What not to miss on Malapascua Island, Philippines

Written by Bessie about Philippines. Feelin' normal
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Malapascua, Philippines
Malapascua Island is relaxed, picturesque, and welcoming. There are no cars, only motorbikes on the island, and it's well-known for diving and snorkeling. Surprisingly, you can get great cell phone reception & wi-fi access around much of the island, although we were happy to unplug for the week. From Cebu City, it's a 2-4 drive from the airport to the town Maya where you catch a boat 8 km north. 

Here are my tips of things not to miss:
  1. Get in the water.  There are a number of dive shops on the island, one of which was visited by National Geographic a few years back.  Thresher sharks and ship wrecks seem to be the main attraction.  We're more of the snorkeling types and saw a number of live coral beds around the island in all shades of blues.  Our highlights were clown fish peeking in and out of anemone, schools of black and white stripe fish, and a sea snake.
  2. Mingle with the locals.  All over the island we encountered people excited to see us.  We befriended kids on the beach and mixed pretty easily at the weekend discos and cockfights.
    Malapascua, Philippines
  3. Explore.  Take the walk around the island to the light house and check out the coves and beaches.  It's picturesque.
  4. Calangaman Island Day Trip.  Less then a 2 hour boat ride from the island you can take a tour to this national reserve.  It's an idyllic patch of sand and palms with little more than basic bathrooms and grilling areas, but it's definitely worth spending a few hours there. Here's a litte video of the island:
  5. Don't miss the sunsets. They're hard to miss, and Bounty Beach is a nice spot to catch the sunset, but also curve around the west side of the island. There's a bar along the walk to the lighthouse that gave the best views.
    Malapascua, Philippines
  6. Enjoy the cuisine. Fresh fish with garlic rice seems to be the local specialty. A little restaurant called Mang Mang is a little in from Bounty Beach and offers cheap and tastey local dishes & Asian specialties.  They even advertised kimchi.  Angelina's is a delicious spot owned by Italians that serves up delicious pizzas, pastas, and capri salads.
Enjoy a video tour of the island.

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