Malapascua Island has an impressive reputation for such a small location. The diving in Malapascua is most famous for its thresher sharks, but it is also one of our staff favourites. Looking for laid back long haul diving at affordable prices? Then look no further! The experienced dive team have an impressive reputation for finding the sharks. Discover beautiful reef diving on the local sites or take a day trip to one of the picture perfect islands of Gato or Calanggaman. Step ashore and forget your everyday stresses and strains as the friendly staff welcome you to their slice of paradise. It's time to relax!
The Exotic Resort is Malapsacua's original dive centre resort, and has not lost any of its charm as it has grown to provide an increasingly high standard and service. There are only 28 rooms on site, and we recommend the deluxe rooms or an upgrade, with either 1 double or 2 twin beds. the premier AC rooms are larger with two queen beds. The Suites and ocean suites rooms are close to the action, whilst the deluxe and superior rooms are set back from the main hotel buildings. All room grades have AC, mini bar, en suite and TV. Hot water in Malapascua can be provided by solar energy. Deluxe rooms grades upwards have a better supply to round the clock hot water.
Exotic resort has a beautiful beach front location. Step out of the dive centre and onto the white beach. The restaurant serves an mouth watering range of international and Asian dishes, so there is something for all tastes. The on site bakery means you really should leave room for desert. Breakfast is served buffet style. Book full board and you will receive a daily in resort credit allowance for lunch and dinner. Divers - make sure to stop for a massage to ease away those aches and pains before heading up to enjoy the sunset from the OneUp bar! So splash in and see for yourself why divers come back year after year to the Exotic Resort.
Tucked away on the northern most point of Cebu itself, the endless white beaches and lush tropical groves of Malapascua are only a short 40 minute boat ride from Maya jetty, which itself is about 3 1/2 hours from the international airport.
The spacious 21-sq-metre room comes with a twin single/double bed (subject to availability), with an individual controlled air condition, a fully stocked Mini bar that offers you snacks and drinks for refreshment while watching satellite cable TV, shower and with sliding doors that open onto a private balcony to enjoy the overlooking of the lush tropical flowers and garden.
The spacious 26-sq-metre room elegantly designed with a comfortable 2 queen sized bed, with an individual controlled air condition, a fully stocked mini bar that offers you snacks and drinks for refreshment while watching satellite cable TV, hot and cold shower and with sliding doors open onto a private balcony to enjoy the relaxed atmosphere.
Popuar international restaurant offers an extensive range of mouth-watering dishes from fresh salads and sandwiches served on freshly baked bread to local Philippine and international specialties. Our acclaimed breakfast menu offers a wide choice from homemade pancakes to freshly made croissants and is available all day long.
Beautiful view, great music, nice vibe, wide selection of drinks and snacks - there is no better place to hangout after a hard day of scuba diving, snorkeling or browsing around Malapascua. We invite all of you to chill out with your friends, socialize with other travelers or just simply relax in the cool breeze at One Up Bar - see you there!
We have 5 room grades: Superior (8 rooms), Deluxe AC (8 rooms), Premier AC (8 rooms), Suite (2 rooms) & Ocean suite (2 rooms)
View entry requirements here If you are fully vaccinated, you can enter the Philippines provided you: have acceptable proof of vaccination; have valid tickets for your return journey to the port of origin or next port of destination; your passport is valid for at least 6 months; have registered for an e-TRAVEL Pass prior to your arrival. The requirement to hold a return onward ticket is waived if you are a spouse and/or child of a Filipino citizen or a former Filipino citizen with balikbayan privileges. You are considered fully vaccinated if you received the second dose in a 2-dose series or a single dose vaccine more than fourteen (14) days prior to the date and time of departure from your country of origin. Your vaccine must either appear on the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) List or Compassionate Special Permit (CSP) issued by the Philippine Food and Drug Administration or have received Emergency Use Listing by the World Health Organization. Fully Vaccinated travellers do not need a Test for domestic flights The Philippines will accept the UK’s proof of COVID-19 recovery and vaccination record. Foreign nationals aged 15 years or older who are not fully vaccinated are required to present a remotely supervised or a laboratory-based rapid antigen test which is negative of COVID-19 and which was taken no more than 24 hours prior to departing for the Philippines. From 18th March, when you travel to England from abroad you: do not need to take any COVID-19 tests before you travel or after you arrive do not need to fill in a UK passenger locator form do not need to quarantine when you arrive This applies whether you are vaccinated or not. It includes people who are transiting through England. Updated 28DEC 2022
The Philippines is around 15-20 hours flight from the UK. Although composed of 7,107 islands (7,108 at low tide), with a total coastline longer
than that of the USA, most of the population of the Philippines lives on just 11 islands. Most travellers will enter the Philippines through Manila (MNL) or Cebu (CEB) airports.
