Peters Dive Resort — Hotel in Leyte

It's safe to say having read through other reviews, our expectations were high and we were excited for our stay. Unfortunately, we left feeling incredibly disappointed.||I had been communicating frequently with Shelani over email, and she was super helpful and friendly, keen to assist us however she could. She helped us to arrange a private transfer from Hilongos, as we were new to the island and unsure how public transport worked over such long distances. Hence, the resort were aware that we would be arriving around 8pm. When we did arrive, at about 7:30pm, we were given one of the coldest receptions I have ever received. We felt as though our arrival was an inconvenience to the man on reception, who overwhelmed us with documents to sign whilst providing no information about our Whale Shark tour the following morning. As I was asking questions about our tour and about the hotel facilities, he spoke to us condescendingly, and made us feel as though we were a laughing stock. Whilst rushing to sign the documents he's given us, he asked if we had had dinner (we hadn't - we'd been travelling for 14hrs and not been able to eat properly), and pointed out that the kitchen was closing imminently, ushering us over to quickly order food, AND, pre-order breakfast and lunch for the following day all at once. As you can imagine, we were exhausted and overwhelmed by all this, and the patronising, unaccomodating demeanour of the man on reception truly made us feel on edge. ||As instructed, we were downstairs for breakfast at 6:50, and given wetsuits and gear to try on. We were told the previous night that the trip would be departing at 7:30, so we had breakfast and were ready in time. As the time approached 7:30, we were confused that nobody had mentioned anything about the tour, or called us to the boats. Luckily, I spotted a group boarding a small boat ready to set off, and asked if it was the snorkeling tour. Nobody seemed to understand what I meant? And after a few minutes of deliberation, we were also told to board this boat. Even once aboard the main boat, we weren't completely sure we were on the right trip, or if our wetsuits or masks had made it with us.||Thankfully they did, and it turns out we were on the right trip. The tour itself was, actually pretty average? After an hour or so of searching, a shark was spotted, and we were lucky to catch a glimpse of it. Our tour was extended, and after 5 more hours of searching, we didn't see another unfortunately. This is not why my review is poor - we knew what we were signing up for, and even though my partner didn't see the shark, neither of us regret choosing an ethical tour over an unethical feeding tour. It is true that they have spotters looking out for sharks, and we were pleased to see that there were ethical measures put in place to protect the sharks from too much disturbance. However, while the guides were friendly enough, we would have loved some info and engagement about the area we were searching and about the sharks themselves. The tour was okay, but definitely not what I was expecting given previous reviews.||Unfortunately, while some of the resort staff were amicable towards us, we did feel very inhospitable vibes from many of them, and still a few days later, I am struggling to realise why this might have been. I've never felt uncomfortable or unwelcomed in a hotel before, and it really dimmed our experience.||As for the resort itself, the communal showers were vile (and we've stayed in some questionable hostels before), the rooms were average, but the restaurant food was actually quite cheap with a decent menu size.||It seems like our experience was very unlike others' who have stayed here, but we both left feeling let down and...

Stayed here for 8 nights, traveling solo. Did two dives and the whale shark trip. Here's everything:

Positives:

-Biggest positive is the staff. Everyone was SO FRIENDLY and in a very genuine way. Absolutely wonderful people. Dino runs the dive center and he's super chill. I hurt my neck my first day here and he had zero problem canceling a dive and was even insistent that I not worry and just wait until I was feeling good so I could enjoy it. Restaurant staff were attentive, polite, and generally super nice. Managers of the resort were just as wonderful. Dives guides were awesome.

-I did both dives with Berlino and he was excellent. He even asked me to move my juck dive from one spot I had picked to another, because he knew I love flamboyant cuttlefish and he had seen more at the other site. And we did see them, thanks to him! Night dive at the pier was as amazing as you've heard about.

-Prices were very reasonable. Rooms, food, and diving. Nothing was the cheapest I've ever seen but it was all very reasonable especially for a place this far out. Private room on the beach with a private porch with hot water and AC for around 30usd a night.

-Resort had a pool and a small place with some gym equipment, pool table, and places to chill outdoors and indoors. I didn't use the pool as it was pretty cold and the sun is only on it half the day, but I'm always cold haha. Most guests would find it perfect and a welcome refuge from the sun.

