Boyla Divers Inn

Boyla Divers Inn

Boyla Divers Inn
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About

#2 of 4 special inns in Lapu Lapu
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Location
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Value
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Cleanliness
4.5 of 5 bubbles
Service
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Location

Buyong, Maribago, Lapu Lapu 6015 Philippines
Getting there
Somewhat walkable
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travelers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
Grade: 66 out of 100
66
Mactan Intl Airport
3.6 km•
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Tagbilaran Airport
71.1 km•
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1 Attraction
within 1 kilometer
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Detailed Reviews
beachedmermaid wrote a review Nov 2015
Setubal, Portugal
+1
3.0 of 5 bubbles
I went to Cebu over 2 days for some work, but took a day to go diving (I wasn't about to miss out on the opportunity!) The last time I went diving in Cebu was about 16 years ago, and much has changed. I did not scour the net for places to stay, but when I saw Boyla Diving Resort's website, it looked very decent and the fact that they have their own diving shop meant that it would be easy for me to head straight into some diving once I arrived. The resort is about 20 mins away by taxi from the airport, making it very convenient.

Upon arrival, I was accommodated within 10 minutes! The owner Mr. Gilig was there, and his son took me out for a couple of dives. I will break this review into 2 parts: 1-the accommodation, and 2-the dive experience. If you don't want to read the whole review, skip to the SUMMARY below.

THE ACCOMMODATION:

I went for a 'deluxe' room which apparently is more expensive (PHP1,700) due to the availability of a hot/cold shower. The room was large, big enough to accommodate 3 people (1 couple + 1 extra) comfortably. The beds looked clean and well-made, however there were cobwebs in the ceilings and the curtain was a horrible, dark material - torn in the edges. The room smelled of nicotine, probably because a lot of their guests (usually Japanese) like to smoke in the room.

The bathroom was basic, with a flushing toilet. I am used to basic accommodation, but for less money I have stayed in much nicer, cleaner places (see my review about Sea Coral Lodge, Coron). I also noticed a drowned gecko ('butiki' in local FIlipino) in my toilet.

Upon returning from the dive, I showered - and to my dismay, a large cockroach was sharing the shower with me! (Sorry but I am terrified at cockroaches). That said, one of the staff was very happy to come to my room and save the cockroach from being squashed by my slipper...to be honest with its size it probably wouldn't have died haha!

The sliding doors need repair, and several large gaps in the walls where air con is located and below the doors allow cool air to escape, making it terrible for energy saving. The sliding doors to the view outside are protected by a cage that is useful for hanging wet gear, and it looks out to the pool of the Korean resort next door.

I slept comfortably though, and staff never failed to greet me hello, good night, or good morning.

The people were extremely friendly and accommodating, and this contrast made it worthwhile staying there. They just need to clean and maintain the area a bit better, as the photos on the website don't really match what I saw.

THE DIVING:

Okay - this is where they did great. I absolutely enjoyed every bit of the diving experience. I've been diving in the Philippines for over 17 years, so I have a good gauge on diving services here. Hamelton, the son of the resort owner, was quite happy to take me to two of his favourite diving spots. As a solo diver, I had to shoulder the whole cost of the boat rental and guide - plus entrance fees to the divesites, which came to PHP 3100. Not bad, considering I had a whole boat and crew to myself.

Hamelton takes great underwater photographs and this time, he had his new GoPro4 to test out. He is also a certified PADI Instructor should you want to learn. We went to 2 sites on the Mactan side, Talima and Tambuli Airplane Wreck. Talima was just beautiful, the main characteristic being the deep purple soft coral and large deep wall; we did not go down too deep, only 23m. Large schools of sweetlips and pelagic fish populated the area. Tambuli Airplane Wreck was good fun too, if you are careful not to hit anything, you could go into the wreck and pretend you are flying it. Fooling around underwater is great fun, just don't do it at the expense of marine life or your dive buddies!

Hamelton took good care of me, and made lots of jokes underwater, he is a good host and dive leader. He showed me caverns and small openings we could squeeze through and I enjoyed the exploratory nature of the dive. The marine life was great, and compared to my first experience of diving in Cebu in 1999 (which was horrible - our divemaster didn't know anything, and there was a lot of dynamite fishing going on!), this recent experience definitely changed my perception.

The sad thing is, Cebu is becoming over-developed by the sea front. Highrise apartments or hotels are starting to pepper the landscape, an urban planning and natural resource mistake, with no way back. But I will leave my opinions on urban planning for another time.

SUMMARY:

If you are looking for comfort and luxury, Boyla Hotel / Diving Resort is not for you. It is basic, affordable, and relatively comfortable. It's a large building that needs repair and cleaning.

I would definitely recommend the Boyla Diving service, I had most of my own kit but they are completely stocked with kit to rent. They have a lot of boats, and you can book them for island tours as well. The dive with Hamelton seemed safe and within our limits, without compromising fun.

As a solo girl travelling, I felt safe and taken care of, despite the occasional dating proposals by strangers on the street, which were always taken in jest and shrugged off.
Read more
Date of stay: November 2015
3.0 of 5 bubblesValue
4.0 of 5 bubblesLocation
4.0 of 5 bubblesService
Trip type: Traveled solo
Room Tip: Ask for a good, clean room, and make sure you inspect it before you sign up for it.
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.
Hui K wrote a review Apr 2016
Hong Kong, China
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Boyla is a small hotel for divers. It is not so grand, but service is very well. The reception staff, Jessie Anne, always keep her smile and polite. She any other Boyla staff always try their to serve for their client .
Impersonally, the price of Boyla is economic, PSP 1700/night/room, associated with good service, good position with 20mins from Mactan International Airport. Around the hotel, it has supermarkets, many restaurants for dining and massage shops. Inside the hotel, it is simple, peaceful and very clean but it has only tap cool water for shower. However, the most advantage of Boyla is that it has its dive shop, it provide well service and professional guide. You could ask their DM to bring you to any dive sites which you wanted. You would dive with impressively safe with them. Their boat is also great and the lunch on the boat also is good, with BBQ, seafood & fresh food. The dive shop manager Miss Marj is very helpful and nice. All in all, Boyla is very well and worth to recommend.
Read more
Date of stay: April 2016
5.0 of 5 bubblesValue
4.0 of 5 bubblesCleanliness
5.0 of 5 bubblesService
Trip type: Traveled with friends
Room Tip: If you wanna book it, please leave down your Facebook message to her.
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.
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Hui K wrote a tip Apr 2016
Hong Kong, China14 contributions1 helpful vote
4.0 of 5 bubbles
"If you wanna book it, please leave down your Facebook message to her."
Read full review
beachedmermaid wrote a tip Nov 2015
Setubal, Portugal171 contributions62 helpful votes
3.0 of 5 bubbles
"Ask for a good, clean room, and make sure you inspect it before you sign up for it."
Read full review
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LOCATION
PhilippinesVisayasCebu IslandMactan IslandLapu Lapu
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BOYLA DIVERS INN - Specialty Inn Reviews (Lapu Lapu, Philippines) - Tripadvisor

Frequently Asked Questions about Boyla Divers Inn
Which popular attractions are close to Boyla Divers Inn?
Nearby attractions include Shangs Island Town Center (1.1 km) and Kapre's (0.6 km).
What are some restaurants close to Boyla Divers Inn?
Conveniently located restaurants include Labuyo Native Restaurant, Ace Crab-Mactan, and A Mesa Bbq & Tapas.
Are there any historical sites close to Boyla Divers Inn?
Many travellers enjoy visiting Magellan Shrine (3.1 km).
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