Mario's Scuba Diving and Homestay
Mario's Scuba Diving and Homestay
Lagoon Ave, Dauin, Negros Oriental 6200 Philippines
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About
4.5
#1 of 3 hostels in Apo IslandLocation
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
Budget
Family
Languages Spoken
Filipino
Location
Lagoon Ave, Dauin, Negros Oriental 6200 Philippines
Getting there
Car recommended
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travelers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
Grade: 40 out of 100
40
2 Attractions
within 5 miles
179Reviews6Q+A12Room tips
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Detailed Reviews
Guesthouse is very basic, water in the sink of the bathtoom was not workig(the shower did work the whole day) and it smelled in the room from the bathroom..
Bed and linen was clean and they also had good mosquitonets.
Location: in the middle of the village and they have app. 15 roosters nearby - so it can get noisy but this is the same on the island ;) But for the price, the accommodation was ok.
Dives were affordable and very nice, lot of snake-eels and good nightdive. BCD was new and the rest of the gear was alright. Divemaster Jet was very kind and showed us a lot!
Bed and linen was clean and they also had good mosquitonets.
Location: in the middle of the village and they have app. 15 roosters nearby - so it can get noisy but this is the same on the island ;) But for the price, the accommodation was ok.
Dives were affordable and very nice, lot of snake-eels and good nightdive. BCD was new and the rest of the gear was alright. Divemaster Jet was very kind and showed us a lot!
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Date of stay: March 2018
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.
It isn’t obviously the best place in the world, but for the price and the offers on the island I highly recommend it.
The staff is really nice, we stayed in one big bedroom and despite from the electricy turns off at 10pm, we had electricity all night what really helps to have the ventilator working.
The bed was pretty confortable and we also have a nice terrace. The worst part was the bathroom, but considering the environment around it was fine.
They also offer diving and restaurant, the scuba divers were really nice and the spot the best we have been to.
The staff is really nice, we stayed in one big bedroom and despite from the electricy turns off at 10pm, we had electricity all night what really helps to have the ventilator working.
The bed was pretty confortable and we also have a nice terrace. The worst part was the bathroom, but considering the environment around it was fine.
They also offer diving and restaurant, the scuba divers were really nice and the spot the best we have been to.
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Date of stay: January 2018
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.
We hebben een week op Apo island doorgebracht bij Mario.
Geweldige week gehad. Personeel was geweldig! Doen alles om je het naar de zin te maken. Duiken Was eveneens geweldig. Dive masters doen hun best de mooiste plekken te laten zien. Kamer Was ook prima, kortom aanrader.
Je zit wel midden in het dorp. Voor mensen die rust zoeken minder geschikt.
Geweldige week gehad. Personeel was geweldig! Doen alles om je het naar de zin te maken. Duiken Was eveneens geweldig. Dive masters doen hun best de mooiste plekken te laten zien. Kamer Was ook prima, kortom aanrader.
Je zit wel midden in het dorp. Voor mensen die rust zoeken minder geschikt.
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Date of stay: November 2017
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.
Mario’s is more than just a dive shop, it is a welcoming homestay that made our Apo Island experience very memorable. It may not be the place for extreme type A people - the dive shop is not the most organized and the whole Island is squarely on “Island time”. If you come prepared for this you will have a great time diving the reef, followed by eating home cooked meals with your dive buddies and Mario’s family.
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Date of stay: November 2017
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.
I stayed at Marios homestay as I got recommended it from a lady in Panglao. It was the best decision I made in the Philippines because the staff were extremely friendly and the diving experience was out of this world !
Mack was my dive master and he was extremely thorough and professional with the buddy checks and the regulation of equipment and the rules of diving! Diving with the team at Marios was absolutely amazing ! There's some stunning coral formations and incredible wildlife ! Seen schools of various fish, turtles and snakes !
Diving at Marios was one of the top highlights of Philippines and in my experience I preferred it to Palawan regarding the health of the coral and variety of sea creatures !
Mack was my dive master and he was extremely thorough and professional with the buddy checks and the regulation of equipment and the rules of diving! Diving with the team at Marios was absolutely amazing ! There's some stunning coral formations and incredible wildlife ! Seen schools of various fish, turtles and snakes !
Diving at Marios was one of the top highlights of Philippines and in my experience I preferred it to Palawan regarding the health of the coral and variety of sea creatures !
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Date of stay: November 2017
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.
Our stay at Mario’s place was very pleasant and enjoyable. Our cottage was clean and carefully cared of. The staff at Mario’s place was super friendly and warm, always making sure we were properly attended and taken care. They offer good quality food at a reasonable price. We did a couple of dives with them which turned to be an awesome experience and ones again at a reasonable price. They made our stay memorable! We can’t recomend them enough! Thank you guys for your constant smile and good cares, we’ll surely visit you again!
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Date of stay: October 2017
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.
We had an absolutely excellent time at Mario's. We stayed a total of 7 nights, did a total of 21 dives, and ate all our meals there.
