My travel guide to Moalboal, Cebu: Tours, accommodation, and our experience

The Philippines archipelago is often heralded as a true paradise — there are countless of islands for you to explore. Personally, we try and uncover a new (to us) place every time we visit the Philippines: Last trip, it was Moalboal, Cebu. Before that, we ambled down to Boracay, Bohol, Manila, and Palawan.

Let’s focus on the more recent memories: What makes Moalboal famous? Hands down, it’s the legendary sardine run near Panagsama Beach, as well as easy access to Oslob’s attraction of swimming with whale sharks. Scary, exhilarating, and all-around unforgettable, — that’s the Moalboal experience in a nutshell.

To have your trip go without a hitch, you better come prepared! This is where we come into play, as I proudly present our travel guide to Moalboal and other exciting destinations on Cebu Island.

Article contents

1. How to get to Moalboal from Cebu?
2. Moalboal’s famed marine life encounters
3. Other things to see and do around Moalboal
4. Best local beaches
5. Where to stay in Moalboal?
6. Where to eat in Moalboal?
7. Popular tours from Cebu and Moalboal
8. My Moalboal review and FAQ

How to get to Moalboal from Cebu?

The question of how to get to Moalboal is bound to be at the top of your mind once you start planning your trip. After all, it is the Philippines, and some routes between destinations can be pretty complicated for a newbie to be taking on without outside help (take our guide to getting from Caticlan to Boracay, for instance — it gets easier once you know the entire process inside and out).

There are three ways of how you can get from Cebu to Moalboal, and only one of them requires thorough planning. Public transportation system on Cebu Island is pretty well-developed, so you can count on not being stranded to fend for yourself as soon as you land here.

So, how does one get from Cebu to Moalboal?

• By bus — the most budget-friendly way to traverse the distance between the two cities. But before you settle in for a 3-hour ride to Moalboal, you have to get from the airport to the bus station in Cebu first.

Mactan-Cebu International Airport is set a little way away from Cebu’s downtown, and the 13 km journey to the South Bus Terminal is a tricky one. You can either use the MyBus service (regular buses leave every hour, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., from the airport) to reach SM Cebu City or grab a taxi from the airport directly to the bus terminal.

Side note: We grabbed a metered taxi and I was terrified to run up a big bill, but this was not the case. A taxi ride lasted around half an hour (and this is with heavy traffic on the roads!) and cost us 360 pesos ($6,3). In fact, there’s a Grab service that operates on Cebu Island, but they say that the price for a Grab ride and a metered taxi ride is very similar, not warranting an app download for this particular purpose.

Once you’ve reached the South Bus Terminal, the hard part of your journey is seemingly over. Buy a ticket at the counter — there are plenty of departures happening quite frequently; ask the teller for a ticket to Moalboal and they’ll help you figure out the best one for you.

• On average, expect to pay around 200 pesos ($3,5) for an air-conditioned bus.
• We didn’t want the AC — it was very early in the morning and an open window or two would provide the necessary fresh breeze. The bus with no AC is cheaper — we paid 175 pesos ($3) each.

Most buses to Moalboal usually spend under 4 hours on the road, but ours made many stops along the way, racking up our time to a whopping 5 hours! You drive through the beautiful scenery, though.

The bus arrives to a bus station in Moalboal, not too far from a Jollibee. After that, it’s a short tricycle ride to your accommodation of choice (we paid 150 pesos to get to our hotel — Peskadores Suites).

• By private transfer — depending on your group size, you can rent a Sedan (sits 1–3 people), an SUV (4–5 people), or a Van (6–10 people). The prices may vary a bit, but plan to spend around $60 and $70 dollars for the group. Booking the private transfer via Klook is a sound move — I cannot recommend other services you may find online since I do not know if they’re legitimate or not.
• By taxi — the fastest, most convenient and obviously the most expensive way to get from Cebu to Moalboal. You don’t need to scramble around Cebu City trying to find the terminal, nor do you need to share your transfer with strangers.

