This retreat is built around scuba diving in one of the Philippines' most iconic destinations. The base retreat includes 6 nights accommodation plus your PADI certification course with Randy Dingding and Corto Divers — either Open Water (3 days, for new divers) or Advanced Open Water (2 days, for already-certified guests). Optional day trips — Tour B lagoons, the Dugong Expedition day through the island lagoons and a full-day dugong expedition to the northern seagrass meadows.

Not a fast-paced dive trip. The days have structure, but not pressure. Your instructor Randy Dingding has deep local knowledge of Coron's conditions, currents, and wreck sites. The group is small by design — a maximum of four guests. Certified divers take the Advanced Open Water course. If you are not yet certified, you add the PADI course at booking and complete it inside the same retreat week.

Coron rises from the Sulu Sea as a cathedral of limestone karsts piercing turquoise water. It is one of the most distinctive dive destinations in Southeast Asia — not because of its reefs alone, but because of what lies beneath them. In 1944, a US air strike sank a fleet of Japanese naval vessels in Coron Bay. Today, those ships are something else entirely: massive structures encrusted in coral, draped in soft sponges, and teeming with marine life. They are called the Ghost Fleet, and they are one of the most extraordinary underwater environments on earth.

Beyond the wrecks, Coron offers Barracuda Lake — a volcanic freshwater lake with dramatic thermoclines and exceptional visibility, surrounded by jagged limestone walls — and the northern seagrass meadows where dugongs, rare and gentle marine mammals, still graze in protected waters. It is a destination that rewards presence, patience, and a willingness to go slowly.

This retreat is built around scuba diving in one of the Philippines' most iconic destinations — earning your PADI certification across three days of guided training in Coron's reef and wreck environments, then using those skills to explore the Ghost Fleet, dive the Lusong Gunboat wreck, and join a respectful dugong expedition in the northern seagrass meadows.

It is not a fast-paced dive trip. The days have structure, but not pressure. Your instructor Randy Dingding has deep local knowledge of Coron's conditions, currents, and wreck sites — and teaches with calm, supportive guidance that lets you grow at a pace that feels right. The group is small by design. The experience is meant to leave you genuinely confident in the water, not just certified.

Duration

7 days / 6 nights

Location

Coron, Palawan, Philippines

Arrival airport

Busuanga Airport (USU)

Accommodation

Corto del Mar Hotel or MO2 Lagoon Coron — chosen at booking

Diving

PADI certification course (Open Water or Advanced Open Water) with Corto Divers — Tour B and Dugong Expedition available as optional add-ons

Certification

Optional add-on — PADI Open Water (3 days) or Advanced Open Water (2 days)

Instructor

Randy Dingding — PADI Instructor, Corto Divers

Group size

Maximum 4 guests

Meals

Breakfast included daily. Lunch and dinner at your own pace.

Who it's for

Women, beginner to intermediate, solo-traveller friendly

●    Dive the WWII Ghost Fleet in a small group: a rare combination — a historically significant wreck destination, dived in a group capped at four guests with a dedicated PADI instructor.

●    An ethical dugong expedition, not a tourist show: a full day at the northern seagrass meadows with a respectful, distance-keeping approach to one of the world's rarest marine mammals.

●    Optional day trips — Tour B lagoon day and Dugong Expedition — available as add-ons, so you can shape the week to the version of Coron you came for.

●    Certified OR uncertified — the week fits both: already certified? Dive the Ghost Fleet directly. New to scuba? Add the PADI course at booking and complete it inside the same retreat week.

●    Founder-led and Swiss-organised: a real person (Rocío) behind every booking, answering questions before, during, and after the retreat.

●    Randy Dingding — calm, technical, deeply local: years of experience in Coron Bay's specific conditions. Knows each wreck, each current, each entry point.

●    Small group, women-only, solo-traveller friendly: capped at four guests. You are not a number on a trip list — you are one of a few.

