MALAPASCUA/LEYTE ROUTE (12 Days, 11 Nights, 22 dives)

Sail the sea's between the islands of the Philippines like the Spanish did during their 16th century conquest of the archipelago. Go from Island to island on a local outrigger boat and experience the feeling of being a modern day explorer. Dive some of the best dive sites in the Philippines; look for big and small marine life combined with exquisite colorful reef sceneries and exciting 'into the blue' experiences.

Depart from your destination of origin and head towards Cebu City. This travel is not included in our dive-safari itinerary; you need to make your own arrangements to get to Cebu City airport or pier. Please make sure you arrive at least one day before departure of the trip to our first destination "malapascua island".

Arrival in Cebu City, transfer to the Montebello Villa Hotel. The hotel has a nice swimming pool area where you can unwind from your travels. In the evening, you will have the first group gathering; you will meet for drinks and dinner and get acquainted with the SeaQuest guide and the other guests.

In the morning you depart to the Cebu harbor to board the traditional outrigger boat (Bangka boat) that will ferry you during this entire dive-safari. The boat will transfer you between the islands to the different destinations and it also serves as the dive platform.

The Bangka will set off to Malapascua island; this trip takes about 5 hours. Enjoy the beautiful scenery as you motor al the way to the northern point of Cebu Island. In the afternoon you will be making your first dive!

Upon arrival at Malapascua Island you check into the Malapascua Legend resort, here you will stay for 3 nights. Legend Resort is a comfortable boutique resort located right on the main beach of Malapascua island, it lies just behind the palm tree line, The resort opened in 2010 and boasts the only fresh water swimming pool on the island. Seaquest dive center have a permanent base on the premises of the Legend resort, this gives us the benefit of access to Nitrox tank fills, something you will really appreciate on the reefs of Malapascua. Extended bottom time is recommended. The island itself is a very easy going place. No roads, cars or other heavy traffic. Local villagers and dive resort guest are all that inhabit the small tropical island. Malapascua offers a good diversity of diving. The highlight is the Monad Shoal dive site, a cleaning station that served the elusive Thresher shark. It's the only know place in the world where you can actually hover over a sandy bottom and observe these elegant long tailed sharks patrol the reef. Take note: they are early risers these sharks, so you have to head out at the crack of dawn (ku-ku-luku!).. Lets go "Thresher shark diving!"

After the early morning dive with the Thresher sharks we head back for some well deserved breakfast and to rest for a while before we head out to the other dive sites scheduled that day. Malapascua has more to offer. You will find some wonderfully exciting macro creatures and critters during day and night dives. An array of nudibranch, seahorse, ghost pipefish, mandarin fish, blue ringed octopus, harlequin shrimp; these are just some of the critters that could be spotted. There is also a dive site called Gato Island, the Spanish named it like that because they thought the island has the shape of a cat. Here you can see white tip reef sharks sleeping underneath small overhangs or on the sandy bottom around the island. There is also a cavern swim through and inside the cavern you need to keep your eyes open because if you're lucky you could see a bamboo shark in there.

Today you leave Malapascua and head out toward Baybay, on the island of Leyte. You will spend a stop-over night in this bustling little port town. The boat ride getting there takes more or less 4 hours passing beautiful Calangaman Island, with its pristine sparkling white beaches. On the way we make two dives and once we are in in Baybay we will do a bit of sight seeing in and around a typical local market place. The night will be spent in this Filipino small town hotel named Palermo Hotel. The friendly staff welcomes you with the traditional "baybayanon" hospitality. The town of Baybay and the hotel are not a real tourist destination but that make this stop-over that much more of an authentic experience for you.

After breakfast we set sail for Kuting Reef.resort, this boat ride also takes about 4 hours and on the way me make 2 dives. Kuting Reef resort will be our home base for the next 4 day the resort is considered as one of Southern Leyte's most intimate secrets, it is situated in a private cove at Barangay Asuncion in the town of Macrohon. For many years, only a few people knew about the existence of a fine pebble beach within a 3-hectare property covered by Bermuda grass and planted with tall 30 to 40 year old coconut trees. Kuting Reef gives you an exclusive, luxurious and yet relaxed tropical resort experience.

