5. November 2023
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Looking for a perfect itinerary to explore the Philippines? This island paradise offers an endless array of destinations for travelers to discover but planning a
Moalboal – an ultimate guide for Cebu’s best destination
Let’s go to Moalboal on Cebu Island! Because of its location, Cebu is also called the heart of the Philippines, and therefore it is a great start for your island hopping trip. In this article, we will explain why you should go especially to Moalboal: a paradise for beach lovers and adventurous souls! So get ready to create unforgettable memories in one of the Philippines‘ most stunning destinations.
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1. Arriving in Cebu and getting to Moalboal
Cebu is the largest island in the Visayas region (one of three island groups that make up the Philippines). It is particularly rich in Spanish colonial history, as it has been under Spanish rule for a very long time. Here they founded their first settlement and it was the colonial capital of the Philippines until the 17th century.
As the most central island Cebu acts as a hub for flights, ferries, and other efficient modes of transportation to the main places in the Philippines. From Singapore, other Asian cities, or even from Germany (with some airlines), you can fly directly to Cebu City. By ferry, Cebu Island gives easy access to Bohol and Siquijor or the other way around.
Cebu City is not very attractive, so we recommend going straight to Moalboal, the reason you choose to visit this island. If you didn’t book a transfer with your hotel, you have to go from Cebu airport to the bus station in the south of the city. The best way to do this is with a transfer that you can book outside the airport. Keep an eye out for other backpackers and share a car, to save money. It will take 45-60 minutes depending on the traffic.
Once you arrive at the bus station, you can buy a ticket for the public bus to Moalboal. The bus ride takes about 3,5 hours. In Moalboal you get off the bus on the main road. Then you have to take a tricycle (philippino tuk-tuk) for another 10 minutes to the Ho(s)tels, which are closer to the beach. We paid about 9,50€ per person for the complete transfer (car, bus & tricycle).
At 7-Eleven on the main street, you can buy a local SIM card very easily. We paid just above 10€ and had 10 GB of mobile data included.
2. Where to stay and eat in Moalboal
In Moalboal we stayed at the Maayong Hostel. For a hostel, it is not really cheap, but the dorm is big, clean, and air-conditioned. The bamboo huts are amazing, especially the bathroom, and now they also have an AC. The two hosts are super nice and take care of all your questions. You can also book tours and rent a scooter directly through the hostel. On top of the food, especially the breakfast is very good.
Another option for breakfast is the Shaka, where they serve good bowls. It’s a Filipino chain and you can find it on different islands. Be sure to check them out. For dinner, you can go try Betsy’s Grill for delicious burgers.
3. Things to do
Most activities have to do with water – what else when you’re traveling to the Philippines, right? Moalboal is a perfect spot for snorkeling and diving but also for chasing waterfalls or Canyoning.
3.1 Sardine run and floating with turtles
From Maayong Hostel you can walk directly to Panagsama Beach in 5 minutes. Shortly before the waterfront, you can rent snorkeling equipment (about 2,50€ per person) if you don’t have any yourself. Then you can plunge into the cool and crystal clear water and float with turtles or watch hundreds of thousands of little sardines. Snorkeling here was one of our highlights in the Philippines right at the beginning!
For the sardine run you don’t need to be able to dive to experience it. The sardines hover around 30 meters from the shore, so you can simply swim out from the beach. The best thing is the sardine run is available to see all year round. It is a completely ethical and natural activity, meaning they are not fed by humans. The sardine run is a world-famous phenomenon and there are a million!
Before we got to Moalboal we thought ok, we gonna check them out, but weren’t curious. But as soon as we jumped into the ocean and popped our heads underwater, we were blown away by the sheer amount of marine life!
For the turtles, we realized that just before sunset they gather off the shore. Friends of ours saw ten at a time. Unfortunately, we weren’t that lucky but the other day we had our own friend and enjoyed snorkeling around with her for 15 min, just the three of us. It was awesome. We never ever saw a turtle so close for so long.
