! All in all, a wonderful experience and we are very grateful to be able to do some incredible diving in 2020 when all of our prior plans fell apart due to Covid. Thank you!…
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Date of stay: November 2020
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
+1
I'm so lucky to find this dive resort amidst the pandemic. Staff and even the owner Jon were friendly and accommodating to their guests. Rooms are spacious and clean. Food serving is very generous (this includes their free breakfast). I also had my DSD with them and Jon was patient with me all throughout the process. It's a perfect place for divers and people who just want to relax near the sea. Of course I will not forget that they have 4 dogs who are really sweet and will greet you first thing in the morning. I'll definitely go back in this place and stay longer next time.
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Date of stay: September 2020Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
2 Helpful votes
Helpful
Response from Jonathan Venn, Owner at Blue Ribbon Dive Resort
Responded Sep 15, 2020
Thanks, Kaye, It's comments like this that makes me glad we didn't decide to go out of business when the Pandemic started and we fought through it. Glad to get back to what we love to do!
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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PRICE RANGE
₱3,431 - ₱4,538 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
PhilippinesLuzonCalabarzon RegionBatangas ProvinceMabini
NUMBER OF ROOMS
7
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Frequently Asked Questions about Blue Ribbon Dive Resort
Which popular attractions are close to Blue Ribbon Dive Resort?
Nearby attractions include Mt. Gulugod Baboy Trail (1.6 km).
What are some of the property amenities at Blue Ribbon Dive Resort?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free wifi, free breakfast, and a pool.
What food & drink options are available at Blue Ribbon Dive Resort?
Guests can enjoy free breakfast, an on-site restaurant, and a lounge during their stay.
Is parking available at Blue Ribbon Dive Resort?
Yes, free parking is available to guests.
What are some restaurants close to Blue Ribbon Dive Resort?
Conveniently located restaurants include OMG! Olvida & Myra's Grill, The Philip Ann Resort Restaurant, and Frido's.
Are there opportunities to exercise at Blue Ribbon Dive Resort?
Yes, guests have access to a pool during their stay.
Does Blue Ribbon Dive Resort have airport transportation?
Yes, Blue Ribbon Dive Resort offers airport transportation for guests. We recommend calling ahead to confirm details.