ACCOMMODATION
Glaiza is a wonderful host who went above and beyond to ensure we enjoyed our stay. The entire staff is incredibly friendly and helpful, just like everyone on the island. As the other reviews indicate, the homestay and the island are simple in terms of accommodation: no wifi, generator electricity from 6-10PM only (which is when you can use wall outlets for charging things), single light and fan powered from rooftop solar. This is the case for the whole island, so just make sure you're prepared for that upfront. That said, it was exactly what we were looking for, and we loved it. Bed was comfortable for two people and the private bathroom/shower was nice. Breakfast/lunch/dinner are all cooked on site, which were simple and delicious. Glaiza made sure that our meals were planned around our diving schedule that day, so we never went hungry or missed a dive.
SCUBA DIVING
This is the place you want to be scuba diving. Their diving operation is top notch and they go out of their way to make it as easy and enjoyable as possible. All dives are guided from their on-site dive guides, and they are the best we've ever had. Jed and Mac are both extremely professional and know the island reefs incredibly well. They go out of their way to make sure you are comfortable before/during/after your dive and really go out of their way to point out the immense variety of marine life. As of the time of this writing, there are about 7 dive sites open to the public (the far side of the island is still recovering from a typhoon 5 years ago that obliterated the reef there). Out of the 12 dives I personally did, no two felt the same. There is just so much to see and it all changes depending on the time of day you go. Most diving is boat diving, but we also did a beach night dive. So cool. The turtle sanctuary appears to be working well because I saw 5 turtles on my last dive at Rock Point. Just incredible.
SUMMARY
Eat. Sleep. Dive. The dream is real and here at Mario's. We're definitely going back.
ACCOMMODATION
Glaiza is a wonderful host who went above and beyond to ensure we enjoyed our stay. The entire staff is incredibly friendly and helpful, just like everyone on the island. As the other reviews indicate, the homestay and the island are simple in terms of accommodation: no wifi, generator electricity from 6-10PM only (which is when you can use wall outlets for charging things), single light and fan powered from rooftop solar. This is the case for the whole island, so just make sure you're prepared for that upfront. That said, it was exactly what we were looking for, and we loved it. Bed was comfortable for two people and the private bathroom/shower was nice. Breakfast/lunch/dinner are all cooked on site, which were simple and delicious. Glaiza made sure that our meals were planned around our diving schedule that day, so we never went hungry or missed a dive.
SCUBA DIVING
This is the place you want to be scuba diving. Their diving operation is top notch and they go out of their way to make it as easy and enjoyable as possible. All dives are guided from their on-site dive guides, and they are the best we've ever had. Jed and Mac are both extremely professional and know the island reefs incredibly well. They go out of their way to make sure you are comfortable before/during/after your dive and really go out of their way to point out the immense variety of marine life. As of the time of this writing, there are about 7 dive sites open to the public (the far side of the island is still recovering from a typhoon 5 years ago that obliterated the reef there). Out of the 12 dives I personally did, no two felt the same. There is just so much to see and it all changes depending on the time of day you go. Most diving is boat diving, but we also did a beach night dive. So cool. The turtle sanctuary appears to be working well because I saw 5 turtles on my last dive at Rock Point. Just incredible.
SUMMARY
Eat. Sleep. Dive. The dream is real and here at Mario's. We're definitely going back.
Read more
Date of stay: October 2017
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.
They are really friendly. Always ready to help you for everything that you could need.
The meals are good due to the cheap prices. The rooms are spacious, they have solar fan and light (there is no electricity during the day on the whole island).
They also offer scuba diving tours and equipment renting for snorkeling too.
The meals are good due to the cheap prices. The rooms are spacious, they have solar fan and light (there is no electricity during the day on the whole island).
They also offer scuba diving tours and equipment renting for snorkeling too.
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Date of stay: September 2017
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.
We stayed for 3 nights. On the first night they were accomodating. Of course we went there to relax and have fun but the next night we we're scold by the owner to keep quite. On the last day upon check out she asked if where were we eating our meals then we said at the beach front and her reaction was rude she's saying that we shouldn't done that, that we must bought there in their restaurant. That woman is so rude. We payed for our room and other things so it's up to us. Room is ok but the people are not ok!
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Date of stay: March 2017
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.
The place is simple, basic, but on an island like that (no electricty, water etc...), you cannot expect really better. The only things we regret are the poor welcome when we arrived, and the room that was dirty (toilets not even clean...there is a minimum even in place like that). Come with ear plug, the roasters are damn ready to sing all night there !
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Date of stay: March 2017
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.
I'm not sure. Sorry, just seeing this question now.
"Room 3, ground floor, is the only room that i'm aware of that has running electricity even through the timed outages"Read full review
"Ask the staff if someone will occupy the rooms above yours, because you might not be okay with some guests walking too loud upstairs"Read full review
LOCATION
PhilippinesVisayasNegros IslandNegros OrientalDauinApo Island
NUMBER OF ROOMS
9
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