Moalboal hotels & places to stay

I was pleasantly surprised by the hospitality of the staff and the overall attention to detail in ensuring that our stay in Moalboal Tropics would be a totally positive experience. The room was very very clean, the aircon worked well, the towels and beddings were new and smelled good, the water pressure in the shower was strong and yes, there was a brand new heater for added comfort. The hostel opened just last year and during our stay (in July 2016) the owners were adding a huge swimming pool which would be operational in two months. But the best asset of Moalboal Tropics were the staff who went out of their way to make our brief stay as comfortable and memorable as possible. When we came back late from our Osmena Peak tour, they did not charge us for the late check-out. The location of Moalboal Tropics may be a bit secluded, around 5-minute walk to the Main Road and a 5-minute tricycle ride from the local mall (Gaisano Mall, which has a grocery and a McDonald's!). But the owners have a tricycle which could pick you up and bring you around town, such as Panagsama Beach (for divers) and Basdaku Beach (for beach lovers) for a fair price. And by the way, I didn't hear the house dogs barking at all (this, as a comment to the previous reviews written here). Congrats and more power to the owners and staff of this lovely pension house!

Loved my trip to Moalboal. We went in order to dive (there's not much else to do). Quo Vadis is a great locally owned dive shop and a nice selection of accommodation. We went for the cheapest garden fan room which was brand new and had good beds with a clean hot shower. The rooms got a little warm as there's not much breeze getting into them. For a little extra the AC bungalows also looked nice. Only negative is the roosters start crowing at 5am and don't really stop, so don't expect a lie in, but I think it's the same pretty much everywhere in moalboal as it's still quite rural. Hotel has a nice pool and ocean view restaurant. The included breakfast was great, probably the best I had in 10 weeks of SE Asia. The scrambled egg is very tasty. Loved being able to leave my room and walk 30 secs to be in the dive shop. Their dive boats then leave from a small "jetty" 20m from the shop.

Great big family room that was clean and well equipped with kitchen and bathroom necessities. We only stayed one night but wish we could have stayed longer. We had a big balcony with lounge chairs and steps leading out to the beach. Close to restaurants and dive shops. 5 star deal on the hotel. Note on the general area (nothing to do with the Hotel but good to know): The beach in Moalboal although beautiful and clear waters, was not as sandy as I was told and hoped. This area especially, Basdiot, is really a diving and snorkeling/island hopping spot. The beach has very short white sand/beach area and in some spots, rocky. We drove to Basdaku to get better beach but that was still not as white sand beach as I had hoped. Also, holy week was just a nightmare in the overall area.

We only stayed here 1 day, and the weather was a bit cloudy. But nevertheless we made the most of it and rented a boat, through the hotel; went snorkelling, sardine fishing and even saw and Touched a sea turtle! My partner an I have recommended your hotel to friends we have met.. and are arriving there in a few days (an Australian couple) our room was lovely - room #1 We stayed at the front overlooking the sea and the pool. It was clean and beds were comfy. Altho we had to sleep in a twin room. The night life is walking distance (panangsama road?) and we had a blast!! Go to chilli bar, they do great pizza and the grilled chicken burger was so good! Definately recommend to anyone. Only problem was finding an ATM. If u are from the UK and have a visa u need to go to LANDBANK ATM in moalboal. Every other ATM would not work. Rent a moped from Georde Flores, he lives near Bonita Oasis resort (tel: +63 920 494 4657) and is the friendliest guy! We will definately return to moalboal!

This was our first stay at Dolphin House, after visiting another hotel in Moalboal before. This year we stayed for 9 nights over the Lunar New Years holidays, with the hotel being fully booked. Moalboal is not as developed as many other areas, thus protecting some original flavour, not being too touristic. The conditions for diving are great; this is true for the diving spots and for the offerings by Dolphin House with very supportive dive masters and good equipment. Dolphin House has a beautiful location and the whole area is well planned and in a very good condition - which obviously requires a lot of housekeeping and effort. Dolphin House is not a cheap place for holidays, but you get good value for money. We took part in one activity (Pescador island boat tour and Kawasan waterfall - great!) and the dolphin watching, as well as 2 times massage. If we have to make one suggestion for improvement it would be for dining; we did not always like the offerings for dinner, having to select between 1 Fish meal and 1 Meat offering and a vegetarian offer (which we never chose). The food was always fresh and well prepared, but we have enjoyed better taste before. Except for one evening we however decided to eat at Dolphin House since this is very convenient and the environment and atmosphere there is simply great.

