Pickup and transport from Cebu to Thresher Shark Divers
Getting here is stress free and easy if you let us arrange it for you.
We will arrange for a driver to meet you at the airport, your hotel in Cebu City or Cebu port and bring you to Malapascua Island by private taxi and private boat.
Prices are as follows:
| Number of People | Price Each Way PHP |
|---|---|
1-2 | 6,000 |
3-5 | 7,500 |
6 or more | 3,300 per person |
When you reach Maya port, you will need to check in at the tourist office, sign a boat passenger manifest and pay the government Environmental Fee of P120. Please also expect to pay the porter P20-50 per large bag to put them on the boat.
Transfers are done at our cost price, so we only arrange transfers for our divers. Total travel time is approximately 4-5 hours depending on traffic. From the airport generally expect it to take 6 hours from landing time.
It gets dark around 5:30-6pm, and the coastguard stops crossings between 4:30-5:30pm depending on time of year and the weather. So please let us know a soon as possible if your flight lands after 12pm and we will advise your options.
We can also make arrangements for transport to and from other locations in Cebu.
Public transport is generally easy though it takes longer.
Come by Yourself?
Cebu City to Maya Harbor (north tip of Cebu)
Taxi
4000-7000 PHP
3-4 hours
Standard airport taxi price is 4,800 at time of writing.
Bus
From Northern Bus Terminal
Non AC: 180 PHP
AC: 238 PHP
4-6 hour
Yellow Ceres or Rough Riders. Leave from Northern Bus Terminal.
The non-AC buses do not stop and take about 4 hours. The AC buses stop along the way and take 5 or more hours.
At the time of writing the non AC buses run every 20-30 minutes to and from Cebu. AC buses run every 1-2 hours. Hours are as follows:
Cebu to Maya: 1am to 6pm (no buses from 6pm to 1am)
Bus
From SM City Mall
P400-600
4-7 hours
From the airport: Take a “My bus” bus from the airport to SM City Mall, (P50) or take a taxi (metered, P100-200 approx.). Buses leave every 20 minutes between 7am-10pm from Arrivals in T1 and T2.
From SM City Terminal: Take a public bus or van to Maya. Black taxi vans are nicer ad have a larger seat with full air-conditioning. The older white vans are more cramped ad not as well cooled. But you may not have an option. There is another station for the black taxis, across the street from the terminal ext to the parking lot near Bayfront Hotel. Cost is roughly P350-400 to Maya, starting at 5am.
Maya Harbor to Malapascua Island
Private Boat
2000+ PHP
30 minutes
Price depends on time of day. They normally take you to the main pier but you can ask if it’s possible for the boat to take you to Thresher Shark Divers or your resort.
Public Boat*
200 PHP per person
P20 per bag
30 minutes
You will have to wait until the boat is full for departure. if you are on the last boat you may need to pay an extra charge if it is not full. You may also be asked if you want this option at another time.
There is no fixed schedule but in general boats leave:
Maya – Malapascua: 6am – 4:30 or 5:30pm depending on time of y ear (before dusk)
Malapascua – Maya: 6am-3pm
*Try to be in Maya before 5pm or you may have to stay in Maya or take a private boat. If you have porters carry your luggage, expect to pay 20 pesos per bag. If it is low tide, you will need to take a small boat to the main boat, this costs extra.
We are very centrally located on Malapascua. If you come by public boat, they will usually take you the main pier. We are just a few minutes walk. From the pier, turn right and walk straight until you get to the main beach and turn left. You can ask anyone where we are. Blue Coral is the big blue resort on the cliffs to the right of the beach as you face the sea. We are about 100m down the beach, the first two storey building you come to. Even if you are not diving or staying with us, feel free to leave your bags with us while you find a room. We are always happy to help travellers with information about the island and show you around the various resorts.
Quick tips if coming by yourself:
In Maya: The public boats may try and get you to pay the highest price they can. Boats have no fixed schedule and will leave when they are full and they have enough paying customers to justify the crossing. If you are happy to wait until the boat is full this should not be a problem. If you want to leave right away, be prepared to pay extra to account for the missing bodies. Beware of scams in Maya and don’t pay more that 2,500 for a boat crossing unless it it bad weather.
In Malapascua: avoid the ‘commissioners’ that meet the boat in Malapascua. They are paid to take you to certain businesses and may not know or give info about ay other businesses. TSD does not pay commissioners.
Please note that whilst we make every effort to keep information up to date, details may change at any time, so you should double check if you have a flight to catch or other deadline.
Other Transport Options
Cebu to Bogo by AC bus
V-Hire – air conditioned minivan. Leaves from SM or Ayala shopping malls
Bogo to Maya by Jeepney / motorcycle taxi / bus
Getting to Cebu City
Flights: Cebu-Mactan International Airport has international flights through Hong Kong, Singapore, Dubai ,Tokyo, Seoul, Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu (Malaysia), Taipei and Shanghai.
International Airlines:
- Hong Kong ( Cathay Pacific , Cebu Pacific, Philippines Airlines, Air Phil Express)
- Singapore (Cebu Pacific, Singapore Airlines, Air Phil Express)
- Kuala Lumpar (Air Aisa)
- Tokyo (Philippines Airlines)
- Taiwan (Mandarin Airlines)
- The Middle East (Emirates, Qatar)
- Shanghai (China Eastern Airlines)
- Korea (Asiana, Philippines Airlines, Korean Airlines)
International via other airports
- Other airlines arrive at Manila, such as Lufthansa and Ethiad. It is easy to get a connecting internal flight to Cebu, there are many each day. Excess baggage costs will probably apply, but the cost is usually quite low.
Domestic Airlines:
- Cebu Pacific,
- Philippines Airlines
Connections can be made through Manila, Caticlan (Boracay), Puerto Princessa (Coron), Clark, Iloilo, Davao, Surigao and other Philippine cities.
Ferries: There are daily ferries to/from Cebu and Manila, Tagbilaran (Alona Beach/Bohol), Negros (Dumaguete) and Leyte among others. Ferry schedules change often so reconfirm departure times you find online. There is also a daily boat from Leyte to Maya (departure approx 7am). There are ferries from other places as well, check locally for details.
- Superferry
- Supercat
- Oceanjet
Money and Payment
There is an ATM on Malapascua, but it is not reliable. There is also a service to send money that can do cash advances on card.
Only the bigger businesses accept credit cards.
Thresher Shark Divers accepts several payment methods:
Cash – Preferred currencies: Pesos, US$, EUR, GBP but we accept all major currencies. Exhange rate may vary.
Our online store.
Bank transfer – banks in the Philippines, UK, EU, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Canada, Hong Kong.
Wise.com, a very convenient and inexpensive new way of sending money.
Revolut
Credit cards – Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB (transaction charge applies)
Paypal – 5% transaction charge applies *
We also try to use the latest online processing methods. Contact us for info as these tend to change quite quickly.
* Minimum 4 days advance payment required for bank transfers.
Please note: The island exchange rate is not always very good. It is best to get pesos in advance if possible.