You can try and haggle with the driver directly. On average, the ride will cost you anywhere from 2,100 pesos and 4,200 pesos ($37–$73). If you’d rather not navigate a deal in broken English, you can opt for a taxi booked online beforehand on 12Go Asia. The price will be on the more expensive end, but you can rest easy knowing that your transportation is booked and ready to go.

How to get around Moalboal once you arrive? The choice of a vehicle is all yours: Taxis, tricycles, buses, motorcycle taxis.

Moalboal’s famed marine life encounters

From what I’ve gathered, no Moalboal itinerary can be complete without some sort of snorkeling or diving outing. I don’t make the rules! Moalboal’s home reef houses rich marine life that can only be experienced here, which makes the diving part that much more exciting.

But what exactly can you expect to see when you’re peeking deep under the water’s surface? These creatures are bound to make an appearance:

• Sardine run

Moalboal’s sardine run near Panagsama Beach is the event that people fly thousands of miles to witness firsthand. And it’s not even some once-in-a-lifetime episode, the crazy spectacle happens all day every day near the water’s edge — a few breaststrokes and you’re swimming above the giant schools of small fish!

Let’s step back a little. A sardine run is exactly what it sounds — millions of fish gliding through the water in unison (every synchronized swimmer would be green with envy at this sight) and forming different shapes. Sometimes their movements are slow and dance-like, other times they dart suddenly from a predator (a big fish usually).

Where can you see a sardine run? At one of Moalboal’s best diving spots — Panagsama Beach. You don’t even need to book a tour to have this one-of-a-kind experience. Personally, we just came to the beach early in the morning (our hotel, Peskadores Suites, was nearby) with our snorkeling masks in hand, swam out a little (the groups of tourists in lifejackets with their heads underwater make it easy locating the sardine schools, which is a great trick), dove in — and there they were! If we weren’t holding our breath already, it would’ve caught in our throats in sheer awe of the picture, that’s for sure.

After swimming and diving for quite a while, we wished we were those tourists in lifejackets, getting dragged around and exerting minimal effort. And yet, we spent zero dollars on the activity, which is such a rare treat — getting to experience the prime offering of a location for absolutely free!

• Turtles

Yes, there are sea turtles in Moalboal! You can witness these majestic giants right then and there, near Panagsama Beach — the graceful creatures swim through the sardine shapes, slow and elegant in their movements. We saw sea turtles during both of our snorkeling outings, but there wasn’t much luck involved — the famous Turtle Point, where most of the tours take their participants to see turtles, is not too far, and these beauties often make their much-awaited appearances close to the shore.

Side note: Make sure to keep a respectful distance from the turtles, and definitely avoid touching them, even if they swim past you. They’re in their natural habitat, and, as much as you might want to, it’s important to keep them and the humans separated (at least to some degree).

• Whale sharks

As much as we wanted to collect all the marine creatures in Moalboal, I found out that the best place to see them would require a 2 to 3 hour drive — swimming with whale sharks in Oslob is quite a hyped up attraction, and for good reasons.

Even if you’re completely petrified from the thought alone, swimming alongside these colossal creatures near a small beach in Tan-awan (not too far from Oslob) proves to be a tamer experience in reality. It is like a zoo (thankfully, not a petting zoo): The sharks come at the same time every day for feeding (between 6 and 11 a.m.) — that’s when you’re expected to dive in and see them up close. And I mean VERY close — you can count each shiny spot on their long giant bodies, and even watch out so as to not bump into one as you move.

If you want to know more details about the experience of swimming with sharks in Oslob (swimming with sharks, these are the words every mom fears to hear), keep reading — I’ll break the entire process further down on in the article.

Other things to see and do around Moalboal

Moalboal’s great location means countless opportunities for fun day trips — when you’ve exhausted everything the town itself has to offer, it’s time to look outwards.

Explore the reef near Pescador Island

After you’ve had your fair share of Moalboal snorkeling, set your sails towards other exciting underwater worlds, with Pescador Island leading the list. It’s a 30-minute boat ride to a small rocky island with a hat of green shrubbery, which is very unassuming at first sight.

