A Marine Safari in the Philippines

After you have checked into your hotel you can organise diving for the coming days around Malapascua island.

You will board the dive boat while it is still dark, jumping into the water just as the sun comes up and descending to a wall, which you sit behind and wait for the sharks to arrive. Watch these amazing sharks glide over your head while small fish pick parasites and dead skin off their sides.

After a surface interval spent picnicking on Malapascua's sandy beaches, head back beneath the waves to discover this tiny island's other claim to fame on a macro dive.

The small island of Kalanggaman is home to a pristine beach and long sand bar, and below the waves divers will find walls and shallow reefs covered in soft corals and macro life, including nudibranchs and pygmy seahorses. These reefs are also often visited by turtles - another notch on the dive tick list.

Between dives enjoy a barbecue of freshly caught fish and relax on the perfectly white sand beach.

Gato island is a marine reserve and sea snake sanctuary located a 45-minute boat ride from Malapascua, boasting everything from macro dives to wall dives. Spend the day exploring the site's pygmy seahorses, lots of nudibranchs and sea snakes and lovely soft corals, as well as turtles, whitetip sharks and mantas.

Close to Gato island lies the Dona Marilyn wreck - a passenger ferry which sank 20 years ago and is now covered in marine life. The wreck sits at a maximum depth of 32 metres and its hull is carpeted in black corals. You will likely come across frogfish, nudibranchs, whitetip reef sharks and rays at this site.

Spend the day alternating between channelling your inner beach bum and snorkelling around the island. Alternatively, knead out any residual knots with a rejuvenating spa treatment and stretch during sunset with a beach front yoga session.

You will be transferred to Bohol island via a short banca ride followed by a four-hour drive south to Cebu and a short flight to Tagbilaran. From Tagbilaran you will be transferred through the beautiful green Filipino countryside to your resort in Anda. Once you have checked in, spend the rest of the day exploring your local surroundings, whether snorkelling straight from the shores of the resort's private beach or venturing through the surrounding tropical forest.

Diving in Anda is a real treat, with calm, warm waters and beautiful reefs covered in all manner of creatures both big and small, including pygmy seahorses, nudibranchs, shrimps, octopus and lots of weird and wonderful crabs. Not to forget numerous pelagic fish, reef sharks and heaps of turtles. There are more than 30 dive sites all within a 20-minute boat ride of Amun Ini so you'll be spoilt for choice.

In the evening, just as the sun is going down, descend onto the house reef to watch the mandarin fish courtship dance. This special spectacle involves a male mandarin fish taking centre stage, dancing to the delight of the females as he tries to attract a mate.

Perfect for snorkellers and divers alike, Balicasag houses some of the best-known sites around Bohol. Located further afield, this trip will require a full day, but trust us, it's worth it. The island rises up above deep coral-covered walls which are home to an incredible abundance of macro life, reef fish, schooling jacks and tame turtles. Make sure you look out into the blue - you never know what might be passing by.

After a delicious breakfast spread, board the dive boat for a day trip to Pamilacan island. Pamilacan is thought to literally mean 'resting place of mantas', so you can probably guess the island's regular visitors. Along with giant mantas, Bohol is home to more than 11 species of cetacean including bottlenose dolphins, Risso's dolphins, pilot whales, Bryde's and sperm whales - which you'll witness in crystal clear visibility.

Bohol is home to some of the Philippines' most iconic sights, from the bulbous Chocolate Hills to tiny wide-eyed tarsiers, the world's smallest mammal. Start your day cruising up the beautiful Loboc river, through emerald forest and trickling waterfalls as you pass the homes of local Boholanos. You will also have a chance to pump up the adrenaline with an exciting zip-line over the river. After the river take an ATV tour around the Chocolate Hills before visiting the tarsier sanctuary, arriving back at the resort just in time for sundowners looking out across expansive ocean panoramas.

After a leisurely breakfast you will be privately transferred to the airport for your flight to Dumaguete via Cebu. Once you have landed you will be met in arrivals and transferred to the resort which will take around 40 minutes. Once you have settled into your room, spend the rest of the day at leisure. If you're keen to explore, Dumaguete is home to a wealth of natural sites, from thundering waterfalls to glass-topped lakes and bubbling hot springs.

The brown volcanic sand might not be much to look at but keep your eyes peeled and you'll see it's home to all sorts of weird and wonderful critters. There are a multitude of fantastic muck diving sites that line the Dauin coastline, where you can spot everything from frogfish and leaf fish to a multitude of octopus (blue ring, mimic, wunderpus, algae, mototi and coconut), as well as nudibranchs in all colours and species.

Just a 30-minute banca ride away, Apo island is a community-organised fish sanctuary bursting at the seams with marine life. The coral is in superb condition with lots of hard and soft corals and the island is particularly known for its friendly turtles - in fact there are so many green and hawksbill turtles it's easy to lose count!

While you can't dive, you can still get your watery fix on a snorkelling adventure either straight from the shores of the resort or on a day trip to islands further afield (insider tip: look out for dolphins playing in your boat's wake). Landlubbers can visit the local mountain town of Valencia, stopping at various waterfalls and hot springs along the way.