Moalboal Tour

Moalboal has been a haven for divers  attracting many across the globe because of its spectacular sardine run, rightfully earning it a place as among the top diving destinations in the Philippines. The great thing about it though is that you don’t have to be a diver to see it! Just about 30-meters from the shoreline, just at the drop off, with just a mask and snorkel, one will be awed by the millions of sardines swimming and circling, and at some point, move in unison as if to play catch with free divers. That alone is  enough to get tourists flocking to this laid back town, southwest of Cebu. And if you have want to summon  your inner “Jacques Cousteau” , there are  19 internationally recognized dive sites in the area to discover!

And there’s more to Moalboal as it hosts a part of the Tanon Strait  where 14 out of the 27 listed whales and dolphins in the Pilippines have been found (DENR,2019). Thus, a chance to see some dolphins is also part of what makes a visit more exciting! Don’t miss to swim with turtles, and frolick in white sand beaches too!

ITINERARY:

  • 3:30AM       –Pick up hotel
  • 6:30AM       –Snorkeling at Panagsama area
        • See the sardine run
        • Swim with sea turtles
        • Snorkel in coral area
  • 8:00AM       –End of snorkeling and and have breakfast at Panagsama
                          Area
  • 9:00AM       -proceed to Bas Daku Beach (longest stretch of white sand
                         beach in Moalboal) and go swimming, kayaking, or
                         snorkeling (kayaks, masks, snorkel and lifevest are available
                         for rent charged to guests)
  • 11:30AM     – Freshen up
  • 12:00NN     – Lunch @ local restaurant (charged to guests)
  • 1:00PM       – Depart for Cebu City with optional sidetrips
        • Carcar lechon tasting /chicharon pasalubong center
        • Taboan dried fish & pasalubong market
  • 06:00PM – Drop of at hotel

 

INCLUSIONS:

TRANSPORTATION

    1. Private use of duly registered airconditioned vehicle inclusive of driver and fuel.

 

TOURS

    1. Eco Tour fees for Moalboal tour activities
      • Snorkeling at Panagsama
        • sardine run
        • swim with turtles at Talisay Point
        • soral area
    2. Use of life vest, mask and snorkel (Note : Fins may be rented by guest at the briefing area.)
    3. Local snorkeling guide
    4. GoPro rental
    5. Bas Daku entrance fees
    6. Bas Daku cottage rental

 

OTHERS

    1. Chilled two (2) 500ml mineral water per pax
    2. Service towels
    3. Tour Coordinator to ensure safety and responsiveness to guests’ need.

 

EXCLUSIONS:

  • Meals and other items not mentioned in inclusions.

 

Tips and Reminders

  • Best to go on tour during weekdays to avoid the crowd.
  • Best to do it early morning when the sardine run are at its thickest.
  • Wear aqua shoes, rash guard and sun block
  • Bring underwater camera/GoPro. (If none, GoPros are available for rent near starting point)

IMPORTANT NOTICE:

Due to possible weather changes,  snorkeling activities may be suspended. In such scenarios, we wish to inform guests that no refund on the  used transportation will be given.

ITINERARY:

DAY 1 – EN ROUTE / FREE & EASY  
09:00AM Pick up hotel
12:30PM Lunch @ resort restaurant
2:00PM  Check-in @ resort
PM Free & easy @ resort / Basdako Beach
Evening  Dinner @  local restaurants @ Panagsama

 

DAY 2  
6:00AM Pick-up at resort and proceed to Panagsama area
6:30AM Snorkeling at Panagsama area to see the Sardine run, swim with turtles, and snorkel in coral reef area
8:00AM Return to resort and have breakfast
12:00NN Check-out & lunch @ local restaurant (charged to guests)
01:00PM

Depart for Cebu City with optional side trips

  • Carcar lechon tasting /chicharon pasalubong center
  • Taboan dried fish & pasalubong market
05:30PM

Drop of at hotel/airport

 

INCLUSIONS:

  1. TRANSPORTATION
    • Two (2) days private use of duly registered vehicle inclusive of fuel and driver.

  2. ACCOMMODATION
    • Overnight stay at either 2-star or 4-star resort
      • 2-star : aircon rooms with own CR, complimentary water, without breakfast
      • 4-star: aircon rooms with own CR, hot & cold shower, with breakfast and free use of facilities.e.g salt-water pool, kayaks, paddle boards
    • TOURS
      • Moalboal Panagsama Snorkeling Tour
        1. Use of lifevest, mask & snorkel
          • sardine run
          • Swim with turtles
          • Coral area
        2. Eco tour fees
        3. GoPro rental
        4. Local snorkeling guide/s
        5. Tips
  3. OTHERS
    • Chilled two (2) 500ml mineral water per pax/day
    • Service towels

 

EXCLUSIONS:

  • Meals and other items not mentioned in inclusions.

