The Island Explorer

Moalboal is my Tagaytay in Cebu. If I use ant to escape the city, I usually end up driving here. Though it doesn't have the best beaches in Cebu, I love the vibe of the entire place. I have already featured Club Serena and Ravenala in the past. Now, let's take a look at another gem of Moalboal - The Dolphin House. The Dolphin House is located at the Bas Daku area, but it's not part of the shoreline. So it really is in between Bas Daku and Diot. But you take the road to Bas Daku to get here. The property is huge, and when you enter its gates, gardens of green await you. The resort is tropical in design and the rooms are in detached chalets. I love these types of resorts, wherein the rooms are spread out in garden paths. There is a pool but it doesn't look too inviting. It looked old, but it is still pretty decent. There are plastic pool lounges lined up by one side. The restaurant is bright and airy. It is actually the heart of the res...

I found myself back in Moalboal. It seems like it's my new favorite escape from Cebu City. I thought I could just go there and check in Ravenala, my choice of resort in the area, but when I arrived, I was surprised that it was fully booked. So I had to find another place. They recommended Dolphin House, which was also pleasant, but it was also full. So I had to go to Bas Diot more popularly known as Panagsama Beach, to look for a resort. We settled for this one. Tipolo Beach Resort is actually at the end of the strip of resorts along Panagsama Beach. This beach area has a very relaxed atmosphere. There are a lot of dive resorts, since Moalboal is known for its diving, which is centered in nearby Pescador Island. By being at the end, Tipolo enjoys solemnity. There are still a lot of resorts beside it, but the native design of this resort sold me to it. We got a room for P1,500 a night, with A/C and twin beds. The deluxe room cost a little more, P1,800, and had a queen sized be...

Club Serena is probably the most upscale resort in Moalboal. It is located in Bas Daku, just 100 meters from Ravenala Resort (where I usually stay). The place looks cozy, with the nice day beds scattered all across the resort. There are limited rooms, like 10 only, making it a quiet getaway. Club Serena has a swimming pool, which accounts for the higher price. The pool looks so inviting in a hot day, or after swimming in the salty beach waters of Moalboal. We happened to get into Club Serena because Ravenala had no more stocks for breakfast. So we had our morning brunch in Club Serena. The service took so long though, since there was only one wait staff to tend to all the guests. And the resort was full. Club Serena has a clean beach front. We even spotted a boat named Karylle docking (hey, K, you have a boat here!) Club Serena is a colorful resort, I guess with better room accommodations. We weren't able to check out the rooms, since they were all occupied. I heard that President ...

We didn't intend to stay in Panagsama Beach, which really doesn't have a beach. Again, think of Anilao. I was intent in staying in Bas Daku, a nearby beach, that was just like Panagsama before a typhoon changed its landscape. Bas Daku is around 6 km away via a narrow access road into the plain fields of Moalboal. Essentially, Panagsama and Bas Daku share one coastline. Coves and rocks separate them. But the difference between the two beaches are stark. Bas Daku has a lot of beach front resorts, having a white sandy coastline that extends for about a kilometer. It has a shifting sandbar near the resort that I consider the most well-designed in the area. Though not the most popular and high-end (that goes to Serena Beach Resort, which I will talk about in my next posts), Ravenala Beach Resort is welcoming and charming. I am a fan of resorts that blend well with nature. Beautifully landscaped and well-kept as well, Ravenala offers accommodation in comfortable nipa hut like cottage...

Moalboal is an easy and scenic two hour drive from Cebu City. You pass through the South Road (SRP) and head all the way to Carcar. You take a right at the junction in Carcar and go straight to the beautiful mountains of Barili. Just a side note, I think Barili has a great mountainous rural landscape that can become the next Ubud. After Barili, you pass through 4 other towns, before reaching the popular seaside destination that is Moalboal. Moalboal is known for one thing: diving. The center of dive universe in Cebu is found here in Panagsama. The laid back community has a lot of dive centers. Moalboal is the Anilao of the Visayas. A lot of foreigners and locals have their dive lessons here. Panagsama Beach in Moalboal doesn't really have a beach, so don't expect sandy shores. Instead, expect dead corals and rocks. The tide goes really high in this area, so during that time, there's even no beach. Nearby Pescador Island is the highlight of diving. I don't really dive s...