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After 4 long months, it's only now that I found the time to continue blogging about this fantastic trip we did in Malapascua last Nov. 28-30, 2009. It was just two weeks after our Cagbalete Island Getaway and we were off to another destination onceed again. I was browsing at the photos which I didn't even get to review after the trip and man, not only did I miss this wonderful island, but I missed my long, wavy, sunburnt hair! Haha!
So, to continue...
Having spent quite a lot for lunch and dinner the previous day, Peter and I wondered if there were any food places on the island that sell more affordable dishes, somewhere in the price range of P100-P150 per meal, and not P300 and up! I did expect Malapascua to be an expensive island to vacay in, but deep down, I know that even in the most expensive of spots, there could be nooks and crannies where we can find decent and more budget-friendly food to eat. After all, when we travel, food is just really for sustenance and nutrition. What matters most is that we get to explore and enjoy the natural wonders of the beaches, get my much needed golden tan, and take as many photos as possible. ^_^
Oh, and did I tell you I was eating fruits and drinking Vita Plus that whole time? Yes, fruits and vegetable drink can do wonders to my waistline on such a short notice (as long as I take them at least 30 mins. before any meal), especially since when we're not travelling, we gorge on ice cream, pasta, chips and cookies at home, all the time. Teehee. ^_^
Anyway, the following morning, we woke up late. I guess we enjoyed ourselves so much the previous night , we couldn't pass up sleeping in a little bit more. Once we woke up, we opted to walk the stretch of the beach to look for a nice but affordable place to dine in. As we were walking, enjoying the wonderful view of the turquoise blue sea and the coconut trees swaying to the cool, November breeze, we noticed that there were only a few people around. Then it dawned on me that Malapscua is an island frequently visited by divers. Hence, foreign and local guests were probably already in numerous dive sites in the area, leaving the majesty of the island to lucky non-divers like us all to ourselves. Weee! If only for that, I was already loving Malapascua by the minute! It's like Boracay without the crowd and pesky vendors, and Bohol with its tranquility and beauty.
Finally, about half a kilometer from where we were staying (Hippocampus Beach Resort), we saw ISLAND GRILL Bar & Restaurant. It was 10:00 in the morning and the place still looked close. We checked it out, the place looks okay, rang the bell, and voila, they're ready to serve us breakfast! The price wasn't bad either. Corned beef with egg and rice plus coffee cost around Php120 and same for the pancit bihon. Coolness! Everything tasted great too. You know me, even with American blood flowing in my bloodstream, Pinoy food is still my favorite.^_^
Having satisfied our craving for breakfast, we immediately headed to the beach. We sunbathed, we frolicked, we simply enjoyed ourselves for several hours. We even skipped lunch. Thanks to Vita Plus, it kept us feeling full the full time. And I didn't want to look too bloated with my bikini on. Teehee. Then come 1:30 pm., we headed for our boat that will take us island hopping to the nearby islets and coves. Just like any other major island beaches in the country, Malapascua has its share of boatmen who would occasionally approach visitors and offer them island hopping services. We were able to negotiate our terms and price the previous day (For 4 hours of island hopping, it cost us Php800, including snorkels, fins, and life vest), so everything was already set that beautiful November afternoon.
CHOCOLATE ISLAND
A little rocky island between Malapascua and the north point of Cebu mainland. Along its gently sloping sides you can find coral heads and beautiful soft corals. There are many small reef fish and occasionally eagle rays (max depth 54ft/18m).TAPILON JAPANESE WRECK
This is a heavily torpedoed World War II Cargo vessel broken into 3 major pieces and is resting in a depth between 60ft/20m to 90ft/30m with lots of wreck debris scattered all around. It is possible to see tiles on the wreck wall, steel cable, ladders and more, also lot of moray eels, scorpion fish, flatworms and occasional huge frogfish.MARAPIPI
A real frontiers dive destination to the reefs around this beautiful volcanic island. This dive trip is offered as a little overnight safari, Very good corals and all kinds of reef fish. On the coral rubble sloping, blacktip, reef sharks are common. An occasional manta and eagle rays are present. Dolphins are also around this island.
We also saw a beautiful rainbow!
At 5:30 pm, we were back at Malapascua Island, just in time to view this beautiful sunset.
On our 2nd and final night there, we enjoyed a full satiating meal at ISLAND GRILL. Peter once again ordered a breakfast meal for dinner, while I had Sinigang na Blue Marlin; for dessert, we got a different kind of pancake; for drinks, we had rhum coke, and a glass of Sangria. And yes, I also had grapefruit.^_^
We spent the rest of the evening gazing at the moon and stars. It was full moon that night. The sky was blue, clear, and cloudless.
Come midnight, we again got hungry and went back to our resort, Hippocampus, and ordered their most expensive pizza (for almost (Php500 I think), and a nice cocktail drink called Swimmingpool for Php130. It has rhum, blue curacao, pineapple and coconut juice. Time to splurge! Yum!
To be continued...
For more photros on this trip, please click the link below:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=43660&id=1619903650&l=7a749a9f0b
***For a complete list, here's an awesome guide on Cebu: Where to Go and What to Do
***For a complete list, here's an awesome guide on Cebu: Where to Go and What to Do
2 comments:
Wow! This is a really nice island, lots of resorts that look superb. I never knew that Malapascua has some nice beaches. Changing my summer plans to go there. Thanks!
You're welcome! :-)
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