About

About Tao Sangat Island Resort

Sangat Island lies at the northern boundary of Coron Bay, just one of over 90 islands and islets which make up the Calamian Island Group in northern Palawan. This group of islands - renowned for their pristine natural beauty, incredible marine life and unique history - includes the three major islands of Busuanga, Culion, and Coron. Sangat is one of the few limestone islands in the Calamian Group and has three white sand beaches edged by sheer limestone cliffs, dense jungles, and a 455 metre mountain peak - the second highest in the entire Calamian Islands.

Sangat Island Resort opened in 1994 and quickly established itself as a premier location for responsible scuba diving in Coron. Set within a sanctuary that encompasses part of the island and nearby reefs, the resort nurtures the surrounding marine and island landscapes to provide a thriving haven for countless varieties of plants and animals. The ecological protection work done in the sanctuary has ensured that the area is home to two of the most popular reef dives within Coron Bay - the Sangat House Reef and the Sangat Coral Gardens.

Explore the resort

The open-air, beachside restaurant offers three buffet meals a day plus water, coffee, tea and snacks, with a focus on healthy and delicious global fusion cuisine. For a spot of socialising, the Sangat Island Bar or the Rock Bar stock a wide selection of regional and international drinks, served throughout the day and into the evening. Or, if the day’s adventures have taken their toll, grab a “good old-fashioned, native-style rub down” from one of the skilled staff to ease your aches and strains.

Sangat Island Resort also offers a free-of-charge fitness studio equipped with an assortment of weight training equipment. Or, for something slightly different, guests can also take a 30 minute kayak trip to Sangat Island’s very own geothermal springs. Entering the springs through a 30 metre mangrove forest, guests can soak away their stresses in the natural 40°C hot-tub. The 300-metre white sand beach is also perfect for relaxing, or you can organise all kinds of aquatic adventures including diving, snorkelling and jet skiing. Land-based adventures such as trekking, rock climbing, island hopping and birdwatching are also on offer.

Diving at Sangat Island

Discerning scuba divers will instantly recognise Sangat as a premier resort for eco-conscious diving. The dive centre is superbly equipped with top-quality equipment, as well as experienced PADI instructors and staff, and runs courses for everyone from beginner to professional. All equipment is available for hire, including computers, and nitrox can be provided at an additional cost. The resort runs a fleet of ten purpose-built speedboats with all the necessary safety equipment, plus a twin outrigger and a yacht for larger groups.

Sangat Island Dive Resort also offers virtually all of the facilities and equipment any technical diver might need including twin tanks, sodasorb, wings and harnesses, O2-clean gear, and more. Plus, underwater photographers are well catered for with a fantastic camera room. While the island itself offers lots of exciting reef diving, a series of wrecks are the real regional highlight. A total of 11 World War Two wrecks can be explored here, eight of them just a quick ten-minute boat ride from the resort.

Conservation

Sustainability and respect for the environment are at the heart of Sangat Island Resort’s business, and the surrounding sanctuary is both protected and lovingly nurtured by the management. The resort is the only one in the area that is completely independent of the mains supply of electricity and water - it uses solar power and desalination plants - and the accommodation is built in the traditional style to minimise any environmental impacts.

As the official conservators of the local sanctuary, Sangat Island Dive Resort hosts marine research volunteers to assist in the monitoring and care of protected habitats through reef health studies, coral planting projects, removal of natural reef predators, and more. To date, 75% of the reefs surrounding Sangat Island are intact and healthy, and through the resort’s assistance and protection, the remaining 25% continue to recover from typhoon damage, previous illegal fishing practices, and crown-of-thorns infestation. The resort’s ongoing efforts are a testament to the fact that two of the most popular reef dives within Coron Bay remain the Sangat House Reef and the Sangat Coral Gardens.