The truth is that we had only heard about this sleepy little town 2 days before arriving while investigating what places are good for whale shark watching in the Philippines, and were looking forward to seeing these creatures as well as the turtles that are supposed to abound in the area.
To get there from any hotel in Cebu city go for (like we opted) the quicker van ride (100 pesos p/p and takes about 2 hours) and enjoyed the great scenery the drive had to offer. Mind you the vans are very crowded, but you should be used to this by now! They are faster than the buses and aren’t too bad anyhow.
Right before getting on the van an American expat recommended Anthony’s Beach Resort for accommodation, and it is where we went. Simple, well priced and in a great location we dumped our stuff as soon as we got there and went for a walk. Moalboal has many beach resorts to choose from though!
Initial impression is that unless you are a diver there is not much to do there (and if I was one I would go to the Perhentians or Sipadan in Malaysia) and thought we’d leave in a day or two. But the following day we enjoyed the snorkeling right in front of our place, although truth be said it is not spectacular. If you travel around Cebu you will find some great empty beaches, and there are plenty of superb waterfalls to explore.
Mike showed up and lent us a camera, which pleased us greatly because we could finally take some underwater pictures. That night we had a great dinner cooked at his place and the following days were spent snorkeling, enjoying the lovely nearby White Beach (needed a motorbike to get there)and simply chilling out.
We ended up staying 4 days and only left because we ran out of money and the closest ATM was an hour away. This town was described to us as a smaller version of Puerto Princesa in Palawan, and while I’m not very sure about this comparison it is a great place where to chill out, enjoy nice beaches and relax in Cebu. All in all 4 very pleasant days despite never seeing a turtle or whale shark.
Our nest destination was Alona Beach in Bohol Island, one of the top beaches in the Philippines , recommended by the staff at Anthony’s, as a stop-over on our way to Cloud 9 in Siargao, Northern Mindanao. It ended up being a great recommendation!
I’m just dying to visit the Philippines. Given the amount of time I’ve spent in Asia (both working and as a backpacker) it’s inexcusable that I haven’t gone yet. One of my Aunts is actually from Cebu. She’s been telling me for years to go there 🙂
Time to see your aunt then….
Sounds like an amazing place to visit and the pictures are great!!!
Thanks, glad you like them! I still remember the afternoon, it was so serene…
Did you get to see any sunken ships in the Philippines?
Nope…not really. The only one I have snorkelled in was in Bali.
This brings back great memories, I lived in Cebu in 1999 and loved this place.
Really? What were you doing there??
Look at that water!! And those little cabins right on it. I would love to unwind in a peaceful spot like that!
I know, we were so glad we found it 🙂
You know, Coca Cola is one of the drinks I am so happy to see everywhere (in regards to your pic). I love the beach life. Looks great!
And it is soooo cheap here! The bottle you see me drining only costs 1usd 🙂
I would love to take that boat out on the water.
As serene as it can get isn´t it?
This place looks aaaaamazing. Scott and I really wanted to get over to the Philippines to do some diving when we went on our honeymoon to Borneo, but for being so close geographically, it was a pain in the ass to try to fly between the islands so we decided to save it for another trip.
The Philipinnes are one of the few unspoiled adventure destinations in the world, IMO. Make sure you go at some point!
Hello there buddy!
If in case you’d like to visit Moalboal again and you’re looking for a place to stay, you can check out SeaBreeze Cottages
Hi there!
Thanks for stopping by! I remember your place…it was quite nice but a bit more expensive than our budget would allow
muy chulo!!