When my closest, fellow-mom friend suggested we ditch the kids and husbands for a much needed vacation, I was immediately on board. That is, until she suggested we go to the Philippines. Much of what I’d heard about the country wasn’t good: a corrupt government, high crime rates…you get the idea. Still, I eventually acquiesced to the travel plan, and once we got to our destination of Moalboal, I was glad I had relented.
Tucked away from the rest of Cebu, Moalboal is a quaint yet bustling coastal town. Its streets are filled with pedestrians visiting from all over the globe to enjoy urban restaurants and cafes, cheap massage parlors and beachside inns. But what really sets this place apart is not what’s on its land but rather in its waters; Moalboal’s share of the Pacific Ocean is bursting with vibrant reefs and sea turtles.
Getting There
Getting to Moalboal requires a good bit of travel. The good news is that once you’re in the Philippines, travel costs are cheap. We flew into Manila and stayed the night at Belmont Hotel Manila. The nicest feature of Belmont Hotel is its short walk from your arrival gate thanks to the airport’s indoor pedestrian bridge.
The next morning, we woke for our flight to Cebu. An important note: the airport in Manila, Ninoy Aquino International Airport, consists of two separate buildings that are a 15-minute drive apart, and it’s often not clear which airport building your flight leaves from, so be sure to read the fine line. Also, keep in mind there is a bus offering rides to and from each airport building, but it only comes every hour or so, so you might be better off taking a cab. We requested a cab through the app Grab—the Philippines’s version of Uber.
It was a quick flight to Mectan-Cebu International Airport. Our hotel in Moalboal coordinated a driver to meet us at our arrival gate and drive us three hours to our final destination, Quo Vadis Dive Resort.
The drive itself is long but certainly not boring. It was rather eye-opening as we passed shanties lining the streets, people congregating with fellow neighbors, and stray dogs coexisting with the locals. Markets and restaurants are set apart from the shack-like homes solely by wooden or metal signs. Occasionally mixed in between the lean-tos are heavily fortified, modern homes, massive malls and other grand facilities that feel vastly out of place. Areas not yet taken over by humanity boast lush jungle. Dirt bikes, motorcycles and mopeds seem to be the vehicle of choice for most, and it’s not uncommon to see motorcyclists with children, even toddlers, on board—arms clinging around their parent’s waist.
Where To Stay
We reached Quo Vadis Dive Resort by late evening. Quo Vadis reminded me more of a glamorous summer camp than a resort, but I loved it either way. It’s in a quiet yet convenient location as it sits on the ocean shore towards the end of Moalboal’s main street.
Quo Vadis offers guests a well maintained pool, ocean-view restaurant and dive resort complete with rental equipment and welcoming dive staff. The personal cabins include a porch and hammock with comfortable beds inside. The bathroom gives off the strongest camp vibes with its stained tile shower and continuously cracked, slim upper windows. I honestly didn’t mind though. In fact, I embraced it all with pure joy and a sense of ease. The random stray dog that slept on our porch didn’t even bother me. In my mind, it was all part of the experience.
What to Do in Moalboal
Dive & Snorkel
We made scuba diving and snorkeling our first priority in Moalboal as it’s the town’s main attraction. It was easy to set up a dive excursion through Quo Vadis Dive Resort. We simply signed up the evening before our trip. Snorkelers can tag along as long as at least one diver has signed up for the tour. Scuba and snorkeling gear are also available for rent.
Upon arrival, our gear was already set up and waiting for us, so all we had to do was hop on board. The scuba guides are very hands-on and will lead you throughout the excursion, so you can simply enjoy the experience. My guide even offered to hold my GoPro for me, and he took some good quality photos and videos. The dive shop has multiple dive excursions available. We signed up for the Pescador Island and Sardine Run.
Pescador Island
Located just a 3-mile boat ride from Moalboal, Pescador Island’s isolated reef is thriving and teeming with life. It is possibly the healthiest looking reef I’ve ever seen. Swim along the island’s cliff side to witness an ocean habitat teeming with colorful fish. We came across a whole lot of clownfish and some lionfish.
The Sardine Run
The reef where the sardines reside is not as colorful as Pescador’s, but you’ll still encounter a variety of marine life. There were plenty of fish, and we even spotted a sea snake. Turtles are also common sightings as well.
Besides, you don’t really visit the sardine run for its reef. In all likelihood, you’re there for the sardines. Seeing them from above whilst snorkeling is honestly underwhelming, but witnessing their seemingly endless traffic tunnel from down below is a whole different experience. It was mind-blowing to witness thousands upon thousands of sardines swimming in synch with one another.
Sea Turtles
Moalboal is one of few places on Earth where you are almost guaranteed to swim with a sea turtle. Green sea turtles (and sometimes even the endangered hawksbill sea turtles) are most commonly sighted just off shore Moalboal’s main beach bar, Chili Bar. The waters are often littered with tourists crowding around the turtles. For this reason, I recommend trying to spot one either early in the morning or at dusk when most of the snorkelers are sleeping or drinking.
And although the turtles seem rather tolerant of people, please be kind, give them space and certainly don’t touch or feed them. Just swimming alongside them is a beautiful experience in its own right, and you can leave the salty waters knowing you shared a moment with a kind, wild animal whilst respecting its space.
Stroll Moalboal’s Main Street
We walked along the main street of Moalboal multiple times, every day to visit the shacks selling trinkets, dine on the restaurants’ swanky patios and sip coffee at local cafes. We also took full advantage of the low-priced massage parlors which were much needed after hours of swimming.
Visit a Waterfall
Most tourists sign up for a canyoning excursion at Kawasan Falls, but Cebu has many, many more waterfalls, so we chose to explore a not-as-popular one—Mantayupan Falls.
We decided to visit Mantayupan after departing Moalboal, so the day before our departure, we requested Quo Vadis Dive Resort arrange a driver to take us to Cebu City (where Cebu’s airport is located) but stop at Mantayupan Falls, as its about halfway between Cebu and Moalboal. The massive waterfalls were certainly worth the pit stop.
Walk a short distance along a paved path and step cautiously over a long suspension bridge to access the highest and most impressive of the two cascades. Bring your swimsuit so you can swim within the waterfall’s refreshing pool.
The second waterfall can be accessed via some steps just before the bridge. On-site is also a semi-grungy restaurant and even grungier restroom.
Going Home
We stayed in Moalboal for three nights before driving back to Cebu City and spending one night at Raddison Blu Hotel—a luxurious stay that boasted a fancy pool and breakfast buffet. It also neighbored the impressive SM City Cebu mall—a massive shopping complex where we thoroughly enjoyed spending our remaining vacation money.
The next morning, we flew out of Cebu with one short layover in Manila before flying back home. Easy peasy.
A Few Things To Keep In Mind…
I recognize that I describe Moalboal as this sanctuary sheltered from the poverty prevelant within the area—and in some ways it is—but please keep in mind, you will still encounter plenty of people asking for money. They will often come up to you while you are eating or drinking at a restaurant, as almost all of the dining options offer seating solely outside.
There are also many solicitors offering tours. However, for safety reasons, if you decide to do a tour, please rely solely on the tour groups recommended by your hotel staff. We personally did not partake in any tours outside of the PDA-certified diving excursion offered by the Quo Vadis Dive Resort.
This is possibly a well known fact, but just in case it’s worth mentioning, don’t drink the tap water. Don’t even use it to rinse off your toothbrush…but also, if you’re like me and you forget to skip this usually habitual step in the teeth-brushing process, you’ll probably be okay. I am living proof of that.
Living the Holloway 