 

TIPS & REMINDERS

  • Best to go on tour during weekdays to avoid the crowd.
  • Best to be early at the sardine run area when the run is at its thickest
  • Wear aqua shoes, rash guard, sun block, may opt to bring own mask and snorkel for hygiene purposes.
  • Bring underwater camera/GoPro.

ITINERARY

DAY 1: EN ROUTE  TO MOALBOAL / RELAX & RECREATION
08:00AM

Pick up hotel

  • Optional side trips – Carcar Heritage Homes (century old houses),
  • Carcar Church (18th century)
12:00PM Lunch @ resort restaurant
2:00PM Check-in @ resort / Free and easy
6:00PM Proceed to Panagsama area for dinner at local restaurants. (on guests’ account)

 

DAY 2: SWIM WITH SARDINE RUN, TURTLES AND A CHANCE AT SEEING DOLPHINS, EXPLORE THE REEFS
06:30AM

Register @ Tourism office & proceed to  island hopping

7:00 AM

Moalboal Island Hopping

  • Dolphin watching (chance sighting)
  • Snorkeling at Pescador Island
  • Swim with Sardine  and sea turtles at Panagsama area
11:00AM End of Island hopping
12:00NN

Lunch @ local restaurant (charged to guests)

1:30PM Free & Easy at resort or learn or do a fun dive!
3:30PM Proceed to Basdako for more swimming, snorkeling, kayaking (mask, snorkel, life vests and kayaks are available for rent charge to guests)
5:30PM Dropoff @ hotel
  •  

 

DAY 3:

FREE & EASY / EN ROUTE TO CITY

AM

Free and easy at Resort

12:00PM Check-out & lunch @ local restaurant (charged to guests)
1:00PM

Depart for Cebu City with optional sidetrips to “pasalubong centers”

  • Carcar lechon tasting /chicharon pasalubong center
  • Taboan dried fish & pasalubong market
5:30PM Drop off at hotel/airport

 

INCLUSIONS

TRANSPORTATION

    • Three (3) days private use of duly registered airconditioned vehicle inclusive of driver and fuel

ACCOMMODATION

    • Two (2) nights stay at highly rated 2-star (w/o breakfast) or 4-star resort (with breakfast).

TOURS

    • Moalboal Island Hopping Tour
      1. 3-4 hours private use of pumpboat for island hopping
        • Dolphin watching area
        • Pescador island for snorkeling
        • Snorkeling at Panagsama for sardine run, swim with turtles and see a wide variety of fishes, corals
      2. Free use of life vest, mask and snorkel
      3. Eco tour fees
      4. Boatmen as snorkeling/ swimming guides
      5. Tip for boatmen
      6. Light breakfast served on board boat
    • Bas Daku Beach Tour
      1. Entrance fees
      2. Cottage rental

OTHERS

        • Chilled two (2) 500ml mineral water per pax/day
        • Service towels

 

EXCLUSIONS

  • Meals and other items not mentioned in inclusions.
  • Dives

Moalboal boasts of  19 internationally recognized dive sites with varying submarine topography. While mainly of steep wall dives, there are muck dives, a plane wreck, and a few coral gardens that add to the variety of the experience. When on limited time in Moalboal, there are a a number of sites dive enthuriasts can prioritize.

 

Pescador Island

Average journey time: 20 minutes
Average temperature: 27 degrees
Average visibility: 40 meters
Accessible: All year
Min certification: Open Water
Min depth: 10 to 12 meters
Max depth: 45 to 55 meters
Best known for: Cathedral cave
May see: Numerous  hard and soft corals, giant nudibranchs, butterfly fish, Frog fish, electric clams, tuna, whalesharks, hawksbill turtles, green turtles, moray eels, barracuda, and whitetip sharks

Sardine Run

Average journey time: None, house reef
Average temperature: 27 degrees
Average visibility: 20 meters
Accessible: All year
Minimum certification: Suitable for beginners
Minimum depth: 3 meters
Maximum depth: 55 to 65 meters
Best known for: the sardines
May see: Millions of sardines, numerous hard and soft coral, Frog fish, Barrel sponges, Tuna, Jack fish, whalesharks, moray eels, hawksbill turtles, green turtles, thresher sharks

