Moalboal

DIVING IN MOALBOAL  

Moalboal, located in the Philippines, is a scuba diver's paradise with its abundance of stunning dive sites and vibrant marine life. Nestled along the southwestern coast of Cebu Island, this charming town offers an array of thrilling underwater adventures that captivate divers from around the world.  

PESCADOR ISLAND  

One of the main highlights of Moalboal is its remarkable coral reefs. Divers can explore the renowned Pescador Island, a marine sanctuary bursting with colourful coral formations and teeming with an impressive variety of marine species. The crystal-clear waters unveil a captivating world filled with schools of tropical fish, vibrant nudibranchs, and fascinating macro critters. Diving enthusiasts will be mesmerised by the enchanting Sardine Run, where millions of sardines move in unison, creating a spectacular natural spectacle.  

CORALS, WALLS & MORE  

Moalboal boasts at least 25 dive sites, most within just 5 and 25 minutes’ boat ride. Exhilarating wall dives or gentle drift dives adorned with sea fans, gorgonians, and sponges provide a wonderful backdrop for encounters with turtles, reef sharks, and even the occasional sighting of whale sharks. With over 15 kilometres of coastline to explore, divers can venture into diverse dive sites such as Sunken Island, Tongo Point, and the captivating Airplane Wreck.  

GETTING TO MOALBOAL  

Reaching Moalboal is relatively easy, making it an accessible destination for divers. The nearest major international airport is Mactan-Cebu International Airport, located in Cebu City. From there, a scenic land journey of approximately three hours will take you to Moalboal, passing through picturesque landscapes and quaint towns.  

MAGIC ISLAND DIVE CENTRE 

As a PADI-affiliated diving facility, Magic Island Dive Centre offers an unparalleled diving experience for guests of Magic Island Dive Resort. Nestled in the picturesque coastal town of Moalboal, this custom-built dive centre provides everything you need for an unforgettable diving adventure amidst the stunning marine biodiversity of the region. 

DIVE PACKS 

To ensure a seamless diving experience, it is recommended to book your dive packs in advance through Regaldive. Magic Island Dive Centre offers two morning boat dives per day from their fleet of bangka dive boats, with the option to partake in a third dive in the afternoon and even a night dive by boat each evening. Located right on the seafront, access to the colourful house reef is available anytime day or night.  

Diving packages can be arranged from two dives a day, through to unlimited diving. A basic 10 dive package starts from around £400 per person. 

Both DIN and INT 12L tanks are available, in addition to a limited number of 15L tanks and Nitrox. 

DIVE COURSES

Magic Island Dive Centre is a PADI 5-star resort and caters to divers of all skill levels, from beginners to seasoned enthusiasts. With a comprehensive range of PADI courses, the experienced instructors at Magic Island Dive Centre will guide you through every step of your diving journey.  

A PADI Open Water course At Magic Island Dive Resort is around £530 per person. 

Snorkellers are also warmly welcomed to explore the vibrant marine world alongside divers. 

EXTRAS IN THE RESORT 

Prices listed below are an indication only, and subject to change. 

• Marine Park Fees 100 PHP per dive + 15% VAT 
• Full equipment including computer: €29/day (multi day discounts available) 
• Divers with DIN regulators should take their own adaptor 
• Nitrox fills: €9 per fill (multi day discounts available) 

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 best 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 20's to mid 30ºC. 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.

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 - 30ºC

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). 1 Peso = 100 Centavos. 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. Visa, MasterCard and American Express are accepted in most towns, but you may be required to pay an extra 10-15% surcharge for their use. Outside of the main towns, not all places accept credit cards. Please refer to your individual destination notes for each resort, but as a guideline, please see below:

• Malapascua: Ocean Vida accepts credit cards and has an exchange. Elsewhere credit cards cannot be accepted, please ensure you carry sufficient cash. USD and GBP are accepted and Ocean Vida has a licensed exchange.
• Dumaguete: Banks and ATMs are available in Dumaguete town. Pura Vida and Atmopshere accept credit cards.
• Palawan: Accepts credit cards
• Sipalay: Accepts credit cards
• SY Philippine Siren: GBP, Euro & USD Currency. Credit card payment only possible when docking at the following ports: Cebu, Philippines. 3% charge applies.

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: Effective July 1, 2015

Philippines Office for Transportation Security has issued new rules that 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: Multiple daily flights
Manila - Busuanga: 2 flights daily
Manila - Dumaguete: 2 flights daily

Baggage on internal flights:
The below only applies only to extra flights within the Philippines built into your itinerary, not if it is part of your international ticket.

Baggage allowance: Checked bag - 20kg / Hand baggage - 5 to 7kg

Nb: Internal flight to/from Busuanga (Palawan). This is a shorter air strip and the airline may not permit any extra weight.

Payment for extra kilos on check-in (guideline):

Cebu Pacific: Php 150 per kilo
Philippine Airlines: Php 169 per kilo

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 - Dumaguete: 4 - 5 hours by vehicle, ferry and hotel shuttle
Cebu - Bohol / Panglao / Cabilao: 3 to 4 hours by vehicle, ferry, vehicle
Cebu - Malapascua: 4 – 5 hours by vehicle and outrigger
Cebu – Moalboal: 3.5 hours by vehicle

Dumaguete - Bohol / Panglao / Cabilao: 3 hours by hotel shuttle, ferry and vehicle or 3 to 4 hours by Outrigger conditions permitting
Dumaguete - Malapascua: 8 - 9 hours by vehicle, ferry, vehicle and outrigger

Panglao - Cabilao: 1.5 - 2 hour vehicle and boat
Panglao - Malapascua: 7+ hours by vehicle, ferry, vehicle and outrigger

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

Manila - Cebu: 1: 15 hour by internal flight
Manila - Coron, Palawan: 2.5 hours by internal flight and hotel shuttle
Manila - Puerta Galera: 3 hours by vehicle and boat
Manila – Anilao: 2.5 hours by vehicle
Manila – Caticlan, Boracay: 2 hours by internal flight, vehicle and boat

Passports

Please always check your own entry requirements regardless of your nationality. Your passport should always have at least 6 months validity on date of return from travel. Always check for last minute changes in entry requirements and other nationalities should check with their consular office.

Visas

British nationals can enter the Philippines without a visa for an initial period of 30 days. You can also get a tourist visa from the Philippine Embassy before you travel, which will allow an initial 59 day stay. Other nationalities should check with their own consulate.

Vaccinations

Vaccination requirements are subject to change and should be confirmed before departure. For the most up to date advice please consult your travel clinic or GP. Further information regarding vaccinations for travel to this country can be found at www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk and from your local healthcare provider. We recommend protection, as a minimum, against typhoid, tetanus, hepatitis A and polio.

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