When to come to Sogod Bay and Padre Burgos Southern Leyte Philippines

Weather
The weather in Sogod bay Southern Leyte is quite different to the rest of the Visayans. Unfortunately it gets put into the same weather patterns as say Cebu, Malapascua and Bohol.

Sogod Bay is surrounded by high mountains and is protected from prevailing winds so you can dive pretty much 365 days of the year. Another interesting fact about Sogod Bay is it is just out of the typhoon belt.

Diving Season
The best times to visit for good diving, weather and water viz are between the months of May through to about September.
The weather at this time is superb the water viz is up to 35 metres and there are plenty of small and big critters around eg nudiebranchs frog fish, pygmy seahorses, manderine fish, pegsus fish to name just a few and the water temp is around 28 to 29 C.
Also there are not crowds of divers, Sogod Bay and Padre Burgos is still off the major tourist track.

Whale sharks

If you want to come and see the whalesharks, the best time to come is between the months of  November through to the end of April.

The dive operators do not guarantee sightings but historically if there is plankton around and water temp has dropped they will be there. The best months to see whale sharks historically are January February March.

This time of year is very busy for the dive operators so book early. Whale sharks like to eat grill, jellyfish and plankton so the water viz drops down to 10 - 15 metres (this is still better than Donsol) water temps also drops to around 25-26C. Just remember they are wild.

Travelling to Sogod Bay and Padre Burgos Southern Leyte Phillippines

Travelling to Southern Leyte is not that hard as long as you know the right way to do it. I thought that I would give a few tips on travelling to Sogod bay. There are a few ways to get here.
If you are travelling from Manila I believe the best way is to fly into Tacloban which is the capital of Leyte. There are about 3 flights a day from Manila and Cebu Pacific and Philippines airlines service this route. From Tacloban airport you can take a bus down to Lungsodaan where most of the dive resorts are. The trip takes around 5 hours and is quite a scenic ride. Also you can catch privates hires which most of the dive resorts will arrange for their customers this takes around 3 hours. You can also catch vhires from Tacloban and the town of Sogod.  

If you are coming from Cebu there are a number of ferrys which leave Cebu  for Leyte. The Kinswel ferry line and Roble ferry line travel from pier 3 in Cebu to Hilongos/Leyte. Hilongos ferry terminal  is around 1.30 hours away from Lungsodaan, Padre Burgos you can catch a bus or Vhire from ferry terminals.

The Cokaliong ferry leaves from peir 1 to Maasin City Southern Leyte which is about 20kms from Lungsodaan takes about 40 mins to to get to dive resorts in Lungsodaan

Other options are catching the Supercat ferry from Cebu to Ormoc it maybe quicker but you than have a 3 hour trip from Ormoc to Lungsodaan.

In the last couple of year a new ferry from Ubay/Bohol to Maasin Southern Leyte has started.


For further info please contact info@sogodbayscubaresort.com


http://www.sogodbayscubaresort.com

Accommodation in Padre Burgos and Macrohon area of Southern Leyte Philippines

Dive resorts

Lungsodaan, Padre Burgos, Southern Leyte 

Sogod Bay Scuba Resort

offers several choices of accommodation. The original five beach front cottages are located at the main resort, on the beach. There are also four new apartments very close to the resort, which have fantastic views over Sogod Bay and they have cable Tv and bar fridge. The new apartment complex has an undercover entertainment area with a pool table, bar, dart board and facilities for showing movies. The another two cottages are with in this complex, which have no ocean views and are cheaper. All our accommodation has air-conditioning, overhead fans, twin beds, tea and coffee making facilities and a modern ensuite with toilet and hot shower. We allow two persons per room only. All our rooms are cleaned and serviced daily. Checkout is 11am. We offer full restaurant and bar facilities daily from 7am to 9pm. Please let us know in advance if you have any special dietary needs. We have credit card facilities at our resort (Visa, Mastercard). Our resort has backup generator.

http://www.sogodbayscubaresort.com

Peters Dive Resort

We have everything with comfortable dorms ( bunk style and 2 common bathrooms and fan cooled ) to super deluxe accommodation. Dorm accommodation capacity 22pax and cottage accommodation (aircon) 28pax. Total capacity 50pax.
http://whaleofadive.com/


Macrohon, Southern Leyte


     Southern Leyte Divers

Diving resort German operator
http://www.leyte-divers.com/en/




Other Lodgings

Herbings Lungsodaan, Padre Burgos, Southern Leyte.

4 cottages twin occupancy in  They are beach front with aircon, ceiling, fan, hot showers and toilets.





Herman's Lungsodaan, Padre Burgos, Southern Leyte.
2 rooms available twin occupancy, they have aircon, toilet and hot shower in each room.













