Cebu Right Now - Where to go?

[thejamez]

Guys, I'm heading to Cebu on the 13th of this month ( 3 days from now ). I have a flight out of Cebu to Jakarta on Sept 30 with no solid plans in between.

I do want to hit Malapascua for the threshers.

Considering that it's September and with so many options nearby what else should I dive?
Moalboal? Dumaguete? Head over to Bohol?

I'm well traveled and don't mind the bus/ferry rides and time spent getting from places (as long as it's safe of course). I like muck critters and I love the 'big' stuff like rays, sharks, etc.. don't really care about pretty reefs, little fish or any tricky technical dives. Some things on my diving bucket list I'd love to see are octopus, mandarinfish, sea horses, the ghost pipefish.. a Mola mola.

Any suggestions?

 

[Centrals]

You already have the answer: Malapascua.
Not much of a chance for Mola Mola but for the others in your wishing list should be within reached.
Start early from Cebu City and you should be fine with public transport.
The other three places are good as well but please pay close attention to the quality of the gas in Alona Beach(Bohol). As far as I am aware, most operators on the beach do NOT filled their own tanks! Demand to see the compressor room. Atlantis and Sea Explorer are recommended. If in doubt smell the content first. Compressed air is odourless and if you smell of oil.......

Have a nice trip.

 

[thejamez]

You already have the answer: Malapascua.

That's great but does it fill 2 and a half weeks of time? Nothing of redeeming quality in the others that Malapascua doesn't have?

 

[Mucksavage]

You'll get your fill of critters in Dauin (as well as Malapascua) and will see lots of Turtles both there and Apo Island. Plenty of good operators there to suit any budget. I would probably prioritise Malapascua and Dauin and on the way from one to the other you can stop in Moalboal for a couple of days and in Alona Beach to dive Balicassag on the way back to Cebu. So suggested itinerary might be 5/6 days Malapascua, 2 days Moalboal, 5 days Dauin, 2 days Bohol and some travel days to fill 2.5 weeks. It will always be almost a day's travel form one place to the next so there is an argument to choose two and spend more time in them.Either way you'll enjoy.

 

[Luko]

Some things on my diving bucket list I'd love to see are octopus, mandarinfish, sea horses, the ghost pipefish.. a Mola mola.

Weird you're going all the way to the Phils with this bucketlist while youre passing through Jakarta.

It would take you 2 days to tick off all yor critters on your list diving Bali where it's the spot on MolaMola season. Last week, I had two dives on Gili Mimpang/Padang bai = 2 molamola sightings. The other critters would only take one hour drive and 2 dives in Tulamben.

 

[thejamez]

Weird you're going all the way to the Phils with this bucketlist while youre passing through Jakarta.

It would take you 2 days to tick off all yor critters on your list diving Bali where it's the spot on MolaMola season. Last week, I had two dives on Gili Mimpang/Padang bai = 2 molamola sightings. The other critters would only take one hour drive and 2 dives in Tulamben.

I'm traveling throughout Asia for 8 or so months with diving being a secondary thing I do along the way.. not the focus. I'm only going to Jakarta for a friend's wedding and will be diving in Bali starting Oct 20.. will they still have Mola's then?

---------- Post added September 10th, 2015 at 12:33 PM ----------

You'll get your fill of critters in Dauin (as well as Malapascua) and will see lots of Turtles both there and Apo Island. Plenty of good operators there to suit any budget. I would probably prioritise Malapascua and Dauin and on the way from one to the other you can stop in Moalboal for a couple of days and in Alona Beach to dive Balicassag on the way back to Cebu. So suggested itinerary might be 5/6 days Malapascua, 2 days Moalboal, 5 days Dauin, 2 days Bohol and some travel days to fill 2.5 weeks. It will always be almost a day's travel form one place to the next so there is an argument to choose two and spend more time in them.Either way you'll enjoy.

