Off to Malapascua Island
November 27, 2009Everything was so last minute.
My sister and I planned for this when I went to Cebu last October. We only stayed in the city then and due to the bed weather we had at that time plus tons of work I had to take care of online, we didn’t have the time to visit any beaches, hence this plan. However, my sister just got a brand new project and she just couldn’t leave it. She totally forgot we were going to Malapascua so all the while I thought things have been taken care of, well… they were not. And I just found out late this afternoon. We had no accommodations, no itinerary whatsoever. I panicked for about a minute. Then I composed myself and saw it as an opportunity for adventure. I immediately surfed online about the available resorts in Malapascua. And this happened while I was in the middle of rummaging through my closet, looking for perfect little outfits that will go well with this trip.
There were a lot of hotels available and of course all of them have good reviews online. So just like in the movie Sex and the City when Miranda was debating whether to go back with Steve or not, in the end I used my gut feel in choosing which resort to book at. Good thing it’s not super peak season yet so there were many rooms available. And because Peter and I are more into adventure rather than comfort (plus we want to save money as much as we can), we booked at Hippocampus Beach Resort. Their fan room is at P1,450 per night with toilet and bath. I have yet to find out if it indeed feels as wonderful in person as the photos look online. I’ll find out tomorrow. In the event that I won’t feel very good about it, we can always ask around and transfer to another resort.
So anyway, I’m just killing the time. I’m done with work, it’s almost midnight, Peter is not yet home and he still has yet to pack. Our flight to Cebu is at 4:45 am and I should panic. But I choose to remain calm and enjoy the whole process of this vacation. It’ll be our very first time in Malapascua. And I bet it’s gonna be awesome! Here’s how we’re getting there:
Getting to Malapascua 1 The trip from Cebu City to Daanbantayan/ Maya (the jump-off point), would normally take between 4 to 4.5 hours by bus. A 4-hour trip, it is long enough for a supposedly leisurely travel so you should take the airconditioned bus, Ceres Tours, to relax a bit while in transit. CERES LINER is the one without Aircon. Maya is some 145 kilometers away from the city via narrow and winding road passing through scenic landscapes along the way. During the bus ride one will pass Mandaue City and Consolacion The bus ride is far from smooth over a winding and narrow road all the way to Bogo, a progressive city. The bus will reach Bogo about 2,5 - 3 hours later and then after a 15 minute stop for unloading passengers will go to the last leg of the journey. The towns of Medellin and Daan Bantayan are located in a peninsula Daanbantayan, connected to Bogo only by a narrow isthmus. The bus had to slow down as we entered the peninsular towns as the road was surprisingly unpaved About 4-4,5 hours after leaving one will reach Maya wharf pantalan and then continue the journey to the island, this time by boat. Malapascua Island is a 30-minute boatride across a shallow 8-kilometer channel from Maya.
Getting to Malapascua Island 2 First you have to get to Cebu. Then hail a cab to take you to the Northern Bus Terminal. Look for the bus marked “Maya Bagay”. This could be an Cebu-Autobus or CERES Liner. There is a bus leaving for Maya starting at 4AM, every hour until 4 PM. But we advise leaving early in the morning to avoid traffic and to enjoy a cooler weather. Maya is your destination. Bus fare is P 136.00 per person. It is the last stop, the northernmost town of mainland Cebu. The trip takes between three to four hours. There are usually two stops during which you can use the public bathroom or stretch your legs. As the trip goes farther up north, you will realize that the bus seems to be the main transport on the main road. It will stop countless times along the way to pick up and drop off passengers from one town to the next. And yes, you just might get the chance to share a ride with a boxful of chickens. You will literally get off by the seaside. Here you will most likely be approached by boatmen offering to take you to the island or asking if you already had arrangements. We recommend having arrangements with your resort so they will send someone to meet you as soon as you get off the bus. Otherwise, make sure that you have made clear arrangements with the boatmen regarding the fees. Unless you are in a hurry, which we assume is quite unlikely on a vacation, take the boat trip with other passengers on board rather than a special trip. A special trip will cost as much as P800-P1000, which is the normal rate. If you ride with other passengers, the fee is P 50 per person, but the boats are waiting until at least 10 passengers on Board. This could last hours!!! - Malapasciua Island
So as long as we follow these directions, then we’ll have no problem.
We might do some diving, we might not. It depends on how we feel about it tomorrow. Hopefully, we’ll have a good weather there. A tropical storm has just passed the Mindanao region and there were a couple of rain showers in some parts of Cebu. But according to my sister, it’s not raining anymore. So hurray for that! Anyway, I hope to update you more about the travels I’ve had. I’m just so busy with work the last couple of days that when I had the time to relax, I stayed offline and did other things like watch movies or sleep. Teehee. Enjoy your long weekend folks! Catch up with you when I get back. ^_^
All comments are moderated. Your comments will not appear here unless approved by the blog owner. Thank you.
