La Tortue Diving Center & Beach Resort Dauin — Hotel in Dauin

DO NOT recommend!! (More in depth on my husband's review)

1. Money, money, money, money!! Repeatedly asked for a deposit, weeks and weeks in advance. We assured them we were coming and would pay for our dives immediately upon our arrival in Dauin. We arrived, went straight there, and paid nearly 20,000 pesos for 5 dives each. After that, every time we were there, the pressure to buy, buy, buy from them was beyond uncomfortable and extremely off putting; one could write pages just on that alone.
2. Booked a 2nd day at Apo after the 1st, out of our desire to capitalize on our time there. Of course we were willing to pay for our dives the moment we booked them! But the money changer had no pesos, ATMs have a limit of 5,000 pesos a day, the boat left 1.5hrs late that morning so even if the change house had pesos, they were closed by time we returned, and La Tortue wasn't willing to accept euros or dollars as a sign of intent. They wrote us at nearly midnight, begrudgingly saying they would take the euros and change them for us, as if they thought we would go dive and not pay, despite our efforts to pay on their schedule thus far. We left them the euros, they didn't change them, then lied about it & the exchange rate.
3. Upon waking up for our 2nd day at Apo, I was under the weather and was unsure I would be able to dive. I did not want my husband to miss out, so I would go to snorkel, again for which we had no problem paying.They said my dive gear would still be on the boat in case, and they would bring a snorkel as well. Once we reached Apo, it became clear there was no snorkel on board for me, just a mask, so to avoid just sitting there, I decided to do the 2nd dive. They did not even bring enough tanks on board for their own guides, let alone spares as it protocol, so my husband kindly donated his 3rd tank to me. Even if I had not done the 2nd dive, they would not have had enough tanks to send the appropriate number of guides for the 3rd dive's group size, thus unsafe diving conditions. Marielle said we could have asked around for more tanks. We HAD asked if there was a way to get more tanks and were told it was not possible, a statement which their own guide verified. Never once did the ownership take accountability for their mistakes in gear provision, showed no interest in trying to amicably make up for it, and just requested more money. She outright said that if a diver prepaid, and then could not dive due to being ill/unable, they would not issue a refund and the diver would forfeit any payments, so I am glad we did not prepay. Again, people not interested in pursuing customer service, just money.
4. They requested more money, which we paid, but while expressing our displeasure at their business practices. This was apparently more than they could stomach. Understandably frustrated with their lack of customer service, lies, and money hungry demeanor, my husband left an unsavory, yet truthful, review. That evening, the owner found us in town, waited by our motor bike, and tried to instigate a fight with my husband, an event witnessed by several others. The lack of professionalism and integrity displayed by La Tortue is astounding, and as evidence by other reviews, their go to is to just lie and take zero accountability. Marielle's lie-filled response to my husband's review is a clear example of that. Having issues clearing the ears, yet still performing 6 proficient dives with normal bottom time does not equate to being a nervous diver. A "notorious 1-star reviewer" is also an easily refutable claim. No one but yourself should be embarrassed by the discrepancy between what you charge and what you pay your staff. While their employees are busy prepping food, filling tanks, gathering and cleaning dive gear, going absolutely above and beyond, the owners are alseep and only show up when money is involved. They even mentioned to us how well off they are since his wife comes from money. Sad to see all this from a "Filipina small business owner". If you cannot handle a truthful review, you shouldn't...

TL;DR: Book your stay at La Tortue - you won’t regret it.

Niko and Marielle have created a little oasis that is truly one of a kind. From the beautiful wooden cabins to the amazing food on the menu (my favorite dish was the Adobo) - it’s a MUST if you are staying in Dauin. If you are snorkeling or SCUBA diving, I can’t speak highly enough of this place. Their reef is accessible by shore, and you don’t need to take a boat to see beautiful sea turtles and an abundance of colorful marine life! I’ve gone diving in other parts of the world, and what La Tortue has in their backyard is by far one of the best reef’s I’ve gotten to explore.

