Are you planning on going to Moalboal? I am so excited for you, as Moalboal is amongst my favorite places in the Philippines! To make sure you get the most out of your experience, I put together your travel guide to Moalboal.
For a three-week itinerary for your time in the Philippines, stay tuned as I will shortly upload one.
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How to get to Moalboal
First things first, you’ve got to somehow make it to Moalboal. This should be fairly easy though, as there is a bus departing from Cebu City to Moalboal every 20-30 minutes. You pay 107 Pesos (1,90€) for your ticket to Moalboal.
From the bus station in Moalboal just take a tricycle to get to your accommodation. Which brings me to the next part of your travel guide to Moalboal – where to stay in Moalboal.
Where to Stay in Moalboal
I can definitely recommend staying somewhere around Panagsan Beach. It’s a nice little area close to the water. There are a lot of bars around, as well as restaurants and cafes (Check out my vegan food guide to the Philippines here). I would recommend staying in Moalboal for around three nights.
Pacita’s Beach Resort
I stayed at Pacita’s Beach Resort which is located just steps away from the part of the beach where you can swim out to see the sardine run and turtles. You can’t book with them online, you’ll have to call them up. I had no way of calling them and they didn’t respond to my messages on Facebook but I was lucky enough because they ended up having one free room left when I just rocked up there.
Smooth Cafe Hostel
I didn’t actually stay here but I booked a night in case if they hadn’t had the room at Pacita’s Beach Resort and could cancel free of charge. They looked really good online though and I went to their cafe and had an amazing Falafel Sandwich (which you can check out here).
Herb’s Guesthouse
I heard that Herb’s Guesthouse is amazing but I haven’t actually been around that area. It is located a little further south than Panagsana Beach.
What to do in Moalboal
You best believe me that you won’t be bored during your time in Moalboal. From checking out the different beaches in the area, canyoneering at the Kawasan Falls to snorkeling with a sardine run just meters away from the shore – Moalboal has got it all.
Go to White Beach
Truth be told, Panagsama Beach is not the nicest beach in the Philippines. That doesn’t mean you have to miss out on some quality beach time. Just hire a scooter (I hired mine close to my hotel for 300 Pesos – around 5,30€ – a day) or take a tricycle to White Beach or one of the beaches south of Panagsama Beach. There is an entrance fee of 5 Pesos (less than 10 cents) which is totally worth it.
Go Canyoneering at the Kawasan Falls
Your travel guide to Moalboal would be incomplete without this activity. Canyoneering at the Kawasan Falls is probably the most popular activity around that area (and deservedly so). There are multiple jumps up to 12 meters high, a swing, and a slide. If you book on a tour, it usually costs around 1500 Pesos (26€), including lunch but often excluding transport (250 Pesos one way from Moalboal). So I’d suggest you hit up Onix (click here for his Facebook details) instead. He offers a package for 1150 Pesos (20€, excluding lunch but including transport) and it is a private tour, often starting way before the group tours start.
What I did (because I didn’t know about Onix) was to drive to Matutinao Church in Badian by scooter, which took me around 30-40 minutes. You can park it at the church for 50 Pesos (I believe) or on the street in front of it for free. From there, it is about a 15-minute walk to the Kawasan Falls. There will be guides around there and I was able to get my own private guide for 1000 Pesos (18€). Sure, I didn’t do the whole Canyoneering Tour all the way from Alegria but I did all the jumps, swings, and slides they do on the group tours as well. Plus I got to do them as many times as I wanted to. So, this is definitely a good way to get the most out of your experience at Kawasan Falls.
Go Snorkeling at Panagsama Beach
For probably one of the craziest snorkels of your life, head to Chili Bar in Moalboal. You can also hire snorkeling gear there (mask and snorkel for 100 Pesos, 1,80€). Swim around 30 meters out into the water (watch out for all the boats!) and with a little bit of luck, you’ll see some giant turtles. You’ll also most definitely see the sardine run Moalboal is famous for. Swimming amongst one million sardines? An amazing experience!
Where to eat in Moalboal
I have a whole blog post about eating vegan in the Philippines (which you can find here) where I go in-depth about the different restaurants and cafes in Moalboal. Let me just say, you won’t go hungry!
That’s it for your travel guide to Moalboal. I hope you’ve found it helpful for planning your time there. Tag me if you try any of the things I recommend and please don’t hesitate to message me if you have any questions! I’m always happy to help.
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