Moalboal

[BettyfromToronto]

You said Hannah's is 5 minutes from Neptune's. Did you mean Nelson's??

You are so funny. $110 Cdn is too much and you'd drive us. Hubby asks "are you reliable?"

As for the sport equipment package. I saw this. I am looking at the red eye from HK to Cebu on Cebu Pacific airlines. They don't have any free baggage allowance. All tickets are called lite with carry-on only. Then you pay for the luggage you need. Still a good deal. We don't want to fly via Manila.

I am glad to hear the area is small. But there are still so many places to stay. Go really cheap like Eve's or spend a little more ($100) and stay at a nice place on the beach. It's only for 3 days and the first of many trips once we retire in HK in 2014.

Thanks again for all your help. Do you really live in Cebu or is it just your signature here?

Betty

 

[DonCebu]

You said Hannah's is 5 minutes from Neptune's. Did you mean Nelson's??

You are so funny. $110 Cdn is too much and you'd drive us. Hubby asks "are you reliable?"

As for the sport equipment package. I saw this. I am looking at the red eye from HK to Cebu on Cebu Pacific airlines. They don't have any free baggage allowance. All tickets are called lite with carry-on only. Then you pay for the luggage you need. Still a good deal. We don't want to fly via Manila.

I am glad to hear the area is small. But there are still so many places to stay. Go really cheap like Eve's or spend a little more ($100) and stay at a nice place on the beach. It's only for 3 days and the first of many trips once we retire in HK in 2014.

Thanks again for all your help. Do you really live in Cebu or is it just your signature here?

Betty

Moalboal is so small. Walking from Hannah's to Nelsons is a 30 second walk with a fast pace.

It costs me about $50 Cnd to fill the gas tank in my SUV, so it is not like I would be making any profit. $110 Cnd would just help pay for my room while I am there. Which is fine by me. Yes I am reliable, but money is not a good motivator for me. Meeting and diving with cool people is more of a motivation. We still have 7 months to plan.

I just looked at the flight on Cebu Pacific website, a Round Trip from HK to Cebu on Jan 9 - 13th 2012 is around $200 CND. Add $40 for the Sports package and it is aprox $240 for a round trip flight. Yeah you can check the Cebu Pacific Promos and get flights for around $50 r/t but you will have to pay extra for luggage. So expect to just pay $240 R/T.

I wouldn't worry ever about finding a place to stay in Moalboal. Even on Holiday weekends there are still a lot of rooms at every price. If you want to stay at a nice house on the beach with a pool it is possible for cheap.

Yes I really live in Cebu. I am a local Pinoy. I have a condo in the city and a house on the beach. With in swimming distance of my beach is a protected sanctuary and one of the best not so well known wrecks in the Philippines. Moalboal is about a 2-3 hour drive from my house depending on traffic.

 

[BettyfromToronto]

Apologies to TravelPro for high-jacking your thread.

DonCebu you always make me laugh. Were you serious about the ride? I'd rather give it to you to help out a fellow diver. Only problem I can see is that we are going Mon-Fri and will avoid the weekend crowds. Isn't that when you would normally dive? If not; we'd love the company. Met a great guy on this forum for our February trip to Roatan, Honduras and we're still in touch now and probably will always be friends.

I must be looking at the wrong spot on Cebu Pacific's website. It says all tickets are lite meaning carry-on only.

LITE FARES (Carry-on bags only; No checked bags)
HKD 658.00 each way
Converted to $165 Cdn return + I assume some type of tax

Well that is pretty cheap. + $40 for one sport bag two ways + 2 checked bags for other stuff like regs, etc that don't fit in one dive bag. Can't put those in carry-on as I absolutely have to have our prescription masks in there + dive computer, camera, etc.

You're right though that that this airfare is still pretty cheap.

I've been running the numbers and wonder if going cheap at Eve's is the way to go...or pay about $100 more and get a nicer (??) place on the beach like Love's or Hannah's.

So many choices. Hard for a first timer to know what to do. That is why I value all your advice. If you were to come with us; where would you stay? And would you dive with Nelson? I love giving my business to locals; not that the expat's running resorts & dive ops aren't locals now and have been for years.

Betty

 

[DonCebu]

DonCebu you always make me laugh. Were you serious about the ride? I'd rather give it to you to help out a fellow diver. Only problem I can see is that we are going Mon-Fri and will avoid the weekend crowds. Isn't that when you would normally dive? If not; we'd love the company.

