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The island of Malapascua is located about 8 km north of Cebu and, at 2 km in length and 800 meters in width, is a small, remote beach paradise. Since it’s a coral island made of limestone, you’ll find gorgeous white sand at all the beaches.
In 2013, Malapascua was severely affected by Typhoon Yolanda and was practically leveled to the ground. The island is only slowly getting back on its feet.
Malapascua – Why a Visit Is Worthwhile and What Else You Can Do on the Island Besides Diving
You should be prepared for the fact that “MLP” is not as well developed as other vacation destinations in the Philippines and that you’ll have to make compromises in terms of comfort.
By that, I mean that there are relatively frequent power outages, you may encounter saltwater showers in some low-budget accommodations, not every room automatically comes with air conditioning, and there are neither roads nor nighttime lighting.
However, if you’re aware of this and still decide to pay Malapascua a visit, you won’t just fall in love; you might even want to stay there forever.
How to Get To Malapascua
The easiest way is to have the dive center or your accommodation organize your trip. This costs about 100 – 120 euros per person/one-way. Adventurers or budget-conscious travelers can, of course, do it themselves.
The small island of Malapascua is best reached by plane via Cebu Airport. Flights regularly arrive here from both domestic and international origins. You can find connections, prices, and tickets on Skyscanner.
From Cebu Airport, take a taxi to the North Bus Terminal. After about six hours of travel for 80 – 100 pesos, you’ll arrive at Maya Port. If you miss the bus, you can also take a private minivan. That’s usually much faster but also very uncomfortable and hopelessly overcrowded. You can also book it online on 12go.asia.
From Maya, you cross over to Malapascua by “Banca”. Be careful not to be ripped off. Under the pretext that supposedly no public boats are running or there aren’t enough passengers, people often charge more than ten times the price!
The regular price is, by the way, no more than 100 – 120 pesos. So the only option is to arrive early and “wait out” the rip-off. That means waiting until enough passengers are definitely on-site or until another boat arrives.
Attention: During the off-season, the last regular trip from Maya to Malapascua is around 04.00 PM. If you’re not sure if you can make it to Maya in time, you’d be better off spending the night in Cebu.
Accommodation on Malapascua – Our Hotel Tip
The Tepanee Beach Resort immediately scores points with a good beachfront location in the southwest of the island. There are different room categories, with the simple Superior Cottages already being very nicely furnished and clean. Overall, the entire property is always well maintained, and the staff is always friendly. With Angelina & Amahan, you have an excellent restaurant right nearby.
You can find more beautiful hotels on Malapascua Island here.
The Charm of the Island
About 5,000 inhabitants live permanently on Malapascua, making their living mainly from fishing and tourism.
You’ll live among the locals in an authentic way and get the feeling of really having arrived in the Philippines. There are no tourist zones; instead, hotels and guesthouses are nestled among the local homes, blending into the island’s landscape.
This close coexistence between tourists and locals is an opportunity you don’t always get. If you embrace it, you can look forward to invitations to meals, celebrations, and lifelong friendships. The Filipinos are very open and lovable.
Why Malapascua
Compared to other vacation destinations in the Philippines, the island is not as touristy but is very relaxed, which you’ll also notice at its idyllic beaches.
There are no cars, no tricycles, and only a handful of motorcycles, which the locals operate as “taxi businesses.” However, any route can also be easily reached on foot. Fortunately, you don’t have to worry about crime on “MLP.”
The Highlight
In recent years, the remote island has gained more and more fame due to its special dive sites. Thus, almost every guest is a diver or someone who wants to become one.
Malapascua is still an insider tip, but you should go there sooner rather than later because the place is getting more and more visitors.
MLP is now world-famous for the daily sightings of thresher sharks. This species normally lives in great depths, unreachable for divers. But at the “Monad Shoal” dive spot, about 35 minutes by boat from Malapascua, there’s a “cleaning station” where they come up to about 25 meters every morning.
Hence, “Monad” is probably the only dive site in the world where you can see thresher sharks with such a high probability.
Apart from that, Malapascua also offers plenty of big fish, which is not a given in the Philippines. Besides the thresher sharks, there are regular sightings of white-tip reef sharks, eagle rays, and Mobulas. Rarely, you might even spot whale sharks, mantas, hammerheads, and bull sharks.
