Cebu, the Queen City of the South boasts nothing but the best of what the nature has to offer. From exotic diving spots, to white sandy beaches with unblemished sea waters, it gives you a clear picture of how good our Mother Nature is.
Being a long, narrow island of about 225 kilometers, stretching from north to south and surrounded with 167 neighboring small islands, Cebu is one bounty island of beaches, caves, jungles and many natural attractions that leaves one in pure amazement.
One pride of Cebu is the Malapascua Island, one of the islands where colorful and one-of-the-kind corals and different species of other marine lives thrive in crystal clear Visayan waters either in blue or in green shades.
Located in the northern part of province, it is an island part of Daan Bantayan, just 8 kilometers off the coast of the mainland Cebu. This elfin island is only 3 kilometers long and 1 kilometer wide, with population more or less 3,000 residents. One can encircle the entire island in less than a day. Situated at the center of the archipelago, it attracts majority of the tourists, may it be foreign or local day trippers.
This hidden paradise is not an outlandish tourist spot. Rather, it is rated as one of the best beaches and diving spots in the world, with lots of things to discover and surprises your very thoughts. Dubbed as the “Pacific Island Dream”, it is best for people who wanting to take a break from their outgoing lifestyles and, of course for those nature lovers who want adventures and exciting escapades. Malapascua Island is the best recommendation.
Unknown to many, this enchanting place is the projection of total opposition of what Malapascua literally means. Accordingly, Malapascua derived its name from “Malapacual”, which means “Malas Sa Pasko” or when translated to English, it connotes “Unfortunate Christmas”. It is supposed to be a happy celebration when the Spaniards reached the shores on Christmas day. Alas, a storm struck the island and the folks termed it “malas”. And so the name stuck.
The island is sometime termed as “Logon”, the main community of the island. During World War II, Japanese and American forces fought over the island thus got its name “Logon”.
Despite harsh memories of the past, Malapascua evolved into something spectacular. Aside from the waters and naturalistic beauty of creations, sunset is one enchanting spectacle. Away from the city noise and crowded streets, one shall obtain the long-envisage tranquility of mind and spirit.
Blessed with long beaches of fine white sand, Malapascua is the best rival of Boracay, the famed summer retreat. But unlike the touristy Boracay, you relish the goodness of nature in every bit of it without the discomfort of looking a peaceful nook for you to relax. As soon as you stepped into this heavenly domicile, you can immediately submerge yourself into sunny goodness or shade under the palm trees and lulled to sleep by the cooling breeze of sea air.
As for the divers, there is no time for you to be despondent. You can go diving or snorkeling and witness the underwater charm of Malapascua Island.
New things are waiting to be discovered: the colorful corals, the diversity of marine animals in abundance and even the sunken Japanese ship at the break of World War II is very irresistible.
But what makes Malapascua a real, exciting diving spot in the world?
As we all know, Philippines is an abode of many strange things in the deep. And if fortunate enough, divers can catch a glimpse of world’s famous Manta Rays and Thresher sharks in regular basis. The latter which is almost extinct in kind lives in deep waters but appears in Monad Shoal for cleaning by a cleaner fish. This is one of the few places where you can spy these tamed animals in an incredible close-up view for about 23 meters downward.
Away from the mainland, a trip by boat is the most possible transportation. No vehicles, no roads, very simple yet appreciative. And if you’re lucky enough, your trip will be accompanied by the school of dolphins. The trip will take 30-40 minutes before reaching the Bounty Beach.
So, instead of spending much for a quality vacation, why not try the scuba diving offered in Malapascua Island. Satisfaction is very much guaranteed. Whether you are visiting Cebu for personal or business reasons, be sure to tour yourselves in the breathtaking island view of Malapascua Island and its underwater delight.