The reefs are spectacular in the Philippines, with plenty of fish list buzzing around. Moalboal, Bohol and Puerto Galera are all super locations for reef divers. Snorkel with whalesharks in Oslob. Thresher sharks have made Malapascua famous whilst Sangat is wreck heaven. Love macro? Make a beeline for Anilao or Dumaguete. The selection of critters rivals anything you could find in Indonesia.
View entry requirements here If you are fully vaccinated, you can enter the Philippines provided you: have acceptable proof of vaccination; have valid tickets for your return journey to the port of origin or next port of destination; your passport is valid for at least 6 months; have registered for an e-TRAVEL Pass prior to your arrival. The requirement to hold a return onward ticket is waived if you are a spouse and/or child of a Filipino citizen or a former Filipino citizen with balikbayan privileges. You are considered fully vaccinated if you received the second dose in a 2-dose series or a single dose vaccine more than fourteen (14) days prior to the date and time of departure from your country of origin. Your vaccine must either appear on the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) List or Compassionate Special Permit (CSP) issued by the Philippine Food and Drug Administration or have received Emergency Use Listing by the World Health Organization. Fully Vaccinated travellers do not need a Test for domestic flights The Philippines will accept the UK’s proof of COVID-19 recovery and vaccination record. Foreign nationals aged 15 years or older who are not fully vaccinated are required to present a remotely supervised or a laboratory-based rapid antigen test which is negative of COVID-19 and which was taken no more than 24 hours prior to departing for the Philippines. From 18th March, when you travel to England from abroad you: do not need to take any COVID-19 tests before you travel or after you arrive do not need to fill in a UK passenger locator form do not need to quarantine when you arrive This applies whether you are vaccinated or not. It includes people who are transiting through England. Updated 28DEC 2022
The dry season in the Philippines runs from December to April, making it a popular time for divers. May and November are transitional months with air temperatures climbing. June to September is the wet season, as the weather becomes stormier. The Philippines dive resorts are typically well sheltered from the worst, but you can expect to experience rain showers.
Our holidays to the Philippines can be quoted with most major airlines. We are however able to book most major airlines. Popular options for the Philippines include Cathay Pacific, Singapore airlines, Qatar, Emirates, Malaysian, KLM and Etiad. If you would like to depart from a different UK airport (eg. Glasgow/Edinburgh, Manchester, Birmingham or Gatwick) or have a specific airline you prefer to fly with, simply let us know in your booking request. A supplement may apply for regional departures. Times and any applicable supplements will be confirmed by your travel consultant before you finalise your holiday. If you wish to make your own flight arrangements to the Philippines, let us know and we can remove the cost of the international flights from your quote. We are unfortunately not able to redeem airmiles on your behalf. Please do not confirm any flight arrangements yourself before your holiday is confirmed by us.
With a huge range of airlines to fly with, you can easily build in a stop over either on your way to or on your way back from the Philippines. Simply talk to your travel consultant about adding a stop over into your itinerary.