What You Should Definitely Not Miss on Malapascua
1. Diving
As already mentioned, Malapascua is a dream spot for diving. My 5 favorite places:
- Monad Shoal: Yes, it’s a very early morning dive, but it’s absolutely worth it. You’ll get up close and personal with the thresher sharks. “Monad” rocks, even if you have to get up at 04.00 AM to do it.
- Gato: The trip to Gato is a day trip with 2 dives. In addition to an incredible variety of macro life, there are lots of white-tip reef sharks in the caves. Gato has it all, from the smallest – pygmy seahorses – to the largest – sharks.
- Dona Marilyn: The freighter, which capsized and sank in a typhoon in 1982, is beautifully overgrown and still very much intact. The wreck lies at about 32 meters in open water, and you can usually expect currents. As an experienced wreck diver, you can admire the fine china in the kitchen.
- Chocolate: This dive site is only 10 minutes from the island and boasts gorgeous corals and everything that will make underwater photographers happy. From sea snakes and various frogfish to nudibranchs and cuttlefish – there’s something for everyone.
- Kalanggaman Island: The excursion to Kalanggaman Island is also a highlight for divers. Here, you dive a steep wall that drops up to 700 meters. Along with loads of macro, you’ll often get jacks and tuna in your viewfinder here.
2. Spa, Yoga, and Well-Being
Spa
For landlubbers or tired divers, a visit to the spa is recommended. Massages are offered everywhere on the island, but the best and nicest spa can be found in the Buena Vida Resort and Spa.
Yoga
Additionally, you can book daily yoga classes at Buena Vida. In a contemplative atmosphere, various yoga styles are practiced in the mornings and afternoons. There are also tents in the garden for meditation. The hotel is fully geared toward well-being and relaxation, and in addition to yoga and the spa, it offers a wide variety of healthy vegetarian food.
3. Excursions and Tours
Kalanggaman Island (Calanggaman Island)
This uninhabited island is about 1½ hours by boat from Malapascua and is visited daily. Besides diving and snorkeling, you’ll have a BBQ, chill on the beach, play volleyball, and explore the island.
Sambawan Island
So far, only the Sea Explorers dive center goes to Sambawan Island, which is about the same distance from Malapascua as Kalanggaman. However, in contrast to the latter, it’s much more untouched and less crowded.
I find the dive sites at Kalanggaman much better, but Sambawan Island is much more beautiful.
The Forgotten North of Malapascua
Almost all accommodations, restaurants, and dive centers are in the southwest of the island. The north is practically still timberland.
You should definitely plan a day to explore it. From the center of the island, just keep walking north. After about an hour on foot, you’ll discover not only untouched nature but also wonderful deserted beaches, a remote fishing village, and the ruined “Los Bamboos” Resort.
If the trip on foot is too strenuous, you can have one of the locals take you north by motorcycle.
4. Sunsets
You haven’t experienced Malapascua if you haven’t seen the sunset from at least three different spots.
- Bounty Beach – Ocean Vida, Beach Bar: The island’s evening meeting point, especially for divers, is the beach section of the Ocean Vida Hotel at Bounty Beach. People gather there in comfy beanbags, with chilled music and a few beers, to wind down the day together.
- The Village Beach – French Kiss, The Sunset Bar: By far, the most beautiful sunsets I experienced were at the Sunset Bar in the Village. The bar is located on the 2nd floor and is designed from old boats and various woods. With electronic music and a fantastic view, it’s much quieter here than at Bounty Beach.
- Pure romance at Los Bamboos: The upscale Los Bamboos Resort was destroyed by Typhoon Yolanda before any guest could ever sleep in the beds, swim in the pool, or eat in the restaurant. What remains is an abandoned hotel, destroyed down to its bare walls. Nevertheless, the property is beautiful and ideal for ruin photos.
Today, an elderly woman lives there, charging 40 pesos from everyone who wants to admire the sunset from Los Bamboos. In return, she’ll show you the best spot (and then discreetly leave you alone), since, due to the size of the property, you probably wouldn’t find it on your own.
Why is it worth going all the way to Los Bamboos? It’s a gorgeous sunset, and you’ll be all alone at the most romantic spot on the island. In front of you is the open sea, and behind you is a morbidly charming hotel ruin.
