Shangri-La Mactan, Philippines 5-Star Dive Resort

Home to more than 7,000 islands and hundreds of premier dive sites, the Philippines is the mecca for diving enthusiasts everywhere, with its tranquil turquoise-clear waters, abundant marine life and rich underwater scenery. The protected coral reefs off Cebu offer some of the best diving in the Philippines and some of the best-preserved reefs on earth.

Lying on the eastern side of Mactan Island is the Shangri-La Mactan Resort & Spa, an accommodation encompassing 547 suites and guest rooms surrounded by lush, abundant flora. This upscale seaside resort and spa has been cited as one of the world’s best dive retreats by numerous travelers and dive enthusiasts for several years running, and currently holds TripAdvisor’s 2015 Travelers’ Choice.

From shallow dives to 30-meter (98.5-feet) depths, canyons to caves, hard corals to archeological wonders, the resort boasts a variety of diving excursions to suit all tastes and levels of experience. Shangri-La’s on-site dive operator Scotty’s Dive Center leads three one-dive, return-to-resort trips daily, with night dives every evening and day-long dive excursions available to those interested.

Start your diving adventure at Tambuli—a great site for macro photographers to shoot angelfish, tiny anglerfish and the elusive Mandarin fish, all around a small plane wreck. Deep dive into Thresher Point the next day in search of the thresher shark, before heading off to see Moorish idols, parrotfish and sea snakes on the coastal dive at Agus. For advanced dives, Marigondon Cave explores breathtaking topography, with an opportunity to watch as flashlight fish illuminate the cave’s Grotto.

A dive site that should not be missed is the Shangri-La Mactan Sanctuary, a protected marine habitat covering more than 1,000 square meters of thriving coral and premier marine biodiversity. Scotty’s Dive Center also operates several technical dive excursions through the Liloan ferry wreck, the saltwater limestone cavities of Caubian Cave, and the delicate structure of the Pawod Freshwater Cave System.

Experience the unforgettable. Book your trip to scuba diving paradise at the five-star Shangri-La Mactan Resort & Spa on Mactan Island in Cebu, Philippines.