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Jeffrey C
Rome, Italy

Dive shop, office staff, housekeeping: great. Kitchen very disappointing.

Review of Scandi Divers
4.0 of 5 bubblesReviewed Feb 19, 2024
I went in 2019, and was more impressed. Don't know if I changed or the resort changed. I know Luke, the former manager, is now managing a resort he owns in Sabang. I had a room near the pool and the wifi took 5 minutes to connect each time. Maybe my standards changed as the room was similar to what I had before, but I did not like it as much.

The instructor Rey is excellent. I did a refresher course in the pool and he taught me well. I learned never to dive without my equipment, which I left at home as I dove 4 of 19 days in Asia and did not lug my gear bag to 8 different cities. Romelle was my dive master, excellent.

He was patient with me as I had some trouble getting used to their gear: weight belt vs. my integrated bcd, my fins are spring loaded vs. having to unbuckle theirs to get off. I should have brought at least my mouthpiece, as I have an underbite and cross bite so I was getting jaw fatigue, which is on me.

The support staff are great: the front desk greeted me upon arrival using my name before I checked in and every contact with any staff, they always greeted me and used my name. The front desk arranged for transportation from Big Lalaguna to Batangas. German works in the dive area and was great. He helped me put on my booties, my 5 mm wetsuit and generally made sure that I was ready to go to the boat. He puts the tank on the bcd, hooks up the lines, and brings the bcd, the fins, and mask to the boat, even before you board. You bring yourself, carrying only your dive computer on your wrist.

My biggest disappointment was the kitchen and the food. The kitchen staff/bartender was unattentive and the food was only so-so. I ordered fried shrimp today and got a cooked shrimp, but I had to peel it, which I hate. The onion rings were soft and no spices. The hashbrowns with breakfast was a hard hockey puck. This is a little thing, but they serve bread at breakfast, not toast on the Americana breakfast. Next store to Scandi is La Laguna Beach Club.

Their food is better, cheaper, and more food. The staff is very attentive and have great personalities. LaLaguna Beach Club's menu was 20 pages, not the 10 at Scandi and the food was more inspired, like Scandi had a cook, but LaLaguna Beach Club had a chef. Maybe I nit pick, but LaLaguna Beach Club served toast with their breakfast, ketchup with their "normal" hash browns, had nicer silverware, and salt and pepper shakers, and already had extra napkins on the table, wehreas at Scandi, i had to ask for additional napkins. The dining alone would make me consider LaLaguna Beach Club. I probably won't go back to Puerto Glara again and try an other islend in the Phillipines for my next trip.
Date of stay: February 2024
Room Tip: Eat next door at Big Club next door. Food more plentiful, cheaper, and much more tasty. Wait...
Trip type: Traveled solo
4.0 of 5 bubblesValue
4.0 of 5 bubblesLocation
4.0 of 5 bubblesService
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Reviewed February 12, 2024 via mobile

We spent 6 days with Scandi divers in Puerto Galeria Phillipines. We were greeted with water bottles, lunch and an excellent briefing of our week. The rooms were clean, the views of the ocean was perfect, the food was beyond fabulous and we he customer service was the best I have ever experienced in my entire life. Staff was friendly, efficient, compassionate, witty, and very knowledgeable on the history of the area. The diving was perfect and the dive masters and guides Larry and Mike were amazing.

Room tip: You have to be patient with your timing. Enjoy the drive and the view to the resort from Manila.
Date of stay: February 2024
Trip type: Traveled with friends
1  Thank Scubaonabudget
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.
Scandi Divers Puerto Galera Philippines, Sales at Scandi Divers, responded to this reviewResponded April 27, 2024

Hi Scubaonbudget,

Thank you very much for taking the time to share your experiences from your recent diving vacation with us at Scandi Divers. We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed every aspect of your stay, from your room to the food we served, our dedicated staff, and of course, the scuba diving experience.

We aim to provide a memorable experience to all our guests, and your feedback is greatly appreciated as it helps us to continually improve our services. Knowing that you had a positive experience is the greatest reward for us.

We truly hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back in the near future . Until then, safe travels and keep diving!


Warmest regards,
Your Scandi Divers Family

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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Reviewed January 26, 2024

I did my advanced PADI with Scandi. The dive team were fantastic, really helpful and professional. We got to do some lovely dives in the area and the instruction was very clear. The other staff were fantastic too, very friendly and helpful. They helped me organise the next leg of my journey via vans and buy a ferry ticket which was difficult to get without a philippino phone number! Special mention to Anie, who was brilliant.

The amenities are very good. The food was really tasty and reasonable. The coffee is some of the best I’ve had in the Philippines too.

The room was nice, clean with tv and WiFi. The shower and en-suite was nice too. Lovely views across the bay.

Date of stay: January 2024
  • Trip type: Traveled solo
    • Value
    • Location
    • Service
Thank jamespP9778EB
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.
Scandi Divers Puerto Galera Philippines, Sales at Scandi Divers, responded to this reviewResponded April 27, 2024

HI jamespP9778EB !