The island’s forte lies beneath the water’s surface — the first 10 meters of the shoreline are very shallow, with majestic soft corals and tiny fishes abound. Then, the sudden drop — you’re in for the real deal now! If the shallow waters are great for snorkeling, the sea wall of hard coral that goes very deep can only be explored by experienced divers.

Side note: If you hate diving with a large group, consider chartering a private boat for your Pescador Island trip — 2,500–3,000 pesos ($44–$52) and it’s all yours for three hours.

If you’re a very experienced diver, then look for the Pescador Cathedral on the southwest side of the island — it’s an underwater cave with a vast chamber through which the light shines in. No wonder it is called a cathedral — looking up at the sun rays from the great depths can only be described as a heavenly, verging on euphoric, sight. While the area surrounding Pescador Island is no stranger to Moalboal’s friendly faces of sardines and turtles, the Cathedral cave offers sightings of eels and octopuses — a completely unique experience, hands down!

Go canyoneering to Kawasan Falls

Photo from Wikimedia

Now this is an activity that will get your heart going wild — this is mother nature’s very own water park, complete with emerald pools and stone slides. All of your canyoneering efforts will end with a visit to the three-tiered blue-watered Kawasan Falls, where all of your struggles of the trek will dissolve into a peaceful enjoyment of the nature’s beauty.

The canyoneering is not for the faint of heart — there will be lots of jumping from the wet cliffs and into the river (some heights will be more manageable than others), scrambling onto the slick stones, and swimming through narrow gorges. You definitely need to have a strong level of fitness to be able to complete the trek. The crown jewel of the falls is worth the 3-hour hardcore adventure!

Thankfully, you can go canyoneering to Kawasan Falls only with an experienced guide, as part of a group (if you pay more, the group could be on a smaller side, from 2 to 4 people). The communal support will play into your bravery levels, giving you the necessary boost when needed.

There are a few details to know about the tour:

• If you didn’t book a tour with a transfer, you can easily reach Badian (the neighboring municipality where the activity happens) from Moalboal on your own. The distance between the two is less than 20 km, and the bus fare is 20 pesos ($0,35).
• There are plenty of tour agents right there at the bus stop; the average price of canyoneering to Kawasan Falls is 1,500 pesos ($26) per person.
• There is a river cleaning on the third Wednesday of each month when the trail is closed.
• Bring a waterproof case for your phone and a change of clothes to get into once your tour is finished (a dry bag would fit all of the above, so consider investing in one). Aqua shoes will also be a great addition to your gear arsenal — that way, you’ll be as comfortable traversing the crazy terrain as you can possible be.
• You will be asked to sign some liability documents. It’s an arduous journey, do not embark on it if you’re in poor shape or if you have some health concerns!
• You can reach the start of the trail by walking downhill for 10–15 minutes (for free), or pay the extra 600 pesos ($10,5) and zipline down, beginning your tour with a quick adrenaline rush right away!

Hike to Osmeña Peak

If canyoneering to Kawasan Falls sounds too challenging for you, then a beginner-friendly trek to Osmeña Peak is in order. Also known as the best sunset hike in Cebu, the steep trail will lead you to the top of the highest mountain on the island.

Located in 30 km from Moalboal, the mountain peak offers unparalleled views of the rolling hills with the island-dotted sea as the backdrop. The main trail takes only 20 minutes to conquer, with the summit suddenly coming into view. You will break a sweat, but you won’t be needing a helicopter rescue at any point of the trek.

There is a fee to pay at the trailhead — the entry to Osmeña Peak is 50 pesos ($0,9) per person. A guide is also recommended (for additional 150–300 pesos / $2,60–$5,20). If you drive on your own, make sure to follow the road that passes Alegria and Cambais Falls, as Google Maps’ itinerary goes through a rough road.

Moalboal’s best beaches

Moalboal’s entire M.O. strongly hinges on the area’s beautiful shores — not exactly for the picture-perfect beaches straight out of the trendy SPF commercial, but more so for what you can find in the water itself. Since the municipality of Moalboal is pretty small, you won’t find “Top ten” waterfront lists anywhere.