Thanks for the advice, that sounds like a good timeline. I do (probably) want to head to Bohol for the Choco Hills.. is there any diving over there that's unique and worth the time if I do? The little bucket list I made was hardly complete.. just a few things off the top of my head that I thought are around. Any neat marine life that I can see while I'm specifically in Asia and won't see elsewhere is also what I'm after

I did get to see a full sized Guitar shark in the Perhentians and wasn't even aware of their existence before it was right in front of me

 

[Centrals]

Mucksavage has suggested a very feasible itinerary.
Malapascua, Moalboal(with Oslob if desired), Dauin and finally Alona Beach(Bohol). My only warning on diving in Alona Beach is the quality of the gas!!!! Make sure the shop is filling their own tanks rather than sourcing from outside. There are handful fews are doing that(own gas). If in doubt, demand to be the compressor room. Just remember compressed air is odourless.

Thresher shark is pretty unique and shouldn't be missed to any divers.

 

[Mucksavage]

For Bohol the main diving spot is Balicassag which is an island reached from Panglao as a day trip. Centrals has given good advice on choosing a dive shop. If you did one day top side for Choco Hills and one day trip to Balicassag you might find that is enough and time well spent. Personally I'd recommend you think about some of the smaller stuff on offer as we are in the centre of the coral triangle and have some great marine biodiversity. Between Dauin and Malapascua you should see some amazing cephalopods like Blue Ring Octopus, Coconut Octopus, Bobtail Squid, various cuttlefish including Flamboyant and maybe even a Mimic Octopus if you are lucky in Dauin. You should see some very large Frogfish here in Malapascua and again see some in Dauin that are just a little larger then the grain of sand they are sitting on. And more crustacean species then you can imagine. Throw in sharks, snakes, rays, turtles and you should be set!

 

[diver 85]

We stayed @ Turtle Bay Resort almost 2 years ago-----great diving & they have a VERY good mandarinfish(shore) house dive......UW pics & videos are @ this below link

https://www.flickr.com/photos/80825593@N08/albums/72157631848202460

Also did the Oslob whaleshark dive from there(resort put the trip together)......great dive & well worth the travel time(hour and a half) & expense..UW pics & videos from that dive here.....
https://www.flickr.com/photos/80825593@N08/albums/72157631839358126

 

[thejamez]

For Bohol the main diving spot is Balicassag which is an island reached from Panglao as a day trip. Centrals has given good advice on choosing a dive shop. If you did one day top side for Choco Hills and one day trip to Balicassag you might find that is enough and time well spent. Personally I'd recommend you think about some of the smaller stuff on offer as we are in the centre of the coral triangle and have some great marine biodiversity. Between Dauin and Malapascua you should see some amazing cephalopods like Blue Ring Octopus, Coconut Octopus, Bobtail Squid, various cuttlefish including Flamboyant and maybe even a Mimic Octopus if you are lucky in Dauin. You should see some very large Frogfish here in Malapascua and again see some in Dauin that are just a little larger then the grain of sand they are sitting on. And more crustacean species then you can imagine. Throw in sharks, snakes, rays, turtles and you should be set!

Well when you say it like that I may never get over to Bohol lol. I saw a couple of flamboyants when I was diving Borneo (Siamil) and what a treat that was! Never seen any octo's out in the open. I'm really wishing I'd brought a macro lens for the G16. Know of any shops that might have one to fit the Fantasea housing?

---------- Post added September 11th, 2015 at 03:06 AM ----------

We stayed @ Turtle Bay Resort almost 2 years ago-----great diving & they have a VERY good mandarinfish(shore) house dive......UW pics & videos are @ this below link https://www.flickr.com/photos/80825593@N08/albums/72157631848202460 Also did the Oslob whaleshark dive from there(resort put the trip together)......great dive & well worth the travel time(hour and a half) & expense..UW pics & videos from that dive here..... https://www.flickr.com/photos/80825593@N08/albums/72157631839358126

Awesome photos! I've been on the fence about the whale sharks and Oslob (having seen them in Mexico & Belize)... what did the dive cost?