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Island in the Philippines
Photo: User: (WT-shared) Solange at wts wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 1.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Malapascua is an island in Cebu Province north of Cebu Island. The first image Malapascua offers will stay with you for a long time: an exceedingly beautiful pristine stretch of white sand, crystal clear waters bordered by coconut trees and a dozen scattered native-style resorts. But as with all up-and-coming islands experiencing a boom in tourism, Malapascua is rapidly becoming a second Boracay with modern concrete hotels to cater for the varied needs of the many. Despite this modernization, even the largest of resorts embrace the native build styles for a portion of their rooms. The north of the island remains untouched where the fishermen are just fishermen in native style houses.
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Evolution Dive and Beach Resort
Malapascua's only 5-star Instructor Training Facility rating from TDI. Evolution offers a full range of TDI tech classes. Day trips and local dives are run 365 days a year by a professional team. Evolution is a full service resort with 16 rooms and a well-known restaurant on site and is owned and operated by a seasoned Irish and English duo. In 2015 Evolution became a Green Fins top member having the 6th least environmental impact of dive centres audited in Asia and is the only dive centre resort on Malapascua to make the list.
French Kiss Divers is a small diveshop who offers SSI courses from open water to Instructor and a panel of specialties such as Nitrox, Deep, Night, and Wreck, a very good knowledge of the dive sites. The dive group doesn't exceed 4 people. They often organize day trips in surrounding islands like Kalanggaman or Carnaza.
Offers all in one - accommodation, restaurant, bar, diveshop, travel service. This eco-friendly resort has its own recycling plant and 24-hour generator. This PADI 5-star Instructor Development Resort is the only National Geographic Center in Malapascua. Courses range from beginner through to Instructor (100% pass rate) and technical diving courses. They cover more than 22 dive sites around Malapascua, have daily dives to see the thresher sharks, as well as Nitrox, Wreck and Night dives.
Located at the center of Bounty Beach beside Ocean Vida Resort with a bar on the island. In the Visayas since 1989, offering all PADI recreational courses from beginner up to Instructor courses.
TSD
PADI 5-Star Career Development Centre was established in 2004, offering guided dives and PADI courses from beginner to professional level with very experienced PADI Pros. Regular trips include morning thresher shark dives at Kimud Shoal, local reef and macro dives, Gato Island, night dives and wreck dives. Open Water divers may be able to join some shark dives with instructor supervision; deeper or overhead-environment sites require suitable experience and certification.
MSEA
PADI Diving courses from beginner to professional. Especially for SPANISH Divers .Diving in small groups with experienced divemasters in a fun environment. More 10 years experience on Malapascua and Divemasters. Eco-friendly resort, Dives to see the thresher sharks Monad Shoal, Kimud Shoal, Kalanggagamn, Gato Island,
An eclectic mix of international dishes with a daily changing menu. Open air beachfront restaurant located above Thresher Shark Divers.
The Craic House serves up delicious daily specials based on the best local produce and quality imported ingredients personally sourced by the owners. Everything that can be homemade is homemade from bread, wraps, falafel, cakes, pies, relishes, pates.
They have great burgers. Also try their pizzas and fettuccine chicken alfredo.
Original Italian food.
The Pub Upstairs
An open air bar located above Thresher Shark Divers, nestled amongst the palm trees with a sea view, The Pub Upstairs is a lively watering hole for an apres-dive beer or cocktail. An excellent selection of local and imported beers and spirits.
Mike is the manager and owner; Kiko his friend, caretaker and representative. Only a few cottages are left over cause of building all new rooms. They have a thatched roof, bamboo (amakan) wall and veranda. The cottages are simple fan rooms with sea views and are located in the garden area. Price range is ₱500-600 per night, including breakfast. Mike & Diose's Beach cottage have the widest and cleanest beach on Malapascua, pure white sand and some bahay kubos for their guest are located on the beach.
Fan and AC double rooms, outside bathrooms. Said to be the cheapest on the island.
Environmentally conscious and socially-active, guest-house featuring in-house organic vegetarian restaurant, small gym, yoga classes, hammocks and a community-oriented souvenir shop. Can arrange tours, snorkel gear, tent, tattoos, paintings, etc.
Mike & Dioses
Beach resort. Cottages are about 60 meters from their own beach, having extra small bamboo huts for their guest on the wide and nice beach. All cottages have big terrace, air-con, warm and cold water shower, flatscreen LCD satellite TV, individual safety digital box, refrigerator and free Wi-Fi. There are also cottages which have a kitchen on the terrace for private guest use. They offer boat tours around the island, fishing tours, snorkeling tours and jet ski.
Superior and deluxe rooms, all equipped with air-conditioning, safe and Wi-Fi. Facilities and services are scuba diving, Slam's Garden Bar & Pub and massage service.
By bus
There are 3 bus companies that ride to/from Maya from the North Bus Terminal in Cebu: Ceres, Cebu AutoBus and Rough Riders. The journey takes 3½ to 4 hours, video and air-con ₱230, non air-con ₱160.
By boat
From Maya a local ferry (bangka) goes across am and pm with a break at lunch time, 'till 4:30PM. It takes about 1/2 hour and costs ₱100. First boat from Maya is at 6:30AM.
There is no transport on the island — not that you will need any, as you can walk everywhere.
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Calbayog City · Regional · CYP
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