Donsol, The New Attraction of Philippines

There is always more to the country than what you can find in travel magazines or even through the articles like this one. Take the Philippines for example, you will find thousands of articles on just how vibrant and lively is the nightlife of its capital Manila or what a gemstone of a city is its historical centre Cebu. But these two cities are not the only attraction that the islands of Philippines can offer to the tourists. Will you like to swim along the whales the largest mammal in the world and that too in one of the clearest water that you will ever find? If the answer is yes then, Donsol once a small remote fishing village and now the centre of the attention of the foreign tourists because of the number of shark whales that pass along its waters, is the place you will not want to miss out on.

It’s still by in large a remote fishing village so there is no airport here if you are arriving from abroad then you will have to take a cheap flight to the Philippines and then either you can hire a car for the rest of the journey or make it through the local bus service that runs from the capital to the Donsol. After arriving at Donsol you will first have to register with the Donsol Visitor Center just a mile away from the village that will cost a small fee for your stay in the village. You can also hire the boat to take to take you to the sea from the centre and it will be a good idea to tag along with a small group that is going to sea rather than going alone as there is quite a hefty fee for hiring the boat.

Snorkeling and scuba diving kits are available from the center but they are limited and if you arrive late in the day it is a possibility that you will not find any kit left in the center plus you can hire it for only one session of one hour and then you will have to return it to the center so it will be a good idea to bring your own kit along with you.

Also, read: The Best Islands And Beaches Of Philippines

The concentration of whales in the water along Donsol is so high that it is not a matter of will you see them or not but just a question of how many of them will you see. This is their regular path from which their flocks move each day in search of food and you will be amazed to see just how well organized these creatures are when they move in groups. You can scuba dive and observe the marine life of the waters of Donsol or put on your snorkelling kit and swim with the groups of these whales.

The only problem you can face during a vacation in Donsol is the fact that the tourism infrastructure is pretty basic and there are not many hotels and resorts to stay in. Although the authorities are working hard to provide lodging to the tourists till new hotels start opening up in the area you can either stay at the few small hotels that are already there or camp out on the beach which can be an awesome experience in itself.