“Magnificent drop-offs and superb corals, especially on the plateaus”
Highlights
- Small groups of 10 divers
- Pristine diving in Tubbataha
- On-deck bathroom & gear storage
The 21m MY Azalea is a simple yet comfortable liveaboard offering week-long, year-round dive safaris to some of the best destinations in the Philippines, including Tubbataha Reef, Apo Reef, and Coron. Known for pristine diving, the Tubbataha reefs are natural Marine Protected Parks located in the middle of the Sulu Sea and only accessible via liveaboard. Abundant marine life encounters are on offer, such as manta rays, multiple species of sharks, turtles, dolphins, and whales, and hundreds of species of fish and coral. The Tubbataha season is only from March - June, and spaces fill up fast, so be sure to book in advance!
Azalea Liveaboard also offers El Nido, Coron, and Apo Reefs itineraries. This dive trip offers something for everyone. This is a fantastic Philippines dive destination, from the impressive wrecks of WWII in Coron Bay to the wealth of marine life and big-fish sightings found at Apo Reef.
Topside, M/Y Azalea caters to just 10 guests in 4 twin-bunk cabins and 1 master cabin. Built by divers for divers, each cabin features modern conveniences such as en-suite bathrooms, AC, plug sockets, and storage. The indoor dining area is located on the main deck, where freshly prepared tasty dishes will be served. This leads out to the dive deck, where there is ample space for gear storage, kitting up, and an on-deck bathroom. The sun deck is a favorite divers' hangout for unwinding with a cold beer at the end of the day while enjoying the sunset and discussing the day's numerous sightings.
The incredibly passionate guides and crew of the MY Azalea yacht are looking forward to sharing the beauty of the underwater world of the Philippines with fellow divers. Call us or book online today to reserve your space and plan your Philippines liveaboard adventure.
Choose your departure date
Included: VAT, Airport Transfer, Hotel Transfer, Drinking Water, Soft drinks, Soft Drinks at Meal Times, Tea & Coffee, Welcome Cocktails, Beach BBQ, Full-Board Meal Plan (All meals), Snacks, Diving Package, Fishing, Cabin Towels, Deck Towels.
Required Extras: National Park Fees (75-110 USD per trip).
Optional Extras: Dive Insurance (100 USD per item), Alcoholic Beverages, Extra Dives, Private Dive Guide, Rental Gear, Scuba Diving Courses.
Book now, pay later: You can easily place your booking online. We will then hold the spaces for you and you can confirm with a payment later.
* Extra fees are shown per person.
Pay by bank transfer or online with
Drawings & Vessel Layouts
Cabin Types
Azalea Reviews
- 8.6 Fabulous
-
Vessel
7.5
-
Crew
8.7
-
Food
9.6
-
Diving
9.0
-
Value
8.3
-
- 6.8 Review score
- Ronnie B
-
United States
The trip was excellent but …
The highlight of the trip was the different atolls at Tubataha. The crew were friendly and hospitable. Our dive guide, Edu was the best. The lowlights was the constantly smoking of the crew everywhere. No designated smoking area. The food needs to have theme daily. Sometimes they don’t make sense. Nitrox wasn’t provided . Overall it’s ok.
- Recommended for
- The staff, Tubataha only 2 for me!
-
- 8.0 Very good
- James H
-
United States
It was an adapt & adjust satisfactory experience.
The sighting of a swimming yellow-spotted manta & an albino manta stingray. Seeing an octopus was another highlight. Always like to view sea turtles. Schools of jackfish & snappers were appreciated. Variety of coral & fish was impressive. Many sightings of sharks were seen on most dives.
- Recommended for
- Exploring the Tubbataha Reef. The crew on the boat & the diving crew.
-
- 9.2 Superb
- douglas W
-
United States
Great crew and good eats
So much marine life, truly mind boggling.
- Recommended for
- Crew, food and dive guide
-
- 8.8 Fabulous
- Ralph C
-
United States
Slow boat to Tubbataha
This is a small boat with a correspondingly small number of divers (10). On this trip we had 7, and dove in 2 groups. All were competent and neither group experienced any diver related issues. The boat appeared ready to leave port at about sundown, but the tender suffered an engine issue sometime before we were to leave Puerto Princesa, and finding a replacement and receiving coast guard clearance delayed our departure until 2 am. A storm passing to our South further delayed our arrival at Tubbataha and we missed one day of diving as a result. The Azelea promptly refunded the value of our lost dive day when we returned to port. I was berthed on the upper deck and have no complaints about the quarters. Air con was available all night, and would be switched on during the day if the crew was asked. But it wasn't necessary. The food was good, and always plentiful. The crew was awesome, and would do anything for you. The diving, as expected, was terrific, and the guides were capable, friendly, and familiar with the area. 4 dives were offered each day except departure day (2 at Jessie Beazley). Nitrox is not available, if that's your thing. This is not a luxurious boat, and not for everyone. But for my dive buddy and me, it was what we were looking for and we were not disappointed at all, except for what was mentioned at the top, and that, though unfortunate, was not the fault of this dive op. We would, and in fact might, go again with Azelea.
- Recommended for
- The diving, the number of divers, the price
-
- 8.4 Very good
- Matt F
-
United States
Better than expected
Diving at Apo Reef was the highlight; especially the ‘shark airport’ dive site...there were probably 18-20 whitetip sharks hanging out. We had some rough/windy conditions the first night and had to take an alternate route to Apo, and ended up only doing 7, instead of 8 dives, but it was understandably the right thing to do for safety. The crew is great, and the owner was on the trip with us. Overall, an enjoyable trip and worth the money.
- Recommended for
- Diving, smaller number of guests, friendly vibe
-
- 8.4 Very good
- Vivek V
-
India
Great diving and famous wreck dives
The crew and owner of the boat was extremely happy people who did their best. Me being vegetarian, my options were limited on the dining table but for the non vegetarians, it's a foodies paradise. Divemasters we're experienced and knew the sites well. A week passed by in great company!
- Recommended for
- People, food, bed
-
- 9.2 Superb
- BUMJUN K
-
South Korea
a reasonable choice to explore the far reaching coral reefs of philippines
To be honest, there are some downsides such as small cabins and not providing nitrox, But considering the price, it is not a problem. Even though visibility was not so good during our trip, coron always offers diverse range of style of diving, which never fails me. What i liked the most is that comparing to other boats, the manager is very willing to be helpful and tries to reflect our opinions in many decisions. Yes, i would love to sail with them again.
- Recommended for
- friendliness of the crew, food exceeded my expectations, very supportive manager
-
- 7.6 Good
- Moritz S
-
Germany
Pristine diving on budget boat with very friendly and welcoming crew
Drift diving in strong currents with plenty of marine life
- Recommended for
- Diving, other guests, crew
-
- 9.2 Superb
- karl G
-
United Kingdom
Vary professional
The coral
- Recommended for
- Having the owner on board
-
- 9.6 Exceptional
- Audrius P
-
Lithuania
Great experience despite not reaching Apo reef
It's a tricky review because we couldn't reach Apo reef due to weather conditions and dived the Coron wrecks instead. But if we remove this fact from the equation, everything else is great. Dugongs were super cute, the divemasters knew their dives, and the food, omg, the food was amazing, from soft juicy Schnitzels to custom pumpkin soup that was made specifically for me when the main soup was mushroom (I don't eat those). Also, Dirk, the owner, offered a compensation that we couldn't resist, so I'd rate the experience very good.
- Recommended for
- Dugongs, food and crew
