Mario's Scuba Diving and Homestay

I am just happy to be able to stay in Apo Island. The place is simple and allows you to enjoy the sea breeze. The staff is really kind, as well as the residents of the Island. There are small sari sari shops, hiking trails, and snorkling tours. It has always been my dream to visit this Island , I'm happy to bring my siblings along during my short visit in the Philippines. To those who are visiting, it is a simple Island. The signal is not that stable and electricity has limits. They have a common charging station area, where you can sit and relax while waiting for your gadgets to recharge. Must bring cash. But they also have bank trnasfer. But better bring cash to make transactions easy.

I didn't like that we have to cut our trip short because of the incoming typhoon. Not the home stay's fault, just an unfortunte weater😅😅😅😅😅 Nothing to hate in this homestay;)

L’emplacement, la nourriture proposée excellente, le personnel. On est à Apo Island donc on se contente de peu.

Il y a de l’électricité que 2h par jour mais c’est partout sur l’île, il faut juste le savoir.

Lovely people, good and varied food at the restaurant and a comfortable room.

Because of increased fuel costs they decided to reduce the time for electricity from 4 hours to 2 hours...not enough time to charge everything or read and lights went out at 8:30 pm. If I had known what kind of 'dive boat' they had I would have never booked. It was basically a board with outriggers - very poor, uncomfortable and somewhat dangerous. Other divers made similar comments but said nothing to staff. The ocean water is filthy. Four people I met who were diving there developed ear infections. I dipped my cleaned mask into the water at the dive site resulting in an oily gritty film that affected my vision during the dive and took 3 cleanings with dish detergent to remove. I made the best of it by getting to know people in the village on daily walks. I stayed 5 nights and left 5 days early. Luckily my diving elsewhere in the Philippines more than made up for this poor dive experience.

Our stay was incredible! We had a beautiful, spacious room with everything we needed, including the running water. The staff was genuinely kind and attentive, but the highlight was definitely the food—we had lunch, dinner, and breakfast, and it was hands down the best we’ve eaten in the Philippines. Simply outstanding!

The staff were really nice and helpful in every way. It was easy to order meals, every day a new list of meals to choose from. They had the food ready when you came back from the dives, really convenient. You could get vegetarian food as well. They were also really flexible with the dives so that was a big plus. :)

Like at every part of the Philippines there are roosters crowing in the early morning/night. Although there are a lot of dogs on the island so sometimes around midnight we had a dog barking right outside our room and it could take some time for the dogs to go quiet.

Le centre de plongée et son personnel

Le manque de collaboration de la personne en charge du service à la clientèle. Je n’ai pas pu obtenir d’avance ma facture qui cumulait nos repas et boissons de la semaine pour vérifier l’exactitude avant de payer. Il y avait en effet une erreur en leur faveur, mais trop tard pour faire corriger, le paiement par WISE a déjà été prélevé.

Apo Island une petite île a ne pas manquer si vous voulez voir des tortue 🐢 Draps propres.

Salle de bain très minimaliste.

Personnel très accueillant et a l'écoute de nos besoins. Je recommande aussi la plongée dont je félicite l'encadrement globale

La habitación de madera, limpia, y cama con mosquitero.

Todo normal.

De locatie

Niet al het personeel even vriendelijk, communicatie rond eten,…

Endroit très sympa, mais matela un peu dur et ventilateur bruyant. Personnel très professionnel et accueillant.

Nous avons aimé avoir l’opportunité de dormir sur Apo Island. Les hébergements sont plutôt rares. L’hôtel a organisé un tour pour nous en bateau pour faire du snorkelling avec un guide et nous avons adoré. Le guide a été très gentil avec notre fils de. 9 ans et prenait soin de l’aider. C’est vraiment bien qu’il y ait un restaurant sur place car les options sont aussi limitées. Il y a des moustiquaires sur les lits car la chambre n’est pas étanche.

Les installations sont rudimentaires mais pour une petite île c’est normal.

