I want to relay our experience in getting from Cebu to Malapascua. Our hotel offered to prebook the two of us for 9,200 round trip. We were quoted $8,000p RT for the taxi ride to Maya and settled on 6,000p, roundtrip ymmv. I met a couple claiming they paid 2000p for the taxi, who knows what they paid for the return trip. A private boat is 2000 we ended up getting a deal and splitting it with a couple so it was only 750p each couple but I had to pay 1000p for a private and very small boat coming back. We saved 1,450 ($35). If I had it to do over again, I would have paid the 9,200. Here is why, first we were lucky that another couple was waiting. The boat guys wanted us to commit to the trip, they knew the bus was coming and they figured they would sell another boat. Right after we agreed they got us on board and asked for immediate payment. Right after we paid the bus arrived, that's why they cut the boat price from 2000 to 1500. Later I found out there was only one couple on the bus and they ended up getting stuck for 2,000p. OK so we got a good deal for the boat ride? Yea I heard you can get on a public boat but I didn't see any, at least not for the tourists. They ended up putting on 6 locals and one was the chief of police on our private boat. I guess the boat guys wanted to impress the chief so they dropped us off a couple of hundred yards down from our hotel, probably close to his house? Then it started pouring, I mean pouring. They had a small dingy take us to the shore, another 40p and then 2 porters to carry our stuff. By the time we got to our hotel everything was soaked. I mean everything in our suitcases, sh-t we had to wash all of our clothes. Moral of the story is if you don't have a connection its likely you will be taken advantaged of at Maya, and my girl friend is a native Filipina. Other than that we loved Malapascua.
I just got back from a trip to Dauin (6 dives) / Apo (9 dives)
