Crystal Blue Resort

(20 REVIEWS)

A collage of images of Anilao's Crystal Blue Resort in the Philippines.

A team member stands in front of the entrance to Crystal Blue Resort in Anilao, Philippines.

A spacious white building featuring a balcony, offering breathtaking views of Crystal Blue Resort in Anilao, Philippines

Camera stations in the large camera room at Crystal Blue Resort, Anilao.

Enjoy the charm of a large restaurant with wooden floors and a ceiling fan at Crystal Blue Resort in Anilao, Philippines

Platters of food adorn a table overlooking the ocean at Crystal Blue Resort, Anilao.

A seating area on a deck overlooking the ocean at Crystal Blue Resort, Anilao.

A woman snorkels in crystal clear water in Anilao, Philippines.

A map of dive sites adorns the dive shop wall over rinse tanks, looking out onto crystal blue water.

A dive guide helps divers try on masks at Crystal Blue Resort in Anilao.

Relaxing room with two beds and a TV at Crystal Blue Resort in Anilao, Philippines.

A dive shop nestled on the shore of crystal blue waters at Crystal Blue Resort in Anilao, Philippines.

The dive shop with scuba cylinders and equipment rinse tanks at Crystal Blue Resort, Anilao.

A diverse group of individuals gathered around a table, accompanied by a suited man, at Crystal Blue Resort in Anilao, Philippines.

A cozy wooden bench under a tree in front of a charming family villa at Crystal Blue Resort in Anilao, Philippines.

A modern bathroom at Crystal Blue Resort in Anilao, Philippines, featuring a toilet, sink, and shower.

A picturesque room with a thatched roof and a path leading to it, located at Crystal Blue Resort in Anilao, Philippines.

Breathtaking ocean and mountain view from patio at Crystal Blue Resort in Anilao, Philippines.

An air conditioned camera room with glass doors looking onto a garden.

Tables and chairs set up for dinner at Crystal Blue Resort in Anilao, Philippines.

Comfortable restaurant lounge area with ceiling fan and scenic patio at Crystal Blue Resort in Anilao, Philippines.

Vibrant spa room with colorful furniture and ocean view at Crystal Blue Resort in Anilao, Philippines.

An office and gift shop with a thatched and green roof, located at Crystal Blue Resort in Anilao, Philippines.

Crystal blue Resort, Philippines

Mabini, Batangas, Philippines | Full board + 3 dives from $330++/ppn

Crystal Blue Resort Quick Pitch

Crystal Blue Resort, Anilao, offers spectacular diving, amazing macro photography, knowledgeable guides, incredible cuisine, and comfortable ocean-view accommodations.

Quick Information

No of Rooms: 17
Dive Center: On-site
Amenities: AC, camera room with over 20 stations, large dive locker, Jacuzzi, massages, bar and more
WiFi: Yes, free
Nearest International Airport: Ninoy Aquino International Airport
Airport shuttle: Yes, surcharge

How to Get There

Crystal Blue Resort is located in the heart of Anilao known as Bagalangit, Mabini, Batangas, Philippines. Transfer from Manila to Crystal Blue Resort is easily arranged. The land transfer from Manila to the resort will take about 2-1/2 hours. Pickup can be from either of the two Manila airports (International or Domestic).

Dive Overview

Anilao is a world-renowned scuba diving destination known for its incredible biodiversity and stunning underwater landscapes. The area boasts an abundance of marine life, including over 90% of the world's known species of hard coral and countless fish species. Scuba divers of all levels can enjoy diving in Anilao, with shallow reefs for beginners and deeper sites for advanced divers. With its warm waters, excellent visibility, and unmatched underwater beauty, Anilao is truly a scuba diver's paradise.

[Read More: Anilao Dive Travel Guide]

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Accommodations

Crystal Blue Resort Rooms, Amenities and Photos

Crystal Blue Resort Accommodation Overview

The resort offers deluxe rooms, superior rooms, and a large family villa.

Family Villa

The Family Suites include two separate rooms with queen-sized beds. Air con for each room, a dining table, family area with center table and chairs, a private bath with hot and cold shower, refrigerator and is fully air-conditioned.

Superior Rooms

The Superior Rooms have their own private baths, hot and cold shower, dining table, closets, 2 queen beds with comfortable sheets, and fully air-conditioned. The balcony/lobby offers spectacular views of the property, ocean, and sunsets.

Deluxe Rooms

Featuring either one queen or two single beds with dining table, closets, private bath, air-conditioning, and balcony/grassy lobby.

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Resort Facilities

The resort is on a hill and involves climbing stairs

Restaurant Lounge Area (LEFT) & Spa (RIGHT)

Crystal Blue Resort Features

Jacuzzi
Bar
Restaurants
Coffee shop
Room service
Spa
Camera room

Crystal Blue Resort Food & Drinks

The chef's specialties are seafood, continental, oriental and Filipino cuisine, prepared in a professional-grade kitchen.
The food is served buffet-style and includes two to three choices for every lunch and dinner.
Coffee, tea and free-flowing water from our fresh water filling stations are always available in the dining room.
Hot water kettles are available in the office.

Crystal Blue Resort Activities

Scuba diving
Hiking
Island hopping
Kayaking
Spa treatment

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Package & Rates

RAtes & availability

For information on rates, availability, and to book, drop us an email at bookings@bluewaterdivetravel.com or call us at +1-310-915-6677 and we will gladly help you plan your dream dive vacation!