Airplane Wreck

Average journey time: 15 minutes
Average temperature: 27 degrees
Average visibility: 40 meters
Accessible: All year
Minimum certification: Open Water
Minimum depth: 10 to 12 meters
Maximum depth: 45 to 55 meters
Best known for: The small aircraft wreck
May see: Gorgonian sea fan forest which is host to some macro critters including the mantis shrimps, squid, pigmy sea horse, angelfish, ribbon eels, black and whitetip sharks, eagle rays,

Tongo Marine Sanctuary

Average journey time: 10 minutes
Average temperature: 27 degrees
Average visibility: 30 to 40 meters
Accessible: All year
Minimum certification: Open Water
Minimum depth: 5 meters
Maximum depth: 55 to 65 meters
Best known for: Lots of small caves and crevices
May see:  Being the  best site for spotting Hawksbill turtles and Green turtles, Nudibranch lovers haven, also a good site for macro organism, and at sunset you might find some mandarin fish.

Narc Rock

Average journey time: 5 minutes
Average temperature: 27 degrees
Average visibility: 40 meters
Accessible: All year
Minimum certification: Deep Diver
Minimum depth: 40 meters
Maximum depth: 65 to 75 meters
Best known for: The tip of narc rock
May see: In the deeper parts divers may see eagle rays circling, with the occasional appearance of a whitetip shark, just a few meters back from the rock is the vertical wall of balay reef, which is home to even more marine life.
 
White Beach
Average journey time: 10 minutes
Average temperature: 27 degrees
Average visibility: 20 to 30 meters
Accessible: All year
Minimum certification: Open Water
Minimum depth: 6 meters
Maximum depth: 45 to 55 meters
Best known for:: The coral garden in the shallow part of the dive are incredible
May also see: Impressive densely packed hard and soft coral between 10 and 5 meters. Also home to millions of critters, large scorpion fishes and some sleeping turtles.
 
Saavedra Cave

Average journey time: 15 minutes
Average temperature: 27 degrees
Average visibility: 30 meters
Accessible: All year
Minimum certification: Cavern Diver
Minimum depth: 20 meters
Maximum depth: 26 meters
Best known for:: The flora around the entrance
May also see: Gorgonian sea fans close to the entrance host some pigmys, inside the cavern you will see lots of shrimp, lion fish, scorpion fish and encrusted coral adorning the walls

Tuble Cave

Average journey time: 15minutes
Average temperature: 27 degrees
Average visibility: light beam
Accessible: All year
Minimum certification: Intro to cave and Deco Procedures
Minimum depth: 16 meters
Maximum depth: 37 meters
Best known for:: Twin chambers
May also see: Inside the cave lots of encrusted coral, shrimps and some eels. Outside the cave, where divers complete their decompression, the wall is a great macro site, move slowly and check in all of the crevices for critters.

Sunken Island

Average journey time: 45 minutes
Average temperature: 26 to 27 degrees
Average visibility: 40 meters
Accessible: All year
Minimum certification: Advanced + 50 dives
Minimum depth: 26 meters
Maximum depth: 40 meters
Best known for:: The tombstone and surroundings
May also see: A pinnacle poking out of the sand, it draws some impressive fish numbers to it. Most notable is the number of large lionfish, that make the island home, keep an eye out for large fish in the blue, strong currents make this a challenging dive.

TIPS & REMINDERS

  • Best to go on tour during weekdays to avoid the crowd.
  • Best to be early at the sardine run area when the run is at its thickest
  • Wear aqua shoes, rash guard, sun block, may opt to bring own mask and snorkel for hygiene purposes.
  • Bring underwater camera/GoPro.

 

IMPORTANT NOTICE

Due to possible weather changes,  snorkeling activities may be suspended. In such scenarios, we wish to inform guests that no refund on the  used transportation will be given.

CANCELLATION POLICY

  1. ACCOMMODATION: Should you wish to cancel your booking for whatever reason, an email request shall be sent to our email address at least 72 hours prior tour date at [email protected].
    1. Cancellations must be made at least 72 hours (3 days)before the check-in time and date indicated on the reservation for full refund or transfer to a new schedule of the deposit or reservation fee.
    2. A cancellation fee per night per room would be charged for cancelled bookings made less than 3 days before the check-in date. Exemptions may be discussed with Management but are made on a case-to-case basis.
  2. TRANSPORTATION & OTHER TOUR RESERVATIONS : Should you wish to cancel your booking for whatever reason, an email request shall be sent to our email address at least 72 hours prior tour date at [email protected]. Full refund less minimal agency fees representing administrative work done shall be deducted from refundable amount.