Crystal Blue Resort

We attended the Anilao Underwater Photo Workshop in April 2018. This was our first photo workshop experience and first trip to the Philippines. From my first contact until the very end my experience with Adam at Blue Water was great. In addition to the time at Crystal Blue Resort, we added a trip to Tubbataha. Adam made all of the arrangements, did lots of trouble shooting, and made sure that our needs were met.Crystal Blue Resort was great. Every single staff member was attentive and as helpful as possible. I cannot say enough about how wonderful every one was. The hotel has many steep steps. Any time staff saw me on the stairs with some thing in my hands someone came to carry for me. There was a water cooler very close to our room and we filled our water bottles with cold water several times each day.The rooms were well maintained and clean. The food was plentiful and always a good variety. I LOVED the fresh fruit that was always available and the desserts were wonderful and very creative. Dining room staff were attentive and accommodating. Wifi was available in the dining room/classroom area and worked well.The workshops were well run and organized. The photo reviews were very helpful. Mike Bartick has a really good sense of humor and is easy to listen to. His knowledge base is amazing.The camera room was also amazing.... every photographers dream. We are used to boats and resorts that treat cameras like an after thought. We were well and truly spoiled.The diving did not disappoint. We were able to see the critters that Anilao is famous for. Our dive guide and boat men were outstanding. The dive guide found multiple unique critters on every dive. He was consistently patient while the photographers took the time they needed to get the perfect shot and made sure each person had something cool to see. The boat men handled cameras and scuba gear with care and made it look so easy. We appreciated the very low guest to dive guide ratio (3:1) that allowed us time for the photography. We did have a few dives in very heavy current that were more challenging than I would have liked.We had a wonderful experience with both Blue Water and Crystal Blue!

I had a great time at this resort! The diving was excellent, even right after a big storm, which is when I was there. A great mix of colorful rich coral reefs and critter hunting muck diving. Four dives a day and small boat to diver ratio which was great. Food was excellent, buffet style meals with a good mix of food types and styles. The room I was in was very comfortable, except I could barely get my shower door open and closed which was a pain. Had a blast and TOTAL would go back for more! All the guides were super knowledgeable and helpful, resort staff was nice and friendly, overall it was a great trip.

Crystal Blue Resort is a wonderful place for a diver who wants to see small unusual things. One must remember It is located in a developing country and it is not the Four Seasons. From the time you step away from the airport, the staff of the Crystal Blue Resort will wrap you will Philippine hospitality. Their driver was at the curb waiting for our arrival to whisk us away to diving paradise. It was a 2.5 hr drive to the resort and the driver made us as comfortable as possible in the tropical heat . A bathroom stop was carefully selected for our safety. If my plane wasn't delayed, I would have been diving that afternoon.The lodging is very comfortable and adequate for our needs. You rarely spend any time in your room if you plan on doing 4 dives a day. Our room was located on the 3 floor with no elevators. The dive operations are effectively sub level, so there were a lot of stairs to climb. We spent most of our time in bankas (dive boats), the restaurant, camera room, and lounge. The camera room was amazing and well used. They didn't put air conditioning in it so your camera won't fog up when you get in the water.Diving was in 84 degree water with limitless clarity. Nudibranchs are plentiful as well as crustaceans. The largest thing I saw was a turtle and the next was a territorial trigger fish which the guides expertly escorted us away from. The reef scenes are colorful with tunicates and crinoids. Sites were different and varied and could be completely different at night. There is wall diving, wreck, reef, and muck diving. Dive operations are efficient and organized. You are assigned a dive boat and guide for your entire stay. Guides will search out critters for you. It is country club diving at its best, you only have to lift your camera, everything else is done for you. Even changing your tank.Food was hearty and good. Vegetables and fruits are plentiful. With all the stair climbing and diving, I ate like a horse and got really toned!The staff was very attentive to our needs and were able to schedule massages and laundry for us. I never left the resort and felt completely safe and well taken care of. All my sightseeing was from my dive boat.My time there was a photo class so we spent lots of time with the resident expert on tips for better pictures. We had classes after lunch and after dinner lectures, so by the end of the trip my pictures were pretty good!