UK passport holders are able to obtain a free 30 day visa on arrival. Do ensure your passport has 6 months validity from your return date to prevent any issues with immigration. Do ensure your passport has 6 months validity from your return date to prevent any issues with immigration. It is your responsibility to ensure your passport is valid and you fulfil entry requirements. Regulations can change: please review current FCO advice: click here to review
Scuba Travel requires all of our customers to have diving insurance. Please make sure that you have appropriate cover for your diving activities. We also strongly recommend you have travel insurance. It's worth taking out travel insurance once you have paid your deposit to ensure you are covered for unforeseen events and cancellation.
Your covid proof of vaccination must match your passport name and flight ticket name. Please speak to your local GP or check out the latest NHS advice on updating your NHS details or for other travel immunisations: click here to go to the NHS
You will also be able to manage your booking online once you have been ticketed (after you have paid your holiday balance). Most airlines will now enable you to select your seating at this point. There may be a small charge for prebookable seating before online check in opens. Please speak to the airline for more information about charges.
As you are flying with a scheduled airline, you will be able to check in online with your airline. Please visit their website for more information about when online check in opens.
An airport lounge is a great way to start your holiday or to while away flight connections in comfort. Scuba Travel works with Lounge Pass to offer a huge range of affordable airport lounges around the world. click here for more info on Lounge Pass
Prebook your airport parking to save money! If you have a long way to travel, why not also look at booking an airport hotel. These aren't as expensive as you might think. click here for holiday extras
On arrival in your Philippines destination, you will need to clear immigration and collect your baggage. You will then be met outside of arrivals by a representative from your liveaboard or resort. Some reps are able to meet you airside. They will be holding a board with either your destination or your name on it. If you have any issues at all locating your rep, please contact us. We have an emergency contact, manned by a member of the team here in the UK. Please call 0044 7747 488 002. We will be able to help your rep locate you in the airport.
If you have a hotel en route please follow any specific instructions in your travel documents. Where possible, you will be met by a representative who will assist in taking you to your hotel. If using a shuttle service, please arrange your return shuttle time back to the airport at the hotel check in. Domestic flights are common in the Philippines and run frequently. Manila airport is a large airport with several terminals. If you have to move between terminals, please allow between 30 and 60mins to allow for local traffic. Please ensure you leave plenty of time for check in or transit between flights (usually 4 hours min). Domestic flights can typically only be booked with a 20kgs hold allowance as standard. Excess baggage costs around $2-$5 per kg per way. Hand baggage limits can be strictly enforced on domestic flights. Due to local traffic and road conditions, land journey times can be difficult to predict. We recommend you take water with you and keep any essentials in your hand baggage to make your journey as comfortable as possible.
At the end of your holiday, your return transfer details will be advised locally. On leaving the Philippines there is an airport tax of 750 PHP which must be paid in cash.
Please ask for a quote to add international flights from the UK to your holiday. We can book most major scheduled airlines including regional UK departure points
The peso is the national currency however in resort, US Dollars, Euros, peso (local currency), Visa and MasterCard can all be used. Please be aware you may be charged a surcharge to pay by card transactions. USD notes should be in smaller denominations, new and in good condition.
Phone coverage is generally very good around this area - please check with your phone provider about any applicable charges for the Philippines
All rooms are fitted with two round pin sockets (European standard) and the electricity is 220v
Kit hire can be arranged in resort and is paid for locally
PADI dive courses can be arranged - please ask for more information about pre-booking
The dive centre has a small, limited shop on site
Available
A typical deposit for a holiday to Malapascua is £500-£800 per person, although this will depend on your exact flight option and travel class. Larger deposits may be required for some flight options (eg premium economy/business class).
We accept mastercard and visa debit or credit cards. If you would like a pay by link to complete check out via email please let us know and it can be set up for you. We do not take AMEX. All non sterling card payments and UK business debit cards will be subject to the 3% surcharge. Alternatively, you are welcome to pay via bank transfer. Overseas bank transfers must add £8 to the sterling total to cover international handling fees. We are not able to accept PayPal transactions or personal cheques.
