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Catherine S
Christchurch, New Zealand

Sandingan Dive Resort was a fantastic place for our family to stay. Staff were amazing and helpful

5.0 of 5 bubblesReviewed Jul 19, 2018
Our family had a wonderful stay at Sandingan Island Dive resort. The staff were super helpful especially, Nancy who always had a smile on her face. William and Erwin made us feel very comfortable for first time divers. This was a wonderful experience and if you go there, it's such a great opportunity to learn to dive. Snorkelling is also very good. Food at the restaurant was great. Loved the tuna steak. The rooms are even better than the photos look as they are very spacious and immaculately clean.

Would love to come back, and will definitely recommend to friends and family. Kai was also very helpful and knowledgeable
Date of stay: July 2018
Trip type: Traveled with family
5.0 of 5 bubblesRooms
5.0 of 5 bubblesLocation
5.0 of 5 bubblesService
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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.
Erwin v, Owner at Sandingan Island Resort, responded to this review
Responded Jul 20, 2018
Thank you so much for your wonderful review Catherine. Letting us introduce you and your family to the amazing world of below the surface of the sea. Hope we can welcome you again in the future!
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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    Reviews (53)
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    11 - 16 of 53 reviews
    Reviewed May 27, 2018

    This was my second trip to resort and everything was just as good as the first. The resort was quiet and very relaxing. Service was excellent; the owners and top-notch staff are very friendly and caring. The room was comfortable, food was great and portion sizes were very good. I was pleased to see a change to the breakfast menu since my first stay; some additional choices are included with complimentary breakfast. Diving was great and the resort is blessed to have such convenient access to some fantastic reefs. This is a very well run dive resort and I hope to return again someday.

    Date of stay: March 2018
    • Trip type: Traveled with friends
      • Rooms
      • Cleanliness
      • Service
    1  Thank charlieflys
    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.
    Richelle G, Owner at Sandingan Island Resort, responded to this reviewResponded May 28, 2018

    Thanks again for your kind words Charlie, so happy we could welcome you again.
    We look forward to your return some day, guests who come back are so special to us, welcoming back friends makes all of us @ Sandingan Dive Resort feel very happy and appreciated.
    Until we meet again!

    Report response as inappropriate
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
    Reviewed February 22, 2018 via mobile

    We initially came there to try some scuba diving. Now we love diving, thanks to the owner who is absolutely patient, interesting and nice. The restaurant menu ask higher prices than other average and surrounding restaurants, but we know why: food there are so good! So paying around 400 pesos to eat super fresh fish cooked with taste was ok for us. Local people working there are very nice and helpful. The view is from paradise. Highly recommended for diving sessions or initiation.

    Date of stay: February 2018
    Trip type: Traveled as a couple
    Thank Alexis G
    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.
    Richelle G, Owner at Sandingan Island Resort, responded to this reviewResponded February 26, 2018

    Thank you for your review. it was lovely having you both dive with us! You did so great in your Open Water Course and we hope you will enjoy scuba diving in all the next places you visit.
    Thanks again for choosing Sandingan Dive Resort for your starting path to become scuba divers!
    Erwin & Richelle

    Report response as inappropriate
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
    Reviewed February 16, 2018 via mobile

    We loved our stay here. It's a very small resort, total of 8 rooms, with king size beds. I believe the can be turned into 2 singles if so desired. Not sure if there are roll-away beds, etc for smaller kids/infants. Very European flair, built to withstand earthquakes and with very little noise from adjacent room; very unique and clean decor. Large rooms and bathrooms. The green space beyond the shower is one's personal little garden, which gives green and light into the bathroom space, but you cannot access it, but it's completely private. All the rooms face east and have large windows and glass doors, beautiful! But bring an sleep mask if you're a late sleeper and light sensitive. No rooms have ocean view, since they are built along the walkway that's perpendicular to the ocean. There is ok wifi in the rooms and decent in the lounge. Good a/c, and quiet rooms for sleeping.
    The garden space is very beautifully maintained. The pool is nice, though we had to ask for pool towels and only got one each. I prefer having 2, so I can use one as a pillow for reading, but I felt too shy to ask for another. But that's me.
    The restaurant and lounge area is spacious and relaxing. Beautiful view. There is really no beach, it's mostly rocks, and not ideal to swim right from the shore. Since its shallow, you may step on things as you're walking out, and there's lots of seaweed. But you can canoe out and swim/snorkel from there. They built a little man-made sandy area by the shore, but you can't frolic in the waves at the beach, really.
    They offer dive trips, dive courses, snorkeling excursions, and help you book many activities on the main island. The owners are savvy, trustworthy and know their way around, have some good connections.
    Many of their employees live right adjacent of the property, and sleep early at night, so it's not an ideal place for loud, late parties. Because the employees are nearby, there is this little community that has an interest in your safety, and no one comes down the little dirt road toward the (fenced) resort unnoticed. We felt very safe and ended up leaving our room unlocked for the most part. We had our few valuables locked out of sight.
    The employees are all very nice, respectful and helpful. The food was good, if some of the prices seemed a bit random, but for a resort acceptable. We never had the urge to venture outside for food.
    The room rate includes toast, butter, jam, juice that reminded me of Orange tang, and two eggs, no substitutes. I don't eat many eggs in general since I'm vegetarian leaning vegan, but I was able to get fruit instead of eggs, which was nice.
    Their diving/snorkelling equipment seemed of good quality and in good shape, but I'm not very knowledgeable about it.
    It was very quiet, relaxing time we had there and enjoyed ourselves very much.

