Jessica dove into the water. She could barely move herself ahead, but undeterred, she kept at it, throwing her arms forward and kicking her legs.

It was one of my wife's first swimming lessons. It was hard to believe looking at her then that, just a short time later, she would be scuba diving in the deep, clear waters of the Philippines.

A native of Chongqing, Jessica has a fearless and fun attitude toward life. So it was little surprise to me that, despite having led a life unaquatic, she had jumped at the chance to accompany me on a diving holiday to Luzon, the main island of the Philippines.

Setting off

We recently flew into Manila from Shanghai. On our first night, we stayed at The Manila Peninsula, a five-star hotel in the city's trendy Makati district.

The room offered everything we needed to get an awesome slumber, while the staff were tremendously courteous.

The following dawn, a private car whisked us down the coast to Anilao. This resort had attracted my attention in 2013 when I was on a trip to The Farm at San Benito, an eco-spa and detox retreat nestled in the lush mountains of the Batangas.

We had a fine time. But we starved on the micro-meals. When we wanted to get our fix of beach-barbecued fish, Anilao was where we went.

Unlike Boracay, the Anilao region is not famous for giant white sand beaches. However, it has amazing snorkeling and diving, with some of the clearest waters in the Philippines.

This is why it has become a haven for the world's finest underwater photographers. In fact, during our stay, there was a marine photography competition being held.

Anilao attracts couples and adventure divers, but not so much backpackers. Mainstay bungalows range from $60 to $100 per night in the mid-range, inclusive of breakfast.

Our bungalow resort, Pier Uno, was worth every peso. Our room had a balcony view of the sea, and Jessica adored the main swimming pool.

Buildings in the Anilao dive region

Training day

As part of her swimming training, she began doing breathing and yoga exercises overseen by an instructor.

After several hours of this, she was able to put on a snorkel mask and float about comfortably with a life vest. After that, she was able to put on a scuba tank and do basic breathing exercises.

Pleased with her performance, the instructors thought she was ready to try a shallow practice dive in the sea.

Nervous, Jessica geared up in a wet suit. We knelt in the shallows, where our instructors had us practice blowing bubbles out of our masks and focus on easy breathing. They then gently guided us under the water.

My air tank kept pressing at the back of my neck, so I was kept back to adjust it as Jessica disappeared into the deep. The instructor held her as they swam down 3 metres to a small reef.

After 30 minutes of trial diving, we returned to the beach. I felt exhilarated, and Jessica felt relieved.

"That was scary! I don't want to do that again," she said. A fair enough comment from a novice swimmer who had just dived.

(Clockwise from top left) Food, accommodation and beach performances in Anilao; Prepping in the pool for scuba diving Photos: Christopher Cottrell

Mission accomplished

To celebrate, we made our way to Aiyanar Beach and Dive Resort down the coast. It was hosting the final celebrations for the underwater photography competition.

We were served a delicious array of barbecued fish, shrimp, oysters, crab and lobsters. Trays overflowed with watermelon and orange wedges, accompanied by beer and rum.

For live entertainment, drummers jammed out reggae beats as twirling fire dancers tantalized with their blazing theatrics.

Sated, we returned to our resort and woke late the next morning for a proper brunch.

We had pancakes shaped like hearts, scrambled eggs with peppers, and lean bacon. We sipped our coffees and reclined in rattan and cushion chairs while taking in views of the expansive waters.

I asked Jessica if she had thought the Philippines would be as blissful as this. She said, "Anilao is amazing. I'm glad I dove right into it. Do we really have to leave?"