Cebu 7 days, where to dive? Malapascua and...?

[Centrals]

@Torontonian
Philippines is a predominantly Catholic country. And Lunar New Year is NOT a public holiday in the country so celebration is limited to large ethnic Chinese community in several cities.
The biggest celebration in Cebu is this:

Sinulog Festival 2024, Philippines - Venue, Date & Photos

Sinulog Festival - Find Sinulog Festival, Venue, Start Date, Timings and how to reach at event spot at HelloTravel.

www.hellotravel.com

You could be too late for this event in this coming Jan. Pity.

 

[YYCLuke]

I have similar questions to the OP, as my wife (non-diver, maybe snorkel) and I are flying to Taiwan in Jan/2024. Our son just got married to a Filipino girl (in Toronto) whose family is from Cebu, they keep on saying we need to go to Cebu for a few days. So we'll probably go to Cebu for a few days late Jan or early Feb/2024.

Do Filipinos celebrate Lunar new year and everything comes to a halt like some places in Asia (Taiwan, Vietnam, China..), and we should avoid those days?

We'd like to see whale sharks, but don't want to do the 4am wake up day-excursion. So would a trip first to Moalboal for a day of diving (and maybe snorkeling for her), then do Oslob?

Is there diving to see whale sharks, or basically only snorkeling at Oslob, before we get back to Cebu to fly out?

Filipinos don't celebrate, but a lot of other asian tourists come to the Philippines during lunar new year so it's a pain to get reservations set up, and everywhere is busy. Good for the businesses. So pre book now what you want to do. Nothing closes, just gets busy.

You can stay in Oslob at a hotel or Airbnb if that's easier, but as far as I know it's a morning only event. We got there at six and finished at about 8. The first time I went the said you can dive but it wasn't worth it as they are at the surface. Second time was snorkel only.

Moalboal is 3+ hours on a bus (165 pesos I think) or taxi (3000-4000 pesos) each way. Both are almost the same timeframe but the bus is just as easy if you ask me. It's only like 95km but takes forever to get out of the city. If you are just going for a day I wouldn't recommend it, just find a dive shop in Mactan Island (near the Cebu airport) and go near there. If you have 2-3 days then it's worth making the trek to Moalboal.

I don't have any recommendations in Mactan but if you get to Moalboal you should definitely think about diving with Savedra, or if you want a resort, Cebu Seaview Resort. Good guides and instructors and always professional. And you can access the wall/house reef right off the beach for snorkelling too, or go to Pescador island.

 

[geo88]

Filipinos don't celebrate, but a lot of other asian tourists come to the Philippines during lunar new year so it's a pain to get reservations set up, and everywhere is busy. Good for the businesses. So pre book now what you want to do. Nothing closes, just gets busy.

You can stay in Oslob at a hotel or Airbnb if that's easier, but as far as I know it's a morning only event. We got there at six and finished at about 8. The first time I went the said you can dive but it wasn't worth it as they are at the surface. Second time was snorkel only.

Moalboal is 3+ hours on a bus (165 pesos I think) or taxi (3000-4000 pesos) each way. Both are almost the same timeframe but the bus is just as easy if you ask me. It's only like 95km but takes forever to get out of the city. If you are just going for a day I wouldn't recommend it, just find a dive shop in Mactan Island (near the Cebu airport) and go near there. If you have 2-3 days then it's worth making the trek to Moalboal.

I don't have any recommendations in Mactan but if you get to Moalboal you should definitely think about diving with Savedra, or if you want a resort, Cebu Seaview Resort. Good guides and instructors and always professional. And you can access the wall/house reef right off the beach for snorkelling too, or go to Pescador island.

It be packed with HK or Mainland Tourists.

 

[geo88]

@Torontonian
Philippines is a predominantly Catholic country. And Lunar New Year is NOT a public holiday in the country so celebration is limited to large ethnic Chinese community in several cities.
The biggest celebration in Cebu is this:

Sinulog Festival 2024, Philippines - Venue, Date & Photos

Sinulog Festival - Find Sinulog Festival, Venue, Start Date, Timings and how to reach at event spot at HelloTravel.

www.hellotravel.com

You could be too late for this event in this coming Jan. Pity.

I am going to a LOB in Cebu on 20 January 2024. Initially I plan to fly in early on the 19th but all the nice hotels in the city are either fully booked or asking for super high rate. In the end, i opted to fly in on the day itself and head straight to the boat. Now I know why all the hotels in the city are so expensive due to this celebration.

 

[NAUI Wowie]

I have similar questions to the OP, as my wife (non-diver, maybe snorkel) and I are flying to Taiwan in Jan/2024. Our son just got married to a Filipino girl (in Toronto) whose family is from Cebu, they keep on saying we need to go to Cebu for a few days. So we'll probably go to Cebu for a few days late Jan or early Feb/2024.

Do Filipinos celebrate Lunar new year and everything comes to a halt like some places in Asia (Taiwan, Vietnam, China..), and we should avoid those days?

We'd like to see whale sharks, but don't want to do the 4am wake up day-excursion. So would a trip first to Moalboal for a day of diving (and maybe snorkeling for her), then do Oslob?

Is there diving to see whale sharks, or basically only snorkeling at Oslob, before we get back to Cebu to fly out?

that can work. Id recommend the Dolphin House resort in Moalboal. Its away from the young kids hotel area where everyone parties though. They have their own house reef to just walk down to and do night dives and they have their own scuba shop/dive boats. Its a much more Boutique cool set up than standard. Owned by a German guy that lives onsite or nearby I mean.

Best months for good scuba weather are February and March. Thats from all my Filipino friends that are from Cebu.

 

[geo88]

that can work. Id recommend the Dolphin House resort in Moalboal. Its away from the young kids hotel area where everyone parties though. They have their own house reef to just walk down to and do night dives and they have their own scuba shop/dive boats. Its a much more Boutique cool set up than standard. Owned by a German guy that lives onsite or nearby I mean.

Best months for good scuba weather are February and March. Thats from all my Filipino friends that are from Cebu.

I dived with Asian Belgium Resort located just next to Dolphin House way back in 2011. Wonder how is it now. I remember White Beach is still white beach back then and the school of sardine are much bigger at Pescador.

 

[NAUI Wowie]

I dived with Asian Belgium Resort located just next to Dolphin House way back in 2011. Wonder how is it now. I remember White Beach is still white beach back then and the school of sardine are much bigger at Pescador.

back in 2018 and 2019 the sardines had already moved to right off the beach. No sardines at Pescador.

 

[geo88]

back in 2018 and 2019 the sardines had already moved to right off the beach. No sardines at Pescador.

Correct. I actually went back in 2016 and stayed at Blue Abyss. The sardine is in front of saverdra at the time. I took a Liveaboard and dive in Moalboal in November 2022 and we did not see any sardine at that time. I be going again with the same liveaboard later this month. Hope to see the sardine again.

 

[YYCLuke]

Correct. I actually went back in 2016 and stayed at Blue Abyss. The sardine is in front of saverdra at the time. I took a Liveaboard and dive in Moalboal in November 2022 and we did not see any sardine at that time. I be going again with the same liveaboard later this month. Hope to see the sardine again.

Sardines came back in 2023

 

[geo88]

Sardines came back in 2023

That why I am going this month.