Nerie's Lungsodaan Padre Burgos Southern Leyte
3 person accommodation 1 single bed and a double bed kitchenette toilet shower aircon












Other resorts

  
Address: Bgy. Asuncion, Macrohon, Southern Leyte

Tel: 053 - 5721023 ; 053 - 5721008

Fax: 053 - 5721009

Mobile: 09303114106 ; 09175562257

Email: info@kuting-reef.com

Website: http://www.kuting-reef.com/

Tangkaan, Padre Burgos, Sogod Bay, Southern Leyte,
6602 Philippines.
Tel: +63 9275488598 / 9174082529
Email: info@padreburgoscastle.com
www.padreburgoscastle.com

Diving at Sunok point

Sunok is not only famous for its whale sharks in recent years it has been made into a fish sanctuary this has transformed it into a fabulous dive site approximately 1 hour boat ride from Padre Burgos. Sunok point starts at around 10 metres a wall similar to a terrace drops down to 20 metres and then at the end drops down to around 45metres. One side of the terrace is a sloping coral reef with beautiful soft corals, fans, barrel sponges and whip corals. The other side of the terrace is a nice wall with huge fans, soft corals, snappers, rainbow runners, surgeon fish and sharks are often seen. Green tree corals and soft corals cover the top of the wall as well as scorpion fish, frog fish, and plenty of fusiliers The current can be sometime strong at this site also nitrox is a must for this dive.

Diving at Santa Sofia (marine protected area)

Santa Sofia marine protected area is a great dive site. It is situated south of Padre Burgos follow the road to Tankaan. This dive can be done from shore or boat. It has an abundance of hard coral mostly around 10 to 12 metres 45 degree coral slope drops down to 25 metres has sandy patches where nudiebranchs and crocodile fish are regularly found. Has been a marine sanctury since 2005. Things to see nudiebranchs, ghost pipe fish, flanboyant cuttlefish, hawksbill turtles, giant travelly, frogfish humped head wrasse and occasional eagle ray.

Diving at Padre Burgos pier (ultimate night dive)

Padre Burgos jetty or pier is one of the best night dives in the Philippines. It is situated in the town of Padre Burgos. You are able to dive this site on Mondays Wednesday and Fridays. Three dive operators in the area dive this site on a regular basis. Maximum depth is around 5 metres viz is always around 15 - 20 metres. Things to see seahorses, frog fish, stargazers, reptilian eels, blue ringed octopus, nudiebranchs, flying gernards, squid this is just a small list of marine life to expect. It is a true muck dive so be warned there is alot or rubbish around the site. This site is a must for any photographer or diver who wants to see something different.

Diving at Whip City

Whip city is located near Bunga Bend approximately 7km north of Padre Burgos. The dive site is a huge mound or shoal which is heart shape. On the top of shoal are whip corals, large table corals and huge gorgoian fans. Plenty of sweet lips and mid night snapper. Occasionally, eagle rays and sharks are seen. The top of shoal is at a depth of 27 metres and drops off down to about 70 metres. This site has huge possibilities for seening some thing big. Must be dived on a slack tide as current can be very strong. Nitrox is a must for this dive. (Note sogod bay scuba resort is the only nitrox facility in Southern Leyte)

Diving Napantao (Marine protected area)

Napantao is the oldest marine protected area in sogod bay. Coral Cay Conservation is based in the area so there is not alot of illegal fishing in the sanctury. It is said to be one of the top 10 wall dives in South East Asia.

Napantao is a fantastic wall dive starts at around 13 metres and drops down to around 50 metres. Currents can be a bit tricky, when currents are strong pelagics are often seen. Tuna, wahoo, devil rays, rainbow runners and mid night snappers. The wall is covered with soft corals gorgoian fans and green tree coarls quite breath taking. The best time to dive Napantao is mid morning. The colours are tremendous. There are 2 walls the major one which is shaped like a horse shoe has a big crack at around 42 metres which is full off sweet lips and spotted groupers. We normally dive it from where the prevailing current is coming from and zig zag up the wall. At about 12 metres on top of the wall there is an abundance of marine life and coral. Also a few white tip reef sharks can be found in caves.

The second wall is short but very colourful drops down to about 45 metres frogfish scorpion fish and batfish are often seen on this wall. You can sometimes do both walls in one dive if the current is strong.

Napantao is a must to dive when visiting Sogod Bay.

For futher information contact

www.sogodbayscubaresort.com

info@sogodbayscubaresort.com

 

Diving at Bunga Bend

Bunga bend dive site can be done from the shore or boat. Bunga is a small village about 7km north of Lungsodaan going towards Malitbog. It has superb corals both hard and soft. The dive site has a nice 45 degree sloping coral reef onto a sandy bottom at about 32 metres an outcrop of rocks appear included in the outcrop is a fabulous over hang which drops to about 38 metres. Plenty of gorgoian fans and mid night snappers can be found around the overhang. When the current is strong you can drift up to 2 big coral bommies at about 13 metres. Things to look for on this dive site pygmy seahorses, frog fish,blue ribbon eels and an occasional whale shark

Diving at Voltaires Rock

Voltaires Rock is a fantastic dive site situated just to the left of Sogod Bay Scuba Resort. It is a big outcrop starting at about 26 metres going down to 45 metres. An excellent dive when the current is strong. Plenty of big fish action. Lots of hards and soft corals fans and barrel sponges. There is a nice cave at about 38 metres with groupers and sweetlips to be seen. Eaglerays and an occasional whale shark have been seen at this site also.