My apologies for the late trip report. Between the holidays, another dive trip to the Florida Keys, and working on getting my house and property ready to sell, Ive been distracted. I really should have started this sooner!
I woke up one morning in October and said, what the heck is going on with me? Ive allowed work and other plans to interfere for too long. Time for a dive trip! The obvious choice for me was the Philippines!
This would be my shortest trip to the Philippines since I started going there in 2007. Due to obligations back home, I only had 8 dive days which essentially meant only one destination due to travel considerations. I wanted to maximize my diving
The first destination that came to mind was Malapascua Island in the Visayas off the northern tip of Cebu!
This was my first trip flying from the US which meant two full days just for travel. I lived in Japan 2007-2010 which made for a much shorter flight. Its very possible, if you live in Asia, to fly to the Philippines and be diving the same day. From the US the shortest available flights I could find were still over 24 hours with connections flying from Texas. For those flying from the West Coast, Im sure that could be cut by a few hours, but its a long way no matter how you look at it!
Some might ask why I would fly all the way to the Philippines with plenty of good diving available practically on my own doorstep in the Caribbean, Florida, or the West Coast of the US? As Ive mentioned in other trip reports the Philippines possess some of the best diving in the world! The Philippines are a part of the Coral Triangle, making up the eastern leg. What this means is they are part of an area that is recognized as being the center of marine bio-diversity for the entire planet! Quite simply I can see more there
So, why Malapascua? I see Malapascua as having some unique attributes that make it very desirable as a vacation destination. Malapascua has wrecks, pelagics (one of the few places in the world you can reliably see Thresher Sharks), macro opportunities galore (nudibranchs, mandarinfish mating, a variety of fish and crustaceans ranging from clownfish and porcelain crabs to gobies and frogfish), big schools of sweetlips and other fish, wall diving, technical diving, and muck diving. In my experience in the Philippines only Puerto Galera offers a similar variety.
Why Malapascua instead of PG then? There it boils down more to personal taste. The vibe is definitely different. Malapascua has a more laid back feel to it that I like. For those who are also into the beach, Malapascua definitely has a better beach! (Sabangs, the area of PG with the most dive operations, beach is virtually non-existent).
Another factor which some might not think about, is that the Visayas and Malapascua Island specifically, were hard hit by last years Typhoon. Business is still down from what it was a year ago prior to the typhoon although its largely recovered. Local business is still trying to recover from the losses they suffered. Ive always been a believer in supporting dive tourism in the Philippines. Providing alternatives to destructive practices such as dynamite fishing for people to feed their families is key to preserving the unique eco-systems found in the Philippines. Passing laws and resolutions dont put food in the mouths of hungry people. Spending our money pursing the things we love will help do that!
My last trip to the Philippines was for 18 days arriving on Christmas Day 2010. On that trip I dived Malapascua Island and Subic Bay. At Malapascua I dived with Evolution Evolution Diving Resort in Malapascua, Cebu, Philippines and found it easy to choose them again. I contacted Matt Reed on October 18th and we had everything worked out with a couple days of emails.
On October 20th I sent a deposit via paypal and was set to go. I bought my plane ticket on Expedia. I reserved a room in Cebu at Kiwi Lodge Kiwilodge Hotel Accommodation | Cebu, Philippines - Home for my last night before catching an early morning return flight so basically from the time I "decided" to having everything set up, was two days. 3 weeks later I was in the Philippines
This trip because of time constraints I opted for airport pickup and transport directly to the resort. This was 4500 pesos each way and a 1000 peso surcharge for a night crossing by boat. That works out to about $225US. That included a private car and a boat and crew standing by to deliver me directly to the resort and return. Not bad all things considered. Compare this to Puerto Galera where the going rate is 15000 pesos. Travel time is comparable. Of course if you are not traveling alone you can split the costs. If you have more time and don't mind a night in Cebu City before departing, you can opt to either hire a taxi to take you or go by bus. Once you reach Maya you can take the ferry. This will cost you at least one dive day though.
I departed Abilene just after 8AM on Monday morning, November 10th. After just over 24 hours of travel time, my flight landed at Cebu-Mactan International Airport at 11PM local time on Tuesday night, November 11th. It took about 35 minutes to get through immigration and customs. I exited past the money changers. You can expect to get a couple of pesos more to the dollar outside the airport. This adds up quickly. Something to remember is that the further you get from a major city the worse the exchange rate will be. You can change your money at Malapascua at some of the resorts (if they have enough cash on hand), but the rate can be 5 pesos to the dollar or worse, than what you can do in Cebu City. Better to change your money before you go.
Once I exited someone was waiting for me with a sign from Evolution. She called the driver who pulled up within minutes. My bags were loaded in the car and we exited the airport. Something to be aware of is that there will numerous baggage handlers at the exit. They will want to take your bags and get you a taxi. They work for tips so be prepared with small change (which may not be available inside) if you let them touch your bag. If you don't want to pay a tip for someone to carry your bags 10 yards, hold onto them firmly 20-30 pesos per bag is plenty. We made a quick stop at a money changer outside the airport, topped off the fuel tank, and we were on our way.
I stretched out in the backseat and went to sleep. When I woke up we were in Maya, less than 3 1/2 hours after my flight landed There a boat crew was standing by. My bags were loaded, and we cast off. Conditions weren't the best, but by 3:30 AM, 4 1/2 hours after arriving in the Philippines I was at the resort My dive gear was taken to the gear room. I was assigned a crate for my dive gear and my bag was put away. My camera gear I kept in my room. I got my camera set up. At 4:30 AM everyone going to Monad Shoal, for the morning Thresher Shark dive met for the brief. (to be continued)
I woke up one morning in October and said, what the heck is going on with me? Ive allowed work and other plans to interfere for too long. Time for a dive trip! The obvious choice for me was the Philippines!
