Malapscua Island

October 2008

ABOUT THE ISLAND

Malapascua, they say, was derived from the Visayan words, "Malas" (unlucky) and "Pasko" (Christmas). The island got its name due to an unfortunate event which happened during Christmas season many years ago where a ship sank along the coast of the island because of really bad weather.

Malapascua is a tiny island around 2.5 kilometers long and 1 kilometer wide.

It is situated at the northern part of Cebu province. Approximately 8 kilometers away from the town of Maya which is at the northern tip of Cebu island.

Malapascua is known for its powdery white sand beach known as "Bounty Beach". But for divers, the island is most famous for its beautiful coral gardens and excellent dive spots. A pumpboat ride away is Monad Shoal, an underwater plateau where divers are able to see thresher sharks and manta rays on a regular basis.

HOW TO GET THERE

1. Go to the North Bus Terminal (located at the North Reclamation Area; near Makro) and take a bus (preferably Ceres) to the town of Maya.

1. The earliest bus trip starts from 4:00 in the morning. And they have a bus that leaves every thirty (30) minutes thereafter.
2. The Ceres bus ride from the North Bus Terminal to Maya costs PhP 136.00 per person
3. The bus is NON-airconditioned. But don't worry, the ride is very comfortable even without A/C. It is well-ventilated and when travelling in the early morning it is in fact quite chilly.

2. The bus will then travel north for approximately one (1) hour when you reach a rest stop called "Hillside Teapark". There, passengers are given around 15-20 minutes to eat or to go to the restroom.

1. You will have to pay PhP 1.00 to use the restroom.

3. The bus will then proceed to Maya which will travel for another three (3) hours.

4. Upon arriving in Maya, the bus will drop you off at Maya Port. There you can take a pumpboat to the island of Malapascua.

1. The pumpboat ride to Malapascua costs PhP 50.00 per person.
2. They do not have a scheduled trip because the pumpboat only leaves when they reach a certain number of passengers. So you might have to wait and relax a bit. There is a foodshop at the port where you can wait.

1. The pumpboats are docked a few meters away from the shore. You will have to take a rowboat from the shore to the pumpboat. This will cost PhP 20.00 per person.
   

1. An alternative would be to charter a pumpboat. This will cost PhP 1,200.00 for the pumpboat. Passengers can then divide the cost among themselves.

5. Upon arriving in Malapascua, the pumpboat will drop you off at Logon Port.

1. Travel time from Maya to Malapascua is around thirty (30) minutes depending on weather conditions.
2. If you chartered a pumpboat, you can choose to have the pumpboat drop you off at some other part of the island. You can ask to be dropped off at Bounty Beach. That is where most of the resorts are located.
3. From Logon Port, you can walk for five (5) to ten (10) minutes to the resorts on Bounty Beach.
   

TOTAL COST: PhP 206.00 per person.

WHERE TO STAY

Logon Beach Resort

Logon Beach Resort has a unique location away from the resorts at Bounty Beach. They have four (4) cottages which are situated on a small cliff with a magnificent view of the sea. The beach is a few meters below the cottages. I was able to visit the resort but was not able to stay overnight as I already booked in another resort. This place is definitely for those who want more privacy and an ambient atmosphere. The rooms rates are at PhP 800.00 per night.

How to get there:

1. From the Logon Port, just walk along the beach to the right (facing the shore). Then when you reach their signboard, climb up the short walk way to the resort and you're there.

Some concerns:

1. Electricity is limited. Almost all resorts on the island has electricity only from 6 p.m. to 11 a.m., but according to a friend of mine who stayed in this resort, the electricity was out by around midnight. Their website claims however that they have electricity from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
   
2. You have to walk a couple of minutes to Bounty Beach where all the other resorts, restaurants and bars are located. The same to reach Ging-Ging's restaurant (discussed later).
   

NOTE: The local guides will always tell you that Logon Beach Resort is fully-booked although it really is not. Maybe management and the local guides are not in good terms. Like in my experience, when I told the local guide that I wanted to check out Logon Beach Resort, he told me it was fully-booked. But when I was walking around the island and dropped by the resort, they had all four (4) cottages available.


Cottages on the cliff.


A view from the room.


The bed with a mosquito net.


The resort's restaurant.


Path leading to the beach.


Their secluded beach.

Daño's Beach Resort

This is where I stayed for three (3) days and two (2) nights. It is not among the high-end resorts on the island but I would highly recommend it for those who want average priced accommodation. The resort has more than six (6) cottages with each cottage having two (2) separate rooms. I think they have around twelve (12) rooms total. Each room has its own toilet and bath. They only have fan rooms (no A/C rooms). The best thing about Daño's is its location. It is found on Bounty Beach. Most restaurants (including Ging-Ging's) and bars are just walking distance. But it is also not too close to the other resorts making it a bit more private. It is owned by a local (his name is Limuel -- not sure with the spelling). The room rates are at PhP 800.00 per night. But I was able to talk to the owner and he gave me a PhP 100.00 discount. So it was down to PhP 700.00 per night.