Great value for money. Amazing location - next to the top dive shop, best restaurants in Moalboal and right on the beach. The room was clean, the beds were comfy, the staff was accommodating and let us check out after our dive. The mini bar items were very reasonably priced and there was even a water cooler in the room. The "Sardine Run" and "Turtle Bay" attractions are RIGHT IN FRONT OF the hotel. There are a lot of turtles. Tip: Don't go on the "Island Hopping" excusion because 2 out of the 3 sights are right in front of the hotel.

We chose this hotel because we didn´t want to stay directly in Moalboal city proper. To get there, you can take a bus and a tricycle. This resort sits at the end of White Beach above a small ridge. In front is the house reef which is quite amazing for snorkelling. The rooms are basic, but equipped with an aircon and sufficient. At low tide, you can walk over to the wide, white and sandy beach. The resort has a nice atmosphere and while dining outside, you can enjoy the calm or the view over the ocean. For your relaxation time, they even have a pool table, some books and hammocks. The managers were very attentive. Diving with the associated dive centre was easy, nice and convenient. The dive equipment is in good condition and the dive guide is a German. If you like it more calm and informal, this might be the perfect stay for you. Finally, you can rent a motorbike to get to Moalboal where you can find various restaurants and cafés.

Couldn't have asked for more! Moalboal Beach Resort was able to provide a great weekend getaway to a solo backpacker like me. I enjoyed the scenic views the resort has to offer- the lovely beach, clean pools and their green luscious forestry and garden. On top of that, all the staff were warm and accommodating. Add that up to the fact that the resort's owner was hands-on in taking care of the business and its customers. I commend Nic for developing his private property and eventually opening it up to the public after few years. You will definitely enjoy staying in Moalboal Beach Resort! 5 star experience for a budget travel. ^.^

Great place to stay in Moalboal, very friendly and accommodating staff. Love the ocean breezes and our bed was super clean and comfortable giving us a well needed rest while traveling the island. Complimentary breakfast was awesome and serving size is more than adequate. They upgraded my family to a bigger room with a tv so our son could watch cartoons at no extra charge. Will always stay here when in Moalboal. Two thumbs up to the Bonita Oasis Beach Resort and their staff.

Sea Turtle House is a beautiful property on the sea front. You can walk down steps to the water and plunge into the clear pristine waters. Corals can be found right in front of the property but better corals are found about 50m out where the sea floor falls sharply into the deep blue. Numerous sea turtles can also be spotted from the hotel. The staff of Sea Turtle House are amazingly warm and friendly. Nenita, Arlene and ChaCha were extremely helpful and hospitable, arranging our transport, trips and food. We used Sea Turtle House as a base for our activities in Cebu. The hotel arranged diving with Savedra Dive Shop which offered free pickup to and from Sea Turtle House. Diving off the Moalboal coast is average - the best part of it is spotting the occasional turtle and swimming through the huge school of sardines off the Panagsama jetty. We also took a day trip for swimming with whale sharks at Oslob, swimming at the beautiful Tumalog Falls and hiking to the Kawasan Falls. Another activity we did from Sea Turtle House was island hopping. The staff can arrange it for you. The whole boat costs 3000 pesos, so it makes sense if you can share it with other guests and split the cost. The boat will take you to Pescador Island for snorkeling, then to the Panagsama house reef to see and swim with the "millions of sardines" and to various spots along the Moalboal coast for snorkeling. It's a half day activity that is fun and relaxing.

It was a four-hour bus ride from Cebu City to Moalboal. We were dropped off Gaisano Moalboal. Tricycle drivers in the area know how to go to the hotel (150php for three persons). We arrived at around 7 in the evening with the receptionist waiting for us at the door. We were served with mango juice and wet towels to freshen up. The cozy ambiance of the lobby/mini living room was well worth the long trip! Our room was comfortable for three people. Waking up to the sound of the waves and the view of a beautiful beach was like a dream. Bathroom was shared but trust me when I say that it is VERY clean, it felt like our own. Breakfast in front of the beach was divine. We didn’t get to try anything else but their breakfast meals (those are free, which is also nice!) because there are many restaurants (eateries/carinderia) and bars around the hotel. There is also a spa nearby which we tried after our canyoneering activity in Badian. We checked out a little later than 12pm. They were kind enough to allow us to stay until 1pm since we got back from our island hopping late and needed to shower before leaving. Just the vacation we needed from school and work. Thank you for providing us a great two nights stay. We won’t hesitate to book again the next time we visit South Cebu.

