About

4.5

Excellent

178 reviews

#1 of 3 hostels in Apo Island

Location

4.4

Cleanliness

4.3

Service

4.4

Value

4.5

A homestay and a PADI scuba diving shop in Apo Island, Philippines.

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Property amenities

Restaurant

Diving

Hiking

Snorkeling

Children Activities (Kid / Family Friendly)

Laundry service

Room types

Ocean view

Good to know

HOTEL STYLE

Ocean View

Languages Spoken

Filipino

Location

Lagoon Ave, Dauin, Negros Oriental 6200 Philippines

Mario's Scuba Diving and Homestay

Getting there

Car recommended

Grade: 40 out of 100

40

Dumaguete Airport

17.9 mi•

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Dipolog Airport

33.5 mi•

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Rental Cars

See all Apo Island rental cars

See all nearby hotels

4 Restaurants

within 5 miles

Thalatta Restaurant

60

4.8 mi•$$ - $$$•Filipino

See all nearby restaurants

2 Attractions

within 5 miles

Apo Island Marine Reserve

599

2 min•Nature & Wildlife Areas

Malatapay Market

75

5 mi•Flea & Street Markets

See all nearby attractions

178Reviews6Q+A13Room tips

Reviews

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Erethen wrote a review Jun 2023

Hamburg, Germany17 contributions3 helpful votes

When on Apo, this is the place to be!

We stayed at Mario's for 2 nights in June 2023 and did scuba diving as well. We were very satisfied with the staff, the room and the offered food. One highlight was definitely the mindset of the staff: They were very focused to make everything as stressless and easy as possible for us. Jerry was our dive guide over there for 4 dives. It was the two of us and him and we really enjoyed diving with him. He had the same mindset as mentioned before and made us enjoy every moment above and under the water. Thank you very much for everything!

Date of stay: June 2023Trip type: Traveled as a couple

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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T. Swinkels wrote a review May 2023

8 contributions3 helpful votes

Amazing, relaxing and quiet stay!

Stayed 5 days at Mario's and loved every minute of it. They took good care of me, prices were low and the diving was incredible! Was just me and my instructor, felt very relaxed the whole time. Would definitely recommend staying here some days, not just visit the island for a daytrip.

Date of stay: May 2023Trip type: Traveled solo

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Response from Ron THURPEL, Guest Services / Front Office at Mario's Scuba Diving and Homestay

Responded May 20, 2023

Hello, we are glad you liked it so much staying with us... See you next time ❤️

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

88_Gem wrote a review Mar 2023

Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand159 contributions31 helpful votes

+1

Apo home away from home

Honestly the staff were lovley. I'm not sure why the other reviews say the staff were not friendly. Especially Eliza (sorry if the name is not right) the lady who is in reception. The food was tasty and you just write down your order on the white board. The room is simple but really well priced at 700 for small room we had our own bathroom and a area with chairs. It's one of the only places in Apo Island with running water and power from (6pm to 10pm) the dive team were amazing and we are new divers with under 15 dives but they really looked after us. We had Clark who took us to Rock West and to Coconut point on our first drift dive and Jed who took us for a night dive we got to switch off our torches and move and see the bio luminest algae such a cool experience and they are really passionate about the sea life. When I come back to Apo Island I would definitely say here again. There is roosters and dog noise but you will find that anywhere you stay in Apo.…

Date of stay: March 2023Trip type: Traveled with friends

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Sam Bam wrote a review Mar 2023

6 contributions1 helpful vote

No hospitality at the homestqy

the diving center is great and I gave it a good rating. however the accommodation/ holestay is terrible. - we booked a small room by email and we were booked in the middle one - the room was still very small, dark and had no sunlight. no chairs or hammocks on the balcony to relax. - the floor in the room was dirty when we aarived - no soap in the room - the lavabo didn't work. no soap. - you pay for drinking water, you pay for coffee even if you eat a small banana. everything will be charged. - there are lists and rules everywhere. - you don't really feel welcome there.

Date of stay: March 2023Trip type: Traveled as a couple

Room Tip: go diving there, but dont eat or stay there

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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Response from Ron THURPEL, Guest Services / Front Office at Mario's Scuba Diving and Homestay

Responded Mar 24, 2023

Hello dear guest, First of all we want to apologise that you did not feel welcome in Mario's homestay. As you can read in other reviews, our guests normally feel very satisfied and happy, just like home away from home. After checking again, I can only say that you got a small room (called Green Sea) for 700 pesos, just as you booked... Our staff always carefully clean our rooms for every guest, but in case you were not happy with our service, we would have been glad to clean it again on request. The room has chairs inside that can be used on the terrace as well. We feel sorry that the room did not meet your expectations, but keep in mind that it is our cheapest option (700 pesos for 2 pax) apart from the dorm. Paying (15 pesos per litre) to fill up your water bottle is a standard in the Philippines and probably not overpriced. If you eat in our restaurant, coffee (and an occasional banana) are always free of charge. As you chose to eat outside, we obviously had to charge you a small amount to cover our costs. Thank you for your understanding. We hope you will enjoy your remaining time in the Philippines...