We are so thrilled you decided to pick our resort for your PADI advanced certification.

It brings us joy to hear that you had a fantastic time both staying with us and exploring the underwater world.


Looking forward to having you back soon!

Warm regards,

Your SCANDI DIVERS FAMILY

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Reviewed January 2, 2024

Biggest standout: the staff. Incredibly warm, friendly, attentive. The resort is a community where the guests were involved with their chats and banter. There was no pomposity, no over-the-top groveling service, the staff genuinely care for their guests as if you’re a community member. Food: great, massages: amazing, view: outstanding. We went scuba diving there and my 8 year old did the BubbleMaker introductory dives. Our dive masters and dive staff were friendly, yet efficient, light-hearted yet very professional. Safety conscious and all equipment worked well. The rooms need some upgrading and were missing some extras that could have made the rooms more comfortable: towel racks, a small cupboard, some extra hooks. However, the basic amenities were there: comfortable bed, tv, mini fridge, hot water. And our front door led straight to the beach. The beach itself is not Bondi Beach white sand but the marine life is extensive. My daughters loved going out in the morning during low tide and explored the rock pools and investigating all the different creatures. Then during high tide, did the same thing but with a snorkel. Overall, leaving Scandi was a bit sad, it felt like we were leaving a warm home. No doubt, we will be back. The resort has left a mark in our hearts.

Date of stay: December 2023
  • Trip type: Traveled with family
    • Value
    • Location
    • Service
1  Thank Danakayako
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.
Scandi Divers Puerto Galera Philippines, Sales at Scandi Divers, responded to this reviewResponded April 27, 2024

Dear Danakayako,

Thank you very much for taking the time to share your experiences from your recent diving vacation with us at Scandi Divers.

We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed every aspect of your stay, from your room to the food we served, our dedicated staff, and of course, the scuba diving experience.

We aim to provide a memorable experience to all our guests, and your feedback is greatly appreciated as it helps us to continually improve our services. Knowing that you had a positive experience is the greatest reward for us.

We truly hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back in the near future for another adventure.

Best regards,
Your Scandi Divers Family

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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Reviewed December 8, 2023

Fantastic diving. Wonderful staff. Great food. What else do divers need? Three comfortable well maintained boats. Expert dive masters and boat staff. (DM Mike pointed out an endless variety of nudis and found two different flamboyant cuttlefish on a single day!) Almost all dive sites are less than 10 minutes away. Truly a full service dive operation. (If you like, your gear will be assembled, dis-assembled and rinsed every day.) Hotel staff were all incredibly personable and welcoming; they knew everyone's name after the first day. The food was amazing - from the mango pancakes for breakfast to the baked treats between dives to the mango float for dessert. Be sure to ask bartender Eric about the calamensi margarita. Oh and how about a massage between or after your dives? On-site and not expensive. If you can tear yourself away from the resort, Sabang is an interesting small town a short walk five minutes away. Our week went by waaaay too fast but we WILL be back SOON!

Date of stay: November 2023
Trip type: Traveled with friends
1  Thank D L
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.
Scandi Divers Puerto Galera Philippines, Sales at Scandi Divers, responded to this reviewResponded April 27, 2024

Hi dlW6592EA


It was a delight to welcome you to our little slice of paradise, and we are thrilled you had such a wonderful getaway.

Our terrific staff strives to ensure all our guests have everything they need and will be glad you appreciated their exceptional service.

We eagerly await your return to give you another round of world-class scuba diving, exquisite dishes, impeccable service and great stays.

Sincerely,
Your Scandi Divers Family

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Reviewed November 29, 2023

This was my 5th trip to Scandi in the past two years - I cannot say enough great things about this place - a true diver's style resort. First and foremost - the staff is the most welcoming and friendliest I've ever met traveling the world anywhere! The dive staff is passionate and full of local knowledge, and the diving itself is amazing - they don't call it the center of marine biodiversity in the world for nothing! The rooms are clean and comfy with plenty of hot water and cold aircon and the food is spectacular. Highly recommend visiting!

Room tip: Be sure to schedule your arrival into Manila early enough to catch ferry or water taxi - the resort can help you set this up!
Date of stay: November 2023
  • Trip type: Traveled with friends
    • Value
    • Location
    • Service
1  Thank N909ZElisas
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.
Scandi Divers Puerto Galera Philippines, Sales at Scandi Divers, responded to this reviewResponded April 27, 2024

Hi N909ZElisas


What a pleasure to read your outstanding review of your recent visit to Scandi Divers!

On behalf of our team, we're humbled to have earned your recommendation. We strive to provide our guests with everything they need to truly enjoy their time here in the Philippines.

It would be our privilege to host you again should your travels bring you back to our island paradise.

Sincerely,
Scandi Divers Team

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