Equipe accueillante nous avons eu la chambre dès notre arrivée pourtant très tôt le matin. Nous avons pu faire un tour de bateau organisé par l'établissement pour voir les tortues car nous avions un problème d'oreille et impossible de plonger. Possibilité de prendre les repas sur place en commandant à l'avance (un peu cher mais copieux).

Ne pas s'attendre à une chambre luxueuse mais correspond bien aux photos et aux possibilités sur l'île (eau froide, seau pour chasse d'eau, électrique entre 18h et 22h seulement mais on s'habitue bien). Cependant le ménage pourrait être un peu plus exigeant. Bout de verre et rouille retrouvée sur ma bouteille de coca cola, un peu limite.

Dortoir agréable et aéré. Personnel très sympa. Les repas sont délicieux moment

Les coqs qui pullulent et chantent à toute heure de la nuit. Boules quies indispensables

Le professionnalisme du personnel à l’image de la modernité de Singapore.

这家世外桃源般的住宿在阿波岛的中心位置 走几步就能到沙滩潜水 这里有贴心的员工 可以选择的餐饮 一切的气氛都是轻松自然的 我们很喜欢这里 潜水活动也安排的非常棒 有很棒的潜导和潜水教练 遇见了一群可爱的潜伴 真的不想离开 希望下次再来 虽然没有热水 电是限时供应 网络也几乎没有 但是这就是阿波岛的魅力！

无

Etwas erhöhte Lage mit Aussicht. Die eigene Tauchschule unternimmt mehrmals täglich Ausflüge aufs Meer, und bringt einen zu den besten tauch oder Schnorchel Spots. Das Essen ist lecker. Die Zimmer sind, vermutlich aus logistischen Gründen einfach ausgestattet, aber es ist alles da, was man benötigt und die Zimmer sind sauber.

Mückengitter an den Fenstern wären top, aber wir hatten ein Mückennetz am Bett, das genügt auch.

Das Personal war ausserordentlich freundlich und hilfsbereit. Die Tauchgebiete sind fantastisch und vielseitig ❤️

Excellent centre de plongee tant l'équipement que le personnel. Grandeur de la chambre et le balcon. Les repas sont bons et de grosses portions ( le lunch, nous prenions 1 assiette pour 2)

Rien en tenant compte qu'il n'y a pas d'électricité juste du solaire. Parfois c'est très chaud juste avec un simple ventilateur au plafond mais c'est la réalité de l'île

הצוות מדהים. הצלילות מעולות. החדרים פשוטים ונעימים

Location was great. Town is very small and was very close walk to beach. Staff were great. Meals we had there were good. Excellent diving guides on site. Coral and aquatic life around the island is amazing. Glad we went.

Nothing to do with Mario's but like transport to the island is a little unpredictable in both weather and timing so be patient!

Superb stay as always at Mario's. Rooms were clean, staff were super helpful, and a 50 m walk to some of the best diving and snorkelling in the Philippines. Laiza and her team take care of everything on the surface, and Lyndon and co made the diving experience phenomenal.

Super nettes und hilfsbereites Personal, Carla hat schon im Vorfeld auf alle unsere Fragen geantwortet und uns bei der Reiseplanung geholfen. Das Essen ist abwechslungsreich und sehr lecker. Es gab sogar immer zwei vegetarische Optionen. Das Tauchteam ist super flexibel,gut organisiert und für jeden Spaß zu haben, sie kennen die Tauchplätze sehr gut. Die Riffe um Apo sind einzigartig.

Es muss einem bewusst sein, dass die Verhältnisse auf Apo sehr einfach sind. Dafür bekommt man aber einen tollen Einblick in das Leben auf der Insel und kann eines der schönsten Riffe betauchen.

The diving was amazing. World class. Divemaster linden amazing.

Cheap foreigners who would never stiff Americanos stiff these hard working Filipinos makes me feel ashamed.

Scuba team was great & food, too’!

You know those days when you’re traveling and somehow it feels like home, even though you’re on the other side of the world? That’s exactly what happened to us at Mario Scuba Diving and Homestay. We would have definitely stayed longer — it’s been a true paradise, far from the usual tourist routes. 🌿🌊

Staff was very nice. Or room (room #1) had a nice large balcony.