●    Private airport transfer from Busuanga Airport (USU) on arrival and departure

●    6 nights accommodation — Corto del Mar or MO2 Lagoon Coron (chosen at booking)

●    Daily breakfast at your hotel

●    PADI certification course with Randy Dingding and Corto Divers — Open Water (3 days) or Advanced Open Water (2 days) — chosen at booking

●    All standard scuba equipment (included with the course — mask, wetsuit, BCD, regulator, tank, weights, fins)

●    Local transport for all retreat activities

●    Host support throughout

●    Flights to and from Coron / Busuanga Airport (USU)

●    Travel insurance (required)

●    Lunch and dinner on in-town days

●    PADI certification course — optional add-on at booking

A full-day boat journey to the seagrass meadows of northern Palawan, where dugongs — the sea manatees, rare and protected — graze in the shallows. Not guaranteed. Dugongs are wild and unpredictable, and the expedition is run with respect: no chasing, no touching, calm water entries only. But when they come, they come close — and quietly. Breakfast, lunch, and refreshments included on the boat. One of the most meaningful days you can have in Coron.

The base retreat is designed around your PADI certification course. Optional day trips (Tour B lagoons, Dugong Expedition) are available as add-ons at booking. Certified divers use this package directly. If you are not certified yet, you add your course at booking; the first three days of the retreat become the training days.

PADI Open Water (beginner) runs across Days 2–4 — three full days of progressive training, moving from confined water skills to open-water dives, ending with your international certification. You train in Coron's reef and wreck environments.

PADI Advanced Open Water (for those already holding Open Water) runs over two days and includes deep diving, navigation, and elective specialties — with the option to incorporate wreck diving as one of your specialty dives, which fits Coron's Ghost Fleet sites perfectly.

Both courses are conducted through Corto Divers, the PADI dive centre based at Corto del Mar Hotel — a well-organised operation with strong local knowledge of Coron Bay's conditions, currents, and most interesting dive sites.

In September 1944, American aircraft sank a fleet of Japanese supply and naval vessels anchored in Coron Bay. The ships sank in relatively shallow water — between 15 and 40 metres — and over the following decades, the ocean claimed them entirely. Today, the Ghost Fleet is one of the most celebrated wreck diving destinations in the world: massive steel structures encrusted in coral, filled with schooling fish, and navigable by divers with the right guidance.

One of the most accessible sites is the Lusong Gunboat, a small Japanese patrol vessel resting in very shallow water — close enough to the surface that its silhouette is visible from above. It is draped in soft corals and surrounded by reef life, and diving or snorkelling it is a genuinely moving experience: history and nature occupying the same space, each softening the edges of the other.

For scuba divers, the Ghost Fleet wrecks offer an extraordinary combination of underwater history, marine biodiversity, and the particular atmosphere that comes from exploring a large structure in open water. Randy's local knowledge of each site — the entry points, the marine life, the conditions on any given day — makes a real difference to how much you are able to see and understand.

Corto del Mar Hotel — recommended for scuba

A boutique hotel in the heart of Coron Town, Corto del Mar is the most seamless option for scuba guests — Corto Divers operates directly from the hotel, so each day flows naturally between rest, preparation, and time in the water. The hotel has elegant, calm interiors, a serene pool setting, and a warm, intimate atmosphere that makes it feel like part of the retreat itself rather than simply a place to sleep.

●    Room type: Private single-occupancy rooms.

●    Setting: Central Coron Town, walking distance to restaurants and the waterfront.

●    On-site: Pool, restaurant, Corto Divers dive centre on the property.

●    Wi-Fi: Included.

●    Air-con: Yes, in all rooms.

MO2 Lagoon Coron — alternative option

Set slightly away from the centre of town, MO2 Lagoon Coron offers more space, more quiet, and a stronger sense of being tucked away. Surrounded by greenery with lagoon-style pools, it is a beautiful place to rest and recover between dive days. A short tricycle ride is needed to reach the main departure points, but many guests find the calm it offers more than worth it.

●    Room type: Private single-occupancy rooms.

●    Setting: Quieter area outside Coron Town, surrounded by greenery and lagoon-style pools.

●    On-site: Multiple pools, restaurant, garden.

●    Wi-Fi: Included.

●    Air-con: Yes, in all rooms.

Property (Corto del Mar or MO2 Lagoon) is matched at booking. All prices are per person, single-occupancy throughout.

Room type is chosen at booking. All prices are per person.

Breakfast is included every day at your hotel. Lunch and dinner are at your own pace — part of the design of this retreat. Coron has a strong local food culture: waterfront seafood grills, Filipino home-cooking, and a handful of international restaurants within easy walking distance. Lunches on the Tour B and dugong days are included on-boat or purchased locally, depending on the day.

●    Included: Daily breakfast at Corto del Mar or MO2 Lagoon.

●    Not included: Lunch and dinner on in-town days. Local restaurants in Coron are excellent and affordable.