3.2 Canyoning at Kawasan Falls
You will get a full day of adventure when you decide to do a canyoning tour of the famous Kawasan Falls. It is a day of jumping, swimming, and climbing through countless waterfalls in clear blue water and stunning nature.
All in all, it costs around 26€, tour, local guide, transfer, entrance fee, safety gear, lunch, or dinner included. You are picked up directly at the hostel and driven to the tour provider in the town of Badian. There you get the equipment (including a life jacket, aqua shoes, and helmet) and it goes up the mountain with a van for around 40 minutes. At the top, you get a short briefing and also have the option to book a zipline. Our whole group decided against it, so we walked through the woods for about an hour. The view and the way into the gorge were worth it though.
Finally, at the river, you can directly jump into the insane turquoise water that cools your sweaty body. From the get-go, we were jumping from cliffs, and sliding and rolling down waterfalls. The cliffs we jumped from got up to ten meters high, but the height increased as we continued the tour so you could get used to it. There was no pressure to partake in any of the jumps but it was just hell of a fun. In between the adrenaline kicks you can just drift in the water for some time. There’s also a little stall where you can buy sausages and drinks after around 30 min. in the gorge.
Normally the tour ends at the famous big blue waterfall of Cebu with plenty of time for swimming and exploring. Unfortunately, Cebu was still badly affected due to a previous typhoon. Many houses and infrastructure, especially roads, were still destroyed. Also, the biggest jump of 15 meters at the end of the tour had to be canceled because there were still uprooted trees and landslides. And the falls, in the end, didn’t look as pretty as we expected them.
3.3 Swim with whalesharks in Oslob
In Oslob, you can witness one of the biggest highlights of the whole Philippines: Swimming with whale sharks. Whale sharks are the biggest sharks and also the biggest fish of the present. On average they are over 6m long, some even over 12m. These huge fish eat almost exclusively plankton and are therefore harmless to humans.
Unfortunately, the method of whale watching in Oslob is very controversial, as the whale sharks are fed to come to the bay and this has changed the biorhythm of the sharks, as they no longer migrate and stay in Oslob. This means you can come here every day and see a whale shark for sure. But if you’re looking for a natural experience with whale sharks, this probably isn’t it. We do not want to lose so many words about it, in the end, everyone has to make this decision for themselves, whether they want to do this activity or not.
For us, in any case, it was simply breathtaking. You get so close to these fish, it was insane!
Insider tip: if it’s not enough for you to go 1x by boat off the coast and see these beautiful creatures, you can do the whole thing again from the beginning. For only a small amount of money, you can book the „tour“ again on-site. For us, this was unfortunately not possible, because we had a transfer from the hostel and back. But if you organize your transfer yourself or even stay overnight in Oslob, then it doesn’t cost much more and you have twice the time with these beautiful creatures underwater.
4. Things we missed, but you shouldn't
Another advantage of a self-organized transfer is the possibility of going further to Tumalog Falls. These are some of the most beautiful waterfalls in the whole Philippines, unfortunately, we did not make it there but the pictures friends of ours took, made us pretty jealous. If you wanna think of even more waterfalls you should consider Aguinid Falls.
Especially recommended for divers is Malapascua Island. Since we did not have a diving license and also the journey was supposed to be quite tedious, we skipped it.
If you wanna enjoy a sunset with a nice view you can also check out Osmena Peak, which was recommended to us by our hosts in Moalboal.
5. Conclusion
Cebu, especially Moalboal, is the perfect start for your Philippines adventure. You can do so many different things here, you will definitely not get bored! Especially the water activities are unique and in this frequency probably rarely found in such a small area. We definitely recommend staying at least 4 nights, better than 5 or 6.
If Cebu is only one stop on your Philippines itinerary, check out our brand-new article with other hidden gems and many useful tips!
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