Truthfully, you will not miss much. These best beaches in Moalboal cover the two wildly contrasting sides of your possible holiday experience:

Panagsama Beach

The heart of all the underwater action in Moalboal, Panagsama Beach is a well-loved destination for snorkeling. The “beach” part of the name, however, bites off more than it can chew — mostly rocky shorefront of Panagsama is interspersed with small patches of very coarse sand, creating a less than ideal sunbathing experience. But that’s just that — Panagsama is your island’s VIP entry ticket to the crazy aquatic theater, and not a lazy-vacation type destination.

Just mere steps into the crystal-clear water and you will see a dramatic drop in the sea floor! The beach is almost always crowded; it is where they take the tours (that can start from Cebu or some other islands in the Philippines) to see the sardine run I’ve already written about above.

That’s why at Panagsama Beach you’ll find small dive shops where you can rent or buy diving gear, bigger diving centers where experienced guides create a perfect diving outing for newbies, small bars where wet suited patrons swap marine encounter tales, and eateries where you can order the catch of the day — a decision that can provoke some sort of moral quandary.

Apart from the usual morning and day snorkeling outings I have found that Panagsama Beach diving centers offer more intimate adventures of diving after sundown. They usually start as early as 6 p.m. (perfect for the weary travelers that are on the fence about going underwater when it’s pitch black out) and come with a completely different set of memories for you to make — it’s day and night, literally!

Speaking of the after dark activities, Panagsama beach can be described as the heart of Moalboal’s nightlife. But not in a traditional nightclub-ey feel, more of the communal hangout on the beach telling stories kind of vibe. You will hear the music from the beachfront bars and restaurants, but it will never feel like too much, — just a perfect serenade backdrop to bookend an amazing day spent by the water.

White Beach

If you’re more into laying on the towel and bronzing your limbs at regular intervals, head straight to White Beach. A wide stretch of blindingly wide sand that is so soft to the touch it feels like walking on velvet, palm trees hanging their fronds at just the right angle for that iconic beach shot, and the water — cerulean and azure, with the color looking like it’s been digitally enhanced (no need for photoshop, mother nature’s got it covered!).

White Beach is set further away from Moalboal’s tourist downtown — expect a 15–20 minute drive to cover the distance of 7 km between the two. When you’re done digitally detoxing and reconnecting with nature at White Beach and want to get back to Moalboal’s more civilized side with fresh fruit stands, souvenir shops, and other hallmarks of conventional island tourism, you will have to shell out anywhere from 300 to 600 pesos / $5,30–$10,50 (the price hinges upon your haggling skills) to grab a taxi or a tricycle.

Side note: They say that some particularly savvy Moalboalanons have put makeshift barriers on a few stretches of the road that connects White Beach and Panagsama Beach, asking for a small fee to be let through. It’s additional 10–20 pesos ($0,2–$0,35) for you to potentially spend, which isn’t a big amount, but can be annoying.

White Beach infrastructure loses to that of Panagsama. The only things you will find at the shorefront here are some mid-range accommodation options that usually gatekeep most of their facilities. That’s it! If you want to take part in some diving (it’s not too shabby at White Beach as well), you need to bring your own gear or ask your hotel to lend you some — I haven’t seen any rental kiosks near the beach.

Side note: Despite being described as a seaside paradise, Moalboal does seem to house some hidden dangers. I found that a number of tourists claim to feel severe discomfort when snorkeling here — a burning sensation that might be explained by a certain kind of plankton and jellyfish that live in local waters. Personally, I didn’t feel a thing when exploring Moalboal’s aquatic kingdom, but perhaps the situation can evolve in different seasons. Diving in clothes is the only way to avoid the discomfort.

Where to stay in Moalboal?

The question of where to stay in Moalboal is that of many answers — here, you can find a hotel or a guesthouse that is everything you’ve wanted it to be and that is also in your price range. Of course, the further inland you go — the cheaper the lodging choices are. But saving money on accommodation this way will surely backfire with higher transportation costs. Because of that, I would advise staying closer to the Moalboal’s varied shoreline.