The food was very, very salty. The boat for scuba diving was very small and uncomfortable. The diving operation was not very organized and safety measures were not too good.

It’s the best place you can stay in while in Apo Island. The staff are amazing and Mario is very kind and accommodating. We loved our stay!

Really good vibes! Everyone is there for the amazing dives around the island, so it's easy to meet people and have a blast! Easy to join the 3-4 daily dives hosted by the in-house dive team. They also serve breakfast, lunch and dinner with reasonable pricing, a good perk as there aren't many options to eat around the island. Very important to bring plenty of cash to pay for the dives, food and the boat tickets, as there are no Atm in Apo and cards are not accepted.

Rooms a bit noisy as windows don't close properly. Understandable because of the location: The island only has power between 18-22.00h. Low water pressure on the shower. Bucket toilet.

Fantastic location, people, sea turtles. When you understand what to expect, this stay is fantastic. Resting, diving, eating walking with local people.

Absolutely nothing.

Basic but comfortable. The staff are very friendly and will go out their way to help with anything. Great place to stay on Apo.

The dive staff were exceptional especially Jerry the dive guide and all the boatman so knowledgeable and friendly. They made our stay exceptional. Room and balcony very spacious.

Food was hit and miss, sometimes too salty.

Really nicely located, the hosts and staff are extremely kind and helpful with everything. The diving crew as well is very patient and will try to accomodate you as much as possible, shoutout lindon and jerry who were excellent divemasters!

Pillows were a bit too hard and rooms got a bit hot at night but island experience more than makes up for it!

Staff is so kind, friendly and helpful! Very good price/quality ratio. They offer food for all meals at decent prices. Its on a very small remote island, so it’s very cozy, perfect place to relax and enjoy.

Solar fans in the private rooms

Staff was super accommodating. The social vibe is wonderful, with everyone eating dinner together around the same table, sharing as fellow travelers. The island is small and navigable and they have done an amazing thing to unionize the boats and the guides to set prices for travel to the island and 1 hour of snorkeling at P300. Location is perfect, just a minute walk from the harbor.

You have to remember to set your expectations. There is only electricity for 4 hours per day on the island. Water is collected rain water. Everything is imported to the island. The level of comfort is luxurious camping and they do an amazing job making you comfortable with the limited amenities of the island. They did not answer my questions through the app. I imagine nobody checks it.

We absolutely loved our stay here at Mario’s. We stayed in the dorm room and all the beds had mosquito nets so we could keep the windows open and it didn’t get too hot overnight. The staff were really friendly and helped us with everything we needed. Apo has beautiful snorkelling and walks to view points and every person we encountered on the island were so welcoming. We didn’t do any scuba diving but the prices for your open water were cheaper than Moalboal and from what we saw, were much more intimate so hoping to go back next year and do mine here! Don’t expect luxury here but the place definitely has everything you need - the people and the island itself are the luxury. Thanks so much team at Mario’s :)

Beautiful location, delicious food, friendly staff, amazing diving, excellent dive master, authentic experience!

Rooms were equipped with a solar fan and light, but it had issues. The first night the fan stayed on all night but the next nights it would only last a couple of hours and the last night only like one hour. It was more difficult to sleep without the fan.

Staff was amazing, very helpful, the food they cooked for us was delicious.

We got a room in the back, very dark, with ants, small cockroaches, spiders…that would be understandable, but the bathroom that hasn’t even been wiped down after guests before us (shaved hairs on shelves, soap stains all over the shower walls, dirty toilet) and the pillows that seemed to be twenty years old, all oily and the filling tucked into balls. We ended up moving to another accommodation on the island.

Convenient for a scuba diving trip, helpful staff. Just be aware that it's pretty rustic.

The food was nice, especially the breakfast

The staff were amazing, without Carla I don't think it would have been as memorable. Glaiza was also amazing. Great remote Island to just relax dive and snorkel.

We could have stayed living there forever. You feel at home and the vibe of this island is the best. Thank you also to Jery for the scuba diving experience and the night chats. This place made a difference on our trip so thank you for everything!

