Just a thirty minute drive from the local airport, on a long stretch of sandy beach, lies the lush and luxurious Atlantis Dive Resort - Dumaguete. Surrounded by an amazing tropical garden with some of the rarest plants to be found in the Philippines, it is just a short trip to some of the most renowned dive sites in Asia - Apo Island, Siquijor and of course the local Dauin Marine Sanctuaries.

While better known as Atlantis Dumaguete, the capital, principal seaport and largest city of the province, we are actually a part of the municipality of Dauin (pronounced Da-win).  The epicenter of Dumaguete dive scene.  Negros Island, the third largest island in the Philippines, is believed to have once been part of the island of Mindanao, but was cut off—either by continental drift or the rising waters at the end of the ice age.

Dauin has established several sanctuaries, one reason for this stunning marine biodiversity exhibited here within which fishing and boating is absolutely prohibited. This includes sites such as Mainit, Luca, Dauin and Masaplod. These sites are well preserved and offer a huge variety and quantity of life forms; Midring blue ringed octopus, Wonderpus, Mimic octopus, Poison ocellate octopus, Ambon scorpionfish, Flamboyant cuttlefish and Bobbit worms are frequent sights.

Dumaguete is called the “The City of Gentle People”. It is a college town with a warm atmosphere and an air of sophistication The city’s name is derived from the word ‘dumaguit’ which in English means ‘to snatch’. This name suggests it has the power to charm visitors and keep them from ever wanting to leave.

Dumaguete is the capital of Negros Oriental with a population of more than 120,000 people. The city is home to Silliman University, the first university outside Manila along with several other first class universities. Its anthropological museum houses extensive collections of artifacts dating back to the Sung and Ming Dynasties of the 18th Century.

In recent years Dumaguete has attracted a large number of international call centers, providing thousands of jobs and bolstering the local economy. Negros is the fourth largest island in the Philippines, lying at the very heart of the country

Apo Island is home to over 650 documented species of fish and estimated to have over 400 species of corals. Most of the Philippines’ 450 species of coral can be found here, from tiny bubble corals to huge gorgonian sea fans and brain corals.

The local language in Negros is Visayan. The power source of the city comes from the geothermal power plant in Palinpinon, Valencia.

The most popular form of transport in the city is the “pedicab” although they no longer have pedals. The answer to how many people can fit on one is, "one more".