I came here with the intention of doing some fun dives, and ended up logging 10 dives and 2 certifications in 5 days (Open Water and Advanced Open Water ). My instructor Laura was incredibly attentive and made the entire process very fun and memorable. Not only is she she extremely knowledgeable, but she’s able to spot sea critters so well that you will will surely encounter some new creatures to add to your log book. Dauin is really known for their macro diving, so it was really enjoyable to explore the small animals that I hadn’t had the chance to encounter in other dives. I also had the opportunity to do a night dive with John, who made my first night dive experience an unforgettable one. If you’ve never done a night dive, this is the place to do it - the ocean is genuinely such a different place at night! I have a new found love for night diving because of my experience at La Tortue. Something I would recommend is paying a small fee to have pictures taken for you and of you during the dive. Ken is an amazing underwater photographer who was able to capture some amazing moments during my dive. I was upset that I forgot my GoPro, but looking back, this worked out better because I was able to just enjoy my dive without focusing too much on taking pictures. So, s/o to Ken for taking incredible photos and videos! Also, since I was doing so many dives, Niko was thoughtful enough to arranged some dives at other reefs which were a short drive away. Marnie was the driver who helped drive and pack the SCUBA gears - he really made the whole process a lot more enjoyable since everything was taken care of. If you are an avid diver, you can also organize a trip to Apo island, which is a short boat ride away. I know of a couple of people who did this, and they all said they had an amazing experience!

In addition to the food and amazing dive sites, what differentiates La Tortue from other places I’ve stayed at are honestly the people. It really is as if one big family is operating this sanctuary, and you will feel like family as soon as you walk in (this was a very impactful part of my experience since I was a solo traveller). As soon as you arrive, Julie and Ryan are there to greet you at the bar, and no matter what you order from the menu, Ate Jo, Gretchen, and Joy put so much care and attention into whatever they prepare - its no surprise everything tastes incredible and is so well presented. I stayed in a beachfront cabin for 1 week, and half-way through my stay, Emma cleaned and changed all of the linens in the cabin which was really great. I thought that I would have a problem with mosquitos and not having A/C, but it wasn’t a problem at all. The bug net around the bed really kept the bugs away, and the breeze from the ocean is more than enough to keep the room cool at night. After 1 week here, I didn’t want to leave, and to me, that testifies to how much I truly loved my time at La Tortue. I’ll...

HORRIBLE DIVE CENTER! I had a very bad experience with this dive center that end up with emergency room, a ripped cornea and the end of my vacation! This business just care about the money and not the divers or the safety. The mask they gave me had a lot of soap and even after rinsing it where the dive master told me to rinse…I got soap in my eye and a huge allergic reaction in my eye while I was under the water. Accident appends in dives but the way they handle the issue is disconcerting. I was completely blinded and couldn’t see nothing and the dive master didn’t take care of me. I dived everywhere in the world and I am an experienced diver but I never felt that much ignored! The dive master didn’t even ask me if I was ok, he was just telling stories about his personal life… when we came back to the dive center I thought they would take care of me but nothing! It was worse because they just gave me ice and told me to go wait in a bench! The owner was there doing nothing and just looking at me….this is the worst experience I had. This ruined my vacation because of their equipment and the way they handle the situation. Thank God I got assistance from other customers on the boat. I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS DIVE SHOP because they just want you money but when something happens they tell you “you signed liability release form” so be careful if choosing this dive center. There are about 20 to 30 dive center in Dauin so pick one good if you don’t want you vacation over like it happened to me! Or choose one that will at least give you help and consideration if something bad happens to you because accident can happened in diving. The matter is how the owner and employees deal with it. Unfortunately they just left me on the side fully blinded with no care. You can see my cornea completely ripped on the pic !! PLEASE BE CAREFUL DIVING IS SERIOUS SO GO TO A SERIOUS DIVE CENTER.

How can you give that fake answer ! You were absolutely not on the boat and you didn’t even come to see me when I came back blinded and injured!!!And Glenn the dive master did not even ask me if I was ok! So he didn’t give me a tissue, my friend did! Excuse me how can I be more clear when I tell everybody I am in pain my eye is swollen like crazy! I can’t open my eyes. The five master needs to come to me at least so I can tell him how much I’m suffering….. And I didn’t care about the refund stop lying! I asked for kindness and reactivity!! You have to stop lying because this is a serious issue. I can’t believe you still continue to denied. You are a bad dive center and when something happens you just don’t care so at least be honest with the future divers! Your husband the owner didn’t stay one hour with me ! Lied again. He told me to wait on a bench …leaving me there for one hour! This is the true. I can’t believe that you are lying instead being understanding. You ruined my vacations and I have a destroyed cornea. What else do you need to change? A...