My Malapascua Solo Backpacking Trip (Abridged Version)

Note: For some reason, I decided to write an abridged version of the supposed two-part topic. See below.

I've gone to Malapascua last week. The bus ride was around 4 hours just to get to the port of Maya in the town of Daanbantayan in Cebu. Maya is said to be the northern tip of the island.

Buses are never a problem. There are a lot. The bus I took was suppposed to leave North Bus Terminal at 4AM, but surprisingly it left the terminal 20 minutes ahead of the schedule.

When we arrived at the port, there were just less than 5 passengers waiting for a pumpboat bound for the island. Boatmen don't take passengers of this number; they wait until headcount reaches 10, at least. I was told that only a few pumpboats sail to the island after 2PM because passengers during this time are fewer to none.

The pumpboat left the port past 8AM and I felt jittery. When we got closer to the shore, I could see the immense beauty of the shoreline. It was clear, clean and cyan. I could have jumped off the pumpboat if not because of my bag I had with me. Darn.

There were people standing on the shore who were members of a local tourism group; I recognized their shirt uniform and the I.D. they were wearing. Two of them led me to where BB's Lodging House was located. This lodging house is not an expensive kind. The two local tourism guys offered me some snorkeling and island hopping activities but I politely declined. I just wanted to wander the whole island and relax. Maybe I'll take their offers next time I go there.

Food is never an issue as there are many restaurants to choose from. The cheapest foods are served at Ging-ging's Restaurant. Price range is between 60 pesos to 200 pesos. My lunch there only cost me 125 pesos. Can you believe that? Mabuhay Restaurant is also a good choice but a bit expensive than Ging-ging's. A decent lunch there starts at 250 pesos. Unlike Ging-ging's, Mabuhay Restaurant is on a beachfront. I ate there twice because I like the view of the beach while eating like a royal. Haha!

I also went to Ocean Vida Resort where they have Happy Hours promo everyday from 4PM to 6PM. It's a buy-one-get-one promo on their drinks. It's a cool place to stay while watching the numinous sunset. You might want to try out their pizza. I ordered one for supper and it was delicious.

I'd like to thank the following blogs and websites for some helpful information they wrote about Malapascua Island:

www.thepinaysolobackpacker.com
www.tripadvisor.com
soloflighted.com
www.ilink.ph
www.lakwatsero.com
www.beyondcebu.com
www.thetravelingdutchman.com
backpackingwithabook.com

And I'd like to thank the team that inspired me to touch the world beyond our walls, Team Adrenaline Romance.

Update: Below is the breakdown of my expenses.

Bus @p163.00 per trip	326.00
Pumpboat @p100.00 per trip	200.00
Room	600.00
Island tour	150.00
Lunch @Mabuhay Resturant	325.00
Happy Hour + Dinner @Ocean Vida	575.00
Breakfast @Mabuhay Restaurant	150.00
Lunch @Ging-gings Restaurant	125.00
TOTAL	2451.00