Malapascua Island: Weekend Travel

Blue and green crystal waters with boats lined up along the shoreline beautifully adorned Malapascua Island, my main destination for this weekend escapade.  

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Malapascua has been a place of interest for me for the past months and finally, I have made it realized this year.  The laid back side of me had been connected straight away to this marvelous place as we set foot in the white sand beach and I told myself 

this is indeed a hidden paradise in CEBU!

It was another spontaneous trip for me and my travel buddy and we thought about it in an instant luckily reserving our accommodation a day before we arrived. 

Weekend trips have always been the best way to relax and refuel once energy, and to cut that anxiety mood we’ve been feeling the whole week due to work schedules and demands.

This was also the long-awaited Sunday for all Filipinos and for all Boxing enthusiasts with the scheduled match 
of Pacquiao-Mayweather fight had finally happened. I thought it will be an ideal place with lesser crowds as the public would have just settled home.

I couldn’t resist not getting into the beach for a summer break. It’s been a while and the hot weather back in the city had been a headache for everyone. Any locals would just want to get out of their houses and find that best beach location to wind down, to party, get booze, or for any other pleasure means.

We have finally found another beautiful Island along the northern part of Cebu, prominent among foreign travelers as a diving spot offering affordable rates compared to other popular island destinations - definitely worth visiting.

Waiting for the heavenly sunset

HOW TO GET to MALAPASCUA

(Cheap option) from CEBU CITY

• GO straight to North Bus Terminal
• Ride the Ceres Bus Lines (Maya Location)
• Fare: Php 190.00 (air-conditioned buses), the small difference for non-airconditioned.
•  4.30 hrs Bus ride
• Departs as early as 5:00AM with succeeding hourly schedule
• 2 Stopovers (Liloan and Bogo)
• The endpoint is Maya Port, in the town of Daanbantayan

• From Maya Port  ride along with the boats on queue
• Fare: Php 80.00
• Boats depart every 30 minutes and up until 3:00PM, additional charges may be added after that schedule especially nearing night time.
• This is a 30-minute boat ride going to the main Island
• Php 20.00 is collected (low tide)  if it can’t be docked in the shore upon reaching Malapascua since you will be transferred to small engine boats to send you along the shoreline.
• This will be the same port of entry and exit getting in and out of the island

NOTE: From Maya Port, Boats also offered to us a day trip to the famous "Kalanggaman Island" at Php 7000.00 accommodating around 10 – 20 people as quoted by the boatman.  Special arrangements can also be made if planning for an overnight stay.

NOTE: Make sure to bring enough cash with you since the island doesn’t have ATM and no banks operate in the place.

30 Minute BOAT RIDE 

GOING MALAPASCUA ISLAND

ACCOMMODATION

Vast options of lodging houses and hotels were already established as we arrived. You either choose to stay along the shoreline which is more expensive or find room for rentals kilometers away at the beachside at lower prices.

WHERE WE STAYED: 

GUANNA’s PLACE 

Bed and Breakfast

A newly opened  2 story house,  around a 2-minute walk going to the shoreline.

• Php 800.00 Fan room good for two
• Fan room and air-conditioned rooms available
• A restaurant on the 1^st floor serving a variety of homemade dishes and pizza
• Provides free pick up

MALAPASCUA Island Activities

EAT and DRINK all YOU CAN!

• Find Guannas Place for affordable breakfast servings price starts at Php 65.00 up, refreshments are also available. This may be far but it is one good option for your daily meals, food serving in the Island is a little expensive.
• Barbeque stands are set along the shore late in the afternoon. It’s the best way to eat grilled pork as you wait for the sunset.
• Chill out at night and have a cup of coffee, fruit shake, or a night beer in Sea explorers-Ocean Vida Restaurant. Available bean bags are set up along the shore or you can have some candlelit dinner. Just make sure to book in advance as they get full-packed on weekends. That was Saturday night when we visited the place and no extra table available, instead we stayed in the bar area.
• Pizza servings are offered in majority of the restaurants but a tasty well-done homemade option is available at Little Mermaid Resort. Here we had also spent the afternoon and watched Pacquiao-Mayweather PPV at Php 100.00 entrance with a free drink.
• Enjoy happy hour rates for selected restaurants
• Some resto's also offered buffet servings price averages around Php300.00 up.

RELAX AND BE HAPPY

• You can also choose to go for snorkeling or do an Island Tour with an average cost of around Php 500.00/person.
• Locals would approach you for diving options. Along the shore, different diving establishments have posted their offerings, average cost around Php 1,500.00/dive/person.
• Sunsets and sunrise are heavenly in the Island
• Zumba activity is also scheduled late in the afternoon for free
• Night Scene is totally an absolute freedom here, no music, and bands playing along the shoreline. Do the best thing that relaxed you as you walked along the shoreline or beach bum hearing the waves and ambiance of fulfillment for an island escapade.

EXPENSES

MALAPASCUA 2015
2 Days 1 Night
Accommodation		400
Travel Expenses
Ceres Bus Fare B&F	360	650
Boat Fare	200
Taxi	90
Food		630
Personal		100
TOTAL	PESOS	1,770.0
Budgetted for a group of 2 pax

I appreciate how the residents have managed this tourist location and how they treat their visitors without expressing much aggressiveness in them. More on the positive side of just informing you of the amenities and if you don’t go for it they won’t haggle and force you to avail. From our lodge house, we have detoured finding the way to the shore but locals consistently had been very helpful voluntarily telling you which way to go.

To this writing still I can’t believe why I just discovered this now. I had been to the Famous Panay Island “La Boracay" the past years and told myself I’ll make it a yearly routine. Except for last year that I finally said I should stop it and allot that time and budget to other places.

Then it’s about time to discover more and visit other sights of interest.

Till then and I will be back here soon!