Dive Review of Anila Photo Academy in
Philippines/Anilao

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Anila Photo Academy: "Excellent Way to Improve Photography Skills & Great Blackwater Diving", Oct, 2022, by Rik Pavlescak, FL, US ( Sr. Contributor 23 reports with 19 Helpful votes). Report 12219.
No photos available at this time
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity	N/A
Dive Operation		Shore Diving	N/A
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	An acquaintance recommended that I check out Anilao Photo Academy and I am very glad they did. Rina and Wayne are gracious hosts and go out of their way to make sure that their guests have everything needed to have a great time and meet their photography goals. With clear communication in scheduling my trip, with detailed instructions on where to meet my driver at the Manila airport, through daily check-ins each morning and after every dive, Rina showed that she is concerned for every guest. The resort is clearly designed by divers for divers. My room was spacious and perfect for a photographer. It contained a very comfortable bed with a night stand. Along one wall was a lengthy (8' or longer) desk/counter with two shelves above it and an outlet with power strip and over counter light. Perfect for laying out photography gear,miscellaneous dive gear, batteries, chargers, etc. Also useful for laying out clothing, as there is no dresser. There are several hooks on the wall for hanging clothes, and the night stand has a shelf as well for clothing. As mentioned, the desk/counter is long and I had plenty of room for everything I brought. The air conditioner in the room worked perfectly, and I was able to adjust it as needed. Meals included cooked eggs or pancakes for breakfast, along with fresh fruit and juice. Lunch and dinners included protein (pork, fish, chicken) with rice and salad, along with ice cream for dessert. The layout of the resort is perfect. Rooms are one floor up, and downstairs is the dining area, adjacent to the camera room. Each diver has a designated space with a powerstrip for charging batteries and a compressed air gun. Just a few steps away are rinse tanks for gear and cameras and hanging racks for wet suits. And a few more steps to the water's edge, where the bangkas pull up. At first I was a bit concerned about getting onto the bangka via the plank that was positioned in the water to walk up. But I quickly discovered it had "steps" built into it and the crew was there every time to lend a hand as each guest boarded and disembarked. I never had a problem. A backroll from the side of the bangka commenced each dive. The area is known for macro life and my guide Jason was expert in finding the critters. It's worth paying for a private dive guide--they are not only great spotters, but willing to help by holding a snoot, suggesting best angle to photograph a subject, etc. The resort specializes in black water dives--typically doing 2 a night--but willing to do more upon request. The variety of larval and juvenile critters is amazing. There is a photo instructor, Tim, at the resort. While I didn't take a class, every time I saw him, he asked how my photos were turning out and he provided useful recommendations on settings for my camera. I also noted that there are many different pieces of equipment (lenses, snoots, etc.) that divers can borrow/try out to see how they work for them. One incident that demonstrates the level of service that Rina and her team provide: my camera housing flooded on a morning dive, and my camera was "fried". Rina offered me her camera to use on the next dive (which I declined) and then got a "spare" from another boat for me to use for the next dive. She also started making calls to identify a shop in Manila that sold my camera so I could buy a replacement. When we got back to the resort after the morning dives, she arranged for a driver to take me to Manila (2 hours away). To my surprise, she and my guide accompanied me to the store to make sure I got to it easily. I bought the camera quickly--we were there for less than 10 minutes--and then we turned around and drove the 2 hours back (after a quick stop through a drive-through restaurant to pick up some dinner). I would have never imagined her to spend 4 hours accompanying me to Manila--but I don't think she could have imagined otherwise. My intention for trip was to work on my photography skills. The comments I received from my facebook friends as I was posting each day's results confirmed that my skills were improving. I was quite pleased with the photos I was able to take. Wayne, Rina, Tim, and other guests were all very open with feedback and suggestions. I didn't take full advantage of all of the expertise around me, but whenever I did ask a question, they were very generous with their time and advice. I have not hesitation in recommending Anilao Photo Academy for underwater photographers who are looking to improve their skills, or those who just want to dive with no restrictions and have access to the many great critters in Anilao. The resort is not for "fussy" or "high maintenance" divers. It is comfortable, with everything needed for a photo-focused diver. It is not a luxurious resort. (Massages were available, but I didn't take advantage of them.) The service, however, is superb.
Websites	Anila Photo Academy [same]
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	501-1000 dives
Where else diving	Costa Brava, Roatan, Key West, Cozumel, Key Largo, West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Grand Cayman, Little Cayman, Cayman Brac, Bonaire, Philippines, Bali, North Sulawesi, St. John, St. Croix, Curacao, St. Eustatius, Fiji, Komodo, Lembeh
Closest Airport	Manila	Getting There	From US--Turkish Airlines from Miami to Istanbul (11 hour flight). Turkish Airlines has a great program for long layovers (9+ hours) where they will transfer you to a hotel and pay for it--and bring you back to airport for your connecting flight. I had an 11 hour layover and then 11 hour flight from Istanbul to Manila. If you can fly in business class, Turkish Airlines is a treat--and they have a great lounge in Istanbul as well.
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, windy	Seas	calm
Water Temp	82-83°F / 28-28°C	Wetsuit Thickness
Water Visibility	20-50 Ft/ 6-15 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	None
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	yes
What I Saw
Sharks	None	Mantas	None
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	None	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals	N/A	Tropical Fish	N/A
Small Critters		Large Fish	N/A
Large Pelagics	N/A
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities
UW Photo Comments	Per my review--excellent in room set up, as well as camera area in dive shop with rinse tanks, etc. Boats do not have rinse tanks. Crew members are expert in carefully handling camera gear and carrying it on and off the boats.

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Dive Review of Anila Photo Academy in Philippines/Anilao

Anila Photo Academy: "Excellent Way to Improve Photography Skills & Great Blackwater Diving", Oct, 2022,

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Dive Review of Anila Photo Academy in
Philippines/Anilao