Big Apple Dive Resort

This is a friendly, laid-back dive resort with rooms surrounding a lushly landscaped pool, restaurant and bar area. The management and staff are very friendly and helpful. The location is as central as it gets in Sabang, a few steps from the boardwalk and nightlife.

Had a great stay for a few days. The highlight was the personal care give helping my 32 year old nephew experience diving. Due to lifelong heart condition he was not able to experience a full PADI program experience. We started with snorkling and moved to actual diving of reef. I can guarantee very few people and places would have taken the time and care needed to give him this experience. Truly a lifetime high-light for a person with health challenges. Has even motivated him to try to improve his cardiac and lifestyle health. There were NO hidden charges for all of this personal service. Place was clean and comfortable. I will warn is has somewhat of a lodge feel as opposed to 4-star hotel feel, but this just made it all the better. It is hidden but not too hard to find on google maps. It is very near the beach and action, but because it is tucked away some, it has better prices and less noise for a central location. Food was great! Service was great! Very attractive and friendly staff. Place was recommended by 80 year old ex-pat that has lived nearby or 40 years. THANKS so much guy!

I sadly had a poor experience at Big Apple while I was visiting Puerto Galera. We went for drinks because we heard it was a cool place. It is true that it has cool decor. It's hidden back down a pathway where you wouldn't expect to find it. The only other clientele there while we had our drinks were old white men with young Filipinas on their arms. Not a shock in Puerto Galera. The issue I had with the experience was when it came to settling our tab. When the bill came it was almost twice the price listed in the menus we had been given. When we pointed this out they pulled out another menu with higher prices and told us the menus they'd given us were incorrect. It felt like a bait and switch.

The food is great and staff are super friendly. The 5 star PADI dive operation is the most affordable on the beach. I have dietary requirements and the chefs and ower were more than happy to assist with my request.

What a pleasant place to stay. Shielded from the hot sun with a beautiful swimming pool. A short 5 minute walk into “downtown” Sabang. Big bang for your buck there. Accommodations and dining are second to none. Met the owner; super nice guy who is a wealth of knowledge of the area. Pleasant staff. Great place for families, couples, singles and most of all the dive shack. You will NOT be disappointed.

A fantastic dive site location, the most helpful crew and what a great place to relax , fantastic value, fantastic pool and the food is just amazing what a menu, 24/7 if your looking for a special hide away this is it the dive master know their stuff great team great hire arrangements

Recently stayed at the big apple. The downstairs bar and food was good. Didn’t like the fact that they had no safes in the rooms so nowhere to put your money had £334 stolen from my room. The only people who had access to my room apart from myself was the cleaners had no ladies stay with me at any time was too late to go back to the owner as I only realised the money was missing when I was at the port leaving. Stayed in apartment number 28 my name is Mark DAVEY +447786998760

Disclaimer: While I spent most of my time in Puerto Galera hanging around at the Big Apple Dive Resort, I stayed at the Steps Garden Hotel, so I don't have any idea what the rooms are like at Big Apple. I did 3 days of diving with Big Apple, ate almost every meal there that I was in Puerto Galera and drank there every night before going out onto the dirty boulevard. I think it is terrific place and highly recommend it, but given its location, it might not be for everyone. Atmosphere: The place has a fantastic atmosphere for divers and guests that want to a laid back, fun, tropical atmosphere to eat and drink, listen to music and hangout by a nice pool. Every night there was a lively crowd drinking, chatting, listening to music and everyone is very friendly. Unlike many places in Sabang, the place is not over-run with bar girls hunting for customers... although there are probably some in there from time to time. I would say the place does not seem particularly oriented to families, although there were sometimes groups of kids playing in the pool. Location: Big Apple is not on the water, it is hidden away down a rather dingy alley near the main drag of bars in Sabang. It is a pretty short walk down the alley to the water front where the dive boat goes out for diving twice a day. The water front in the center of Sabang does not really have a beach anyway, and there is currently some construction going on, so actually, I found that Big Apple being slightly hidden away was a positive, it seems like a little oasis in the middle of a fairly chaotic little town. Be aware, the nicest beach in the area, White Beach, is a 20-30 minute trike ride away. Food and Drink: Generally excellent, not too expensive, quite an extensive menu. Are there better options in town? Maybe, I have no idea, I thought it was great and did not see any reason to go anywhere else. The grog was pretty standard. Facilities: From the pool, to the dive shop, to the small gym and boxing ring, to the spa, to the pool table in the bar, Big Apple has quite a bit going on for what it is, which is after all, a pretty small footprint dive resort. The place is not the 4 Seasons, some of the stuff, like the gym and the spa are pretty basic, but it is nice to have it available. Service/ Management: For a small hotel/dive resort in the Philippines, this place is very well managed. The British owner was there when we were there, and he is a very knowledgeable and friendly but clearly no bullsh!t kind of guy that runs a pretty tight ship. He was also diving with the guests every day and was happy to have a few drinks in the bar and tell jokes. The day to day manager, Kris, is a very cool Filipina woman who basically keeps the place running, and is also a dive master. She was constantly in the bar, sorting out problems, helping people arrange transport, supervising the staff, basically doing anything that needed to be done... Need anything or have an issue, she'll fix. Th