I've been running the numbers and wonder if going cheap at Eve's is the way to go...or pay about $100 more and get a nicer (??) place on the beach like Love's or Hannah's.

So many choices. Hard for a first timer to know what to do. That is why I value all your advice. If you were to come with us; where would you stay? And would you dive with Nelson? I love giving my business to locals; not that the expat's running resorts & dive ops aren't locals now and have been for years.

Betty

If you don't mind waiting closer to the dates, I can give you confirmation. I don't want commit to anything 7 months in advance. I don't have specific days I dive. But for some reason it seems like I go on weekends because of everyone else's schedule. I can dive any day. I am free with my lance. We call it "stand by".

I am curious why you think Hanna's is a nice place to stay ? Did you see on their website their is still a choice to browse using netscape !

If I went that weekend, and I was alone I would stay at Pacifico Lodge. If I planned to meet up with others and it was a group I would stay at Loves. But I don't think that means anything because I just chose those places based on habit. Maybe it is time I try a new place just so I can compare.

Yes I would dive with Nelsons, again that is just based on habit. Also no other dive shops I know of will rent tanks with out a guide for shore dives.

If you are en experienced diver and you have all your own gear then all the dive spots are the same. All the Local dive guides speak English so unless you require dive guide to speak your native language I think all the local dive guides will guide you the same.

When I travel I also try to patronize the local business owners. So that is nice of you that you are also do the same.

Most of the smack talk I hear when foreigners are talking about local dives shops is that the local dives shop's rental gear is not is as good as the foreigner owned rental gear. Or the local dive shop's boat is not as good or in bad condition. I have my own gear so I don't know about the condition of rental gear. Of course every diver should check the gear and make sure it is in perfect working condition before you rent. As for the boats, could be true that some locals boats don't have a fresh paint job, but that does'nt matter to me as long as it looks sea worthy and they have emergency flotation devices. LOL

My gripe about foreign owned dive shops is they quote the rates in a foreign currency. They will do the currency exchange at "their" rate not the official bank rate.
I wonder if you pay with credit card do they pay the local BIR taxes ? hmmm

 

[BettyfromToronto]

Thanks again for such a detailed response. Yes 7 months is too far out to book anything where I have to pay now. As I said yesterday HK>Cebu for $540 Cdn for the two of us with 3 bags (1 dive bag and 2 hard-cover suitcases) is a great deal. Went a little further along in the booking process and found out you can even book your seats for about $5/seat/flight. When I did this there were only 2 seats booked right now on the whole plane. ??? If that is right then I don't see why we'd be in a hurry to book anything. Unless of course the price goes up but why would it when the plane is empty.

I checked out both Hannah's & Love's on your earlier post. I even like the look of Marcosas cottages but they are further from Nelson's. Yes further is a relative term. I will now check out Pacifico Lodge that you mention. We will be bringing our own equipment. Not because we worry about the quality but because our BCDs have integrated weight pockets and we hate weight belts.

We like going to a country and meeting the locals. This is their business and livelihood. Same for the expats I guess but not really the same. I guess Nelson's will probably be the dive shop we pick but still need to figure out where to stay. I asked Joe (hubby) if he wanted to go cheap or not. He said middle of the road. I asked for prices at Kasai and it was really expensive in my opinion. Love's is way at the bottom of the south end. Nice & quiet I guess but a further walk (ya ya ya) to Nelson's and restaurants for dinner.

Thanks again
Betty

 

[DonCebu]

Unless of course the price goes up but why would it when the plane is empty.

I asked Joe (hubby) if he wanted to go cheap or not. He said middle of the road. I asked for prices at Kasai and it was really expensive in my opinion. Love's is way at the bottom of the south end.

Thanks again
Betty

Flights are always the same but if coming around Chineese New Year or any other major holiday, then the flights my book solid.

Pacifico may be too basic/simple for you.
Yes Kasai is more expensive and far from the restos.
Yes Love's is a walk.
So I think Eve's will be fine for you. I may give Eve's a try just to break my habit of staying other places.
Sunsets can always be enjoyed at one the many restos on the water.

 

[CebuDivecentre]

Yes, snorkelling can be done on all of the dive sites