I went in 5/2013 and stayed at Crystal Blue Resort. This is the first far east photo workshop I had ever attended and my first time to this part of the world, if that helps with my perspectives.I landed in Manilla and was promptly greeted by CB staff. I had dressed appropriately as the airplane was cold, but it was hot and humid in Manilla. We waited for other divers to arrive on flights that were close to mine and then got in the van to head to CB. This is a 3 hour ride. I love a good adventure and this was. Once at CB you are off the beaten path and there is no place to go get anything easily. The staff did run out at times during the week, but things you think might be easy to come by like toiletries that you are accustom to are likely not available. The resort does have some things but, BRING WHAT YOU NEED.The resort staff was VERY friendly and happy to help in any way they can. The resort for lack of a better way to say it is built on a cliff. This means there are stairs involved to go anywhere. If this is an issue, you might want to ask for a room as low as possible. As for me I stayed on the highest level which had spectacular views of the South China Sea.I know you want to hear about the diving; WOW! I dropped into the water for the first time (84-86 degrees) and saw a hundred creatures I hadn't know existed until they were staring me in the face. During nine days there was opportunity to dive four times daily and I only skipped one dive, however I saw many others taking many more dives off. This was hard work compared to working on you tan. This was advertised as a macro trip, however there is life everywhere and potential for plenty of spectacular wide angle shots too. If you want to know more about variety of photo opportunities make sure you check out Mike Bartick's photos. During the time I was there I saw no large subjects.The room was very cozy, and after diving all day I probably would have slept anywhere on anything but the bed and room were plenty comfortable. Hot water was spotty some days, however when it's in the 80's or 90's how bad off can you really be.All food was made there in the kitchen and there was plenty of healthy wonderful food of varying diversity to please all. I heard nothing but rave reviews during my nine days and felt the same.This trip was a wonderful opportunity to see creatures that I had never seen before and haven't see since. The staff and dive masters (especially Freddy) are amazing and if you are ready for a little adventure this is a great choice and a superb value.

I stayed at the Crystal Blue resort in Anilao in early 2013. It was a 10 day trip, and outstanding in many ways. Foremost, there's a large variety of marine life. I saw more critters here than in Lembeh (also a top notch destination). But having lots of life and finding them are two different things. To help in the finding, CB had great guidesOn almost all the dives we had two guides for our boat of four divers. By the time we finished photographing one subject, they had spotted another. So there was never a break in the action. As for the conditions, most of the "muck" was crumbled coral. So unlike Lembeh which was mostly silt, where the bottom got stirred up, it settled quickly. And as for the resort, Crystal Blue was great. Friendly staff, fine rooms, and good variety of food. Only down side was that the wifi was slow and unreliable.I would definitely go to Anilao again, and CB is a proven resort for me.