    Date of stay: February 2018
    Trip type: Traveled as a couple
    1  Thank cbcos
    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.
    Richelle G, Owner at Sandingan Island Resort, responded to this reviewResponded May 4, 2018

    Dear guests, thanks fo your great review.
    I hope next time you will ask for extra towels, we would have been very happy giving you some!
    We do also have roll-away beds for extra people in the room, this option is available.
    We have also since changed our menu around, and our breakfast menu now offers 3 free choices, based on great feedback from guests like yourself it helps us make changes for a better experience.
    Thanks so much,

    Report response as inappropriate
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
    Reviewed January 11, 2018

    Rather new and compact resort situates on the sidelines of villages or services. Sandingan Island Dive Resort is a great combination of style, quality and functionality. Interiors are decorated with good taste, outdoor spaces are homey and smart at the same time. Restaurants terrace is a great frame to the see and palm trees. That is a view we will miss. This is a place were you see and feel that everything in made with heart and great taste.

    Resort has 8 rooms. We had a beautiful family room. Room is spacious, kids had bunk bed. There was a TV in room, no fridge. One wonderful surprise was that we had greenhouse in our shower! While showering you can feel nature and sun from greenhouse’s window.

    Resort has medium-sized pool. On the other side is tiny pool for toddlers or kids who can’t swim yet. Bigger part of the pool is deep and planned to scuba lessons, but you can swim there. Resort don’t have a beach to swim, you need shoes to swim. Next to pool is small but amusing playground with two swings and ”pirate ship”. There is also kids club with lots to do. You don’t have to bring you own swimming toys, because they have things to play with. We borrowed a kayak from resort and paddled to make some snorkeling.

    Our family (2 adults & 2 kids) enjoyed a lot in Sandingan. We stayed there 5 days. When we came there, we were welcomed warmly and with ice tea. Owners were kind and helpful. Also staff was friendly. We had breakfast. Our breakfast was traditional: toast, jam, eggs, juice and tea or coffee. We also ate many other meals in Sandingan, because there is none other restaurants nearby. Food was ok, some meals were good. There were many possibilities, and we ate almost all menu through on our stay.

    We made one day trip to see tarsiers and Chocolate Hills and had lunch cruising in Loboc river. Resort arranged us a driver.

    Date of stay: January 2018
    • Trip type: Traveled with family
      • Location
      • Rooms
      • Service
    Thank Marpoon
    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.
    Richelle G, Owner at Sandingan Island Resort, responded to this reviewResponded May 4, 2018

    Thank you for your kind review. We're very happy you enjoyed your stay with us. Hoping one day we may welcome you back at our resort.
    kind regards

    Report response as inappropriate
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
    Reviewed January 2, 2018

    This is an excellent find for anyone wanting to dive around Cabilao or complete dive training. The resort is very well run and offers clean, comfortable and relaxing facilities. This is really a hidden gem. It's difficult for me to think many places that I can recommended to anyone, whether you are a solo diver, couple, or family.
    The resort itself is small and intimate. There are only 8-10 rooms on the property, so you will receive individual attention from the staff. The rooms are spacious and comfortable. The whole property was recently built and the owners clearly put a great deal of care and effort into the design. Rooms are uniquely furnished, bright, and comfortable. The entire property was well maintained and kept with an attention to detail.
    The staff made this resort stand out. From the owners, to the dive staff, to the service personnel, they all will do everything reasonable to make sure you are satisfied and comfortable. I can't speak highly enough of the warm and friendly hospitality during my say. The food at the resort was very good. Although priced slightly higher than I had expected, meals were delicious and portions were filling. There is plenty of variety on the menu but I hope to see some expanded local and regional choices when I return.
    I completed a dive certification with Erwin, one of the owners, during my stay. Instruction was through SSI, which offers excellent online/electronic learning. Erwin's experience through the practical portion of the course really made it an informative, yet enjoyable experience. The dive center maintains a very high standard of safety and has knowledgable staff and guides. Quality rental gear is available and maintained in excellent condition. Cabilao has some fantastic diving and is only a short (15-20 min) boat ride. The main boat is spacious and comfortable; I don't see it ever being crowded since this is a smaller dive resort. My stay here was great and I can't wait to return!

    Date of stay: December 2017
    • Trip type: Traveled solo
      • Location
      • Rooms
      • Service
    1  Thank charlieflys
    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.
    Richelle G, Owner at Sandingan Island Resort, responded to this reviewResponded May 4, 2018

    Thank you so much for your super kind words Charlie! We can't wait for your return and Erwin is looking forward to diving with you again.
    It is great to see guests come back, and trust us: we will make a special Philippines dinner feast next time you come and visit!
    Until we meet again,

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