“Pura Vida” means “Pure Life” – And that’s exactly what you’ll experience during your stay with us ‘la Pura Vida’. The spacious beach resort is located in the Municipality of Dauin, about 16 km south of Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental. The Swiss managed facility was built by divers for divers and opened its doors in December of 2004. Besides having a state of the art dive center, the resort also offers other amenities and activities for the whole family to enjoy.
The goal is to keep the place as natural as possible and to use as many environmentally friendly resources as possible to give you that luxury feeling combined with a closeness to nature. The Resort has 31 rooms and can offer 5 different room categories which gives you the opportunity to decide for yourself how much comfort/luxury you want to enjoy during your vacation. The resort and all the rooms are very spacious with a beautiful view of the ocean and garden. The property invites you for relaxing strolls in this tropical setting away from the busy and noisy daily routine.
Make yourself at home and enjoy your stay at the Filipino-inspired rooms. Have you ever stayed at a clownfish room? At Pura Vida, we don’t give you a room number, we give you a room name. Each room or bungalow is named after a specific marine animal that lives in the area.
All the rooms are designed to give our guests the most comfortable and memorable stay, from high quality beds, to quiet split type air-conditioning. All rooms and bungalows feature a mini bar refrigerator, safety vault, hot/cold shower, Cable TV, and a cozy veranda or balcony with a relaxing view of the ocean, pool, or lush garden.
Honeymoon Suite Whale
2 Guests - The room is located on the 2nd floor above the equipment room of our dive center. The balcony has a nice view where you can sit down and relax at the scenic view of the sea. A King size bed, a flat screen TV as well as a split air con to cool down the Suite to your preferred temperature will ensure you a good rest during the night. But before you settle in to sleep, you can enjoy the bathtub or just a shower in the suites’ comfortable and big bathroom which provides hot water as well as a double sink. Perfect for honeymooners, couples, and single travelers who simply want to pamper themselves.
Suites
2 Guests - The resort features 2 suite rooms (Stargazer & Birds Nest) and both are located on the 2nd floor above the family rooms. The spacious balconies feature a small bar including a mini-bar refrigerator as well as 2 sunbeds which offer a nice view over the tropical garden towards the pool and sea. Each Suite has a living room furnished with a beautiful set of one double and two single sofa chairs and a table made of high quality bamboo.
A King size bed, a flat screen TV as well as a split air con to cool down the Suite to your preferred temperature will ensure you a good rest during the night. But before you settle in to sleep, you can enjoy the big bathtub or a just a shower in the suites’ comfortable and big bathroom which provides hot water as well as a double sink. Perfect for honeymooners, couples, and single travelers who simply want to pamper themselves.
Family Rooms
4 Guests 3 Beds - The Dolphin Family room is the largest room in Pura Vida featuring one (1) queen size bed and two (2) single beds with a small partition in between. The room is on the ground floor underneath the Suite and is therefore also wheelchair accessible. A natively furnished terrace offers a soothing garden view. The room comes with split-type air-conditioning, mini-bar refrigerator, in-room safe, complimentary water carafe, complimentary coffee and tea making facility, and flat screen cable TV. The bathroom features hot & cold shower and can be accessed from both sleeping areas.
Deluxe Rooms
The 13 Deluxe rooms are located in either double (10) or single (2) bungalow style houses which are situated around the pool area, up to the beach front. Each Deluxe room is equipped with a split-type air-conditioning, flat screen TV, and a Mini Bar refrigerator. 8 of the 12 rooms are furnished with 2 comfortable single beds which can also be set up as a matrimonial bed while the remaining 5 rooms are equipped with one queen-size bed. The newly renovated room also feature a walk-in dressing room as well as comfortable bathrooms that provide a nice hot shower after a beautiful day of diving. Let the terrace invite you to relax and enjoy the beautiful ambience set by the luscious garden that surrounds the rooms.