In April 2014, I attended my first under water photography workshop at Crystal Blue Resort CBR, hosted by Blue Water Photo. I am extremely impressed by the efficiency, professionalism, and detail planning by Blue Water Photo and Dive Travel. I am also equally pleased by the hospitality and friendliness from all the staff (house and dive/boat) at CBR.The dive operation: The typical day includes 4 dives/day, 2 in the morning, 1 in late afternoon, and 1 at dusk or night. Diving is never more than 4 guests per boat, plus local dive master and occasionally UWP pro (either Scot Gietler, Mike Bartick, or Brent Durand). Most often the boat is staffed with 3 other members (1 captain and 2 assistants), so there's always plenty of assistance on board. During the 10 days of diving, I only have to handle my dive gears twice: out of the dive bag on day 1 and packing on day 10. Nitrox is available for the entire trip for extra small fee (about USD 2.5 per tank), and highly recommended due to the high volume of diving to be done. The water fronting CBR is a Marine Protected Park, all the dive sites are easily accessible, and most of them are with 15-20 minutes boat ride distance. Although the few sites closer to Anilao town are usually popular and crowded with other dive resorts guests and local divers. Fortunately, CBR manager Mike Bartick always accommodates guests' dive requests and UWP learning needs, distribution of dive sites and dive traffic is meticulously planned out every morning.UWP: The day starts out with photo-review after the 6:30am breakfast. Photos from the previous day diving are projected on a 60in LCD screen and gently critiqued by the pros. This is always the fun parts when divers interject with witty comments. As the workshop progresses, the quality and techniques of photos clearly show sign of hope and improvement (which means that we are absorbing something, be it the good teaching or nitrogen). Then comes the first 2 dives and UWP practices start at around 8am, as the 3 pros rotate between our six boats, that comes out to be hand-on teaching UW every other day. The local dive masters are extremely catering and knowledgeable, and try their hardest to find the critters as requested. Once a critter is ID UW, he patiently waits and assists the photographer to take pic. I never once felt rushed by my DM at all.After the 2 morning dives, it's time to return to CBR for nice lunch and photo-download. Each day from 1:30p to 2:30p, the hour is designated as lecture time, scheduled with different topics mixed in reinforcement of previous introduced ideas and techniques. These topics include basic of macro-, Wide-angle-photography, shooting with model, lighting, Lightroom software, critters behaviors, etc. Just when one expects to sneak in an afternoon siesta, it's time to return to the boat for another 2 dives and more UWP. I definitely need a vacation after this workshop, LOL!Marine Life: As I mentioned earlier, the dive sites are plenty and nearby. Almost anyone who has dove in Lembeh Strait enjoys muck diving and finding jewels-like critters in the black dirty bottom. In Anilao, there're the good muck diving in Coconut points and Secret garden. On the top of this A-list is the Anilao Pier. Less than 100 feet from Anilao town, next to the bar and basketball court, lies the silty muddy bottom of Anilao Pier. On any given night, 6-10 coconut octopus, Matote (single blue ringed) octopus, and mimic octopus surface and greet the divers at the same time. You can literally have a photo session with your own octopus and not be crowded or waited on by an impatient dive buddy. Up above the diver's head in middle of water column, other cephalopods (be a squid or cuttlefish) are always eagerly to show off their iridescent skins.Anilao dive sites are filled with wonderful surprises. I never find a dive site too plain or too dull. There's pymie seahorse at 25 meters at Kirby's, orangutan at Bethleham, hairy squat lobster at Twin Rock's, yellow hairy fox fish at Matu, Harlequin shrimps at Cavan Cove...the list goes on and on. My advise for future guests is to present a list of critters to the DM and you'll never get disappointed.As for wide angle, the dive sites Kirby’s, Twin Rock's, Sombrero, Layag Layag (wreck), are ideal for the creative landscape style UW images. Don't be fool by the calm looking sea surface at most dive sites, I experience kick-butt strong current outside of Mainit Point. At Kirby's, there's the surprise addition of down-current which pushes three of us right in the middle of sea between Maricaban and Sombrero Islands while we try our best to stay at 20 feet during our safety stop. Having dove in Palau Blue Corner, Galapagos Darwin and Wolf Island, I still think that a safety sausage is a SAFE diver's good friend.Accommodation:CBR is built on a hill side of bay area, the layout is multi-level with dive deck/platforms on the water front, where all the dive gears are stored and located. One level above is the camera room, humidity and temperature are controlled by AC 24/7, designed to house 20 booths which guarantees each diver hers/his own work-space. It is well lit, clean, and safe; and is locked up after 11pm with security is on site at night. Above camera room is the open-air dining room and lounging area/library. A few steps away locates the office and the parking level. All the guest rooms are located above this level.One thing worths mentioning is the hilly landscape of CBR, many guest-rooms are situated on the upper part of the property (requires two-three sets of stairs, depends on the location of rooms). That means a lot of stair-climbing to do everyday between meals, divings, and lectures. For the travelers with weaker knees or joint problems, be sure to ask for the rooms closer to the dinning rooms or office. Half star is taken away here.The rooms are clean, AC works great, the rooms located on the top have a good view of sunset and beautiful bay. I always return from the morning dives and find my room clean and tidy-up, the bed-sheets and spreads are changed every other day. In my opinion, it is a little over-done, which could be changed every 4-5 days instead of every other day.The jacuzzi is not working during our stay, another half star is taken away.Foods: All buffet style, including variety of foods: Chicken satay, lumpia, grill tuna, shrimps, pork chops, steaks, banana breads, fresh homemade yogurts, etc. So many choices and so delicious. Dessert are to die for. Fresh fruits come with every meals. Filipino grade A mango…oh la la, the best in the world. The cooks and staff cater special diet needs upon requests.Last but not least: Blue Water Photo operation - six stars out of 5. I realize that this part of the review needs to go under a different topic, but since they are related, I am going to briefly mention it. The staff is extremely professional, knowledgable, helpful, and cheerful. This includes the pre-trip arrangement and communication.So, diving in Anilao might not be in as much limelight as diving in Lembeh Strait, Papua New Guinea, Raja Ampat... But for the variety of macro marine life, underwater landscapes and topography, dive sites, logistics of traveling (only one to two international flights to Manila), diving in Anilao and CBR definitely gives me the best value for the amount of dollar spent!

