JonnieB
Contributor
So I'm currently on a dive trip to Malapascue Island and will make a few posts on the experience. The journey started in Bangkok on a good note when my flight on Philippine Airlines to Manila was upgraded from Premium Economy to Business Class because of an aircraft change (the substituted plane didn't have a PE cabin). However, whom the gods raise up they can also bring down, as I found out when my Cebu Pacific flight to Manila, later that nite was delayed about an hour. I finally pulled up to the Bella Vista Hotel in Mactan, Cebu, at 1 a.m. (I had left my place in Bangkok at 11 in the morning the day before.) The Bella Vista, a five minute taxi ride from the airport, was a perfectly adequate hotel for my one nite layover, at about P 1400 (US $ 30). The included breakfast buffet the next morning, while small, was perfectly adequate, and I had my fill of bacon, tasty pancakes, eggs, and toast. I would definitely recommend this hotel for anyone needing a convenient place for a layover while flying into or out of Mactan International Airport.
This being my first trip to Malapascue, I did allot of pre-trip online research and planning and in the end selected Slam's Resort for my stay. I booked my transfer to the island directly with Slam's for P 3000 (about $ 60)(private car to Maya Port). (If you want, you can book a combined car and private ferry transfer for more money but as Inwas arriving during the day, I didn't see the need for a private ferry.) My driver was at the hotel promptly at 8:30 for my scheduled 9:00 a.m. departure. The ride to Maya was a pleasant 3 hour drive up the coastline and through the rolling hillls of Cebu, with a short stop for coffee and to use the...well you know, at the McDonald's in Bogo. There are 2 ferry ports in Maya where you can catch a ferry for the 30 minute ride to Malapascue...the "New Port" and the old one, which strangly enough, is only couple kilometers from the new one. In any case, at the new port there ia a "public" ferry, which costs P 100 per person, and leaves when 15 tickets are sold. As you might duduce, this can present a problem if you come at an odd time or on a day with only a trickle of divers. As you may already have surmised, there is also a private ferry available for P 1500 a trip. So when I rocked up to the ticket office, there were already 2 tickets sold and I would make 3, but that would still leave us 12 short of a full (boat) deck. I went ahead and bought my ticket, sat down next to my traveling compatriots and hoped the wait wouldn't be too long. Shortly thereafter, another solo dive traveler from China arrived. I assume because of the booming Chinese economy, he was willing to pay for a private ferry...and I could share the ride for my share or P 750. I tried to entice the other two to go in as well, therefore bringing the group to 4 and the cost to about P 350 each (an additional 250 pesos as they also credit the original 100 ticket already paid). However, they were having none of it, with one explaining she had plenty of time, despite my best efforts to convince her there might not be more divers along for some time. However, just as I was making my case, a large pick-up pulled-up and disgorged another 4 people who made their way up the pier to the ticket booth. This family group was headed by a friendly Australian chap and I took it upon myself to explain our predicament to him...that even with his family, we were still 7 people short for the "public" ferry to fire-up it's engines and take us to our destination. However, as we were now 8 among us, the price for our own feery was now P 200 a head. At this price, even the previously reluctant two were in so off we all went to start our island adventure. The ride to Malapascua's Bounty Beach is about 30 minutes. This seems to be the main drop-off point on the island and it was only a 5 minute walk from the beach to Slam's Resort , where coincidentally, the Aussie and his family were also staying. I should add that getting on and off the ferry requires a bit of balance and dexterity as you basically have to walk up/down a narrow wooden plank. Getting onto the large banca ferry from the pier is the more tricky because there can be small waves, wheres getting off at the beach you're just walking down the plank into the beach shallows. At both ends, the boat crew will handle your luggage so you just have to get yourself into and off of the boat. I will add those those with mobility challenges may find getting onto the ferry from the pier difficult, but I'm sure the crew could get anyone aboard in a pinch. For the record, all eight of us made it onto the boat without getting wet.