This was our 2nd trip to Moalboal and we are so glad we stayed at Kasai - so much so that we ended up staying 5 nights instead of 3. The resort has heaps going for it -perfect size -extremely well run dive centre (they even offer tech diving) -lovely dive masters and boat crew, especially Alex -large dive boat -spacious comfortable rooms -yummy restaurant -good location just outside town but within walking distance -lovely warm staff -good sized pool Its one of the more expensive resorts in Moalboal but worth it. Moalboal diving is not exactly thrilling especially for the 2nd time (except for the sardines which I could dive everyday). Tip for diving sardines - go early 7am as not crowded and can have a chance to see bigger fish feeding. Also the diving is too busy - although it seems to be the norm for Philippines diving :( But Kasai made it fun.

I love this place and the people here. I've stayed in three spots in Moalboal now, the others much more expensive, but this is where I'll return. It's much more convenient, bring just steps from "town". (The one tiny walkway past stalls and places to eat and drink.) One caution: Saturday night. The single nightlife activity for this small beach town is their Saturday disco. It starts at 11pm, is an alcohol and pounding bass frenzy, and is just two doors down. Better to join the party than try to sleep!

I stayed in two different rooms at Maya’s, Eco 1 and Eco 2, in September, 2014. They were both air-conditioned and each had a double bed and a single, with ensuite bathrooms. They were very spacious, with plenty of space for a family or a few divers with all of their gear. The staff were very friendly and went out of their way to take care of me. In fact, when I showed up there with an ear infection, Rose helped me find a local doctor and set up an appointment, then took the time to go with me, just to make sure there weren’t any language problems. Super nice people! Also, Christen will give you a very relaxing, reasonably-priced, hour-long massage in your room, which is a great way to wrap up a day of diving. The kitchen menu was quite varied, with many tasty international options. My favorite dishes were the Mexican lasagna and the schnitzel. Diving/snorkeling is very convenient. There are a couple of dive shops/resorts less than a 5 minute walk from Maya’s. Panagsama Beach is 5 or 6 km from Moalboal, so you will need a motorbike or a motorbike hire if you want to go into into town. There is a mall with a supermarket in Moalboal. There is also an ATM, a 7-11 and they are currently building a McDonald’s that should be open by Nov 2014. Just a heads-up about one thing. There is a disco just down the road from Maya’s. One night a week, Saturday night, that disco goes until 3AM. If you like discos, then you are in luck, but if you just want to get some sleep, bring your earplugs. I would definitely recommend Maya’s and look forward to staying there again.

We absolutely loved this place. It was by far the best place we stayed during our 2.5 weeks in the Phillipines! The resort itself is fantastic. All rooms are facing the ocean just a couple of meters away. The grounds are well kept and have lots of small areas where you can sit and relax and enjoy the view or get a fantastic massage. You can go diving/snorkling right there in front of the hostel or take advantage of the daily tours that they arrange for underwater adventures further away. The place has a restaurant/bar that is manned 24hrs and can provide you with almost everything your heart desires. But what really makes the place stand out is the people... The owner, management and staff there are simply amazing. From the second we arrived till the moment we left they provided us with the best possible vacation we could want. Always happy to help plan events or make necessary arrangements and overall just really cool people to be around. We never lacked anything :) We really can't recommend this place enough. Our only regret is that we didn't stay longer. If you are planning to go anywhere near Moalboal on your trip to the Phillipines this is the place to go. Thanks for a great stay! Lauge & Karina