My chosen Moalboal’s accommodation options also fall under two separate categories: Hotels that are closer to all the action and those that are more removed from the resort’s hustle and bustle.

Here are great accommodation options that are set closer to White Beach:

• 3* Club Serena Resort (from $150 a night) — a recently renovated resort that still carries that “new hotel smell” into the year 2025. The resort’s makeover was worth the wait — the design of the rooms and the facilities is now described as modern Filipino, which perfectly blends the natural (think woodsy, even a tad bamboo-ey) theme into the hotel’s surroundings. Stunning lush grounds and very close proximity to White Beach are the pros that catapult Club Serena to the top of my list. However, there are some downsides to this paradise of a resort — plumbing here isn’t the best and the location is very far from Moalboal’s center.
• 3* Bonita Oasis Beach Resort (from $55 a night) — even though the hotel’s location is described as beachfront, this is not truly the case — there IS a beach, and you can even snorkel here during high tide, but I would rather go 1 km to White Beach for the real beach experience. What Bonita Oasis does offer is an ocean view pool, as well as a restaurant that puts out amazing breakfast spread each morning. There is a motorbike rental near the resort where you can get a bike to explore Moalboal’s every nook and cranny. If you’d rather walk, then get ready to be a tropical flaneur for at least 10–15 minutes, because that’s how long it takes to reach the town center.
• 4* Dolphin House Resort Moalboal (from $140 a night) — with the iconic White Beach under its belt, verdant sprawling grounds, and a great restaurant, it’s no wonder Dolphin House is a popular pick among Moalboal’s visitors. The reviews come with a few pinches of salt (nobody’s perfect!): Poor wall soundproofing, noisy AC, and squeaky bed springs. There’s also a big disparity between the suites and the villas in terms of the “freshness” of its renovations — make sure to ask for the “newer” room when booking.

Staying closer to Panagsama Beach will prove to be a wise decision if you hate spending time (and money) on transit. You don’t have to go very far to have a fun outing: Just a few steps away from your hotel, and you have a diving center, a boozy bar, or an exciting restaurant awaiting your business.

Our choices of hotels that are closer to Panagsama Beach:

• We chose: 3* Pescadores Seaview Suites (from $55 a night) — a great hotel that we’ve personally vetted; it’s close to everything you could possibly look for — it’s a beachfront property, the main road of Moalboal with all the usual tourist haunts is just a 7-minute walk away, and White Beach is set within 2,5 km. The hotel still feels serene and quiet. They also provide free snorkeling gear and a complementary 15-minute kayak ride. The downsides? The furniture in the suites is a tad old and tired and the lack of daily housekeeping is a low blow for particularly messy guests. All in all, great budget-conscious hotel to stay in Moalboal’s more “happening” area.
• Secret Paradise Moalboal (from $95 a night) — just a 4-minute walk from every diver’s wet dream (I told you that the sardine run is truly a legendary sight, right?), and you find yourself in front of a homey and welcoming resort. The “Secret Paradise” is not really a secret anymore, but it can be described as heavenly — well-manicured grounds of verdant greenery and the authentic-looking straw-roofed bungalows. At Secret Paradise, your hotel room is your sanctuary — the “relaxing” part of your holiday starts as soon as you step foot into your spick-and-span, airy, and spacious suite.

Where to eat in Moalboal?

Before I dive into the particulars, let me persuade you that even though Moalboal is a waterfront destination, the necessary infrastructure is very much present. As you wander about town, you will encounter countless shops, pharmacies, fast food restaurants (there’s even a Jollibee here — best Filipino fried chicken with gravy on the island!), money exchanges, even a 7-Eleven, and a couple bigger shopping malls (Gaisano Grand Mall’s food court will not let you perish, that’s for sure).

