Kookoos Nest Dive Shop and Resort
Tombobo Bay, Negros
Kookoos Nest Cottages has a great little dive shop, owned and run by 2 Brits near Dumaguete, Negros.
It’s located on a beautiful remote beach on the southern end of the island.
The kids paddle past the cottages on their way to school across the bay in the mornings.
It is really a peaceful to have a cup of coffee or tea early in the mornings while looking out to sea.
Kookoos has a good selection of music and the small but attentive staff are on hand to make sandwiches or full meals if you want. (There’s also plenty of Beer)
Occasionally visitors rent one of their tents and camp on the beach if their rooms are full.
Nikki and Jamie make trips to the popular Apo Island but I opted to do a few dives and some snorkeling right in front of the resort.
Nikki showed me some big gorgonian coral fans and a beautiful red frogfish. A school of red tooth trigger fish kept us company on the dive.
These were nice low intensity dives and very relaxing. If you dive Apo Island the dives are a bit more demanding but great fun while zipping along in the current.
If you are just getting certified to dive, the bay in front of the resort would be a good place to practice your skills under mild conditions.
The resort itself is a few kilometers past Malatapay, the town where the boat rides to Apo Island originate.
From Dumaguete you can take a jeepney to the junction at Zamboangita. There will be road signs pointing the way.
From that intersection you will have to organize a hubble hubble (dirtbike with extra long seat) to the resort. If you have your own wheels you can drive all the way there and park at the top of the hill and then walk down the 100 steps to the beach where the bungalows are.
If you have the time, the Wednesday market at Malatapay is worth a look. If you are going to Apo you can go to the pier and organize a boat trip across from there.
There are a few yachtsman that keep their boats in the protected Tombobo bay just past Kookoos. You might be able to find some useful information chatting up some of these folks.
The diving in front Kookoos is seasonal due to weather conditions.
It is also rather remote so you might want to keep that in mind when deciding how long to stay there.
There are very limited options within walking distance but if you have wheels (rent a bike in Dumaguete) and enjoy a secluded setting, the Kookoos Nest would be an ideal to stay for a few days.
Jamie and Nikki Ingram
Antulang
Tambobo Bay,
Zamboangita
Negros Oriental, Philippines
Tel.
+63 (0)919 6958085
+63 (0)926 7081188
kookoonest2 @ yahoo.co.uk
http://kookoosnest.com.ph/
Kookoo’s Nest – this is a video I made with the help of Meg this week - Mar 2009
Kookoo’s Nest
Climbing Mount Apo
General Santos
Judy's Resto Bar
Logging with Motorcycles
Mount Mayon
Biri Island
Calbiga Cave
Mangrove Swamp Palawan
Mikes's Resort
Wood Boat to Manila Philippines
Hi Nikki,
My name is phil le masurier, i am friend of Chris Shead who lives in London, dont know if he’s contacted you yet, but i will be arriving in manilla local time this sunday 19th april am. I will therefore be coming to your resort for diving and accommodation please to get qualified to dive then maybe do some more testing dives aftewards please?
from my mobile would it best to call you which number to confirm when i get to philippines or shall i just come anyway?
I believe i get a flight to Dumaguete then what’s the best way to get to you please? shall i hire bike or jeepeney or taxi? please advise.. i wouldnt mind staying up to a week to get enough diving in to become reasonably competent as such.
many thanks
Phil Le Masuier
Hello Phil Le Masuier,
dutchpickle is a website that recommends resorts and places that we find to be interesting
please contact KooKoos Nest directly to confirm reservations or get more complete information
Jamie and Nikki Ingram
Antulang
Tambobo Bay,
Zamboangita
Negros Oriental, Philippines
Tel.
+63 (0)919 6958085
+63 (0)926 7081188
(kookoonest2 @ yahoo.co.uk)
http://kookoosnest.com.ph/
My feeling is that this is a nice place to learn how to dive in pleasant surroundings and then when you have it down try a few dives on Apo Island.
cheers
dp
Here is a video that Meg and I put together in Feb of 2009.
Kookoos Nest Resort – Negros Island
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usm3ELZ-7Js
dp
Hi,
Is Kookoos nest still operating? Emails have bounced back as undeliverable?
do you have a new email address for them?
Kind regards
Laura
Hello Laura,
Sorry about the bounced emails – maybe they have a new email address. Try calling or texting.
I don’t have the new email address – if anyone has it please advise.
dp