Malapascua does not have any bank, ATMs, official exchange bureaus nor post offices. Therefore it’s not possible to get hold of cash and the nearest bank is in Bogo, a town that is about one hour by bus from Maya pier (that is about half an hour by boat from Malapascua). We recommend that you arrive in Malapascua with enough Pesos, the local money, for your stay here.
The nearest airport is the Mactan Cebu International Airport of Cebu (IATA code: CEB). From the airport there are about 144 kms of paved road to get to the port of Maya, in the far north of the island of Cebu. Maya is 8 kms far from Malapascua by sea.
There are bus services and public ferries that allow, in about 5 and a half hours, to go from Cebu City to Malapascua. The bus service runs 24/7 and some buses have air conditioning: there is no official timetable, but the rides are frequent. The ferries operate from Maya to Malapascua from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and from Malapascua to Maya from 6:30 AM to 2:00 PM. Departures are every 30 minutes, but only if the minimum number of passengers is reached.
Tepanee organizes transfers at any time by private van and boat, reducing the travel time to about 3 and a half hours in all: our boats arrive and depart from our private beach, located inside the Tepanee Beach Resort area. Just contact our reception, please, for all the informations and to book the transfer.
The people of Malapascua are very kind and friendly. And they do have customs and traditions that can be different from ours. To show proper respect for them, please don’t go around the villages just wearing only a bathing suit: please wear at least shorts and a T-shirt. Furthermore, topless bathing and nudism are forbidden even on beaches, even though no one is likely to complain to you.
The island is about 3 km long and 1 km wide: there are no paved roads, only sand paths that stretch into the vegetation to reach the 8 existing villages. It takes about 3 hours to walk around the island. It is possible to hire a scooter, even with a driver, to move faster, though the hurry here is unknown. Walking tour is fun and interesting, people are very kind and kids love to be photographed especially if they are shown the photo.