How to get there:

1. From Logon Port you can walk to Bounty Beach. Just follow the dirt road path or ask the locals for directions. It's approximately ten (10) to fifteen (15) minutes walk.
2. If you don't feel like walking, you can take a motorcycle ride (locally known as "habal-habal"). Just tell the driver to take you to Daño's. I'm not sure how much they will charge for the ride. I haven't tried it because I prefer walking. It's good exercise. ;p
   

Some concerns:

1. Electricity is limited. Almost all resorts on the island has electricity only from 6 p.m. to 11 a.m.
2. The room given to me was one of the newly renovated rooms. It was very clean and I had no problems with the room. However, a friend of mine who stayed there a few days after my visit was assigned to one of their older (not yet renovated) rooms. He reported that he experienced problems with the shower and that the door knobs were not working perfectly. So I suggest that you ask the owner or caretaker to give you the one of the newly renovated rooms. And in case you decide to stay in Daño's, please tell the owner to fix their other rooms. Hopefully all rooms will be as comfortable as the rooms I stayed in.

NOTE: Limuel (the owner) is rarely at the resort. It is usually his female caretaker who attends to the guests. When I arrived at the resort, it was only the caretaker who was there. I tried asking her for a discount but she said she had no authority to give discounts. So I just went around for awhile and told the caretaker that I will come back later. I guess she told Limuel who was already there when I got back. That's the story of how I got the discount. Patience will pay off.


A cottage with two (2) separate rooms.


A view from the deck.


The cozy bed with electric fan.


A cabinet; toilet and bath.

Other places to stay:

1. Cocobana Beach Resort - high-end (above PhP 1,500.00 per night); wasn't able to check out the rooms but the resort looked very nice.
2. Hippocampus Beach Resort - high-end; the resort had a unique look but some of the rooms were too far away from the beach and had no view of the sea.
3. Exotic Island Dive and Beach Resort - high-end; the resort next to Daño's located at the farther end of Bounty Beach.
4. Bantigue Cove - high-end; located at the other side of the island (quite far). VERY secluded. VERY nice ambience. Highly recommended for those who want absolute privacy.

NOTE: There are rooms on the island that you can rent for PhP 200.00 - 400.00 per night. These are very basic rooms. You'd have to walk around five (5) minutes to get to the beach. Just try to ask around if you're interested. A friend of mine also stayed in one of these budget rooms. He said it was okay. He's a backpacker.

WHERE TO EAT

Ging-Ging's Garden Restaurant

This is the place to eat when in Malapascua. Almost all travel blogs mention this restaurant. I ate all my meals during my three (3) day stay in Ging-Ging's. So what's with this restaurant? First, it is cheap (around PhP 100.00 per person) considering that you're on a tourist spot. Okay, cheap-ER to be more accurate. Food is one of the major factors in considering your budget during vacations. Every budget traveller knows that you shouldn't eat your meals at the resort's restaurant because that will just drain your budget. Instead, go around and hopefully you can find a restaurant that doesn't charge as much as the resort. Ging-Ging's is that place. Second, it is has a very good location. It's just behind the resorts on Bounty Beach. A stone's throw away from Cocobana Beach Resort's back gate. Third, they have a variety of dishes to choose from. Fourth, the food were delicious (well atleast for those that I tried).

HOWEVER, the same friend of mine who had a bad experience at Daño's also had a not quite so good experience in Ging-Ging's as well. He didn't like the food that he ordered. And he found an insect in one of the dishes. I know I shouldn't have mentioned that because some people might change their mind by just the thought of unwanted ingredients in their food but this is an HONEST travel blog. It is only fair to hear both good and bad experiences. You guys make the decision.

NOTE: It takes quite some time to prepare your food at Ging-Ging's. Around thirty (30) minutes for a meal for two. My advice is to pre-order your food hours (or days) ahead OR just don't go to the restaurant with an empty stomach. Trust me, the waiting time will get you hungry. There are also certain dishes that you have to order ahead of time. Like roasted chicken and monggo beans which requires you to order it one (1) to two (2) hours ahead.


Just a stone throw away.


The restaurant.


Table in the garden.


An important sign written in not-so-perfect English.


A friendly dog waiting for food.

Sample menu:
Drinks

1. Calamansi juice - PhP 20.00
2. Iced tea - PhP 20.00
3. Softdrinks - PhP 20.00
4. Hot water - PhP 5.00
5. Hot choco - PhP 30.00
   

Food


Lunch

1. Plain rice - PhP 10.00 per cup
   
2. Fried chicken with french fries - PhP 90.00
3. Pork adobo - PhP 60.00
4. Pancit with squid - PhP 50.00

Dinner

1. Plain rice - PhP 10.00 per cup
   
2. Noodle soup with egg - PhP 30.00
3. Calamares - PhP 50.00
4. Fried fish with vegetables - PhP 60.00

Brunch (breakfast + lunch)

1. Mixed fruit pancake - PhP 65.00
2. Extra order (bacon) - PhP 20.00
3. Two egg bacon omelette with homemade bread - PhP 55.00
4. Banana pancake - PhP 45.00

Dinner

1. Plain rice - PhP 10.00 per cup
   
2. Sizzling pork - PhP 120.00
3. Fish curry - PhP 65.00
4. Noodle soup with egg - PhP 30.00

Breakfast

1. Filipino breakfast (plain rice, egg, and a choice of: corned beef, tapa, etc.) - PhP 70.00
2. Banana pancake - PhP 45.00
3. Two fried eggs with homemade bread - PhP 40.00

Other places to eat:

1. Resort restaurants - in case you don't feel like leaving the resort; depending on where you stay, it might be quite expensive.
   
2. Fancy restaurants - such as La Isla Bonita (only meters away from Ging-Ging's); dishes start at PhP 150.00.
   

WHAT TO DO
(Coming Soon)

WHAT TO BRING
(Coming Soon)

TRAVEL TIPS
(Coming Soon)