Garden Rooms
2 Beds - The 10 garden air-con bamboo cottages are located on the rear portion of the resort. All rooms come with a balcony offering a nice view over the beautiful garden in the center. The two single beds can be arranged into one matrimonial bed but there are also 3 standard rooms with a King size double bed. Furthermore, a small cable TV, mini-bar refrigerator, in-room safe, and a coffee & tea making facility can be found in each room. All bathrooms are tiled and feature hot & cold shower for your convenience.
Scuba Diving
Dive with a smile with Sea Explorers. The dive center is located inside Pura Vida Beach & Dive Resort directly on the beach. It is equipped with O2 equipment, first aid kit, fish book library. Souvenirs and retail diving accessories are also available inside.
Negros is the second largest island in the Visayas region, known as a “muck” diving area with lots of sand and very rare critters. The island is surrounded by marine reserves and more than 30 exciting dive sites that offer world-class macro and night dives, including Apo Island — a 72-hectare volcanic island with unique rock formations, 650 documented species of fish and over 400 species of corals. In 2008, Sport Diver Magazine listed Apo Island as one of the top 100 diving spots in the world — and it still is!
We offer a very well-equipped facility with our own office, small retail shop, air-conditioned classroom and three storerooms for our guest’s equipment directly on the beach. Dauin offers an excellent area for courses as well as for all levels of certified divers. There are about 30 excellent & exciting dive sites that offer world-class macro and night dives – a paradise for underwater photographers. There are several day trips a week going Apo Island where divers can make up to 3 dives during the trip. These sites are also excellent for snorkelers.
Snorkeling
Snorkel with the turtles at the world-famous Apo Island. Our Dive center makes several dives trips a week to Apo Island. Snorkelers are more than welcome to join the trip and can jump in wherever the divers go down. It’s a 30 minutes boat ride and pack lunch must be brought along.
Twin Lakes
We’ll arrive in Twin Lakes after a quick 1.5-hour trip from “Vida Properties.” The lakes are two small yet deep crater freshwater lakes separated by a picturesque mountain range that rises over 1000 feet above sea level.
The area is surrounded by lush tropical vegetation, exotic plants and orchids, and fauna including a wide range of birds. It is without a doubt one of the most gorgeous sites in the Visayas. (full day)
Market Tour
Every Wednesday local farmers, fishermen, vendors, shoppers and visitors from all around the area are drawn to this authentic Filipino country market. You will see a tremendous variety of fresh fruits, vegetables, seafood, meat, baked goods, household materials, handcrafted products, items and more.
A major highlight is the active livestock section of the market. There are also several small restaurants serving fresh fish and other local dishes. You can also get a taste of the locally roasted pork (lechon). The market is a short 15 minute drive from the “Vida Properties”. (half day)
Whale Shark Snorkeling
The Oslob Whale shark tour is undeniably a popular and unique attraction worldwide. Whale sharks are the largest fish in the sea, reaching over 40 feet or more in lengths, this is why scuba divers are so interested in diving with these majestic and gentle giant creatures. In Oslob, whale sharks showed every day for the whole year round and have become a famous attraction to tourist. One way of seeing these gentle giants is to go scuba diving or snorkeling.
Balanan Lake
Balanan Lake is a beautiful fresh water lake located in Siaton in the southern part of Negros Oriental. The lake sits at 285 meters above sea level, is surrounded by mountains and fed by several mountain streams and waterfalls. Visitors to the lake can enjoy hiking, boat riding, kayaking and swimming in 3 man-made natural fresh water pools. There’s even a zip-line ride offering an incredible view while traversing the lake. Travel time is an easy 1,5 hours each way form the “Vida Properties”. (full day)
Malabo Falls & Red Rock
Malabo Falls is located near the town of Valencia, about 20-30 minutes from Pura Vida Beach & Dive Resort. The falls earned its name from its reddish hue, which is caused by the presence of a natural reddish mineral in the area. Red Rocks Hot Springs at Pulang Bato claims to offer medicinal benefits from the water’s high mineral content. Have an invigorating swim or simply relax in the hot spring.