Moalboal T Breeze is affordable paradise for everyone, whether you need stay on the cheap in a native-style cottage or prefer air conditioning for a bit more comfort during the summer. We stayed in the best accommodation - the Boat Cottage. It is a separate structure that has beautiful wooden double doors that lead to a lovely covered patio that is facing the beach. The patio has a table and chairs for sitting and watching the water. Inside the cottage there is a sitting room and kitchenette with a refrigerator, stove, and sink. The bedroom has AC with a large bed and a single bed. There is a table and shelves on which your things can be stored. There are also two nightstands, which is nice when you have two people who like to read. The bathroom was larger than expected and included a shower. The service at T Breeze is amazing. They have found the perfect combination of providing what you want and need and giving you space. The staff is fabulously accommodating without being annoying or hovering. They do not ask you every five minutes if you need something, allowing you to enjoy the peace and harmony of the resort. If you like to chat, they are more than happy to entertain you with stories about the area and useful information about where to go and what to see. At the same time, if you would rather sit and watch the water, that’s okay also. The atmosphere is very relaxing; with hammocks strung in strategic shade throughout the garden area that includes many trees, flowers, and plants. There are raised paths all around, making it easy to walk through the gardens. After the staff, the next best thing is the food! We tried many of the dishes and could find no fault. We had the best chicken mango curry, tomato basil soup, and fruit pancakes ever. Every single dish was amazing. If you are on a time frame, make sure to order in advance. It can take more than 30 minutes to get your food since everything is prepared when you order it. Trust me; it is well worth the wait.

Had a great stay at Allergia. A bit overpriced. Free breakfast was basic but is exactly what you would get as a western breakfast in town, but tasted better because it was included. They also had some Asian noodle options that were included too. Location was a quick 5 min walk into Panagsama Beach area- I was really happy with it but remember that there is more to Moalboal- we sort of stayed in the Panagsama bubble and then it was time to leave before we realized. The pool at Allegria after a day in the sun and salt water was super refreshing and nice to have as an option. Rooms were good-spacious and clean. Staff were helpful if we had any questions. No complaints! Would definitely stay here again if I went back. Food tips- Get the pork sisig and ginger chicken rice porridge (I think it’s called lugaw or arroz caldo) at Vens Kitchen- this by far had the best food in Panagsama area! Smooth Cafe has the BEST coffee hands down and soy milk as an option which is hard to find!

Stayed there Saturday to a Sunday night and there was super loud music just 10 /20 meters away from the place. It was a party hall which had a party on with music late after midnight and you could hear everything from the room. Room otherwise was good and seemed very new. Everything you needed and also aircon. One major thing to criticize there was quite a smell that came from the bathroom which was not nice. They need to do smth about it! Wifi was ok did not work very well in room. Staff was very friendly and helped me with an early morning check out and booked a tricycle for me

I must say that this is close to the dock area for Moalboal activity center. If you're really in a tight schedule and wish to be somewhere near the activity center of Moalboal this is a place to be. The activity center is like 10min. walk (brisk walking) They serve breakfast at 7:00 am to 10:00 am. The room has: - hot and cold shower - hygiene utilities - towel but they don't have slippers. The facility has free hot and cold water anytime. There's a water dispenser every corner of the facility. Please don't expect too much in the room because its really simple and the surrounding is quiet and you can really sleep and relax. I recommend this for people who are a BUDGET TRAVELER. The mother of the owner allowed us to take a bath and change clothes in their restroom area even if we already checked out from our room. She's really kind.

Although we had a difficult time finding the hotel to begin with (hopefully the accurate location is now being shown online) we couldn't believe how amazing this place was. Conveniently located to walk to the main strip of bars & restaurants, yet far enough to be peaceful & thankful for such a beautiful sea view. Alvin ran the hotel & he couldn't be more helpful, he organised our diving (right next door with Blue Star Diving) our transport back to where we can get the bus. The room was immaculately clean, relaxing in the evening with the sea breeze as the sun sets & sleeping to the sound of the crashing waves was amazing. The room was spacious, with beautifully weaved wall panels. Despite a frustrating start trying to find the place we were super happy with Isla Bonita & would highly recommend the place.

The resort have exceeded my expectations. It was indeed cozy considering that there are only 5 rooms, its like having your own pool, resto and beach front. The rooms were clean, the utensils were already washed unlike most resorts, the fridge was clean and everything inside the room were functioning, freshly washed and ready for use. I love the veranda and the hammocks the most, the staff were accomodating except for the wife of the owner who was stiff. She could use a little smile when welcoming visitors. All in all, we were very satisfied except for one thing: it didnt have visible markers leading us to the resort. We were on a convoy of 2 vehicles and we got lost. We went around moalboal for almost an hour trying to locate the place, had to ask so many people and it was such a hassle. When we finally got to the last corner, there we noticed the small, faded marker leading to the resort which was just right beside the very large marker of another resort. If you have a poor eyesight you might moss it. The owners need to do something about this.