Negatives:

Honestly nothing too negative but there are a few things to consider

-The resort is isolated. You can get to town in 30min walking or a 15p tricycle ride, but even in town there aren't many options for eating or nightlife. But I still loved the walk and did it a few times. The local people here are so friendly and everyone waves and smiles and says hi.

-Because it's not a tourist spot, limited options for food. The resort restaurant was pretty reasonably priced especially for a dive resort, and that's where you'll mostly be eating. Mostly western dishes, but there are a few local options available as well. Great breakfast!

-If it's raining, you'll have to get a little wet to go to the restaurant or dive shop. Not too bad, just a few meters. Bring an umbrella or just do what I did and deal with it.

-weather is pretty unpredictable here. It's the case in most tropical paradises. I was lucky that the month of rain settled down the same day I arrived. The sea cleared up and it was amazing. But there is always some luck involved, as there's no real 'dry' season. But hey, when the afternoon rain comes, go workout and play pool or have a snack, then get back out an hour later.

-dive equipment is a bit worn. Wetsuits and bcds are showing their age, but they still work, and I saw them doing safety testing. Never felt unsafe for a second! This is because of the super typhoon last year. They had to rebuild so much. They'll likely get restocked shortly. In the interim, it's just vanity and everything is safety tested and works great.

Overall:

-I can't say enough good things about this place, and the people are the biggest reason. Thanks...

Experienced extreme Ups and Downs at this place.

Let's start with the Ups: Whale shark tour- boat crew very professional and friendly. Tour starts at 8am, 730am if you need equipment, 745am if you have your own. 1.5 hour ride to the whale shark site. Saw flying fish and breaching marlins on the way. Picked up the spotters and were on our way. Maybe 5 minutes after arriving to the whale shark site, we struck gold and were instructed to jump! We were very fortunate, got to swim these beautiful creatures for over 2 hours! 🐋💙🐋💙🐋💙 They cut our 3 hour tour short, we only got 2.5 hours of spotting and swimming. Apparently they cut it short with you have lots of whale time, and extend if you don't. Nonetheless, we came back very happy

Great location- sea front with sea view

Affordable dorm rooms, usually 2 persons per room. 1 room with 3 beds. 400 Pesos per night

The Downs: Front-facing dorm rooms are directly above the dive shop. We were woken every morning at 6am by the dive staff- loud talking and clanking of oxygen tanks.

Restaurant staff (lead male waiter) was rude to us the entire time. He treats guests preferentially, seems based on how much they spend at the resort. Every time we were ignored (no greeting, no menus...nothing!). This lead male waiter who takes the orders intentionally ignored us. We had to up to the counter and order with the female waiter or the servers. This is not okay. Management shouldl fix this !

Loud neighbors. Not entirely the fault of the resort, but when their staff are loud and inconsiderate to sleeping guests it sets a bad tone. Perhaps post quiet hours and have your staff not yelling to one another at 6am.

Restaurant food options for Vegans and Vegetarians are slim at best. I went to the port daily to find Veg-friendly options and to buy fruits and snacks. I recommend Kirk's and MDJ restaurants- veg options at reasonable prices. You must go early to Kyrks- they run out quickly. So, there is an excellent cafe (Ystambai) below MDJ restaurant-serving real coffee for great prices. Iced cafe lattes 70 Pesos).

Overall, the whale shark experience is what most are coming for and they deliver. 👍 Coffee, tea and day old breads are offered during the tours. Would have been nice if fruits (watermelon, pineapple, bananas, etc) were offered. The price tag for this tour is quite hefty (4000 Pesos!) and fruits are cheap!

I like that the tour is much more ethical than others (ex. Oslob)- no feeding, no touching, etc. We had only 10 snorkelers on our boat. 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Other small boats joined us at the site, piggybacking and making use of our spotters. This should not be allowed as they pay a fraction of what we pay...but what to do...

I would recommend this place as it is affordable but I do not support the preferential treatment showed by the main male waiter at the restaurant and the behavior of the morning dive staff.

Hence, the overall 3...