So as I said, the Aussie and his family were also booked into Slam's Resort so we made our way to the resort together and got our first look and impressions of the island. As I write this, it's the end of my second day on the island and I've just had a wonderful dinner at Angalina Italian Restaurant on Logon Beach, the next cove over from Bou ty Beach and 5 minutes from my resort. I also completed a refresher course this morning with Ocean Passion Divers (Slam's resident dive shop), as it's been a number of years since II was last in the water. My next post will cover my impressions of Slam's Resort, my refeesher course , my imprrssions of some of the dive operators I have visited, and my general impressions of the island. Stay tuned...
This being my first trip to Malapascue, I did allot of pre-trip online research and planning and in the end selected Slam's Resort for my stay. I booked my transfer to the island directly with Slam's for P 3000 (about $ 60)(private car to Maya Port). (If you want, you can book a combined car and private ferry transfer for more money but as Inwas arriving during the day, I didn't see the need for a private ferry.) My driver was at the hotel promptly at 8:30 for my scheduled 9:00 a.m. departure. The ride to Maya was a pleasant 3 hour drive up the coastline and through the rolling hillls of Cebu, with a short stop for coffee and to use the...well you know, at the McDonald's in Bogo. There are 2 ferry ports in Maya where you can catch a ferry for the 30 minute ride to Malapascue...the "New Port" and the old one, which strangly enough, is only couple kilometers from the new one. In any case, at the new port there ia a "public" ferry, which costs P 100 per person, and leaves when 15 tickets are sold. As you might duduce, this can present a problem if you come at an odd time or on a day with only a trickle of divers. As you may already have surmised, there is also a private ferry available for P 1500 a trip. So when I rocked up to the ticket office, there were already 2 tickets sold and I would make 3, but that would still leave us 12 short of a full (boat) deck. I went ahead and bought my ticket, sat down next to my traveling compatriots and hoped the wait wouldn't be too long. Shortly thereafter, another solo dive traveler from China arrived. I assume because of the booming Chinese economy, he was willing to pay for a private ferry...and I could share the ride for my share or P 750. I tried to entice the other two to go in as well, therefore bringing the group to 4 and the cost to about P 350 each (an additional 250 pesos as they also credit the original 100 ticket already paid). However, they were having none of it, with one explaining she had plenty of time, despite my best efforts to convince her there might not be more divers along for some time. However, just as I was making my case, a large pick-up pulled-up and disgorged another 4 people who made their way up the pier to the ticket booth. This family group was headed by a friendly Australian chap and I took it upon myself to explain our predicament to him...that even with his family, we were still 7 people short for the "public" ferry to fire-up it's engines and take us to our destination. However, as we were now 8 among us, the price for our own feery was now P 200 a head. At this price, even the previously reluctant two were in so off we all went to start our island adventure. The ride to Malapascua's Bounty Beach is about 30 minutes. This seems to be the main drop-off point on the island and it was only a 5 minute walk from the beach to Slam's Resort , where coincidentally, the Aussie and his family were also staying. I should add that getting on and off the ferry requires a bit of balance and dexterity as you basically have to walk up/down a narrow wooden plank. Getting onto the large banca ferry from the pier is the more tricky because there can be small waves, wheres getting off at the beach you're just walking down the plank into the beach shallows. At both ends, the boat crew will handle your luggage so you just have to get yourself into and off of the boat. I will add those those with mobility challenges may find getting onto the ferry from the pier difficult, but I'm sure the crew could get anyone aboard in a pinch. For the record, all eight of us made it onto the boat without getting wet.
So as I said, the Aussie and his family were also booked into Slam's Resort so we made our way to the resort together and got our first look and impressions of the island. As I write this, it's the end of my second day on the island and I've just had a wonderful dinner at Angalina Italian Restaurant on Logon Beach, the next cove over from Bou ty Beach and 5 minutes from my resort. I also completed a refresher course this morning with Ocean Passion Divers (Slam's resident dive shop), as it's been a number of years since II was last in the water. My next post will cover my impressions of Slam's Resort, my refeesher course , my imprrssions of some of the dive operators I have visited, and my general impressions of the island. Stay tuned...