Since the town’s biggest tourist draw is Panagsama Beach, all the main destinations are in some way connected to the legendary beach. The main road that is lined with restaurants and cafes is called Panagsama Road, but the prime hangout area is the stretch along Panagsama Beach (the one with diving centers, gear rentals, bars, souvenir shops, and the like) — beachfront eateries here are more expensive, but definitely worth the extra pesos.

As for the specific Moalboal recommendations, I’ve tried and tested (quite literally, and with much fervor) quite a few local eateries:

• Ven’z Kitchen — a great budget-friendly restaurant in Moalboal that serves homey Filipino dishes with a particular flair. Their Chicken Adobo and Mango Float are all the rage; plus they have plenty of vegetarian and gluten-free options for travelers with dietary restrictions. An entrée here ranges from 200 to 300 pesos ($3,5–$5,25).
• Tan-aw Restaurant — though the restaurant pompously promises the very best Asian cuisine in Moalboal (an impossible task), it somehow delivers on the proclamation — whether you would like to try a Chinese, Indian, Thai, or Filipino dish, you can rest assured it will be cooked up beautifully and to a highest standard. An entrée, no matter the place of origin, will cost you anywhere from 250 to 300 pesos ($4,4–$5,25).
• Hungry Monkeys — an amazing restaurant that offers both Filipino dishes and sends out iconic international dishes to the hungry guests. The price tag is understandably elevated to catch up to the quality of food — and if you’re tired of exploring the unfamiliar cuisine, Hungry Monkeys offers all kinds of pizza, pasta, and burgers for you to fall back on.
• Chili Bar — a lively beachfront hangout place (with a pool table, no less!) that is great for watching the sunset with a drink of your choice. Whether you’re a nightlife afficionado and want to do shots (60–250 pesos / $1–$4,4, the Brain Damage sounds very much like a hangover waiting to happen, so be warned) or you’re a responsible vacation drinker with one cocktail per night rule (180–300 pesos / $3,15–$5,25, a Sardine Run cocktail is a must-try this close to Panagsama Beach!), you’re guaranteed a great time at Chili Bar!
• Smooth Cafe Moalboal — an industrial-looking space where they offer great quality coffee (a cappuccino is 130 pesos / $2,3) and get creative with smoothies and milkshakes. It is also a bar and a restaurant, but the coffee’s still the main event here.
• KYRO Café — another trendy island coffeeshop where you should come to eat breakfast every day. Yogurt bowls (300 pesos / $5,25), crepes, sweet waffles, — even if you’re not a morning eater type, you will not stay away from their delicious menu items. A humble espresso here costs 100 pesos ($1,75), while a fancier Bumble Coffee or a Dirty Matcha will set you back 180 pesos ($3).

This is not a very comprehensive list; the truth is, even if you take a gander at any eatery that comes your way as you explore Moalboal, you are more than likely to find great food there. Why am I so sure of this fact? Well, Moalboalanons are great cooks in general and also the Filipino cuisine is pretty hard to mess up. We also quite literally stumbled into a hole-in-the-wall small cafe that belonged to a hostel (near Panagsama Beach, so there was no shortage of other possible choices) and had the greatest lunch of our stay there — the food was fresh, cooked right in front of you. The prices were also quite reasonable (4 veggie spring rolls for 150 pesos / $2,6, scallops for 500 pesos / $8,75 with rice for 50 pesos / $0,9), so we became regular patrons of that establishment (that was also very popular with locals, so that’s saying a lot!). What I’m trying to note is — don’t lose your curiosity when exploring Moalboal and let your nose guide you to the eatery that smells best.

Popular tours from Cebu and Moalboal

Even though there are tons of exhilarating things to do in Moalboal (watching the sardine run, admiring the turtles), no traveler embarks on their Philippines vacation to stay cooped up in one place the entire time. Cebu Island is a treasure trove of experiences, and you’ll be a fool not to see as much as you possibly can here.

Since Cebu City is usually the starting point of your adventures (it is home to the island’s only international airport), most tours usually offer Cebu pick-up. Moalboal can be chosen as an option in some tours, and if you’re traveling to one of the destinations listed above, expect shorter transfer times traveling from Moalboal rather than Cebu.

