Eagle Point Dive Resort, Mabini, Anilao | A First Timer's Weekend Dive

One Sunday morning, the Stokedtraveler and his friends head to a road trip down to Anilao, Batangas. The plan was to go to a dive resort, try diving and catch up on long missed conversations. 

Eagle Point Resort

There were a few options for the resort. Aiyanar beach resort seemed to be the best looking but also cost the most as they charge on a per head basis. Scubabro Dive resort was fairly priced but seemed to have fewer activities in store for non-divers. Others that were considered were Acacia, Vivere Azure, Seas Spring Resort and Eagle Point Dive Resort. Of this list, Eagle Point Dive Resort was chosen for the trip for its overall appeal, variety of activities and the additional room discount care of the Stokedtraveler’s Agoda booking link.

Travel 

Check out the resort’s website for driving directions. They provide you various options and are also willing to take your call (until 5pm only on weekdays) for more directions. The Stokedtraveler and his friends brought with them Marley (the so-named Ford Fiesta of the Stokedtraveler). They drove for about 3 hours following a GPS navigation app downloaded on his mobile phone. Going all the way to the rotunda welcoming you to Mabini, Anilao was easy. The difficult part was looking for the so-called private parking area for guests of Eagle Point Resort. The road narrows as they continued on the trail on the GPS map. They first stopped at one parking area only to find out that it was the parking area for buses and coasters. They were directed to take the path deeper into the mountain cliffs and onto narrower roads. The up and down slopes were quite steep and the Stokedtraveler literally had to adjust his seat to see better (it was that steep). The resort directions did mention that the private cars needed to be parked in the parking area because driving to the resort proper required a certain level of skill. A few quick up-down slopes and they finally reached the parking lot. The Stokedtraveler and his friends thought that the hard part was over. They quickly realized it wasn’t when they were asked to ride the shuttle going to the resort. The trail was crazy and perilous. It was a combination of up and down slopes with a few diagonal inclined curves. It’s something that is really better left with the pros to drive on.

Accommodation

The standard cottage sea view was awesome. It doesn’t look much from the outside but what’s inside is more than what is expected of a standard room. It is a high ceiling room with sliding doors opening to a veranda with a spectacular view of the ocean. The veranda has 2 chairs and a coffee table which makes as a good spot to catch up on long conversations. The room has so-so air conditioning and the bed was just ok. 

It wasn’t hot but something in the air conditioning unit didn’t seem right. The bathroom looks fine too except for two things: There was no hot water and no exhaust fan. 

Wi-Fi connectivity was available but guests would have to pay extra for it. There are other features on the room like a personal ref, an LCD TV and a safety deposit box. Overall, the room still exceeds the expectations for a standard room. (Book a room via the StokedTraveler to get great Agoda Hotel deals)

Food

Many visitors have had mixed views on the food offered by the resort. The stokedtraveler will be one to say that there wasn’t anything remarkable about the food. There was nothing wrong with it either. It tasted OK. 

Except for being pricey with an additional service charge and being the only place to eat at while staying in the hotel, it was OK. Do remember that the kitchen closes at 10 PM and they don’t always have buffet. The availability of the buffet is dependent on the number of guests currently staying in. 

Breakfast buffet selection

Although their policy states that bringing food isn’t allowed, you may slip in some bread and quick fix meals in case you’re the type to get hungry late at night.

Activities

One of the reasons the Stokedtraveler chose the resort is because of the variety of activities they offered compared to the other dive resorts within Anilao. Other than having a reef right in front of the resort, they also have 2 swimming pools in the main area and another pool at the south end. They also have an aviary within the resort premises. The game room has a billiard table and table tennis but this section of the resort seemed to have been forgotten and not well kept. For those looking for a beach area, they also have a private beach (Sepoc Beach Center) which you can go to for a certain boat fee. They also offer a lot of diving spots for the more skilled divers.

Aviary

South End Pool, guests can have a stunning view of the sunset while enjoying less attention from everyone else entering the resort

Another of the Stokedtraveler's sunset shots

Dive

Being first time divers, the Stokedtraveler and his friend availed of the intro dive course. Initial thoughts running through the Stokedtraveler’s mind was that he might end up drowning (not a good swimmer), he might run into a shark (though they said it would be lucky) or he might see a shark, panic and end up drowning (or eaten alive) all at the same time! Of course none of those happened. 

However, he did learn that the dive equipment was heavy (about 60 kgs). Contrary to what the lady in the dive center said, it is actually safe for non-swimmers (just don’t panic when the regulator slips from your mouth or when water gets into your mask). The dive vest has its own floatation feature that allows you to go up when you are in panic mode. Swimming using fins is also harder than it looks. Equalizing needs a lot of practice to master. You’ll think you got it figured out but it gets harder as you go deeper in the water. 

Underwater life is beyond any word the Stokedtraveler can think of. Seeing it upfront was one of his childhood dreams and he is blessed to have experienced it already. It isn’t very easy especially because diving can be quite a technical hobby that could mean life and death. But, it is really rewarding to have that experience of a lifetime to be part of the lucky few who managed to go through it. It is definitely worth another shot to dive someday.

Salt water pool for non-open water dive sessions

Service

The resort staff is generally accommodating. There are a few who are less welcoming but majority of them are willing to gesture a smile and a greeting when passing by. The lady at the dive shop wasn’t very encouraging to first time divers. Although most blogs would say that diving doesn’t require a lot of swimming expertise, she seemed to discourage weak swimmers from trying. She even gave the Stokedtraveler the impression that weak swimmers would be a burden to the dive master. Well, that is the point of having a one-on-one dive lesson to begin with right? Except for her, everyone else from the front desk, restaurant, room service and even the security was polite and made the stay pleasant.

Sepoc Beach Center 

It is approximnately 20-30 minutes boat ride from Eagle Point Resort to Sepoc Beach Center. Depending on the wind condition, the ride can be bumpy and to an extent death-defying (just kidding). Expect a lot of water splashed at you even before reaching the area. The ride gives you a scenic view of the surrounding islands. 

You can stay all day on Sepoc Beach. You can swim, snorkel or even hike the trail of one of the hills to get a good view. If swimming or snorkeling, it is highly recommended to wear swim shoes. The stokedtraveler came across sea of urchins big and small occupying areas just near the beach. It was discouraging to swim after such a sight but one has to make the most out of it anyway. It was a good snorkeling spot but maybe the reef right in front of the resort is a better choice. The beach isn’t sandy. It is full of crushed corals which can be quite painful to step on. 

Another noteworthy sight on the island is the flock of crows freely roaming about the dining area. The Stokedtraveler hasn't been that close to a crow before. Admittedly, the Stokedtraveler has always had an irrational fear of birds. They are nice to look at when there’s a cage in between but never in the wild. 

All these said, Sepoc Island is a remote island and a good place to disconnect from the world. You can plan your whole day sorting out your thoughts and return back to the resort as refreshed.

In Summary, Eagle Point Resort is an upscale dive resort in Anilao. It offers good quality accommodation and service but at an extra cost (literally because almost everything has a 10% service charge). It is a great choice for those divers/would-be divers who are coming with non-diving friends or family. Non-divers can enjoy the resort’s facilities while the rest can go diving. It is best to go there when you can take your personal transportation. Otherwise, it might be more of a hassle to even get to the parking area

Diving is good but the Stokedtraveler will always choose a more convenient surfing session anytime.