Balicasag and Malapascua in March 2016

[myvek]

I hope everyone's been having a nice and relaxing holiday season

My husband and I are planning on diving the Philippines around March. We only have about 7 days (excluding travelling time - which from Holland is looong!) and want to be land-based as opposed to liveaboard. We are interested in seeing threshers, whale sharks, mantas, hammerheads, and other pelagics. But we are just as keen on seeing big schools of fish, and some macro. In short, we want it all in a short span of time ;-)

I did some research and thought that Malapascua and Balicasag sound like good options - do you agree or would you suggest something else?

Is March a good time to dive in terms of weather, visibility, and dive conditions?

Are there any dive shops and accommodation you have had a good experience with? We are in our mid to late 30s and are not into loud clubbing kind of atmospheres!

Thanks in advance for you help

 

[Centrals]

With only 7 days to spare, I would suggest that U2 should stay in one place only and Malapascua should fit the bill.
There are several reputable operators on the island eg. Evolution, Exotic and Thresher Shark just to name a few.
Exotic is a big player with lots of boat ie. too many divers. Its next door neighbour, Evolution, is probably slightly better.
Jan to Apr are great time to dive Philippines.

 

[myvek]

Thanks a lot Centrals! I wrote to a dive shop on Malapascua and they suggested the same, to stick to one place.

But, IF I can get a few more days off work, then I would love to spend even just 2 days in Panglao to dive Balicasag (seems to be a lot like Sipadan, which I loved!). If I can get 12 days off work, then how does this sound - Fly to Cebu, fast ferry to Tagbilaran/Panglao, 3 nights on Alona beach. Ferry back to Cebu, get the Malapascua dive shop to arrange for the transfer from Cebu to Malapascua, and spend 6-7 nights there.

Any recommendations on Alona beach dive shops and mid-range accommodation?

Thanks!

 

[red_barbarian]

There's a Philippine gov resort on Balicasag. It's not high end, but the staff are friendly and it makes the diving very easy and relaxed. From the other resorts it's a bit of a boat ride to get out there. On Malapascua I'd recommend Evolution divers, they really are technically better in the water than the competition in that area. I haven't seen the accommodation since the big storm that came through a while back, but it's likely on par with the style of the resort on Balicasag. 5-7 days on each would make for a lovely trip. More than 7 on either might start to feel like you've seen that before, unless you do tech diving in which case you could spend a very long time at Evolution.

 

[myvek]

Thanks Red Barbarian! Looks like Evolution gets a lot of thumbs up on this forum, so I think our dive base for Malapascua is sorted

For diving Balicasag I would rather stay on Panglao since I'll already be making 4-5 connections before that (travelling from Europe).

Another thought that crossed my mind was to go to Moalboal instead of Panglao/Balicasag. That way I won't be dependant on the ferry to Panglao, and can experience the sardine run. I also hear that Moalboal gets big schools of jacks and baracuda. What do you people think of that? How likely is it that the sardines will be around in March?

I'm confused, too many good options!

 

[Tippytoes12]

Maolboal and Malapascua are both wonderful destinations that can be done in one quick twelve day trip from Europe. Try and get a flight into Cebu if you can , Cathay pacific and Singapore fly from London and possibly from Amsterdam. I would do Malapascua first and then Maolboal, if you have an afternoon flight home you should be fine to leave Maolboal in the morning. We love sea Explorers , who have a wonderful resort attached to their Malapascua shop. The sardines move around but assuming they dodge the dynamite fishermen between now and then you should see them.

 

[regina55]

I think you could cover both balicasag and malapscua for 12 days but transferring between two destinations might be a bit hectic.
I would go to Moalboal rather than Panglao. It is easy accessible, just 2-3 hours drive from Cebu city, and Most of dive sites are so near that you could reach them within 5 to 10 mins boat rides only. In Pescador island you will enjoy the stunning reef where a variety of species are found. I dove with Cebu Dive Centre in Moalboal, and saw huge sardine runs every time I dove in their housereef.
Which destination to go first depends on what time you are arriving the airport and also what time flying back. Make sure that you reach Malapascua as early as possible since public ferries to Malapascua from Maya is available till 2pm.

 

[Centrals]

1. I would go to Malapascua first because of the travelling. However, if you find yourself arriving at Cebu City in the evening or late afternoon then Plan B is required unless you want to spend a night in the City.
2. Plenty operators on Alona Beach are relied on one provider for the GAS!!!!! I am not impressed with the quality of the gas, smell of oil, when I last dived there couple of yrs ago. As far as I know Sea Explorers is one of the few operators which still pump its own gas. If in doubt please ask to see the compressor room as well as smell the gas first.
3. If you can stretch another two days then I would add Moalboal instead of Balicasag. Pescado Island is not to be missed.
4. If you can afford 12 days then how about this:
Day 1: Moalboal is just 2hrs away by car so your arrival time is irrelevant. Nelson(Ocean Safari) is the shop for diving and Eve Kiosk(next door) is the place to stay.
Day 2: Diving.
Day 3: Diving or special trip to Oslob to see whaleshark. Still have time to dive at Moalboal in late afternoon
Day 4: Start early and prepare for a long day to Malapascua.
Day 5-7: Diving
Day 8: Another long day to Alona Beach.
Day 9-10: Diving
Day 11: Off gas and a land tour to Chocolate Hills.
Day 12: Home

A lot of packing and unpacking + road and ferry travelling. The private transfer to Malapascua will add at least US$250.00 for the total budget for both of you!!! I have no problem with the public transport but you have to start very early. And in Philippines you will find the local do the same.
Have a nice trip.

 

[Tippytoes12]

In February there may be some rain and wind with consequences for diving and ferries , and I honestly think that three stops is too much. I go there most February's and the vis and conditions are usually good. The journey to and from.Malapascua takes ages now as there is loads of construction going on due to the tourist boom and repairs following the typhoons in 2013. If you have your own gear getting it dried and packed again will be a pain. Balicasag is lovely , but there is more macro in Maolboal , plus the sardines and the whale sharks in Oslob.

Have a great time

---------- Post added December 28th, 2015 at 08:12 AM ----------

In February there may be some rain and wind with consequences for diving and ferries , and I honestly think that three stops is too much. The journey to and from.Malapascua takes ages now as there is loads of construction going on due to the tourist boom and repairs following the typhoons in 2013.Alamos.if you have your own gear getting it dried and packed again will be a pain. Balicasag is lovely , but there is more macro in Maolboal , plus the sardines and the whale sharks in Oslob.

Have a great time

 

[myvek]

Thanks a lot everyone for your input and suggestions, really appreciate it! I will stick to just two destinations this time - (having considered all the pros and cons and timing considerations) Malapascua and Moalboal. Sooo looking forward to it!