●    Dietary needs: Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and allergen-aware options can be arranged — let us know at booking.

●    Water: Filtered drinking water provided at the hotel to refill your bottle.

This retreat is designed for women who want to experience Coron's extraordinary underwater world at a pace that feels safe, guided, and genuinely meaningful — not just another dive trip.

This retreat is for you if you

●    are a certified diver wanting to dive the Ghost Fleet in a small group

●    want to earn your PADI certification in one of the most iconic dive destinations in Asia

●    are drawn to underwater history — the wrecks, the story of what the ocean has reclaimed

●    prefer a small, intimate group over a large dive boat operation

●    are travelling solo and want structure and support without losing independence

●    care about ethical wildlife encounters and responsible travel

This retreat is probably not for you if you

●    are looking for a party or high-energy group dynamic

●    want a fast-paced schedule with multiple dives per day from day one

●    prefer highly technical or cave diving environments

You don't need experience. You need reasonable comfort in the water and a genuine curiosity about what lies beneath it.

Randy Dingding is a PADI scuba diving instructor based in Coron, Palawan, with extensive local knowledge of Coron Bay's wreck and reef sites. He guides divers through some of the most complex and historically significant dive environments in Southeast Asia — including wreck penetrations, thermocline lakes, and diverse reef ecosystems.

Divers consistently highlight his calm, supportive approach during both certification courses and advanced dives. His familiarity with Coron's changing conditions, visibility, and currents means he knows when and where to dive to give you the best possible experience on any given day.

“Stay calm, move slowly, and respect the underwater environment.” — Randy Dingding

Randy operates through Corto Divers, the PADI dive centre at Corto del Mar Hotel in Coron Town. cortodivers.com

Day 1

Arrival in Coron

Morning

Arrive at Busuanga Airport (USU). Your private transfer takes you directly to your accommodation in Coron Town — a scenic drive through Palawan's interior.

Afternoon

Time to settle in, rest, and take a first walk around Coron. The town is small, easy to navigate on foot, and the waterfront is beautiful in the late afternoon light.

Evening

A free first evening — dinner at leisure. Coron has excellent restaurants along the waterfront. An early night before your first day in the water.

Morning Breakfast, then a briefing with Randy at Corto Divers. Certified divers head out for a check-dive on a local reef to settle back into the water. Course students begin theory and confined water skills.

Afternoon Second dive or continued course practice. The reefs in Coron Bay are close to shore — short boat rides, long dives.

Evening Free evening in Coron. Dinner at your own pace.

Morning Back in the water for the Lusong Gunboat — shallow enough to silhouette against the sky, encrusted in soft coral, surrounded by reef life. A genuinely moving first encounter with the Ghost Fleet.

Afternoon A reef dive in the same area, or continued course work for certification students. The history of Coron starts to make itself known.

Evening Free evening. Rest well — tomorrow is another dive day.

Morning A morning on one of the deeper Ghost Fleet wrecks (subject to certification level and conditions). For Open Water students, today is certification day — final training dives and qualification.

Afternoon A second dive or free time to explore Coron at your own pace. The water will feel different now that you're certified.

Evening Free evening. Dinner at leisure — many guests' first evening as a certified diver.

Morning An early start by boat into Coron's iconic island scenery. Tour B takes you through the limestone lagoons, hidden coves, and turquoise inlets of this part of Palawan — Kayangan Lake, the Twin Lagoon, and snorkelling stops at shallow reef sites teeming with coral and fish. The same waters you've been diving beneath all week look entirely different from above.

Afternoon The tour continues — more snorkelling, more time on the water. Return to Coron by late afternoon.

Evening Free evening in Coron..

Morning An early start for the full-day dugong expedition to the northern seagrass meadows. Dugongs are rare marine mammals — related to the manatee — that still inhabit Palawan's protected coastal waters. All encounters are approached respectfully and quietly, following responsible wildlife guidelines. Sightings are not guaranteed, but the boat journey itself, through open water with Palawan's limestone islands on the horizon, is worth the day.

Afternoon Continued time on the water. Snorkelling the seagrass areas and observing the coastal marine environment.

Evening Return to Coron. A final free evening — dinner at leisure, time to reflect on the week.

Morning Breakfast at your hotel. A slow final morning in Coron.

Afternoon Private transfer to Busuanga Airport (USU) for your onward flight.

Evening Travel home — with a Ghost Fleet dive in your logbook, a dugong day in your memory, and a quieter relationship with the underwater world.