CRYSTAL BLUE RESORT, ANILAO REVIEWOur visit to Anilao and Crystal Blue Resort was very well organized by the dive operator. From the moment we landed at the airport, we were greeted by a friendly driver who helped us with our luggage and offered us a nice cold water for the ride. The van was comfortable and the ride was a little over an hour on decent roads.Arriving at the resort the staff eagerly met us to help move our gear. At the front desk, our rooms were assigned and a staff member carted our bags to our room and our dive gear to the staging area.CB has a phenomenal camera room. Each photographer gets his/her own station with plenty of outlets for charging, a shelf for the small stuff and camera bags are easily stored directly underneath each station. The room is separate from the dive area and air conditioned.The staging area for divers is very well laid out with a giant drying rack on deck, showers at the back, rinse tanks for gear and another for cameras. There are stations to store your dive bag and table tops to set cameras between dives. When you're ready to go, just a few short steps down to the sand - your boat awaits. The staff members help you carry your camera and/or gear to the boat and they are very used to handling expensive camera gear, so no worries there.The meals served are family-style and delicious! The dining room is on the second level with beautiful panoramic views of the water.Sleeping rooms are on three levels and are equipped with either a large bed or doubles with a balcony or a patio. We stayed on the 3rd level but climbing the stairs was no big deal; each room has an ocean view.The dive guides are exceptionally trained and can help you find anything you're looking for - as long as the critter is still in residence. There's something for everyone - both macro and wide-angle.Diving at Crystal Blue is worth the trip - you should go!!

Crystal Blue is a great resort and I would highly recommend it.Accommodations are local style and comfortable. One thing to note is the property is on a slope, so the rooms are located at various levels of elevation. If you do not like steps, request one of the rooms closer to the restaurant.The dive center is right by the water, so diving logistics are very simple. Crystal Blue is very well located in the strait, so boat rides generally take less than 10 minutes. The guides are knowledgeable and keen. Marine life in Anilao is fantastic. Expect loads of nudibranchs and macro critters of all shapes and sizes. Most of the photography in Anilao is focused on macro, but you can find excellent wide angle opportunities at Twin Rocks and Beatrice.Food is plentiful and the staff try hard, but I found the food a little bland.

I'd done my research, but still wasn't sure of what I would find at Crystal Blue/Anilao. I was not disappointed by the hotel, staff or diving. The diving was phenomenal and made up for the travel time in getting to Manila. This trip was part of the Blue Water spring photo workshop. This was the first visit to Anilao and first photo workshop that I have participated in.Food - variety of food and quality was very good. Not five star meals, but very tasty and satisfying and plenty to eat after diving. Enough selection that everyone had something to enjoy, including vegetarians (and other food restrictions were accommodated). Open air dining room, and with fans/breeze very few bugs to annoy you. This is the only area that has wifi, but was also where people hung out between diving. Wifi worked very well while we were there, a number of people used skype/facetime to call home.Rooms - Well maintained, and what you see on the website (superior). I'm used to sharing a king size, so the beds seemed pretty small, but with two beds, we used both. Large shower and enough space on the sink counter for our toiletries. no TV but didn't really need it or have time to watch anything. Massages were nice and cheap.Diving - Great set-up for cameras (now I'm spoiled). Camera room with individual stations with AC and power at each station. Bring your camera down and dunk in 2 big rinse tanks that were for cameras only (another set on the other side for gear rinse), leave it on the table beside the rinse tank and your boat crew will take it to your boat.Panga boats are a neat experience and crew helped you get into your gear, changed your tanks, and helped you get into the boat (with our without gear - preferred without gear), and handed down cameras. Helped you up the ramp to the boat ... helped with everything you wanted/needed. Went out for 2 dives morning and 2 dives for afternoon and sunset. or skip a dive and just let the boat know so they can be close to pick you up or drop you off.Dive Guide - not a dive master, a guide. He helped you find all sorts of macro subjects. We would be working on a shot, and he'd be calling us over to another subject. Help set-up the subject for shots. I wouldn't have found half the critters I did without him, as he knew what could be found on the different dive sites.Critters: ribbon eels, flamboyant cuttlefish, frogfish (multiple types and multiple fish), blue ring octopus, mantis shrimp (peacock, pink eared), pipefish, pygmy seahorse, ornate pipefish, crabs (orangutan, candy, …), filefish, gobies, shrimps… and nudibranch (lots of different nudibranchs)The workshop was well run, and kept us hopping. Review photos between dives and review them as a group in the morning before diving. After lunch workshop on different topics, and mostly focused on macro as that was the majority of the subjects for the week. Afternoon/Evening after diving ask questions or get help from the pros from Blue Water and Crystal Blue's Mike Bartick.