Last weekend, I went on a trip to Malapascua with my two friends, Sheila aka @Harvat_Queen on social media (her website is here), and Celine, a civil engineer who wants to spend her weekends outside the office. It was an amazing experience. Here’s what happened during our first day.

Early Morning Start and Problems

We woke up very early, at 3:45 AM, on Sunday. We wanted to catch the 4:00 AM bus to Malapascua. But it was raining, and it was hard to get a Grab car (a ride-hailing app). We finally booked a Grab car at 5:15 AM.

Since it was already 5:30 AM when we arrived at the station, we decided to ask the driver to take us directly to Maya Port in Daanbantayan. We negotiated the price from 3,500 pesos to 3,000 pesos, and he agreed.

We left Cebu City at 5:45 AM and reached the port by 8:45 AM. The trip took about 3 hours.

At the port, we paid 95 pesos for the environmental fee and 250 pesos for the boat ticket. The boats to Malapascua leave every 30 minutes until around 4:30 or 5:00 PM, so we needed to plan our trip carefully.

Me getting on the boat to Logon Beach in Malapascua with my ratan bag from Albay and my 8-year-old CABIN ZERO backpack.

Arrival at Logon Beach, Malapascua

After about 50 minutes on the boat, we arrived at Logon Beach on Malapascua Island. As soon as we got off the boat, we were very excited to see the crystal-clear turquoise water and many fish right at the port. The weather was also fantastic—bright, sunny, breezy, and warm. In Cebu City, it was rainy that morning, but here it was perfect beach weather.

Sheila and I at the port of Malapascua Island

There are habal-habal (motorcycles) if you need a ride. Luckily, it only took us 9 minutes to walk from the port to our hotel, Ocean Vida Beach & Dive Resort. On the way, we met a man named John Michael who offered us a boat trip for the next day. The trip was 1,300 pesos for all three of us and included three stops. I will share his contact in case you want to book them for an island-hopping excursion.

Relaxing at the Resort

We couldn’t check in until 2 PM, so we left our luggage and changed into swimsuits. We then went to the beach. We relaxed, listened to music, snorkeled near the shore, and enjoyed the beautiful view. We ate some delicious food from the resort and talked with other tourists and locals. It was a wonderful morning.

When it was almost 3 PM, we checked into our room. Later, at 6 PM, we planned to go out, but it started to rain a lot. We decided to stay outside our room instead.

We sat on the couches, did some girl stuff, danced TikTok videos, and read.

At 7 PM, we had dinner at the restaurant inside the resort. The food was very good—everything was 10 out of 10! We shared different dishes: lumpia, Fish Tropicana, Tom Yum soup, watermelon, and fresh coconut juice. We also enjoyed drinks during happy hour available from 9 PM to 11 PM.

Ending Our First Day

I was very tired, so I went to bed early. I was happy and excited for the next day. Our first day in Malapascua was really special. The scenery, the food, the fun with my friends, and the relaxing atmosphere made it unforgettable.

I can’t wait to share more about our trip. Stay tuned for the next part!