Hi, me and my SO have been thinking of going to Thailand to get our PADI open water diver certificates next winter.
However, our diver friend recommended Palawan islands in the Philippines instead. I've been to Thailand and surrounding countries before, so going to Palawan sounds like a more interesting option.
So I wanted to ask anyone that's been there, are the budget oriented diving school options as plentiful in Palawan as in west coast Thailand and are they any good? And how's the dive sites?
Also, since we will probably end up spending a few weeks there, are there any places nearby worth exploring? Preferably without risk of decapitation by the Abu Sayyaf?