Robbie's Guide to Sabang

Many books and internet sites have been devoted to describing tourist destinations around the globe. If they can do it, why shouldn't I? Here is my personal subjective guide to Sabang, significantly shortened based on predicted audience interest (unless you honestly want to waste your time reading about the specific differences between the 20+ dive resorts).

Housing:
Temporary or extended housing can be found throughout Sabang. Although you will find no 5-star luxury resort here, prices run the gamut with quality to match. Small rooms suitable for two can be found in beachfront hotels as low as $10/night or as much as $80/night for an up-scale suite in a fancier resort literally next door.
Monthly-rate housing is scattered around but many are located at the far end of the beach (like mine) away from the lively areas. Standard rooms (no kitchen, no air conditioning) are available as low as $90/month and can run above $200/month for a more spacious and fully-equipped air conditioned apartment. Electricity is generally included and biweekly cleaning services are standard.
(If you do ever come here, stay in Captain Gregg's Resort and tell them that Robbie sent you.)

Food:
Although low prices are common in Sabang, it is easy to stumble into an average-quality resort restaurant to find prices not unlike those in America. As with most tourist destinations, the smaller the restaurant, the cheaper the food. Fish, chicken, and rice are staples in the Philippines, but when ordering any meal with fish, it will almost always be served with the head attached as it is a large source of the fish flavor. Even though it is customary to eat without utensils, many of the dishes are heavy with oil and the paper napkins are half the size and thickness as airline napkins. Look carefully and you will be able to find a full meal for less than $2 but if not, you may find yourself paying quadruple the price for the same quality.

Sites/Activities:
Sabang itself is very small and although it is covered with resorts, the range of activities is not very wide. Diving appears to be the main attraction (you probably think I'm saying that because I'm surrounded by it, but almost every tourist I've met outside of the diving atmosphere is a diver). Other activities include boating (boat rides – no rentals), snorkeling, motorbiking, jet skiing, going to a spa, or relaxing in a resort. At high tide the beach completely disappears while at all other times it is covered with pieces of hard coral and sprinkled with trash. Wade into the water and you will find a field of short sea grass rooted in mud. Also considering that the shallow water is used as a parking lot for boats, tourists rarely come here specifically to swim or relax on the beach.
There are no trails marked for walking, running, or hiking. To do any of these, it is highly advised to go with someone reliable who knows the area. Even if you pay a few dollars for a couple hours, you will not be disappointed; the scenery in and around Sabang is breathtaking. The mountains that make up this region are densely covered in green. There are paths through these jungles (invisible to the untrained eye) that have been walked by local villagers enough that machetes are not necessary. For the less adventuresome, taking to the paved roads eliminates the jungle terrain but adds the inherent danger of sharing the road with motor vehicles. Unless walking along the beach, it is extremely uncommon to find trails lacking steep climbs.

Diving:
Since the Philippines has managed to remain a relatively low-profile diving destination, the dive sites are in wonderful condition. Dive resorts boast that there are about 20 dive sites that can be reached in under 10 minutes. Not only does Sabang offer a large number of dive sites, but it also provides a wide variety of diving suitable for everyone from non-divers to the most experienced technical diver (John Bennett set the world record for the deepest open-circuit scuba dive here in 2001 by descending below 1,000ft). Dive options include wrecks, coral gardens, walls, and drift diving at a wide range of depths. Expect to see crowds of fish, colorful corals, lionfish, nudibranchs, and don't be frightened if you see the occasional sea snake or sting ray. Dives are relatively cheap: single dives are generally under $30, but resorts will work out package deals for multiple dives.

Night Life:
Sabang comes alive when the sun goes down. Different bars cater to different interests such as sports, dancing, pool, and karaoke. Several bars operate 24 hours a day and often have customers the entire time. The other very common type of bar, called girlie bars, are essentially strip clubs. Although prostitution is technically illegal, it is a very common activity in Sabang. Drinking and socializing are expected at night and you don't have to look far to find visitors (or residents) from many different countries.

General Recommendations:
Sabang is a cheap place to stay, has beautiful scenery, pristine diving, friendly people, and very active night life. All things considered however, this is not a family-friendly destination; very few activities are available for young children. It has been said that people in Sabang fall into one or more of the following categories: natives, employees (generally of resorts or bars), divers, or sex tourists.