Mike's Dauin Beach Resort — Hotel in Dauin

I just had one of the most pleasant experience at Mike’s Dauin Diving Resort, and I feel like I've found a second family. My husband and daughter (Leonardo and Beatrice) had been at Mike’s last year, had a wonderful time, so I joined them this year (also to complete my PADI Advanced Open Water certification). Mike’s (the owner) distinctive leadership is brilliant, with a clear passion for creating a unique and personalized experience for each guest. From the moment we arrived, we were warmly welcomed by the staff, the managers, Kate and James, and Mike who truly made us feel like part of the community and very well looked after. ||What struck me most about this resort when first walking in is the beautiful setting, which blends seamlessly into the natural surroundings. The buildings are designed with respect for the local landscape, using natural materials (like the naturally curved bamboo culms used for the balcony’s balustrades), and incorporating traditional styles in a way that feels authentic and sustainable. This includes a beautiful garden with lovely decorative elements, a nice pool with a running waterfall that provides a sense of joy, relax and harmony. The rooms are spacious, simple and immaculate, as well as the bathrooms and showers. Drinking water fountains (with both hot and cold water) are cleverly placed inside the resort for guests’ use.||It's clear that Mike has a deep appreciation for the environment and the local culture, and this shines through in every aspect of the resort. The resort is also a certified PADI Eco Centers, which means that staff members are trained and proud to reduce the environmental footprint of their operations, demonstrating an exemplary level of environmental best practice. ||But what really sets this resort apart is the sense of community that pervades every aspect of life here. From the open communal lounge near the pool, to the PADI courses and group dives, everything contributes to foster a sense of camaraderie and shared experience that's hard to find elsewhere, especially in larger, more commercial facilities. |The resort staff are friendly, and always willing to go the extra mile to accommodate guests’ needs.|The marine crews, captain, instructors and guides are extremely knowledgeable and trained to work as a perfect team to ensure that every diver has a safe and unforgettable experience onboard Mike’s traditional ‘Banca’ boat (Miley Kate 2). ||As a diver, I was impressed by the incredible marine life and the expertise of my instructor and other dive guides, who showed me hidden gems (like many colorful tiny nudibranchs, small frogfish, ghost pipefish, stonefish, octopuses, flamboyant cuttlefish, etc) and secret spots (eg an underwater thermal spring) that I never would have discovered on my own. |And when I wasn't in the water, I loved relaxing in the veranda outside our comfortable room with a good book, lounging by the pool with a freshly squeezed fruit drink, or chatting with guests both from the Philippines and different countries.||Overall, I would highly recommend this resort to anyone looking for a relaxed vacation and a unique diving experience. The combination of natural beauty, warm and welcoming community, and exceptional management and ownership makes it a truly special place that I will always treasure and recommend to others.||Finally, a special thank to Ace, my dive instructor (who named me “Mama-Lisa”, and I love it!) for being such a cool and patient teacher. Together with Gaby and Roul they make great guides/instructors (I named them The Three Musketeers).|Victor, the Captain of Miley Kate 2, who skillfully (and cheerfully) took us to Apo island through pretty rough seas; Jerry and Jonel, the speedboat (Tatiana 2) operators. Bryan, a boat crew and a true gentleman putting divers’ wellbeing (especially of the not so young like me) before his own needs; together with Edgar (relief captain), part of an amazing boat crew team.|James and Kate, who took care of Beatrice’s rescue training with competence, support and constant praise for every new achievement.||Thank you to Peter, the night guardian and my “good morning” man. |Leah, Mary Joy, Nathan and Jessa who patiently served us at the bar. Julia, Alma, William and Nenita, always busy in the kitchen especially in peak hours for hungry divers!|Mark, Ignacio, Jeffery, Maxrilyn, Jennifer and Tata for keeping the outdoor and indoor environments always clean and tidy.|Joya and Jonalyn, efficient assistant manager and secretary.||Thank you, great job everyone!||Last but not least, we are grateful to Mike for sharing his personal stories, including how he built this beautiful place, one piece at the time.|“Looking forward to come back” was the most common phrase I heard from guests departing the resort and, indeed, my own thought...

My husband and I were on a nine night dive vacation, and the resort's accommodation, restaurant, dive operations, and grounds were exactly what we needed to unwind and enjoy this amazing part of the Philippines. We travelled over the US Thanksgiving Holiday, both a good season for diving in the Philippines, and good value alternative to other popular Thanksgiving dive destinations.

Location and service: It has both secluded beach-front access, and it's a short walk into the charming village of Dauin. Staying in a resort with walkable places nearby is a bonus that we enjoyed. And special shout-out to the staff, who went out of their way for us, including arranging a great non-diving daytrip to the nearby Malatapay Market, waterfalls, and hot spring. I thought it was a great value for what we enjoyed. The friendly and attentive staff were all great and created a really relaxing vacation experience for us.

Diving: We dove (dived) four days in Dauin and three in Apo Island. We did the gamut of "macro" diving to see cute, little critters in the sand, with more than a few we hadn’t seen before in the ~1000 dives we’ve done. And we saw rays, friendly turtles, snakes, and vibrant soft and hard corals. Our talented dive guides Ace and Gabby pointed out all the cool stuff, and the boat crew was skilled, friendly and professional. I saw all levels of divers having fun.

Accommodation: I liked our first-floor room for its cleanliness, air conditioning, and outdoor lounge chairs. We chose a standard room. There are slightly bigger deluxe rooms with a sea view. Our room had a large bathroom and was plenty big enough for us once we organized all the luggage we brought. The Wi-Fi varies across the resort. Our room's Wi-Fi was good enough for our vacation needs. If you're doing the work-remote thing, choose a room closer to one of the access points.

Restaurant: We ate here for most meals since we could time food with the breaks in diving. The food is good. It's a combo of Filipino, western, and surprisingly, Mexican food. The bar is well stocked. I liked the local, craft IPA.

We would definitely return. I’d also note that weekdays were relatively quiet in November 2022, shortly after the removal of the COVID-19 test requirements for incoming visitors. On one day we were the only divers on the boat with 3 boatmen and a dive guide. The Philippines is thankfully open again and they are all waiting for you. Go enjoy it now; we’ll be...

I always liked this place because the ambience is peaceful, the beers are cold and the food is good (even though is little bit pricey as anyone can expect from a resort) and we have been visiting the place several times from the last 8 months. I think we have been here around 5 times, always eating and drinking while reading a book or just chilling on the hammocks. We was always informed by the staff that we will not be charged the p200 entrance fee as long as we consume food or drinks for more of that amount, and we have been always doing that. But today we was there from 1pm to 4:30pm and we decided, before our lunch, to take a dip on the pool. Then we ate and drink as always. Our bill was p1220 but when i ask for the final bill, they charged also p400 as "entrance fee". I was surprised and let the waitress know that we was informed before several times that we wont be charge the entrance fee as long as we consume enough, but she said that we swim at the pool and therefore, there is p200 per head fee. Well, i find this unfair because we was never informed that swimming at their little pool, which we had to clean from leaves by the way, would be a reason to charge. All the resorts, or most of them at least, deduct the entrance fee from the bill, as consumable, or simply dont charge it if the customers bill is up to a certain amount. First of all, there should be clear information about their policies, these seems to be random. And second, they should inform guest always that dip on the pool will get you charged, no matter if u eat/drink at their resto or not. They got my p400 entrance fee but lost a customer forever. Our bills was always over a thousand, i dont go there to abuse their space, but...