Where to work?

Our recommendation is:

Getting and accommodation with good wifi. As the majority of accommodations nowadays provide wifi to their guests, it’s a matter of finding one with a good connection, and with the island’s internet reputation, finding a decent enough connection is to settle for. One recommended co-working space on the island is Evolution Diving Resort, where you can combine work with diving adventures, enjoying both productive workdays and memorable underwater experiences.

The next best thing would be to find a cafe or restaurant that has wifi and won’t mind if you stay a while. There are a couple I would recommend, one being Ocean Vida, a restaurant with a beach front view which makes working remotely a little more relaxing hearing the waves crashing onto the shore. If a cafe vibe is more what you’re looking for, DevoZen Cafe is where we recommend, it’s a cozy cafe also near the beach, that provides not only good coffee, but also a strong wifi.

As the internet on the island tends to be a bit spotty at times, I wouldn’t recommend fully replying on your hotspot as a backup.

Where to stay?

If you stay in Malapascua just for a night or two:

Why not stay north of the island where there are less people.

Stay for a week or longer:

We recommend staying on the south part of the island. This is where all the main stores and food places are and will make it more accessible to you in the long run.

There are plenty of accommodations to choose from in Daanbantayan, some a bit more pricey than others but there are resorts like Shark Tail’s Dive resort that is budget friendly, at times going as low as 400-800 Pesos a night.

If you aren’t that tight on budget, you can choose a

hotel or resort on the beachfront which is usually where the more expensive accommodations are because you get that wonderful sea view.

Some of the more pricey accommodations tend to have more amenities like a private pool and/or their own restaurant, as well as being a few steps away from the beach.

The nightlife on Malapascua is little to no existing so there isn’t much of an area we could recommend for you to be near the nightlife.

What to do?

Stay in town:

To be honest, there aren’t many activities to do on the island that don’t involve the sea. As Malapascua Island is known for its world-class diving spots, that’s what you’ll most likely be doing while you’re there.

One of the main activities that you can do while you’re on the island is visit Monad Shoal; this area is famous for its thresher sharks that you can have the honor of scuba diving with. Thresher sharks can be spotted here daily, all year round so you are guaranteed to spot one while you’re diving.

If sharks aren’t your thing, why not stick with swimming through the marine life of Bugtong Bato. This reef slopes down from 8 meters to 12 meters and leads to a drop reaching 30 meters deep.

Scuba diving will usually cost you around 1,700-3,500 Pesos depending if you’re doing it through a lesson/tour or just borrowing the equipment.

However, if scuba diving really isn’t your thing, then I suggest heading over to Lighthouse beach and snorkeling around the reefs there; you can also swim to their Japanese shipwreck that’s close to the shore and shallow enough for snorkelers to see the skeletal remains.

By Boat:

Kalanggaman Island: 1.5-2hrs boat ride away and for 300-500 Pesos environmental fee this beautiful island of Leyte where you can relax and try other activities. If on Malapascua Island, all you do is diving and snorkeling, on Kalanggaman you will get to try kayaking around the island. Another tourist favorite that I guarantee you haven’t tried is aqua biking which you get to try for ~300/hr. You will have to pay an environmental fee when

Gato Island:

Around 45 mins north west from Malapascua is Gato Island, which is a popular dive spot because of the abundant sea life that their marine reserve homes to. The main attraction of this island is its underwater cave where you can swim across whitetip reef sharks if you decide to swim through the tunnel and also large schools of fish. If you don’t want to dive through the caves, the surrounding area itself is already breathtaking with the beautiful rock formations and lush corals.

Where to eat?

Of course, that highly depends on where you stay.

I will focus on the central, North-Western area as these are where most of the food places are.

Even though there aren’t any of your typical malls on the island, Malapascua does have a small food hub where you can go if you’re not quite sure what to eat. The Beach Hub is a small area near Bounty Beach where local food stalls are set up where people can try all kinds of food. They also have allocated seating areas so guests don’t have to stand around to eat their food, they can enjoy their meal sitting down at a table, out in the open.

One delicacy that we recommend you try at least one if you come across it is sea urchin. You’ll typically find this at a local eatery that serves seafood, the wet market or even sometimes just along the beach where locals sell them from their fresh catches.

For vegans / vegetarian diets:

One of the best places where you will find Vegetarian and vegan options on the island is Ristorante Angelina, an Italian restaurant. We recommend this place for its variety of authentic Italian dishes that will not let you down with its taste and the cost.

They not only provide great mains but they also have gelato for you to try and which I insist you try; after your meal, you can take a stroll on the beach in front of the restaurant or relax in their outdoor seating and order a couple of drinks.

Like a local:

Bakhaw Kiwi is a local eatery in the center of Daanbantayan that serves Filipino food. You can try all the typical Filipino dishes here that are cooked per order, not like some places where everything is already prepped out. You get to enjoy your budget friendly, low-range priced food in a homely establishment making you feel like you’re just visiting your parents for a meal.

For a date / with a view:

Slightly overlooking the west coast of the island is Amihan. This restaurant serves Italian cuisine and seafood platters that are fresh and locally sourced. We recommend this place to eat for its amazing outdoors view that looks over Logon Beach; if you do plan to go here, I suggest during sundown so the heat isn’t too much and unless you’re planning to get a tan while having your meal. For the meal and view that you are served, they are budget friendly with a mid range price.