THE ISLAND OF MALAPASCUA:
ALSO, PLEASE SEE OUR CHAPTER CALLED "THINGS TO DO IN THE AREA."
SOME TIPS
REGARDING
GOING TO THE ISLAND
OF MALAPASCUA:
THE PIER AT MAYA (PHOTOS BELOW):
From the pier at Maya, a boat goes to Malapascua approximately every hour
or two. However, it is common for boats to wait for more passengers
to show up so they can make more money from each trip. This
means that there is no fixed schedule for such things as: going to
Malapascua -- coming back from Malapascua -- and/or the first or last trips each
day.
At this time we have heard that the last boat goes to Malapascua at approximately 4 PM -- AND that the last boat leaves Malapascua to come back to the mainland at approximately 2 PM.
However, we use the term "approximately" for good reasons.
:-)
At this writing, the cost of the boat-ride is 40 Pesos per passenger.
WARNING #1:
If you miss the last boat back to the mainland
(at approximately 2 PM ???) your only
options will be to EITHER rent a room and stay an extra night
-- OR hire a boat to make a
“special trip" to the mainland at a cost of up to 1,000
Pesos -- or perhaps even more. The "spcial trip" phenomenon is obviously
very profitable for the locals, so be sure you are not being intentionally "set
up" to miss the last boat.
WARNING #2:
Because of storms, high winds, and huge waves, it is sometimes impossible to get
"to" or "from" the Island of Malapascua. Therefore, if you need to leave
the island at a specific time (e.g. because of have an important date on the
mainland, or because you have an airplane to catch, etc.), be sure to keep an
eye on the weather conditions. Because of the weather (e.g. storms on the
way), people often leave Malapascua DAYS earlier than planned, simply because
they have airline tickets and must leave the Philippines at a specific time.
Obviously, the inability to get off of the island during periods of bad weather
can be very problematic for those who need to catch a flight from the
International Airport at Mactan Island. We recommend that you be
constantly aware of this potential problem, and plan ahead regarding storms
and/or high winds.
The following photos are of the ticket booth at Maya -- the waiting shed -- a few of the signs (advertising various places to stay in the area) including the SKIP'S BEACH RESORT sign -- etc.
IF YOU MISS THE LAST BOAT GOING "TO" MALAPASCUA:
If you miss the last boat, then you will be standing at the pier
near the signs shown above. This means you are only 15 minutes away from
Skip’s Beach Resort. If you want to stay with us, just take a Jeepney to THE COLLEGE OF
FISHERIES, at Daanbantayan. The ride will
cost approximately 10 Pesos (twelve cents U.S.). The College is only
two blocks from SKIP'S BEACH RESORT, and anyone in that area can tell you how to
find us. Also, we have a large electric sign along the highway, and it has
an arrow that points in our direction.
If you miss the boat and forget who we are -- or where we are -- you will see our sign only a few feet away from you. A photo of our "pier-sign" is shown directly above. The sign gives our location and phone number as well as many other specifics regarding how to find us.
MANY TRAVELERS STAY WITH US WHILE "ON THE WAY" TO MALAPASCUA:
Visitors that are on their way to the island often chose to spend the night at one of the resorts on the mainland (in Daanbantayan) so they can get an early start for Malapascua in the morning.
There are several advantages to arriving in Malapascua early in the morning. These advantages include the following:
1. If tourists arrive on the Island of Malapascua early, it will give them time to do some "COMPARATIVE SHOPPING"
2. They can personally determine the best
places to stay (e.g. best value for the least amount of money)
3. The can determine which resort has the best and
friendliest owners, managers, and employees (as determined
by their attitudes)
4. They can personally decide which of the resorts has
the best
beaches -- the best restaurants – - gives the most
value for the money -- etc.
A bit of “COMPARATIVE
SHOPPING” can save the "tourist-visitors" a lot of money during their stay on the Island of
Malapascua. This is especially true if they plan to stay there for several days.
Also, it can result in the tourists having a much more enjoyable time.
IMPORTANT NOTICE:
It is a good
idea to bring food
and water with you when you get onto ANY of the small boats that are going to ANY
of the islands -- because sometimes the voyage takes MUCH longer than planned.
For example, I have personally been on several boat trips
when the engine suddenly stopped running and
we drifted for many hours in the totally hot sun while the operator worked on the engine.
In
case of engine failure, it is a good idea to bring sun block -- a long-sleeved
shirt -- a broad-brimmed hat -- a cell-phone -- toilet paper (in spite of
the fact that most of the small boats have no toilets) -- a chess set -- a cell
phone full of games -- a flashlight or two -- a few books (e.g. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare) -- etc.
[Hey... I was just kidding about "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare."]
:-)
IMPORTANT NOTICE #2:
GETTING SNACKS AND DRINKS FOR THE TRIP TO "ANY" OF THE ISLANDS:
The pier at Maya is on the other side of the CALTEX PETROL STATION shown below. In fact, it is necessary to drive "through" the station to get to the pier. At the large open door on the Caltex Building you will find the equivalent of a "7-11 Store." It is the best place to buy snacks and drinks to bring with you on your boat-trip.
The owner of the above-mentioned store is a lady named "Rhea." She is a very nice person. The photo of Skip and Rhea (below) was taken when Skip was purchasing water and snacks for another of his many trips to other islands.
DIRECTLY BELOW ARE SOME OF THE BOATS AT THE MAYA PIER:
These boats go to many other islands (such as Malapascua, Masbate, Leyte, Kanatarkin, Karnasis, Camotes, Bohol, etc., etc.), and the trips are amazingly inexpensive.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION REGARDING MALAPASCUA:
The word “Malapascua”
means “bad Christmas.” The name was given to it by the Spanish Conquerors
approximately 400 years ago – perhaps after running one of their ships aground
[on Christmas day ???] on one of the islands many reefs.
Malapascua is arguably one of the most beautiful small islands in the Philippines.
Most people believe that Malapascua will soon replace Boracay as the most popular tourist destination in the country.
In our opinion, the Danbantayan-Malapascua area offers everything that Boracay offers – and much more.
In fact, our guests often tell us that Boracay now has too many foreigners (loud, drunk, and rude) – costs that are too high -- a native population that has become less friendly (perhaps justifiably) towards foreign tourists – a population that has been contaminated by an over-exposure to undesirable western influences -- and very little remaining of the “true” native culture.
Fortunately, the Daanbantayan-Malapascua area has not yet turned into a “tourist trap.”
In other words, the Daanbantayan-Malapascua area has many beautiful beaches – many “real” local fishing villages – many examples of the “true” local culture – many nice places to stay – a native population that has not yet been overly influenced by western culture (people are still very friendly and hospitable here) – etc.
OUR THOUGHT FOR THE DAY IS AS FOLLOWS:
"We might be
destroyed for bravely resisting tyranny, but we will be destroyed much worse if
we submit to it."
Francis Marion 1781 Colony of South Carolina
"A coward dies a thousand deaths... a brave man dies but one."
From The Rubiat
"There is suffering in
life, and there are defeats. No one can avoid them. But it is better to lose
some of the
battles in
the struggles for your dreams than to be defeated without ever trying."
Paulo Coelho
"You can't win if you don't play the game."
Some guy in a pool hall in east Los Angeles