Ultimate Luxury Philippine Resort Group Trip 2025

Dive Overview

The resort's instructors and guides are highly trained and know how to get you to fantastic dives. They offer small group diving and the guests' requests are accommodated within safety limits. They also offer flexible dive options. 

At Dumaguete, you can take full advantage of some of the world’s best scuba diving. The world-renowned Apo Island with its walls, stunning coral, and schooling fish is a short boat ride away. Some of the world’s rarest critters compete for the underwater photographer’s attention along the Dauin coastline near Dumaguete in the Philippines. The area is often frequented by underwater photographers in search of exquisitely rare shots.

The night dives are also stunning, as are the mandarin fish dives at dusk and the fluoro dives where you can see the underwater world in a completely new light.

Bluewater owner, Scott Gietler, says: 'July is a great time to visit Dumaguete. I've done Dumaguete twice in July and weather has been very nice - calm and not windy. You get some rain but only a brief shower which freshens the air.'

See our Guide to diving Dumaguete. 

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Inclusions

• 7 nights / 8 days accommodation, double/twin share in a Deluxe Suite
• Private round trip transfers between Dumaguete airport/ferry terminal and Atmosphere
• 7 days diver’s full board meals (breakfast, 1-course lunch, and 3-course dinner including one beach barbeque night and one BBQ lunch on the boat on an Apo Island trip)
• 15 dive package (daytime dives including Apo Island trips, tanks, weights, dive guide services, and all daytime marine park and underwater camera fees) *Night dive/Mandarin dive surcharge and night marine park fees not included
• Complimentary Nitrox fills for Nitrox certified divers
• Complimentary checkout dive (guided daytime dive with shore entry/exit, including tanks, weights, dive guide, and sanctuary fees)
• Complimentary Group Wine Tasting
• Complimentary 30 Minute Executive Back Massage
• Complimentary Marine Life Presentation
• Complimentary Wi-Fi, filtered drinking water throughout the resort, and in room tea and coffee, use of our 24 hour outdoor gym
• Optional complimentary visit to Atmosphere Soup Kitchen (Mon-Fri)
• Includes all government taxes (excluding airport fees)

Read about out previous Dumaguete Photo Workshops here:

Dumaguete 2024 Trip Report by Nirupam Nigam

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Trip Type

This trip is a PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP. It will be led by one of our photo instructors who will provide daily instructional tutorials, in-water photography support (when appropriate), and one-to-one advice and guidance, as required. Each workshop offers a bespoke syllabus, crafted by the trip leader and detailed on the trip webpage. While our Photography Workshops are aimed at divers with an interest in underwater photography, anyone is welcome to join.

Learn more about what's included in this trip type.

Trip Syllabus

Dumaguete offers an amazing range of underwater photo opportunities, and this workshop will be a great chance to improve your knowledge and skills while getting in some great diving.  Our program is designed to take advantage of this area’s rich photographic potential by interspersing our dives with daily presentations and discussions, providing an ideal opportunity for learning.  Reinforcing lessons covered in our daily classroom sessions, we’ll be doing several dives each day, followed on some days by a review of the previous day’s images.  This combination of day-in, day-out shooting, while regularly evaluating and discussing our images is an unbeatable way to quickly improve your results, learn new techniques, gain inspiration, and come home with images you are proud of.  It’s also a lot of fun!   

Subjects Covered

Our time in Dumaguete will undoubtedly fly by, and even with daily classes, it’s unrealistic to think that we can do justice to every aspect of underwater photography in a single one-week workshop.  So my goal will be to provide you with as much quality instruction as possible on a variety of topics, while maintaining a balance of activities that also includes 3-4 dives a day, snacks, meals, camera setup and maintenance, and maybe a bit of relax time as well.  

Workshop topics will include special considerations for shooting underwater, exposure, reciprocity, choosing appropriate settings, histograms, lighting, composition, subject selection, lens perspectives, shooting angles, marine life behavior, working with models, over/under “splits”, equipment configuration and maintenance, environmental considerations, photo etiquette, and digital editing techniques and considerations.  Since Dumaguete is primarily known as a “critter” destination, we’ll be spending considerable time talking about macro.  That said, between Apo Island and the optional whale shark excursion, we’ll also have 1-2 days with great reef scenery and big animals, so we’ll also include an in-depth discussion of wide-angle techniques.

Typical Daily Routine

While we’ll probably do a bit of fine-tuning the schedule as the week unfolds, this sample should give you an idea of what to expect in terms of organized class activities.  This is in addition to 3-4 dives each day and any individualized, hands-on help you may need or desire, which I am happy to provide as time permits… just ask!  

