Moalboal is located on Cebu Island, a few hours drive from Cebu City, the capital of Cebu Island. Moalboal is famous for its beautiful coral reef with thousands of different fish and sea creatures. Moalboal is also home to the famous sardine run. So the main activities here are snorkelling, scuba diving and free diving and on land activities like canyoneering.
Stay here for at least 5 days to have enough time to do all the activities at a relaxed pace.
What to do in Moal Boal
1. Scuba Diving
There are mare schools to learn scuba diving in Moalboal. Here you can choose PADI certified school https://www.padi.com/diving-in/philippines/moalboal/ Scuba diving beginner course will take 4 days. And after the course you should rest 1 day before flying to your next spot.
2. Free diving
If you are not into scuba diving but would like to dive a bit deeper to see the coral reef, I would recommend taking a free diving course. Scuba skills will come in very handy throughout your trip in the Philippines as there are many coral reefs and ship wrecks around.
Start your stay here with a free diving or scuba diving course. If you choose to do scuba diving, you can do an AIDA certified introductory course (1 full day), beginner level (2.5 – 3 days) or combined introductory and beginner level (3-3.5 days).
I would recommend the combined introductory and beginner level as this will give you enough time to learn all the techniques and practice.
You can make the free diving course here at https://www.freediving-planet.com/
3. Snorkelling
If swimming underwater is not your thing, you can always go snorkelling. It is very easy, you just have to put on your mask and fins at your hotel or at the beach and go into the sea. A few metres from the beach the coral reef begins and you can start exploring.
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4. Sardine run
Sardine Run is also very easy to find. Approximately 10m from the beach, as soon as the coral reef ends, you will see the famous sardine run. The sardines are a bit deeper, about 5-6 metres, so if you want to see them closer you will have to free dive. This is where your free diving skills will come in handy.
5. Day trip: Whale sharks in Oslob
Should I stay in Oslob?
It is not necessary to stay in Oslob if you are staying in Moalboal. There are half day tours from Moalboal. The tour will pick you up very early in the morning so that you are in Oslob for the opening of the whale shark swim.
In Oslob there are not many activities other than whale shark swimming. The place is not touristically developed, there are not many restaurants or hotels. So I would not recommend staying there if you just want to see the whale sharks.
How to get to Oslob
You can take a tour to see whale sharks in Oslob. The tour can be easily booked at your hotel or at the tour spots near the beach of Moalboal. The whale sharks are there all year round, from morning to midday. The whale sharks are fed at this time, so it is not ethical as they do not find food on their own. So it is up to you to decide if you want to participate in this activity.
What to expect during the trip to Oslob
The tour starts very early in the morning. You will be picked up at 5 or 6 a.m. and driven for about 2.5 – 3 hours to Oslob. Once you arrive, you will be given your number in the queue. Expect a long wait. In the meantime you will listen to the rules of what to do and what not to do when swimming with whale sharks. (You cannot touch them as they are very sensitive and you cannot use sunscreen).
If the wait is long, your tour may have an option to go to the nearby waterfall.
When it is time to swim with the whale sharks, you will be taken on a small boat for a short trip of about 50-100m. You will be advised to stay within the area of your boat and the whale sharks will swim from boat to boat as they follow the boat with the food.
💡 Tip: Bring your own breathing tube and fins (can be rented in Moalboal), as Oslob only provides the mask.
This was an incredible experience to see the whale sharks in real life. They are majestic, huge creatures. Very peaceful. However, the amount of people who have come to see them is huge. So it is quite a challenge to swim with them without getting hit by a fin. But it is still an incredible experience.
6. Canyoneering in Kawasan falls
After exploring the underwater life of Moalboal, you can take part in another popular activity next to Moalboal, which is canyoneering at Kawasan Falls. This is a fun and adventurous activity. Here you will be hiking, climbing the rocks, jumping into the water while exploring the waterfalls.
The canyoneering can be booked as a tour at your hotel or other tour spots. The tour takes about 5-6 hours. All the necessary equipment like helmet, life jacket, water shoes will be provided by the tour.
7. Moalboal´s white beach
If you still have time and want to relax on the picturesque white beach, you can take a tricycle and in 20 minutes you will be at Moalboal’s white beach.
Getting around Moalboal
Most of your time in Moalboal will be spent on foot. Everything is within walking distance. If you do not feel like walking there are many tricycles that will take you to your destination.
Tricycles will also drive you to the Moalboal bus station or supermarkets, f.ex. Seven-Eleven.
Where to eat in Moalboal
There are many restaurants on the main street of Moalboal leading to the beach.
These are some restaurants where we have been and definitely recommend trying:
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