About Donsol Eco Tour

Donsol Eco Tour is an all-in-one eco adventure group, run by friendly, ready to assist, and environmentally concerned individuals. Donsol Eco Tour started when a group of divers were magnetised to the richness of natural resources of the Donsol area. The adventure and experience available in Donsol and the surrounding areas was definitely something worth sharing to the world. In such close proximity, one can dive with Manta Rays, swim with Whale Sharks, climb up the perfect cone shaped volcano – Mt Mayon, and join excursions to appreciate local culture.

The care and passion to provide the best possible has been the trademark of the Donsol Eco Tour staff and the top class service is something we work on improving year after year. Furthermore, Donsol Eco Tour’s zeal for the environment and human safety has been made even more firm with our partnership with organizations like Reef Check and Diver’s Alert Network.

DAN AP provides Worldwide Emergency Evacuation Coverage and optional Dive Injury (Treatment) Insurance Services for Members. In addition the organisation is responsible for funding and/or manning 24-hour diving emergency hotlines throughout the Asia-Pacific region.

Donsol Eco Tour and Reef Check ...
Reef Check is an international non-profit organization dedicated to research, education, and conservation. Reef Check along with its partner’s focus on:

Educating the public and governments about the value of coral reefs and rocky reef ecosystems and the crisis facing them
Creating a global network of volunteer teams, trained and led by scientists, that regularly monitor and report on reef health using a standard method
Facilitating collaborative use of reef health information by community groups, governments, universities and businesses to design and implement ecologically sound and economically sustainable solutions
Stimulating local action to protect remaining pristine reefs and rehabilitate damaged reefs worldwide especially through the creation of Marine Protected Areas.

Donsol Eco Tour promotes and offers the Reef Check Eco Diver course and conducts coral reef surveys in the Ticao Island area. Coral reef health is commonly ignored and Donsol Eco Tour hopes to provide Reef Check with the necessary information about our area and to provide Reef Check with volunteer divers for needed activities.

Donsol Eco Tour and DAN AP ...

We are proud to support Divers Alert Network Asia-Pacific (DAN AP). The DAN AP is a global network of not-for-profit, member-based, dive safety organisations working for the safety of all divers through education, research and training.

DAN AP is a part of the International DAN Federation of Dive Safety Organisations with worldwide Membership presently exceeding 300,000.

Disclaimers

Donsol Eco Tour is a separate entity and runs different operations from other companies with similar names. The official website of Donsol Eco Tour is www.donsolecotour.com with contact email of info@donsolecotour.com.

The Resorts

Elysia Beach Resort – This is the newest resort in Donsol and has been well designed to mix modern beauty with local flair. Elysia is currently the only resort in Donsol with a swimming pool and a lounge area by the beach. The resort has 14 rooms which surround the swimming pool. All the rooms have air-conditioning and a private toilet and bath with hot and cold shower. Compared to its neighbouring resorts, the rooms of Elysia are not very spacious, and hence is not advisable for triple sharing. There are two options for room type – 1-bed option or 2-bed option. The 1-bed option has 1 double bed while the 2-bed option has 1 double bed and 1 single bed. Elysia is located past Woodland Resort. It is a good 10 to 15 minute walk to the Tourism Center and the tricycle (local form of transportation) is available upon request. The tricycle charges around PHP20 from Elysia Resort to the Tourism Center and approximately PHP50 from Elysia Resort to the town center. (Please note that night time rates may be double the day time rates).

Ticao Island Resort - Situated 1.5 hours (by boat) from Donsol, this is the place to go if you are looking for a peaceful getaway and a diving haven - white beach, clear blue water, sprawling grounds, and the dive sites only 10 to 30 minutes away. The dive boats of Donsol all have to travel to the Ticao area for diving, so if you plan on doing several days of diving, Ticao Island Resort would be the best option. The resort has 9 beach front cabanas and 4 fan rooms. The cabanas are set with the comforts of air-conditioning, private toilet and bath with hot and cold shower, and simple pleasures not offered in Donsol resorts (i.e. hair dryer, hot water pot, coffee, tea, bottled water). The fan rooms are cozy but do not have the same amenities as the cabanas. Each of the budget rooms only have a fan and the complex composed of 4 fan rooms share a toilet and bath. Although designed mainly for divers, there are activity options in Ticao Island Resort for non-divers (i.e. recreational fishing, snorkelling, island tours, kayaking, mangrove tours). Given that the Whale Shark Interaction is one of the highlights in the area from November to June, it is always advisable to have your itinerary fixed such that the whale shark interaction is done prior to heading to Ticao Island Resort or on the way back to Legaspi. More details on Ticao Island Resort can be found on www.ticao-island-resort.com.

Vitton Resort - This is the biggest resort in Donsol with approximately 25 air-conditioned rooms. There are two room types – Standard and De Luxe. The Standard Rooms are equipped with 2 double beds, air-conditioning, and a private toilet and bath with hot and cold shower. The standard rooms were the original rooms of Vitton Resort, so these rooms have more rustic feel to it. However, the biggest complaint would be the fact that the air-conditioning exhaust is found in the bathroom. The De Luxe rooms, on the other hand, has 2 queen sized beds, air-conditioning, and a private toilet and bath with hot and cold shower. The air-conditioning’s exhaust is no longer in the bathroom, but since the rooms were also made more recently, the local warmth and comfort of the standard rooms were not carried along to the new rooms. Vitton Resort is the closest to the Tourism Center where guests get on board the boats for the whale shark interaction. However, because of Vitton’s proximity to the Tourism Office, the beach front is not always enjoyed (especially during peak season) because the beach front is used as the parking for the boats and the resort ends up being a “hang-out” for all Donsol tourist’s even those that are not booked there.

Woodland Resort - Owned by the same family that owns Vitton, Woodland also has 20 air-conditioned rooms but has a slightly smaller land area compared to Vitton. Woodland is located away from the tourism center and this gives the place more privacy from the Donsol crowds. The walk from Woodland to Vitton is only around 10 minutes. All rooms have a hot shower and the available room options are either 1 double bed or 2 twin beds. Woodland's advantage to Vitton would be the fact that the exhaust of the air-conditioner is outside the room. On the downside, the verandas of the rooms have grills, so you don’t get a clear view of the surrounding area.