All good!!

Staff were very sweet and accommodating! It was really like staying at a bed and breakfast. The food was pretty tasty and convenient, and affordable. You had to pay for drinking water, but it was very cheap and reasonable considering they have to ship it in everyday from the mainland. The staff went out of their way to communicate and answer all my questions before my arrival (I even called them a couple times on WhatsApp), and to provide us with the things we requested while staying. My friend got scraped up from falling on the rocks and they helped her clean and dress her scrapes. They even arranged for a private ferry to Siquijor (instead of the daily route to Malatapay) for our departure (thanks Glyza!), and walked us to the private ferry. The boatman even helped carry my companions bags (by wading through high tide water). The location was dreamy on Apo Island and a super easy walk to some of the best snorkeling and scuba diving in the world! The solar fan in the room was key for hot nights. I also appreciated the solar lights and mosquito net on our bed, as well as their laundry service. Provided sheets and towels were clean. This place is a nice testament to sustainable living in remote locations. I appreciated their efforts to use glass instead of plastic, and their efforts to provide comfort while being sustainable with water and electricity. The owner of the place (Mario) even made an appearance, even though he’s like the mayor of the entire region and super busy. He is OG and super knowledgeable about both scuba diving and sustainability efforts of the region. The dive center and our guide (thanks Lloyd!), boatman, and tank man were excellent. We got our PADI Open Water Scuba Certification while there, and they provided us with everything we needed and worked with our schedule. The price was very reasonable. The room looked just like advertised, and also included a solar fan and lights, and also a lockable cabinet (you provide the lock).

There is no electricity on the entire island besides from 18:00-22:00. Toilets don't flush (must use bucket of water to flush) and there is no aircon there or anywhere on the island. There was a heat wave and it was pretty hot at night. Also the private bathroom could have been a bit more clean and stocked with toilet paper, but you just have to ask and the staff will give it to you. The roosters going off all day and night was quite loud. But all this is to be expected with the remote location on a tiny tropical island. All things considered, it was a comfortable and clean place, and great for the value.

Good meal options throughout the day at very fair prices. Cold drinks also available. Staff was kind and helpful.

Obviously there's no Aircon but we did have two fans in the room. (Keep in mind only power between 6pm-10pm). Toilet didn't flush but I guess that is expected of from a rural island.

I love Apo Island, especially to stay there and to enjoy when all the tourist boats are gone, you swim with turles by yourself. The hostel was very well located tho a construction right next to us that was starting from 6/7 was a bit tough. It is very very noisy and all the chickens screaming all around the island is something I was not familiar with. A lot of mosquitos, so be prepared for that. We had all kinds of animals - small and bigger - in our dorm because it was an open place where everything can come inside. You get the full island experience, which I really appreciated, just be aware how remote (no wifi, no ATM, no electricity during the day) the island really is. We made great friends with locals and I am for sure coming back to swim with turtles!

It was not very clean, even after someone left the dorm the bed was exactly how it was left and never touched or cleaned. A lot of ants and bugs in the bed, we had to ask for toilet paper and had to pay for water.

The homestay is really nice to stay a few nights on Apo Island. I loved the vibe on the island and the possibility to get breakfast, lunch and dinner.

- the bathroom was quite basic (no flush) - Electricity only from 6pm to 10pm and no solar fans in the dorm, so it was quite hot in the room - no mosquito net (not as shown on the photo), so I got mosquito bites during the night

Great place! Awesome island and good location. Staff was super nice,friendly and very helpful.

Very nice place! I also did some diving with them and it was great! Very cheap dorm, nice

The bathroom was not the best or cleanest but good for the price

Glai, Jerry and the team are very helpful, friendly, smiley and caring. Food was of good quality and dives and equipment too. The pace on the island forces you to slow down, to connect with nature and local residents and to live with the sun.

Bathroom may be refreshed/cleaner

Lovely people, amazing spot, wonderful stay

Everything! Lovely little dive community there. The accommodation itself is comfortable and great value. Staff super helpful and friendly (thanks for all your help Glaiza! :))

Nothing :)