Evolution Dive Resort

Malapascua is a tiny, picturesque island just off the northern tip of Cebu, part of the Visayas group of islands. You can walk around Malapascua in less than an hour or simply relax on the white sands of Bounty Beach. Away from the main beach there are several small villages and lots of little coves and bays to discover. This is a perfect destination to dive, relax and unwind.

From this magical island, you can catch a glimpse of the elusive thresher shark at Shark Point, one of the few places in the world where there are regular sightings of these shy and unusual creatures. Be dazzled by the colours of the mandarin fish on a dusk dive or get your macro lens ready for an up close encounter with a pygmy seahorse at Gato Island.

With great wreck dives including the Donna Marilyn and idyllic day trips also on offer this diving destination cannot fail to excite. Manta Rays are most prevalent here in the rainy season, June to August, but may be spotted year round.

Shark Point for Thresher & Tiger Sharks

Diving around Monad Shoal and Kimud Shoal near Malapascua Island offers an extraordinary opportunity to encounter thresher, tiger and hammerhead sharks in their natural habitats. Monad Shoal is famously known as a cleaning station where thresher sharks, with their distinctively long tails, are frequently seen during early morning dives, interacting with cleaner fish. Meanwhile, Kimud Shoal allows divers to observe thresher and hammerhead sharks, which are recognised for their distinctive looks. You can always expect to see remarkable shark species at one of these dive sites, making Malapascua a must-visit destination for scuba divers.

Diving Monad Shoal

Set your alarm clock for a pre-dawn start to take a 30-minute boat ride to the sunken island of Monad. The island's diameter is just 1.5 kilometres, with a sloping depth of 12 metres, dropping to 45 metres. Shark Point is where thresher sharks are frequently spotted, with the occasional tiger shark, hammerhead and manta ray paying a curious visit too! Local dive centres have put in a voluntary coral preservation system with underwater lines in place, for divers to not cross.

Diving Kimud Shoal

This extraordinary underwater island rises from depths of hundreds of metres to a peak just 12 metres below the surface. Its unique topography makes it a haven for thresher sharks and a prime location to encounter other marine species, such as hammerheads, devil rays, and tuna. To fully experience the beauty of Kimud Shoal, divers typically start their day early. An early morning wake-up call is followed by a quick breakfast before embarking on a 45-minute boat ride to the dive site. The changing water conditions at Kimud Shoal often create exciting opportunities for divers, occasionally bringing thresher sharks closer to the surface—ideal for capturing your next competition-winning underwater shot.

Gato Island

Gato Island is 40 minutes by boat, where fishing is not permitted so allowing underwater life to thrive. The island offers beautiful swim-throughs and terrific macro life, with seahorses, pipefish and many different nudibranchs. Fan corals provide the perfect environment for the camouflaged pygmy seahorse.

Dona Marilyn

A typhoon in 1988 sank this cargo ship with significant loss of life. The wreck sits at about 33m and is 90m long, lying on its starboard side on a sandy bottom. There are a good variety of corals, lionfish, scorpion fish and batfish, along with occasional sightings of nurse sharks, white tipped reef shark and species of ray. It is an ideal dive site for a penetration dive for those relevantly trained

Journey time from Malapascua is approx 1hr 20 mins and the wreck is reached by a descent line. Currents here are generally mild to medium with average visibility of about 15–20m

Tapilon Wreck

Names of after nearby reefs but not yet officially identified, The Tapilon is believed to be a WW2 Japanese Cargo wreck that was torpedoed. It now lies in approx 27m of water and has separated into three distinct parts. The wreck is ideal for macro life and is surrounded by schools of small barracuda. Journey time to the wreck is approximately 1 hour.

Getting to Malapascua

Malapascua is reached via Cebu. Singapore Airlines offer daily connections to Cebu from Singapore.
Malaysian Airlines offer 2x week connections from Kuala Lumpur. Qatar Airways fly via Doha.

Alternatively, fly into Manila on Malaysian Airlines or KLM's daily schedule to Manila, and we can organise one of the frequent internal flights from Manila to Cebu.

If you reach Cebu after about 14.00 hrs, an overnight may be required as it is not possible to transfer out of daylight hours. The interesting journey from Cebu to Malapascua involves 4–5 hours overland to Maya, then a 30-minute boat transfer in usually calm waters.

Overnights in Cebu

These can be arranged as part of your package with transfers, typically at the Marco Polo hotel. Cebu is a bustling but laid back town with a busy seaport and makes for an interesting stop in itself.

Marco Polo: A decent 3+* option, located just 25 minutes from the airport close to the business district with a restaurant and bar, and plenty of other local choices.

The Philippines is an island nation located in South East Asia with Manila as its capital city. The Philippine archipelago comprises 7,107 islands in the western Pacific Ocean. These islands are home to spectacular scenery, pristine beaches, incredible sights and lively cities. Dramatic drop offs, wrecks, caves and a richly varied marine life also guarantee fabulous diving. Combined with the renowned Philippine hospitality and warmth, an unforgettable dive holiday awaits.