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Dive Information

Dive Overview

In a tropical, oceanside setting, Crystal Blue Resort finally offers a finer quality of lodging perfectly placed to experience Anilao's excellent scuba diving and underwater photography opportunities.

Crystal Blue Resort is conveniently located in front of Arthur's Rock Marine Sanctuary where scuba diving enthusiasts can have their once-in-a-lifetime underwater adventure.

You as our guest can enjoy the unparalleled beauty right under the Anilao sea.

The dive boats go out in the morning for two dives. After lunch, a single-tank afternoon dive is offered, with the option of a night dive. Most of the diving is to 70 feet or less, and dive times of 70-minutes or more per dive are common.

Marine Life

The reefs in Anilao are very rich - home to abundant marine life. Anilao is not a place to visit if you're looking for pelagics, but is heaven for macro photographers.

Divers can expect to find more nudibranchs than they could ever photograph in a single trip along with common sightings of blue-ringed octopus, frogfish, Ambon scorpionfish, pygmy seahorses, lionfish, hairy squat lobsters, mantis shrimp, harlequin shrimp, boxer crabs flamboyant cuttlefish and many more reef creatures.

There is a wide variety of hard and soft coral, sponges and reefs patrolled by schools of anthias.

Wide-angle photographers will find stunning, colorful reef-scapes, a wreck, batfish and even resident school of jacks.

Those who are lucky will find some of the rarer critters, including bobbit worms, hairy frogfish, wonderpus octopus, pipefish and even rhinopias.

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Dive Center Information

Crystal Blue Resort Dive Center Overview

Diving with Crystal Blue is a pleasure. Their valet-style approach means you don't need to handle your gear - the crew will have it on the boat ready to go for each dive.

Dives are made from the traditional Filipino bangkas (double outrigger boats) that accommodate 4 divers plus a guide, driver, and crew member. All dives are conducted as guided dives at Crystal Blue and our sought-after guides are the

best in Anilao. Professionally trained to find critters, assist photographers, and coordinate dive sites throughout the day and are trained to current PADI standards.

The dive locker is large with ample space for the staff to rinse dive gear daily and hang wetsuits. It also has an outdoor hot and cold water shower as well as dedicated camera rinse tanks.

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Other Information

Practical Information

Electricity: 220 volts
Time zone: UTC+8
Languages: Filipino & English

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Got Questions? Ready to Book?

Call us today at +1-310-915-6677 or email us bookings@bluewaterdivetravel.com

And let us book your dream vacation!

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Underwater Gallery

Coming Soon!

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Reviews (20)

debi

1 Reviews

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Overall Value

Accommodations

Marine Life

Food

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.

Visited on 05/2016 - Submitted on 08/15/2016

Images

Reviewer

lyow

Costa Mesa, CA
United States

5 Reviews

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Overall Value

Accommodations

Marine Life

Food

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!

Visited on 05/2012 - Submitted on 01/17/2014

gtm1959

1 Reviews

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Overall Value

Accommodations

Marine Life

Food

Crystal Blue should be on everyone's bucket list. My wife and I have been to Crystal Blue twice. The staff is well trained and tend to all of the divers needs. The accommodations are well maintained and when we reported some issues with our air conditioner and water heater they were repaired immediately. The meals are plentiful and delicious. The resort offers a good selection of items at each meal and the servers make sure all of your needs are taken care of. The dive staff is amazing. The divemasters can find things so small you cannot see them with a magnifying class. They are geared to assist photographers and knowledgeable of all the local marine life. On one of our night dives our divemaster found a pair of harlequin shrimp and I think he was more excited than I was. The dive deck offers plenty of space for everyone and the equipment is very well maintained. The photo room offers spacious work stations in a climate controlled environment. Mike Bartick, the resort photographer, is an excellent resource with all photographic questions. He can assist with composition, equipment, and shooting techniques. I have made several dives with him and he is a major asset to the resort. I have plans to return to Anilao and Crystal Blue once the COVID restrictions have lifted.

Visited on 01/2017 - Submitted on 03/11/2021

Reviewer

neillevans

Northridge, CA
United States

3 Reviews

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Accommodations

Marine Life

Food

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.

Visited on 05/2013 - Submitted on 02/01/2014

Images

Old Salt I

5 Reviews

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Accommodations

Marine Life

Food

Crystal Blue Resort is perhaps the best place anywhere for amazing macro photography. The inimitable Mike Bartick not only manages the resort but also offers amazing advice and help with every guest's photography. He is at the cutting edge of macro and blackwater photography, and the resort, located in Anilao, the Philippines, is rich in subjects. The diving operation is very well organized, the guides are excellent, and the camera room is amazing. Every detail has been thought out.

The resort offers nice rooms, well air-conditioned and clean. The food is very good and healthy. It could use more variety, but overall it is fine. The facility is set up against a rather steep hill, and the steps up to the rooms can be a bit tricky, so care must be taken. It's a pretty easy trip, non-stop from LAX to Manila, overnight in an airport hotel, and a 3 hour drive to the resort the following morning.

It's a great place, and I hope to return soon!

Visited on 03/2021 - Submitted on 03/13/2021

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