Day 1
Arrival day
Cebu
Land at CEB and sleep near the airport or north Cebu. Do not rely on reaching Maya before the last public boat unless the flight lands early.
Central Visayas · multi-stop dive trip
Malapascua, Moalboal and Dauin
Threshers off Malapascua, the Moalboal sardine school, then Dauin macro and an optional Apo Island day. Fly into Cebu and home from Dumaguete.
- Recommended
- 14 days · 13 nights · 9 dive days
- Bases
- Malapascua, Moalboal and Dauin
- Experience
- Advanced helps offshore
- Airports
- Cebu (CEB) in · Dumaguete (DGT) out
- Best overlap
- March–May
- Principal risk
- Long road and ferry transfers
Maya boats are weather-dependent. The long Malapascua–Moalboal leg should remain a transfer day.
Photo: Ivan Torres / Unsplash
Maya boats are weather-dependent. The long Malapascua–Moalboal leg should remain a transfer day.
Route decision
Do Malapascua first and fly home from Dumaguete
The Maya boats stop before dark. Sleeping in Cebu on arrival protects that connection. Finishing in Dauin avoids repeating the length of Cebu to reach the flight home.
When to go
March to May is the clearest overlap
All three areas dive year-round. March to May overlaps Malapascua’s preferred months with the drier windows around Moalboal and Dauin. Typhoon disruption is more likely from June to November.
Experience
Open Water works, but not for every dive
Local reefs suit Open Water divers. Offshore shoals, current and deeper profiles may require Advanced certification or equivalent experience. Confirm limits before booking thresher dives.
Choose the length
Eleven, fourteen or seventeen days
Your itinerary
The 14-day plan
9 dive days · 2 land days
This is the balanced version. It accepts the long Cebu transfer and protects the final no-fly day.
Malapascua
Days 1–5 · 4 island nights
Day 2
Transfer day
Cebu to Malapascua
ABAllow 3½–5 hours by road to Maya Port and 30–45 minutes for the boat. Cross in daylight and keep weather delays in mind.
Day 3
Two or three dives
Malapascua
Start with local reefs and use the day to check weighting and current comfort before an early offshore dive.
Day 4
Two or three dives
Malapascua
Dive Kimud Shoal if conditions and certification suit the group. Thresher sharks are reliable here, but no individual dive is guaranteed.
Day 5
Two or three dives
Malapascua
Keep a second offshore opportunity and add Gato Island or local reef diving according to sea state.
Moalboal
Days 6–9 · 3 nights
Day 6
All-day transfer
Malapascua to Moalboal
CDTake an early boat to Maya, then drive the length of Cebu. Allow roughly 6½–8 hours door to door and do not schedule diving on arrival.
Day 7
Two or three dives
Moalboal
Combine the sardine school with a local wall. The sardines are resident, although the school’s precise position and density change.
Day 8
Two or three dives
Moalboal
Use the second day for Pescador Island or another coast site chosen for current and visibility.
Day 9
Land day
Moalboal
Keep a non-diving day for Kawasan Falls, canyoneering or a quiet day on the coast. Book regulated activities locally.
Dauin
Days 10–14 · 4 nights
Day 10
Road and ferry
Moalboal to Dauin
EFGDrive south to Liloan Port, cross to Sibulan, then continue through Dumaguete to Dauin. Allow about 3½–4½ hours plus queues.
Day 11
Two or three dives
Dauin
Begin on Dauin’s sand and rubble sites. Slow down; the value here is small subjects rather than distance covered.
Day 12
Two or three dives
Dauin and Apo Island
Use suitable weather for an Apo Island day boat, or stay on the Dauin coast if the crossing is poor. Site access remains operator-dependent.
Day 13
No diving
Dauin or Dumaguete
Keep a full surface interval before flying. Move closer to Dumaguete if the departure is early.
Day 14
Departure
Dauin to DGT
HAllow 30–45 minutes by road to Dumaguete airport, longer in traffic or for a shared resort transfer.
Cost guide · 14 days
What to budget for
- Accommodation
- Price 13 nights across Cebu, Malapascua, Moalboal and Dauin. Island rooms rise around holidays.
- Diving
- Compare per-dive rates with multi-day packages. Marine sanctuary fees, equipment and nitrox may be separate.
- Transfers
- Public buses and boats cost less; private door-to-door transfers materially reduce uncertainty on the long Cebu legs.
- Flights
- Use CEB inbound and DGT outbound. Treat fares as live prices and book only after checking the ferry sequence.
International flights, equipment rental and optional private transfers are not included.
Add more time
Useful extensions
Siquijor
Add three nights after Dauin using a ferry from Dumaguete. Recheck the flight plan rather than forcing a same-day ferry connection.
Bohol and Panglao
Add four or more nights for Balicasag and a land day. Ferries connect through Dumaguete or Cebu depending on the order.
More Cebu
Add time before Malapascua for Mactan diving or after Moalboal for south-Cebu land activities.
Apo Island
Already possible as a Dauin day boat. Add a Dauin night if a second weather window matters.
Dauin guideKeep the final full day clear of diving
Every version protects a no-dive day before the flight from Dumaguete.
Sources & last checked
Checked September 2026
Research is source-backed, but conditions and fees should still be confirmed locally.
View 5 sources and checking notes
- How to get to Malapascua, Malapascua.ph
- Maya to Malapascua boat schedule, Malapascua.ph
- How to get to Moalboal, Municipality of Moalboal
- Dauin visitor information, Tourism Promotions Board Philippines
- 15-day Central Visayas diving trip, Dauin Diving Center
Note on the data: Public boat schedules and road times can change. Confirm the final Maya crossing and Liloan–Sibulan ferry before booking fixed transfers.