Climate
There are 2 main seasons. From November to June it is dry and warm.
From July to October it is cooler but more humid. In rainy season it
rains once in a while, but rarely in the daytime and mostly only short
but heavy showers. The average temperature is 30 degrees, at night
cooler, but never below 20 degrees.
Clothing
Light cotton or linen clothing is recommended. Proper, informal
clothing is requested in the restaurant. A light pullover or coat can
come in handy when you visit some shops, restaurants and the like. Here
the air-conditioning can be so cold that you will freeze.
Currency
The local currency is the Philippine Peso. Credit cards are rarely
accepted in shops and restaurants, but can be used to withdraw money
from teller machines (remember your PIN!) or at the bank counter (Visa,
Mastercard). It is recommended to take some cash along, either Dollar or
Euro. These currencies can readily be exchanged against favourable rates
at official moneychangers in the streets.
At Amontillado we accept Pesos, Dollars or Euro.
Dive equipment
Amontillado resort has modern and well maintained equipment; ABC
equipment, Computer and UW-cameras (also video). In case you will use
your own equipment, please take a DIN-adapter along; INT is the standard
in the Philippines and we only have a limited stock of rental adaptors.
When you check in your own dive equipment at the airport, it is in some
cases possible to avoid payment for excess weight if you present your
divers certificate. Please inquire with your airline regarding the
actual regulations.
Diving
Diving is possible year round. Visibility is generally good, from
April to July even very good. From July to September it is occasionally
not possible to reach specific dive spots due to sea conditions. Water
temperatures are between 27 and 31 degrees, so a 3mm wetsuit is often
sufficient
Entry regulations
Most European visitors can enter the Philippines without a visa and
stay for up to 21 days, as long as they are in possession of a valid
passport. In case you wish to stay longer, you need to apply for a
tourist visa. Please inquire with the Philippine consulate or embassy in
your country for specific regulations.
Please note, that an airport fee/departure fee will be charged when you
leave the country via Cebu or Manila. These costs (at this moment approx.
PHP 750.-) have to be paid in cash and are not included in
your ticket price. Airport fees/departure fees are also charged for
national departures (approx. half of the above costs).
Health
In the Philippines fresh water is a rare commodity and is not always
of the highest quality. Therefore please be careful when brushing your
teeth or consuming beverages cooled with ice cubes; you can get pretty
ill. Here at Amontillado we only use filtered water, which is completely
harmless to your health. Also try to avoid unwashed or peeled fruits,
salads and raw vegetables, as well as local milk produce.
Mosquitoes are generally a problem in the tropics. However, due to our
ingenious garden design, you will rarely meet a mosquito in our resort.
It is therefore possible to sleep without mosquito netting!
Dumaguete has 2 hospitals, amongst others the renowned Siliman
university hospital. There are furthermore many pharmacies with
international medication at low prices.
As long as you do not travel to us via infected areas, no specific
injections are required for our area. Vaccination against Hepatitis A &
B is generally recommended before you travel to Oriental Negros.
Prevention against Malaria is not strictly necessary. It is however
recommended to contact a qualified doctor or your local institute for
tropical diseases to receive the latest update. Most medicine is readily
available here and against low prices
Insurance
Please secure proper health insurance before you leave. Remember to
include a transport insurance and, for divers, an insurance that covers
usage of hyperbaric chambers. For divers we recommend to investigate the
possibilities of for example DAN Europe or Aqua Med.
Languages
The official language is Tagolog with a multitude of local dialects.
In our area people speak Visayan, a language that deviates substantially
from Tagalog. Very often the Filipinos cannot understand each other when
they travel to another island! Maybe for this reason English is very
wide spread; all official documents and communication, road signs, shop
information etc. are in English and most Filipinos speak English well to
some extend.
Marine sanctuaries and fees
We are lucky to have many marine sanctuaries in our neighbourhood.
Divers therefore need to take specific care of the underwater
environment. Some areas also have limitation. As an example; around Apo
island gloves are banned and some sanctuaries do not accept more than 15
divers per day!
The municipalities charge a Marine fee for each diver entering the
sanctuaries. Prices range between Euro 1,80 and 3,50 per dive, all
dependent on the dive site and the type of equipment you carry.
Power
220 Volt, 60 Hz. You will probably need an adapter for your
appliances (limited availability in the resort)
Shopping
In Dumaguete you can, with some limitations, find anything you need.
If you however expect a large choice of souvenirs, you will be
disappointed. Our area has until now luckily been saved from a large
influx of mass tourism. .
Typical souvenirs you will find here are wood sculptures, hand-made
jewellery, paintings, hand embroidered shirts made of Banana leaves (!),
pearls and, if you have lots of room in your suitcase, rattan furniture.
Some products however are hardly available here. This is mainly suntan
lotion and, for the ladies, tampons. Please take sufficient stock along.
Opening hours for shop differ, but are in general Monday-Saturday 10 AM
to 8 PM. Many shop however are also open on Sunday.
Tip
In general tip is appreciated within limits. Please remember that
wages are low in the Philippines and a tip, which would be acceptable in
Europe, will be considered excessive here in the Philippines and can
potentially damage the wage systems in this country. A tip of 2-3% of
the total sum is within acceptable limits.
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