Bughaw Dive House - Anilao, Mabini, Batangas

The staff is very accommodating and the entire place felt very comfortable, especially for a female solo traveler.

Had kitchen

No access to shower .Staff was rude. Did not explain any prices on diving.Did not say what was being offered in free breakfast it did not say in booking.They had We're very rude and stingy with food.

Vibes, hosts, community feel

Shower

Wir haben drei Nächte im Bughaw Dive House verbracht und können nur Positives berichten. Die Inhaberin Ally und ihr Team sind unglaublich nette, herzliche und aufmerksame Gastgeberinnen – man fühlt sich vom ersten Moment an willkommen. Zum Zimmer: Das Zimmer ist klein, genau wie in der Beschreibung angegeben. Das Bett ist bequem, es gibt einen Ventilator und man teilt sich das Badezimmer. Nichts Außergewöhnliches – aber alles sauber, funktional und vollkommen in Ordnung. Besonders hervorzuheben ist die durchweg positive, offene und entspannte Atmosphäre, die Elli ausstrahlt. Vorne gibt es einen sehr schönen Aufenthaltsbereich mit Spielen, jederzeit kostenlosem Trinkwasser und richtig gutem, frisch gebrühtem Filipinno-Arabica-Kaffee. Morgens kann man sich ein kleines Frühstück zu einem sehr, sehr fairen Preis bestellen. Ally gibt außerdem großartige Tipps – egal ob zu Scuba-Diving-Schools, Restaurants in der Umgebung oder Aktivitäten vor Ort. Freediving wird direkt über die angeschlossene Freediving-Schule angeboten, was perfekt für alle ist, die das ausprobieren möchten. Was wir ganz besonders hervorheben möchten: Bereits vor der Anreise hat Ally uns eine sehr detaillierte Schritt-für-Schritt-Anleitung per Nachricht geschickt, wie man kostengünstig mit lokalen Transportmitteln von Batangas oder aus Richtung Manila zum Guesthouse kommt. Das war extrem hilfreich, da man direkt ein realistisches Gefühl für die lokalen Preise bekommt und genau weiß, was fair ist. Alles hat einwandfrei funktioniert – besser hätten wir nicht ankommen können. So eine Unterstützung haben wir auf all unseren Reisen bisher noch nie erlebt. Wir würden uns wirklich wünschen, dass mehr Gästehäuser so eine tolle, transparente und hilfreiche Anleitung anbieten würden. Persönliche Empfehlung: Unbedingt den lokalen Food-Spot Power Foods Eatery ca. 20 Minuten zu Fuß ausprobieren – absoluter Geheimtipp, ihr werdet nicht enttäuscht!

Ameisenköder auf dem Absatz vor dem Zimmer wären toll...manchmal bildet sich dort eine Ameisenstraße. Das WLAN war ok, könnte aber durch einen Verstärker/ Repeater verbessert werden. Sonst gibt es nichts zu beanstanden.

We had a wonderful stay here. The room was very comfortable, with a great bed, good air conditioning, and always clean facilities. But what really made the experience special were the people. They are truly amazing hosts: welcoming, generous, and always happy to help with anything we needed. They introduced us to freediving, shared their knowledge with so much passion, and made us feel part of their community. We spent a lot of time talking with them, met other divers, shared stories, and felt genuinely at home. It was much more than just an accommodation — it was a human experience we will remember for a long time. Highly recommended, especially if you love the sea, diving, and meaningful connections.

Nothing

Ali et Amour ont étés hyper accueillants avec nous, pleins de bons conseils et à la fois discrets. La maison est bien équipées et super proche de supers spots de Snorkeling et plongée ! Merci pour votre accueil !

Nice room with airco, and some breakfast. Good service and location is nice if you dont like very crowded spots

Only thing was a bit of privacy.

It was really small room for the price that it charges and the location that it is. It was costing way more than 3 times of what I paid in Greater Manila.

The staff and the upgrade for a room they gave me

It was al good for the price

Very clean and well maintained

Easy going Staff, Aly and Amor and the housekeepers were all very helpful.

I really enjoyed my time here. Clean and inviting. The hosts and host’s friends were all incredibly kind and willing to help answer all my questions. I felt welcomed as a part of their home rather than just a regular guest. I even was upgraded to a private room when it was available! The location is just a short walk to the ocean. I appreciated the fact that I didn’t feel any pressure from them to take their course, though I did take the discovery free diving course from them and it was well suited for a beginner like me. I left feeling really grateful that I chose to book at bughaw and would recommend it to anyone staying in the Mabini area on a budget! The only thing that would improve the place would be to have curtains around the dorm beds.

The room and facilities at Bughaw Dive House were excellent for my needs. The room was quiet and comfortable, with a big enough bed that I had a lot of space. There was plenty of space for all of my clothes and personal items, and also enough plug sockets for charging my phone and other devices. The shower and toilet was conveniently next door. Service on site was great with an amazing helpful team who Also, because I was staying at the same place as my diving activities, there was no stress about preparing for dives or actually heading out to water.

It took me some time to actually find where to go when travelling from Batangas to Mabini and reaching the dive house. Even the driver seemed a little lost and ended up driving down a few wrong roads and not finding any road signs. This wasn’t really the fault of anyone however!

This is the place to be in Anilao/ Mabini. The location is so beautiful. Nesting in nature and yet so close to the shore! Apart from the incredible value for money I had the most wonderful time at Bughaw Dive House. It's so calm and relaxed. The bed is so comfy, everything is clean and new. The kitchen is incredibly well equipped. Additionally it's so cozy thanks to the beautiful interior design and personal touch of Ali and Amor. You can really feel the love and work they put into this place: Lovely hang-outs in and outside of the house. Little plant cuttings rooting here and there. The smell of home cooked meals in the air or freshly brewed coffee (yes, actual grinded Baraka! For free!!). You just feel at home and have the option of socialising and having a good conversation or enjoying your privacy if you want to. Additionally I loved the eco-friendly approach of the place. And did I mention how attentive and friendly Amor and Ali are? They create this light and chill atmosphere which is so welcoming and calming. There are so many details of their hospitality and support - they really went beyond and above. I'm going to share an example: I got home from a dive and I was super cold. Amor offered that there was some fresh ginger-lemon tea left and I could have some/heat it up- this offer was already so sweet! I took a quick shower and put on some warm clothes. In meantime she had already warmed it up for me. Blew me away💙 Thank you for the incredible time! Little Tip: rent yourself a scooter in Batangas/Bauan when you get there. Really convenient to explore the area and get around independently:)

the owners were really friendly and helpful the place was tidy and nice

I like the vibe and energy of the place and the host 💙

The location was close to the reef site. It's so easy to do snorkeling and diving. The property has a lovely garden, you can watch birds and butterflies. The owners are freediving instructors and they are great in what they do. Lugaw was perfect. Make sure to get it for breakfast! Will definitely come back to this place