Anilao, Philippines

Anilao sits on the rugged Batangas coast, roughly a three-hour drive south of Manila. Most days revolve around small dive resorts, outrigger boats, and sunsets across Balayan Bay rather than a conventional beach-town scene.

Anilao is especially rewarding for macro photography. Volcanic slopes, coral gardens, rubble, and blackwater dives may reveal nudibranchs, frogfish, rhinopias, pygmy seahorses, octopus, mantis shrimp, crabs, and other well-camouflaged life. Wide-angle sites add soft corals, barrel sponges, schooling fish, and occasional turtles. The estimate includes an international flight to Manila and the road transfer to the coast.