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Paul V wrote a review Jan 2023

Haarlem, The Netherlands2 contributions

Amazing guesthouse on a beautiful island.

Everything was great, the receptionist, the food, the room, and certainly the snorkeling and diving. The dive master (Jed) was super flexible in accommodating our wishes and took us on 2 of the best dives we had in the Philippines! One was in a amazing coral garden, the other one was an awesome drift dive. For snorkeling you don't have to go far, the shallow water in front of the homestay is full of turtles and nice corals can be found by walking a few hundred meters. Thank you all, we hope to come back some day!

Date of stay: January 2023Trip type: Traveled as a couple

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Response from Mario Pascobello, Owner at Mario's Scuba Diving and Homestay

Responded Feb 24, 2023

Hello, Paul! We’re so happy to know you had an amazing time on the island and that we’re a part of that experience! And we’ll let Jed know of your appreciation. You’re always welcome and looking forward to having you here again some day! Best regards, Mario’s Scuba Diving and Homestay Team

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

sarah j wrote a review Jan 2023

Lindau, Germany9 contributions2 helpful votes

Great home stay and diving!

Great home stay and diving! We stayed for 3 nights and would loved to have the time to stay even longer. Thanks to Mario and stuff, the kitchen ladies and everyone for the overall organization of everything we asked for. Especially big thanks to Jed for the amazing dives! We enjoyed a lot our time at Apo

Date of stay: January 2023Trip type: Traveled as a couple

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Susu wrote a review Dec 2022

4 contributions

Comfortable stay with friendly staff

We stayed three nights at Mario’s and really enjoyed our time there. Our room was big with a balcony that had a great view. The staff are friendly and accommodating. They offer breakfast and dinner but you can also ask for lunch. The prices are very responsible. The location is also great. Apo island is small, so you’re never far from anything but the beach just out front is beautiful with plenty of turtles.

Date of stay: December 2022Trip type: Traveled as a couple

Room Tip: The animal on the island can be loud so earbuds are highly recommended

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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Pascal wrote a review Dec 2022

Aachen, Germany24 contributions5 helpful votes

Cozy hideaway with amazing diving

I came here originally to stay one or two nights for some scuba diving, but already while heading into the bay I could tell that I would end up staying longer and ended up doing my advanced open water diver here. Apo Island is just something else. The way the village is built into the treeline and how friendly everyone here is - you owe it to yourself to stay on the island for at least a night and not just to pass by on a boat. As for Mario‘s - it‘s everything I could have asked for. Accomodations are clean and comfortable (though note that the entire island has limited times for electricity, it never became an issue but maybe don‘t plan on working remotely here or sth). Also, the entire Team of divemasters and Mario himself are just caring, competent and generally super likeable. Amazing place!…

Date of stay: December 2022Trip type: Traveled solo

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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maggiemadsen wrote a review Dec 2022

Copenhagen, Denmark3 contributions

Perfect Apo Experience

Gorgeous diving, awesome snorkelling with turtles and a homey stay at Mario’s resulted in the perfect Apo Island experience. Would absolutely recommend this to anyone who is interested in diving (they also offer PADI courses)

Date of stay: December 2022Trip type: Traveled with friends

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Response from Mario Pascobello, Owner at Mario's Scuba Diving and Homestay

Responded Feb 24, 2023

Hello, Maggie! Thank you so much for taking the time to review our place. And we’re so glad you had a great time on the island! It was a pleasure having you and Isabell stay and dive with us! Looking forward to welcoming you when you visit the Philippines in the future. All the best, Mario’s Scuba Diving and Homestay Team

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Marie Gros Cheveux wrote a review Dec 2022

Porto, Portugal3 contributions4 helpful votes

Amazing stay and diving experience!

Mario’s diving center and Homestay on Apo Island was such a great experience. When we reached the place we directly went for a diving refresher with dive master Lindton, he is great and was very patient with us. The whole crew in the Homestay was lovely, food was nice and we felt at home right away. We met with Mario who shared his experience about marine sanctuaries and how important it is to take care of the sea life, and how he passes on his knowledge with the next generation. I could tell that the coral reefs is being well take care of and saw so many colorful fishes and will leave with beautiful memories. Would definitely try to come back to dive some more! Highly recommended

Date of stay: December 2022Trip type: Traveled with friends

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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