Siaton is a quiet, sleepy village area at the very south end of large Negros Island. It’s a scenic close 45 minute drive from the airport and ferry port town of Dumaguete.
Our favorite dive resort in Siaton is Cove Paradise Beach and Dive Resort. Newly owned, completely renovated and onsite managed by a friendly Filipina and German couple Sophie and Tobias, Cove Paradise Beach and Dive Resort is situated by itself right on their own huge beach cove. They tend their nature cove with care and it surely shows, as it is very clean and exceeds environmentalist expectations.
After a great fresh fruit drink arrival and happy staffers singing a traditional welcoming song to a guitar, guests will be taken to your accommodations which range from multiple beachfront ones to to 2nd story cottage style rooms with elevated views. Each is very clean, very well maintained with nice large comfortable beds, fine quality linens, clothes racks, a table for all your gadgets, and a nice bathroom with hot and cold water. Most have verandas with lounge style chairs too right on the beachfront.
The large tropical dining area is right on the beach under a native style canopy, with a nice small bar attached for refreshments, alcoholic and mixed drinks. Oh, and killer vanilla shakes too!
Restaurant menu tasty items range from Italian dishes, chicken, seafood, etc and fits just perfect for International and local traveler culinary expectations.
Their dive operation was clearly built by divers. It starts with some very fast fiberglass speedboats with sunshade canopies, tank racks, etc. The new dive shop has multiple very well maintained new compressors, abundant gear hanging and organizing racks, multiple clean new gear rinse tanks, lots of new high quality rental gear and several refreshing cool fresh water showers to rinse yourself off right after changing out of your dive suits.
As to the diving, you can spend your entire trip if you want diving right out on their killer house reef right in front of the resort, or go just a bit further to explore. Either way, the macro is off the charts great. If you think Dumaguete macro is great, which is is, try Siaton macro!
As for the many things to do and see in the region, right down the road is the most verdant green rice fields with beautiful tall Mount Talinis as a silent green sentinel overlooking it all. A perfect photo-op and Cove Paradise Beach and Dive Resort can provide you with a newer fun motorbike and helmet to go off on your own, or let them handle all the logistics and transportation to all the fun local nature and cultural places.
Just a few steps beachside east of the resort are tidepools with all sorts of critters. See if you can spot the perfectly camouflaged orbicularis juvenile batfish which look exactly like an orange round rotted leaf the size of a coin laying perfectly still on it side in tidepool waters only hand deep.
A short ride away up the mountainside is large fresh water Lake Balanan where they have killer treehouses, and a covered veranda overlooking the lake with a dining area. Grab one of their rental paddle kayaks and go for a cool breezy peaceful exploration.
Be sure to do the short hike to the Casaroro Waterfall in Valencia, and time permitting for a day trip, the 3 spectacular limestone formation caves from 143 to 673 meters long in the Mabinay region are a must.
There is plenty to do at the resort too, from Acoustic Guitar Night from local musicians where guests gather around for music, friendship and drinks, to swimming in their large clean freshwater pool, to in room or beachside massage for less than the cost of a massage tip in the USA.
You know how so many resorts and their rooms look great online, but when you get there, paint is peeling, wood is in bad shape, bathrooms smell funky, and it doesn’t look anything like the online photos? Cove Paradise is so well maintained, in person it looks EXACTLY like the online photos.
And even with all this, due to Cove Paradise Beach and Dive Resort not being in the dense Dumaguete and Dauin areas, the prices are remarkably low so everyone can afford to stay much longer in case you want days where you just do nothing but lay in the shaded new beach lounge chairs reading a book, WiFi surfing the Internet or napping. Book now before they figure their prices are too low.
