diving, snorkelling & alternative for MALAPASCUA

1) we want this trip to be easygoing, go to places with regular, reliable public transport or low priced taxis - no haggling and getting ripped off

2) there must be fantastic snorkelling off the beach at each of the places we stay, no need to take a boat

3) each place should have excellent diving nearby

4) in addition to the above at least one of the places we stay should be on a very nice, quiet beach allowing to relax, no dogs or crowds, no guys starring at the girls as if they had not seen one before in a bikini.., clear water, white sand, island feeling, a little paradise.. you know what I mean

5) no big distances (max 6 hours from door to door)

6) midrange accommodation (max 50 euro per doubleroom, low priced restaurant nearby)

arriving from Donsol we thought about going to CABILAO, MOALBOAL and DAUIN; spending 3-4 weeks in total in March 2012

do you think these places will meet our expectations?

probably gonna skip MALAPASCUA coz of the long travel distance from Cebu airport or any of the other places we want to stay

would love to see the thresher sharks but what are the chances? do not dive with Nitrox, do deep dives down to 30 meters, (but don’t have the Advanced OW certificate), running out of air rather quickly

apart from the thresher sharks - is the diving different from the other 3 places?

can you think of an affordable alternative place with similar island feeling, white sand, clear turquoise water.. and fantastic underwater world??

even though this trip will focus on diving and snorkelling, we still do want to spend part of the trip at a place where we can have both :)

appreciate your help. Andrea

Thresher Shark Divers and Sea Explorers on Malapascua now go to a new location and thresher sharks sightings have gone dramatically up, your chances are pretty good. Maybe time to review your stance on Malapascua.

Sea Explorers has actually outlets, in all four places mentioned and you can travel to all of the by boat, do some great island hopping , maybe something to consider.

Try Apo Island - I mean stay on the island itself as opposed to in Dauin. The snorkelling and diving there is superb, and the coral is straight off the beach. The dive sites are all within 5 mins boat ride. It is also extremely quiet there.

thanks limbo! travelling with them sounds interesting
checked the rates for transfer and they state 65 (I guess euros) between Moalboal and Malapascua per person one way? isn't that way too much even considering the comfort of everything beeing organized for you? (would it not be like 15 euros by bus and ferry if done on your own?)
I have no clue what the ferries would cost but Moalboal to Dauin 45 euros?

does anyone know whether prices are lower if booked inside the Philippines?
what are the chances of just showing up and travelling with them from one island to annother without prior reservation?

Apo Island would be perfect.. but I do not want to stay at places without running water anymore..

It would certainly be cheaper if you use the bus & pumpboat for Moalboal to Malapascua booked locally. Sea Explorers are a great outfit, but you will always pay a premium to have a dive operator arrange your transfers, although their rates will obviously be based on using a car rather than the bus.

Same applies to Moalboal to Dauin. It's a very short ferry crossing from Cebu over to Negros (assuming you go from Bato or Liloan). I've never used that route, but I would be surprised if the boat cost more than 200 pesos (US$5). the local bus down from Moalboal would be very cheap indeed.

It is easy and fun island hopping around the Visayas using Ocean Jet or Super Cat as the boat rides are generally quite short. If it was me, I'd do Alona Beach, Apo Island (or Dauin) and either Malapascua or Southern Leyte (for whalesharks, although Donsol is also good). I've also heard good things about Camiguin Island and Siquijor but never been to either place.

Another option - there are liveaboard dive safaris that island hop around the Visayas. Seaquest Dive Center has them, and probably Sea Explorers too.