Battle of the Islands: Malapascua vs Bantayan

What happens when two beautiful islands lie side by side each other? What if both sit so close together that you're tempted into thinking that you can just swim to the other one? What if one is as beautiful as the other?

What if you had to choose only one? How do you decide?

We're nearing the end of 2011. Some are still squeezing the last drop of cheap holidays you can get from this year. But if you're like us, you probably have reached your travel quota (ours was largely due to our BIG Southeast Asian Trip!). But we won't let a trivial thing like that break us down, right? Instead, you're probably already planning your cheap holidays for 2012. Will you be traveling local or international next year? Warm or cold? To the beach or the mountains? 

The Sole Sisters' Malapascua-Bantayan Face-off

Choose your paradise: 

Bantayan (above) or Malapascua (below)?

Malapascua vs Bantayan, no holds barred. Like how we helped you choose between El Nido vs Coron and Bohol vs Boracay, once again we break down the pros and cons of these popular Cebu destinations to help you plan your holidays for next year. We give you the blow-by-blow, the play-by-play. Ok, I'm gonna stop with the boxing metaphors since you're probably past the KO point now.


Getting There and Away

Malapascua and Bantayan both lie off the North coast of Cebu. It's a smooth 3-4 hour drive from the Cebu North Bus terminal to get to the port, where you catch the ferry to the island. Better get your iPod+road trip playlist ready because it's smooth riding on the North highway, which for some unfathomable reason (read: vain) has been renamed after the current governor.

Just one important thing to remember upon getting to the north bus terminal, you need to take different buses depending on your destination. Hagnaya is to Bantayan Island what Maya is to Malapascua Island.

Got that? Didn't think so. Just repeat 100x or print out this article.

Round 1 update: Malapascua-1, Bantayan-1


Not All Beaches Are Created Equal

I only have 1 major requirement for a beach. Sand - pure, white and soft sand. Sand that digs softly in your toes. Sand, glorious sand that's perfect for laying around while you bake yourself to that golden brown color.

Malapascua Island has shores dotted with a mixture of sand, rocks and pieces of shells. Malapascua's sandy shore is like when you mix flour, peanuts and brown sugar right before you mix the eggs to make peanut butter cookies. Anyone else hungry after that yummy mental picture?

Bantayan Island has sand so soft your toes sink deliciously into it. If Malapascua's shore is like a peanut butter cookie mixture, Bantayan's shore line is pure confectioner's sugar. And that's the reason Bantayan wins this round. 'Nuff said.

Round 2 update: Malapascua-1, Bantayan-2


Underwater Pleasures

There are more than a dozen dive sites surrounding the island of Malapascua. One of the most famous one is Monad Shoal - the only place in the world where you can see thresher sharks every day. Yes, everyday! 

If thresher sharks are not enough for you, you can easily head on over to Gato Island to spot whitetip sharks calmly sleeping under rocks. Still not enough? What about a Japanese World War II landing craft? Or the Doña Marilyn passenger ferry that sank in a typhoon 20 years ago? Or another World War II wreck of an unidentified Japanese cargo wreck? There, that should do it.

Bantayan - If Malapasuca is blessed with world-renowned dive spots, Bantayan has zero to none. The island is not known for it's diving. There are snorkel spots around the island but no known dive sites, as of the mo. Most people come to Bantayan for the beach and the crystal clear waters.

Round 3 update: Malapascua-2 (Thresher sharks ftw!), Bantayan-2


Island Hoppity Hop-Hop

There are no shortage of islands surrounding both Malapascua and Bantayan Islands that are just begging for you to explore them. They're just a hop and a skip of a boat ride away.

Calanggaman Island: This island is actually part of Palompon, Leyte but it's easy to get there from Malapascua. This island is so picture perfect that it has been the chosen as the cover photo for Jens Peters' Philippine Travel Guide. 

Gato Island: This small island is a marine reserve and snake sanctuary that boasts of 5 dive sites. Better look out for those poisonous yellow garter snakes.

Chocolate Island: It's a shallow island that's perfect for snorkeling and diving. It's surrounded by soft colorful soft corals that's home to sea snakes, mooray eels and cuttlefish. 

Bonus: If you're as addicted as I am with jumping from things (Exhibit 1 and Exhibit 2), you can cliff dive from a height of 50 feet. That's the story of how my friend Ed's a$$ hurt after jumping from that height. Definitely doing this the next time I visit!

Virgin Island: White sand, turquoise waters, no hotels. What else do you need in life? Just a few sheets of peacock alley bedding! This island is just 20 minutes from Bantayan.

Paradise Beach: It's a little presumptous to call a beach the Paradiset beach, right? Everyone agrees that with this beach, it's a perfect fit.

Ogtong Cave: There's no need to get on a boat to get to this cave since it's just a tricycle ride away from the port or your resort. It's the perfect antedote to all that salty water you've been indulging in since you arrived in the island. 

Round 4 update: Malapascua-3, Bantayan-3

And in conclusion...

Photo Credit: marcovdc

If you are a diving enthusiast, then Malapascua Island is the perfect island to quench your underwater quench. Tresher and whitetip sharks, a hundred different species of fish and a couple of World War II shipwrecks, throw in a great diving community and you're all set for that ulitmate dive vacation you've been waiting for. When you're not diving, you can relax on the shores of the island. You'll rarely see anyone else for miles because most of them are underwater hanging out with those sharks.

Photo Credit: Eric Brian Ouano

On the other hand, if beach bumming, swimming and lazing around is your main goal, then Bantayan Island is the paradise for you. Malapascua still has problems with electricity, it's mostly off rather than on during the day. Although that didn't bother me one bit (since you can find me on the beach anyways), this might create a bit of a problem with your do-nothing-today plans. 

So, tell me which island gets your vote? Are you pro-Malapascua or a hardcore Bantayan fan? Or did you fall in love with both islands like I did?

'Til the next face-off,
Sole Sister Chichi

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