Malapascua Island, Cebu
Malapascua Island is basically just a heap of sand and rocks in
the middle of the Visayan Sea. It is a charming island where foreigners
mix seamlessly with the locals and you can get a real
slice of Filipino life if you venture outside your resort.
As you probably know the reason most people come to Malapascua Island
is for the diving. Malapascua is beginning to get a worldwide
reputation for incredible diving which means now is a
great time to come, before it gets too famous.
It is the only place in the world you can reliably see
thresher sharks and is possible the best place in the
Philippines for big fish encounters.
Things you must try:
Evolution Diving
Evolution is a concept based around safe and exciting scuba diving, good times and
cold drinks with old and new friends, and a perfect blend
of Filipino,Irish and English hospitality.With the paradise island of Malapascua
in the Philippines as the backdrop, Evolution Diving has access to some one-of-a-kind
dive sites, including the daily cleaning stations for thresher sharks at Monad Shoal.
If you prefer macrolife, you can see most creatures on an experienced
divers list, or you can get down and dirty in WWII wrecks and
immerse yourself in the history that surrounds them.
thresher sharks
Snorkeling and Swimming
There are some great snorkeling spots around the island. You can take
your mask and fins (or rent some) and go from almost any beach you find.
Near to the lighthouse is a shallow wreck that you can easily skin dive down to.
Massage
Massage ladies on the beach charge only around PHP 300 for a great massage.
You will pay a little more in some of the resorts.
Go around the island
You can easily walk around the island in 2 hours.
Or you can hire a motorbike. You could also hire a
driver to take you to all the best places on the island.
Island hopping
Various places can organize to some of the nearby islands.
There is also a day trip to Biliran Island where you can see rice terraces,
volcanoes, hot springs and waterfalls. You will need a group for this
- Cocobana or Thresher Divers can arrange this for you.
Getting there to Malapascua:
1.1) Bus
You can get there with buses like “Cebu Autobus”, “Ceres Liner” or “Ceres Tours” from Cebu to Maya. Fare is PHP 136.00 Cebu > Maya per person.
“Ceres Tours, “Air-Con” and other buses leave from Cebu City´s Northern bus terminal for Maya at 5 and 6 am (Peso 136.00, Aircon additional price; 3 1/2 to 4 hours). If possible take a direct bus to Maya, because buses that make a detour to Hagnaya allow for 30 minutes extra. The last Ceres Liners and Cebu Autobus ordinary leave at noon (4 1/2 hours).
1.2) Taxi
If you want to, you can take a taxi from Cebu to Maya , for about P3000. May be its more relaxing than riding a bus with 3-4 hours sitting in those awfull small seats with no space for your feet.
There are a lot of Resorts on Malapascua Island(about 15-20),
mostly managed by Europeans who are married with Filipinas.
Travel Tips and Finding Us
To reach the Philippines there are two principle entry points, Manila and Cebu.
We recommend Cebu as it is closer to Malapascua. To reach Cebu Cathy Pacific fly
from Hong Kong and Silk Air fly from Singapore. For those who have flights into
Manila, an internal flight to Cebu with PAL costs around $50 and takes just over
1 hour. For most nationalities a 21 day tourist visa is automatically given when
you enter the country. To stay beyond 21 days you need an extension that can be
obtained in Cebu at the department of immigration, located behind Mandaue Fire Department.
From Mactan Airport in Cebu to Malapascua
Budgeting and Money
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