If you have booked as part of a group, you can still call and pay directly without needing to go via your group leader. Please have your trip reference number to hand to help us locate your holiday as quickly as possible. You will receive a transaction receipt - your group leader will forward your ATOL certificate and booking confirmation
Are you one of Scuba Travel's repeat customers? Over 60% of our customers trust Scuba Travel to book their next diving holiday, time after time.
And we believe you deserve a huge thanks for your ongoing support over the years, which is what our loyalty discount is all about! If you have booked directly with Scuba Travel, on your 3rd full price holiday you will automatically be eligible for a loyalty discount. That's all you have to do. No forms, no numbers to remember, no fuss, just a good honest price reduction. We are always happy to offer discounts as described below but these are not cumulative and we do not offer further discounts on special offer prices.
Repeat discounts are not cumulative and cannot be applied to special offer prices
Your holiday includes international flights from the UK, airport transfers, 7 nights deluxe room (full board, 2 people sharing). Full board works on a tab system. Breakfast is buffet style. You then have 1350PHP to cover lunch, dinner and soft drinks. As standard 10 boat AIR dives are prebooked - please ask to prepay for additional dives or nitrox A return transfer from Cebu airport to the resort is included
Any additional services in resort (spa, land tours, additional dives, kit hire, private guides, nitrox and special trips) are paid for in resort. Alcohol and some soft drinks are an extra charge. Local park fees 150PHP per day can only be paid in peso Special day trips, night dives, kit rental and any applicable nitrox or local park fees are paid locally. Please ask for a quote to add international flights from the UK to your holiday. We can book most major scheduled airlines including regional UK departure points Tipping is entirely at your discretion. We do not make recommendations as to how much to tip. Should you wish to leave a tip for the staff and crew, it should reflect the level of service you have enjoyed.
Malapascua is a tiny island in the Philippines with a big reputation that is all too well deserved. A diving holiday in Malapascua mixes up big fish sightings with macro and muck diving against a backdrop of flourishing soft corals. The star of the show are the thresher sharks at Monad Shoal. Normally shy and elusive, the Exotic Resort has a proven track record for getting you closer and witnessing behaviours seldom seen before! When you are not looking for the big fish, spend an hour or two on one of the many gorgeous reef dives. The macro is impressive and particularly good for nudibranchs in all colours, schooling cat fish, pygmy sea horses and even frogfish
Exotic Resort are proud to have been the first centre on the island to regularly dive with Malapascua's famous thresher sharks. They have even created a specialty focusing purely on these beautiful sharks. The dive centre has been recognised for their conservation efforts by the government and given a prestigious award to mark their hard work. Exotic Resort are the island's only 5* PADI IDC centre as well as well as being a fully technical resort with nitrox on tap too. So no matter what level of diver training you need, the hard working team will take you through to certification with a smile along the way.
Most divers will take their first breaths underwater at Malapascua on on of the nearby local reefs - North Point, Dakit Dakit, Buntong Bato. There is plenty of marine life, with a gently sloping seabed. Soft corals grow in abundance. Start your day with Monad Schoal and the lure of the thresher sharks calling. There are 6 boats on the ever expanding fleet. These are a range of traditional and stable bancas and speedboats. Dive sites are on average under 50 minutes from the resort but there are special trips arranged to the more remote Calangaman Island, Gato Island and Chocolate island.
This site is ideal to see the beautiful mating dance of Mandarin Fish. The best sights tend to be around the full moon, but the can been seen every night. Blue Ringed Octopus and sea horses can be found on the surrounding reef. This sloping coral garden a perfect to end the day with an incredible night dive.