Without further ado, these are the tours you should consider booking next time you find yourself with nothing to do on Cebu Island:

• Cebu: Whale Shark, Monkey Sanctuary, & Moalboal Turtles Tour — for under $140, the activity provider promises to cover much ground in one day: First, whale shark tour (where they will get you to the front of the line, no less!), then a visit to the Monkey Sanctuary in Oslob, and to finish it off — a snorkeling outing amid millions of sardines. The great thing is that you do not have to organize the transfer from Moalboal to Oslob yourself; the bad thing is that lunch is not included.
• Kawasan Falls Canyoneering — a thrilling canyoneering adventure that ends at Kawasan Falls. For $50 a person, a round trip from Moalboal, lunch, and an experienced instructor are provided. Plus, aqua shoes, a life vest, and a helmet are already included in the price (you will need all three to hike the trail).
• From Cebu City: Bohol Countryside Tour — a full-day trip to the neighboring island of Bohol. The price starts at $143 per person, but it packs so much into the itinerary it feels like a total bargain: You will see Chocolate Hills Natural Monument, Tarsier Conservation Area (where you’ll see the tiny tarsier — a Bohol-exclusive primate with giant eyes), Baclayon Church, and embark on a Loboc River Cruise. Bottled water, buffet lunch, roundtrip ferry tickets, hotel pick-up and drop-off are already included in the price.
• From Cebu: Island Hopping to 3 islands with lunch — a tour that takes you to the area’s most sought-after islands. Towels, snorkeling gear, life jackets, and even a GoPro are included in the $72 per person fee.

My Moalboal review and FAQ

What is the best time to visit Moalboal?

Without a doubt, the best time to plan your Moalboal trip for are the months between November and April — the area’s dry season. However, wet and windy season (May to October) in Moalboal isn’t that horrible a second choice — there are still plenty of sunny days to enjoy, the water is still warm (+29C°…+31C°), and you cannot feel the wind underwater. You can spend hours exploring the aquatic coral gardens and admiring marine life. Near Panagsama Beach, the shallow waters offer amazing visibility. Even if the wind sends ripples over the water’s surface, duck your head under — you can clearly see the maritime flora and fauna as far as 20 or even 30 meters in front of you.

Our last Moalboal trip fell on the beginning of March. Because we wanted to take as much advantage from being in a snorkeling heaven as possible, we chose a hotel that is located near Panagsama Beach — the aforementioned Peskadores Suites.

How many days is enough for Moalboal?

Moalboal was made for languid days spent in and out of the water and chill nights settled on the still warm sand in good company, swapping stories. Our last trip to Moalboal was catastrophically short — only two nights here weren’t enough to truly take in the island vibe. But we had only one week to see as much of the Philippines as possible, so we had to keep it snappy — after the second night, we spent our morning watching the sardine run, and then had to run ourselves, wet hair and all, to catch the bus that was taking us to another must-see destination — Oslob.

Moal vs Oslob — which place to choose for your Philippines vacation?

I believe that it’s an impossible question to answer outright; and the one with a huge caveat — you don’t have to choose! After swimming with sardines and turtles in Moalboal, make your way to Oslob for a chance to hang out with giant whale sharks.* The drive between the two destinations isn’t that crazy (though we managed to spice it up with a small accident). We spent two and a half hours in transit. For some reason, there wasn’t a direct bus from Moalboal to Oslob, so we divided the journey into two parts: First, Moalboal to Bato (135 pesos / $2,4 per person), then Bato to our guesthouse in Tan-awan (50 pesos / $0,9 per person).

*Because we only had “swim with sharks” on our Oslob itinerary, we allotted just one day to spend here.

Both buses didn’t have a working AC and were seemingly on their last legs. Still, they were full to the brim with locals. The second bus’s compact international group consisted of us and two young Spaniards.

What are some of the travel tips for Moalboal and Oslob to know before coming here?

Forget about the sought-after tours in Moalboal that you absolutely must include in your itinerary; leave your Kawasan Falls packing list at home, because the only thing you need to know before coming to the Philippines is the kindness of its people.