You will find a true blend of cultures; the people are generally of Malay descent, but Philippine history has introduced Chinese, Spanish and American elements as well. The Philippines is a predominantly Christian country where eight out of ten Filipinos are practising Catholics. Filipino hospitality is legendary and the Philippines is the fiesta nation of Asia. Fiestas celebrate harvests, births and victories, as well as religious events. The Filipinos like to party and celebrations are found in every ethnic group and may be large regional events or small local happenings.

Resorts have been hand picked, not only for their comfort and surrounding scenery but most importantly, for their proximity to incredible dives sites. Whilst out of the water guests can relax on some of the best beaches in the world, enjoy the local markets, festivals and sights or even spend a night in the exciting and bustling Manila or more laid back Cebu.

As the Philippines is a strong Catholic nation, festive holidays such as Easter are very busy. Either book well in advance, or avoid the main religious holiday periods where possible.

Climate

The climate of The Philippines can broadly be described as hot and tropical. Most people visit The Philippines during the dry season. However, many regular visitors attest that the best time to visit is during the wet season and that the proliferation and variety of marine life is the best in June, July and August.

Dry season: December to May
Wet season: June to November

During the dry season, easterly winds prevail and air temperature is in high 20s to mid-30s. February to May are generally the hottest. Wet season winds are from the west, with air temperature in mid to high 20s. You can often strike lucky and have weeks of brilliant blue skies and unlimited sunshine. On the other hand, the rains, when they come, are impressive and prolonged. There are few rivers, so run off and its effect on water visibility is not generally a problem.

Please note that the Philippines is a large country and has many climatic variations from east to west and south to north.

Best underwater visibility: April to July
Water temperature average: 24–30°C

Time

8 hours ahead of GMT.

Language

Filipino is officially the national language of The Philippines. This language is based on Tagalog which is the most widely used of the 70 plus dialects used within the country. English is also prevalent throughout the country, especially in tourist destinations. English is also widely used as the medium for education, communication and business. Eight major dialects spoken by majority of the Filipinos: Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilocano, Hiligaynon or Ilonggo, Bicol, Waray, Pampango, and Pangasinense.

Currency

The unit of currency is the Philippine Peso (PHP). The US dollar is the most widely recognised foreign currency. Euros & GBP are also readily exchanged.

The majority of larger towns have ATMs, however, facilities for money withdrawal or changing are far less widespread away from the main centres of population. There are bank machines at the airport.

Tipping

Tipping is expected for many services. The standard is 10% of the total bill or optional where there is a 10% service charge.

Flight Information

Regaldive can offer packages to the Philippines on a number of different airlines.

London - Manila: Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Qatar Airways, Malaysia Airlines and KLM all fly daily via their national hubs.

London - Cebu: Singapore Airlines via Singapore on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday; Cathay Pacific via Hong Kong daily.

Carry-On Luggage Restriction

Philippines Office for Transportation Security rules include 'Scuba Diving Equipment' (including regulators) on the list of blunt instruments that are not to be in carry-on/cabin baggage on flights originating within the Philippines. Please ensure that all scuba equipment is secured within checked-in baggage on all domestic flights and on all departing international flights.

Internal flights:
Manila - Cebu
Manila - Busuanga
Manila - Dumaguete

Transfers

Whichever island you are staying on, you are met at the airport/ferry port and transferred to your resort. Whether by flight, jeepney or banca boat, there are fantastic sights to enjoy on your journey there and back. Although some transfer can take up to a whole day, most clients pass feedback that this was a very interesting part of their overall trip.

The below information is to give you a general idea of transfer times between regions; actual transfer times may differ slightly according to individual arrangements and ferry timetables, tides etc.:

Cebu - Malapascua: 4–5 hours by vehicle and outrigger

Dumaguete - Malapascua: 8–9 hours by vehicle, ferry, vehicle and outrigger

Panglao - Malapascua: 7+ hours by vehicle, ferry, vehicle and outrigger

Cabilao - Malapascua: 7+ hours by vehicle, ferry, vehicle and outrigger

Visas

Entry requirements vary from country to country, and it’s important to check the latest visa information well before you travel. Some destinations may allow visa-free entry for a limited period, while others require an eVisa or a visa obtained in advance. To ensure you have the correct documentation for your trip, we recommend checking the official advice from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) or contacting the relevant country’s embassy or consulate. Other nationalities should check with their own consulate/embassy.

Passports

Before you travel, make sure your passport is valid for the full duration of your trip and meets the entry requirements of your destination. Many countries require at least six months’ validity beyond your planned return date, while others may have different rules. For the most reliable and up-to-date information, visit the UK Government’s passport guidance or the official travel advice pages for your destination. Other nationalities should check with their own consulate/embassy.

If you’re planning to travel to or via an EU country (with certain exceptions) your UK passport must meet two key requirements, it must be less than 10 years old on the day you enter the country and it must be valid for at least three months after your planned departure date.

Vaccinations & Health Advice

Health and vaccination requirements differ depending on where you're travelling. Some destinations may require proof of specific vaccinations or recommend certain precautions to protect your wellbeing.

We’re not qualified to provide you with specific advice on vaccinations and strongly recommend that you contact your healthcare professional before you travel to discuss the inoculations you may need to consider.

For trusted guidance on health and vaccination advice, refer to the NHS Travel Vaccination Advice, Masta Travel Health or Travel Health Pro websites.