This would be my shortest trip to the Philippines since I started going there in 2007. Due to obligations back home, I only had 8 dive days which essentially meant only one destination due to travel considerations. I wanted to maximize my diving
The first destination that came to mind was Malapascua Island in the Visayas off the northern tip of Cebu!This was my first trip flying from the US which meant two full days just for travel. I lived in Japan 2007-2010 which made for a much shorter flight. Its very possible, if you live in Asia, to fly to the Philippines and be diving the same day. From the US the shortest available flights I could find were still over 24 hours with connections flying from Texas. For those flying from the West Coast, Im sure that could be cut by a few hours, but its a long way no matter how you look at it!
Some might ask why I would fly all the way to the Philippines with plenty of good diving available practically on my own doorstep in the Caribbean, Florida, or the West Coast of the US? As Ive mentioned in other trip reports the Philippines possess some of the best diving in the world! The Philippines are a part of the Coral Triangle, making up the eastern leg. What this means is they are part of an area that is recognized as being the center of marine bio-diversity for the entire planet! Quite simply I can see more there
So, why Malapascua? I see Malapascua as having some unique attributes that make it very desirable as a vacation destination. Malapascua has wrecks, pelagics (one of the few places in the world you can reliably see Thresher Sharks), macro opportunities galore (nudibranchs, mandarinfish mating, a variety of fish and crustaceans ranging from clownfish and porcelain crabs to gobies and frogfish), big schools of sweetlips and other fish, wall diving, technical diving, and muck diving. In my experience in the Philippines only Puerto Galera offers a similar variety.
Why Malapascua instead of PG then? There it boils down more to personal taste. The vibe is definitely different. Malapascua has a more laid back feel to it that I like. For those who are also into the beach, Malapascua definitely has a better beach! (Sabangs, the area of PG with the most dive operations, beach is virtually non-existent).
Another factor which some might not think about, is that the Visayas and Malapascua Island specifically, were hard hit by last years Typhoon. Business is still down from what it was a year ago prior to the typhoon although its largely recovered. Local business is still trying to recover from the losses they suffered. Ive always been a believer in supporting dive tourism in the Philippines. Providing alternatives to destructive practices such as dynamite fishing for people to feed their families is key to preserving the unique eco-systems found in the Philippines. Passing laws and resolutions dont put food in the mouths of hungry people. Spending our money pursing the things we love will help do that!
My last trip to the Philippines was for 18 days arriving on Christmas Day 2010. On that trip I dived Malapascua Island and Subic Bay. At Malapascua I dived with Evolution Evolution Diving Resort in Malapascua, Cebu, Philippines and found it easy to choose them again. I contacted Matt Reed on October 18th and we had everything worked out with a couple days of emails.
On October 20th I sent a deposit via paypal and was set to go. I bought my plane ticket on Expedia. I reserved a room in Cebu at Kiwi Lodge Kiwilodge Hotel Accommodation | Cebu, Philippines - Home for my last night before catching an early morning return flight so basically from the time I "decided" to having everything set up, was two days. 3 weeks later I was in the Philippines
This trip because of time constraints I opted for airport pickup and transport directly to the resort. This was 4500 pesos each way and a 1000 peso surcharge for a night crossing by boat. That works out to about $225US. That included a private car and a boat and crew standing by to deliver me directly to the resort and return. Not bad all things considered. Compare this to Puerto Galera where the going rate is 15000 pesos. Travel time is comparable. Of course if you are not traveling alone you can split the costs. If you have more time and don't mind a night in Cebu City before departing, you can opt to either hire a taxi to take you or go by bus. Once you reach Maya you can take the ferry. This will cost you at least one dive day though.
I departed Abilene just after 8AM on Monday morning, November 10th. After just over 24 hours of travel time, my flight landed at Cebu-Mactan International Airport at 11PM local time on Tuesday night, November 11th. It took about 35 minutes to get through immigration and customs. I exited past the money changers. You can expect to get a couple of pesos more to the dollar outside the airport. This adds up quickly. Something to remember is that the further you get from a major city the worse the exchange rate will be. You can change your money at Malapascua at some of the resorts (if they have enough cash on hand), but the rate can be 5 pesos to the dollar or worse, than what you can do in Cebu City. Better to change your money before you go.
Once I exited someone was waiting for me with a sign from Evolution. She called the driver who pulled up within minutes. My bags were loaded in the car and we exited the airport. Something to be aware of is that there will numerous baggage handlers at the exit. They will want to take your bags and get you a taxi. They work for tips so be prepared with small change (which may not be available inside) if you let them touch your bag. If you don't want to pay a tip for someone to carry your bags 10 yards, hold onto them firmly
20-30 pesos per bag is plenty. We made a quick stop at a money changer outside the airport, topped off the fuel tank, and we were on our way.I stretched out in the backseat and went to sleep. When I woke up we were in Maya, less than 3 1/2 hours after my flight landed
There a boat crew was standing by. My bags were loaded, and we cast off. Conditions weren't the best, but by 3:30 AM, 4 1/2 hours after arriving in the Philippines I was at the resort My dive gear was taken to the gear room. I was assigned a crate for my dive gear and my bag was put away. My camera gear I kept in my room. I got my camera set up. At 4:30 AM everyone going to Monad Shoal, for the morning Thresher Shark dive met for the brief. (to be continued)
So let me just give some general information 