Nightlife on Malapascua
Since almost everyone on Malapascua is a diver who goes to bed early for the daily early-morning dives, the nightlife is somewhere between meager and non-existent.
However, there’s a disco every Saturday, which takes turns being held in the various villages on the basketball court. Note that this has little to do with our Western idea of a disco!
People “pre-game” at the notorious “Malditos”, where it’s tradition to throw your glass against the wall. Whoever misses has to pay for the next round.
Restaurants and Bars on Malapascua
Even though Malapascua doesn’t offer much in terms of nightlife, there are at least plenty of good restaurants.
My Three Favorite Restaurants Are:
- Amihan Restaurant & Pizzeria: An upscale Italian restaurant located on a hill, which in addition to dinner also serves a very good breakfast with a gorgeous view of the bay. With its lovely candle-decorated terrace, it offers a very romantic atmosphere.
- Angelina Beach: Located right under Amihan, centrally on the beach. In addition to delicious pizzas, they also have fantastic ice cream. A solid Italian spot.
- Evolution: Located at Bounty Beach, you’ll find the Evolution Resort & Restaurant. It’s an Irish pub operated with an unmistakable style, excellent music taste (The Doors, Nirvana, Muse, etc.), and a keen eye for detail. The menu is Western, offering everything from pizza and pasta to burgers, wraps, falafel, and excellent cocktails – everything you need.
As a budget traveler, I recommend checking out the Filipino restaurants inland. The easiest way to find them is simply by asking for directions.
My Three Favorites Are:
- Isla Bonita (the insider tip among dive instructors): Whether for lunch or dinner, you’ll always find something at “Isla.” Have “Jimboy” recommend the daily dishes, or order from the menu. Tip: Definitely try the mung bean soup (“Mungo-Suppe”)!
- Mr. Kwiiz: This guesthouse and restaurant is located directly behind the Evolution Resort in the second row. You’ll get inexpensive and tasty food there. Along with Filipino dishes, you’ll also find Western ones on the menu. Mr. Kwiiz makes the best Chicken Sweet & Sour.
- Bakau Kiwi: Probably the best – and at the same time hardest to find – local restaurant is Bakau Kiwi. So you don’t get totally lost looking for it, you should definitely have someone show you the way. Since it’s a “one-woman business,” be prepared for incredibly long wait times. If that doesn’t bother you, you’ll definitely fall in love with Kiwi’s and their fantastic “Kinilaw.”
More Accommodations on Malapascua
- Ocean Vida & Buena Vida: Both resorts are operated by the same management. While Ocean Vida is located directly on the beach and scores with its beautiful location and the evening chill-out atmosphere, Buena Vida is located inland and offers a good spa and yoga program. The higher price at both is justified by a very good standard, cleanliness, and service.
- Tepanee: This beach resort is perfect if you want to relax on vacation. Located a bit away from the center, this hotel has its own separate beach section. As a small bonus, you’re also close to Amihan and Angelina’s Restaurant.
Here’s a small selection of low-budget accommodations:
- Celtis Resort: Located inland, for both long- and short-term rentals, with the best value for money.
- MG Matterhorn: Also affordable and up to European standards (under Swiss management) is the Matterhorn Guesthouse.
- Mr. Kwiiz: If you’re really looking for a cheap place to stay, with friendly staff, and you don’t mind giving up Western standards, you should check out Mr. Kwiiz.
You can also find more beautiful accommodations on Malapascua at Booking.com.
Important/Other Notes
- Bring everything you need for your vacation on Malapascua. Shopping options are very limited, including personal care items.
- Bring cash. There is no ATM on the island, and credit cards are not accepted everywhere. However, you can exchange money at the Ocean Vida reception.
- If you plan on island hopping: traveling to MLP is quite long and strenuous. It’s not worth it if you only want to stay 2 days. I’d recommend at least 3 or 4.
- SIM card: “Smart” has very poor reception. “Globe” works best on MLP.
Have you ever been to Malapascua? How did you like the island paradise and do you have any more Malapascua things to do for us? Write them in the comments below.
Photo 6 (thresher shark): Liko/www.lifendive.com