A small island situated between Malapascua and Cebu, this site is a gentle relaxing dive. The undulating island walls gently taper towards a sandy bottom, elephant ears, barrel sponges, sea fans and soft corals cover the sloping reef creating an ideal habitat for nudibranch, sea horses, Spanish dancers and hairy frogfish, a nice gentle dive suitable for all levels of divers and a most for photographers.
A gently sloping reef from 8-12mts leads to a small wall dropping to 20mts where once more sloping reef continues to 30mts where a sandy bottom stretches outward. A wide variety of macro life can be found here including sea horses, frog fish and nudibranchs; a great dive for any level of diver and photographers.
The currents that wash this site creates a perfect habitat for soft corals, which grow in an abundance creating a colourful garden. Stunning rock formations and canyons create ideal hiding places for scorpion fish, frogfish and lionfish. Sea horses, nudibranches and flat worms can also been seen nestling within the coral branches. An interesting dive to suit all levels of divers.
Gato Island is a protected marine sanctuary. An almost guaranteed site to encounter sleeping sharks and sea snakes. Spectacular coloured soft corals cover this undulating dive site sheltering frogfishes, sea horses and nudibranchs. The area offers a great opportunity for both macro and big fishes. Advanced divers can dive the tunnel that runs beneath the island and where you can find sleeping white tip sharks.
Calangaman Island is a small remote white-beached paradise. The southern section offers sloping reef walls covered with soft and hard corals, the northern sites offer spectacular wall dives encrusted with black corals, gorgonian fans and giant barrel sponges. Schools of snappers, fusiliers and anthias can be seen congregating off the large drop offs. The deep walls offer every possible chance to encounter large sharks and rays. A great two-dive day trip is the way to enjoy this site. This is a special trip arranged locally.
Small island formations make up Dakit Dakit. some are below the surface where others can be seen from above. Stronger currents feeding a stunning coral garden and making a home for Nudibranchs, flatworls, pipefish and seashorses. A real Macro enthusiasts playground.
Monad is a massive pinnacle coming up from great depths up to 20. Here there is a good opportunity to see thresher sharks all year. The sharks visit the cleaning stations found on edge of the drop off at around 24 mt. Depending on the season you may also see manta and devil. The thresher encounter are normally between 22 and 27 meters making Monad Shoal a site suitable for Advanced divers only.
Situated off the northern tip of Malapascua this dive site offers a little of everything. Subject to strong currents a luscious soft coral garden thrives here, creating an ideal home for an array of different marine life. A small coral encrusted wall starts at 16 meters and drops down to 24 meters creating shelter for a variety of nudibranch species, flatworms and lion fish. A great dive for underwater photography.
An extensive range of incredible local Philippine and International dishes. A famous breakfast menu offering homemade pancakes, croissants available all day.
The first draft beer on Malapascua, served alongside special cocktails, fruit shakes and other beers and spirits. Happy Hour from 5 - 7pm!
Treat yourself to a fresh cappuccino, latte or even and iced coffee whilst chilling out in front of the stunning sea views.
Exotic Resort Malapscua are the original pioneering dive centre - get closer to thresher sharks and enjoy the warm welcome at this beach front resort
Call us or email to book
We are more than happy to help you, with any question you may have. Our travel advisors are waiting for your call or you can send us a message
Click here to MESSAGE us 01483 411590Tour Operator of the Year 12 times - Voted by you!
For 100% financial protection and peace of mind
Before during and after your holiday. 24hr contact support
House Reef
Skill level: Novice | Ave Depth: 10 | Max Depth: 15Exotic’s own protected area where the fish are plentiful, House Reef is not to be missed. Starting at 5 meters and gently sloping to 13, it’s a great place to work out the kinks after some time out of the water. Amongst the scattered coral and patches of sea grass, a wide variety of fish and macro life can be found. Artificial structures are everywhere, including coral encrusted jeepneys, large concrete and wire structures and a few old boats. This is an excellent night dive. In February 2008 Exotic House Reef received the Environmental Achievement Award issued from Project Aware.