From here we set out to visit the dive sites around Limasawa Island and to see what Sogod Bay will reveal to us. The bay is blessed with regular visitations by groups of whale sharks, these gentle giants visit here regularly from the end of October until the end of April to feed on plankton. There is a good chance you will see these mystic creatures but keep in mind its still Mother Nature at work here and we have no control over her, so with a bit of luck you will have this wonderful experience. With or without the whale shark presence there is of course a lot's more to see in Sogod bay and around Limasawa Island.

On the far side of Sogod Bay lies the world class dive site called Napantao. This large wall is considered one of the best in the Philippines; it drops to depths of 50 meters and is abundant with giant gorgonian fans. With the sun out this wall is absolutely impressive and when there is some current you have a good chance to see some large pelagic action here.

Limasawa, the island off the most southern tip of Leyte, was one of the places that the Spanish explorer Ferdinand Magellan visited in 1521. The reefs around the island offer excitement for divers; deep and dark, these walls plummet into the blue and are abundant with gorgonian fans and impressive table corals.

All in all the reefs in this area are spectacular! And "fingers crossed" there is always the chance to see a "Buntanding or Tuki". That's how the locals call the whale sharks.

On the last night, Kuting Reef restaurant will host the last group dinner. The next day we head back to the modern world and soon all will venture of in different directions, back home or on to the next dive destinations.

The dive-safari is winding down and after breakfast we head off back to the port of Cebu, four more hours of Bangka cruising, relax, take in the surroundings and enjoy the boat ride. Back in Cebu the Montebello Hotel is your last night's accommodation. The rest of the afternoon and evening is yours to spend as you like, there is no more group dinner tonight! City lights, shopping malls, pool side or snooze in the hotel room it's up to you.

If you're flying home you have to transfer to the airport of Cebu. If you're going somewhere else in the Philippines or extending your stay with us you probably have other arrangements.

Seaquest can offer extended stays at our other dive centers and resorts in Bohol and Moalboal. Please mention in your email that you would like to extend and we can offer you a tailor made package.

Divers insurance is mandatory. Please make sure you can provide us with detailed info about your insurance at the first gathering.

Of course this trip is also suitable for non divers and of course this would lessen the price. Please inquire for the possibilities

Diving in marine sanctuaries during this trip will demand an extra payment per sanctuary. Our estimation is that all in all the extras will add up to approximately Php 3,500 more or less EURO 65. We can’t give guarantees on these prices and if there is an increase we will update this page as soon as we know and otherwise we will inform you at the first welcome briefing.

There is the possibility to do the Nitrox course during your stay at Malapascua. We offer this course for a special rate of 7,900 Php / € 150

If you would like to dive Nitrox at Malapascua then the tank fills need to be paid directly to SeaQuest Malapascua. The rate per tank is 250 Php per tank/ € 4

We advise to bring your dive torch on this trip. If you want to rent a torch from us the rate is 600 Php per day/ €12 or 300 Php per dive / € 5

We strongly recommend that you use a dive computer during this trip. If you don't have a dive computer you might want to rent a dive computer from us the rate is 600 Php per day.

Also other dive equipment is not included in our package. If you need to rent scuba gear from us a full set of equipment (excluding dive computer) will be charged at 800 Php per day./ € 15

People with underwater photography cameras and video camera's need to take into consideration that there could be additional Marine Park fee charge. You will be informed about these charges on route and asked to pay the difference with the regular fee's.

All days are on Full board base (3 meals a day) excluding drinks. There are no drinks included in this safari. Alcoholic and non alcoholic.

We are dependent on weather and sea conditions trip could be altered due to bad weather conditions or other natural or overpowering circumstances.

Nitrox is only available at Malapascua and is an extra charge per tank of 4 euro

Minimum 6 divers to go ahead
Maximum 12 divers on boat