• Day 1 (Sunday June 29):  Introduction to diving in Dumaguete, equipment preparation, avoiding floods
• Day 2: (Monday June 30): Presentation: Introduction / review of how light behaves underwater, special considerations for shooting u/w, choosing appropriate exposure settings
• Day 3 (Tuesday July 1):
• Afternoon / Evening - Presentation: Maximizing Your Macro
• Choose a couple images for next day’s image review.
• Day 4 – (Wednesday July 2): Presentation: Composition for Underwater Photography, including lens perspectives, working with models, visual storytelling.
• After dinner:  Image Review - Friendly critique and discussion about participants’ images from previous day.  
• Day 5 - (Thursday July 3): Presentation: Wide-angle Underwater Photography, including a review of appropriate camera, lens and strobe settings, exposure strategy, utilizing histograms and equipment considerations.
• Day 6 – (Friday July 4): Apo Island: All day on larger boat, 3 dives – Mini-session between dives 1 & 2: Demonstration on strobe positioning and edge lighting.   Individual instruction on request.
• Afternoon / evening:  Choose 2 images for Saturday’s photo contest and maximum 10 images for guest slide show.  Videographers are welcome to submit short clips as well.  This is always a very popular aspect of the trip, and showcases how much each participant’s images tend to improve over the course of the workshop.  In addition, we’ll also have a little photo contest, where everyone is welcome to submit a favorite photo or two to share with the group.  Winners will not only be recognized, but may even be rewarded with a cool prize! 
• For anyone not doing the night dive: Basics of digital workflow and image editing with Lightroom Classic
• Day 7 – (Saturday July 5): Optional whale shark snorkeling and photography at Oslob
• Evening: Photo contest and guest slide show
• Day 8 – (Sunday July 6):  Departure day for many; others may continue diving depending on individual plans

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About Atmosphere Resort & Spa

Atmosphere Resort & Spa in Dauin, Dumaguete, is one of the best luxury dive resorts in the Philippines, offering excellent diving, impeccable service as you would expect from a 5-star hotel, luxurious and comfortable rooms and a wide array of amenities to please the discerning diver and traveler.

The maximum capacity at Atmosphere Resorts & Spa is around 100 guests. Guests choose from suites, premium suites, apartments, penthouses, or private pool suites, all boasting luxurious linens and 5 amenities.

All rooms come with complimentary breakfast, California king-size beds with luxurious Egyptian cotton linens, solar-heated water, eco-friendly cosmetics, coffee and tea, tropical fruit, energy reduction air-conditioners, flat-screen TVs, WiFi, minibar, rain showers, and a luxury turndown service.

Read the reviews of the Atmosphere Resort & Spa here.

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How To Get There

Trip attendees should fly in and out of Dumaguete through Dumaguete Airport (airport code DGT). Flights may arrive any time on June 29. Return flights should be made at any time on the last day of the trip (July 6). Airport transfers are included and travel time is about 20 minutes each way.   

Flight Package 

Our group trips attract guests from all over the globe and many of our customers prefer to book their own flights to take advantage of mileage points or credit card discounts. For these reasons, flights are not included in our group trip packages.

However, we are more than happy to work with you to find the best travel itinerary for your trip and will gladly give suggestions and advice, even if you make the final booking. We will check through your travel reservations at any time to ensure they fit with the trip schedule and can give recommendations on transit hotels and day tours where needed. 

If you would like us to book flights, hotels, and transfers for your domestic and/or international travel on your behalf, we are also happy to arrange this. Contact Us for more information.

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About The Trip Leader

Mark Strickland’s life-long interest in the sea has included over 10,000 dives and careers as a lifeguard, boat captain, and scuba instructor. His passion for underwater photography has led him to many top dive locales, including Virgin Islands, Australia, and Thailand, where he spent 17 years as Cruise Director on a series of liveaboards. Mark now resides in Ventura county, California.

An avid marine naturalist, Mark has discovered several nudibranch species. He is the co-author and principal photographer for Lonely Planet’s award-winning book, “Diving and Snorkeling Thailand”, and his work appears in many magazines, books and displays around the world. Currently, Mark leads several dive trips each year to his favorite destinations, while working on a career-spanning large-format pictorial book.

Read more about Mark here.

Recommended Scuba Gear

• Dive light or torch for night dives. We suggest Kraken NR-2000 Dive Light
• 5mm wetsuit or a 7mm. Browse Wetsuits at Bluewater Photo
• Hood or hooded vest. Check out scuba hoods. 
• Travel BCD. Read our Best Travel BCD Article
• Travel regulator. We suggest Mares Ultra 62X Dive Regulator

Payment Schedule

Deposit: $700

Payment 2: $700 due May 1, 2024

Payment 3: $700 due Oct 1, 2024

Balance due: Feb 15, 2025

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Want to Extend Your Trip?

We can help with that! See more of the Philippines before or after your workshop in Anilao with Bluewater. Flying all that way merits a multi-destination vacation! Here are some examples of packages we can add on to your workshop reservation:

*Rates are subject to change at any time; please contact us for the most updated pricing. 

Snorkeling with Whale Sharks in Oslob

Price: Starting at $170 per person*(must be booked in advance)

*Optional excursion on the last day, which is a non-diving day (July 6)

Fishermen in the province of Oslob started feeding whale sharks in 2011. Since then the sharks have become regular visitors to the area and sightings are almost guaranteed on a daily basis. Over the last 10 years, the local Oslob community have developed a carefully monitored whale shark snorkelling experience which is sufficiently managed to allow for safe whale shark interactions, both for the whale sharks and for visitors.

• Example schedule for the day:
• 05:00am Breakfast available at the resort
• 06:00am Depart from the resort
• 07:30am Ferry from Dumaguete to Oslob
• 08:30am Beach set-up for snorkel
• 09:30am Snorkel with the whale sharks
• 11:00am Lunch break at the beach (BBQ)
• 13:30pm Ferry from Oslob to Dumaguete
• 15:00pm Arrival back at the resort

You will be given a detailed briefing before your trip, but please be aware that you will be asked to leave the water if you touch the whale sharks and that flash photography, the wearing of sunscreen, or the use of gloves is strictly prohibited.

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Photo Gallery

 Underwater Photos 

Photos courtesy of Atlantis Dive Resort Dumaguete

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