Storytime: Our guesthouse was set in a very unassuming place, and because it was our first time in Oslob, we were anxious about missing our stop. We were rushing through the crowd of fellow bus passengers so fast that we left the most important thing behind — our bag with diving gear and swimsuits. When we noticed the missing bag, it was too late — the bus was already too far for the driver to notice our pleas to stop.

Thankfully, the locals came to our rescue right away — they tracked down the driver’s number and he promised to drop off our bag on his way back later that evening. We were rightfully doubtful, as he probably had a lot on his mind as it were, without remembering our small guesthouse on his very long route. Imagine our surprise when we returned from our hunt for dinner in Tan-awan and had our bag with its contents fully intact waiting for us! Bottom line: Filipinos are the friendliest and most welcoming people in the world, and we were lucky to feel their kindness firsthand.

Where to eat in Tan-awan, near Oslob?

Speaking of dinner, the culinary scene of this small village was a huge letdown, Even though it is visited by half a million of people each year (swimming with sharks seems to be on everybody’s bucket lists as of late), the local eateries do not seem all that bothered to keep the clientele happy. They know that travelers won’t have any choice but to eat what is on offer (the cafe closest to our guesthouse served us a Margherita pizza that was completely inedible) and to pay the established price (the “food” here is completely overpriced).

We’re sure that the situation is completely different in Oslob itself, but Oslob surroundings’ (particularly the famous village of Tan-awan) visitors are left to fend for themselves. We did have a couple of ramen noodle cups packed just in case, and that’s what we had for dinner!

What does whale shark watching look like? What should you expect from the experience?

The whale sharks come to their feeding grounds every day, from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m.; however, we didn’t want to stumble in the dark in an unfamiliar place trying to find the diving center, so we sat out on our journey with the first sun rays.

Side note: The “Oslob Whale Shark Watching” point (the name of the center on Google Maps) has all the necessary infrastructure: Restrooms, showers, snack shops, a cafe, and stalls selling or renting diving gear and other water-based essentials (towels, swimsuits, the works).

Get ready for long lines — there will be two queues to wait in; one to buy the tickets (1,000 pesos / $17,5 per person; life vest and snorkeling mask included in the price, you can rent fins for an additional 100 pesos / $1,75) and one to board the boat.

Before you embark on your adventure, you will have to watch the safety briefing video — because the activity is already under scrutiny by environmental activists (the sharks get used to humans feeding them), it is important to remember to keep your distance from the sharks. Watch where you’re swimming so as not to bump into one. And finally, do NOT wear any sunscreen — it can be harmful to these gentle giants.

The swimming with sharks part lasts only 30 minutes. There are 10–14 boats filled to the brim with tourists anchored in a line where the feeding is happening; most of the visitors hang onto the boat’s edge and have their head in the water, some more fearless types swim away from the boats and into all the action. The sharks are huge and seemingly uninterested in people; there’s food to eat and they have no time for all the human nonsense. The activity is definitely not for the faint of heart — the first time you lay your eyes on the number of teeth each shark has*, you will want to get out of the water, pronto.

*Sharks do respirate through their mouths, so you are guaranteed to see their jaws opening up and closing within mere meters from you, evoking the scenes from the eponymous movie.

If you want to make your memories of swimming with sharks last even longer (however, you’re highly unlikely to forget this event), you can rent a GoPro for your outing. Ask the instructor to take a picture of you in front of a massive spotted shark — your friends will think it’s photoshopped!

Is Moalboal, Cebu worth visiting?

Without a shadow of a doubt, yes! Nowhere in the world will you have such easy access to a unique marine life viewing experience. Panagsama Beach with its sardines and turtles, the close proximity to Tan-awan and its whale sharks, — coming to Moalboal means ticking off multiple things off your bucket list!

I hope that our Moalboal travel guide has helped you plan your very own Moalboal adventure, filled with fun tours, scenic views, yummy food, great stays, and wonderful people. If you still have any questions regarding Moalboal travels, leave them in the comment section down below.