Hippocampus Beach and Dive Resort
Malapascua is a haven away from the bustle that is the Philippines urban life. The picturesque beaches are lined with resorts and the sleepy interior houses the resort workers. And somewhere on the idyllic strip of sand is a laid-back resort that is both a sleepy tropical island destination and the ideal launching point for the area's world-class diving; Hippocampus.
You cannot mention Hippocampus without mentioning the food. Its inspiration comes from a number of European countries fused with Filipino cuisine. The result is delicious and possibly the best on the island. I still remember the Bruscetta. Yum!
We were there for 4 days with one purpose: to dive. Neighboring SeaQuest divers came to our room, grabbed our gear and took care of everything from there on. There is no shortage of help in the Philippines, making short work of the gear-rinsing tasks at the end of the day. Our favorite dives were the house reef with its muck critters, Deep Rock with loads of soft coral and pygmy seahorses, and of course the thresher dive. It was my first experience with Filipino diving and it was spectacular.
Getting to Hippocampus means jumping in a taxi and heading north to Maya which is about 3 hours away. From Maya you will catch a traditional banka style water taxi that will drop you off on the beach in front of Hippocampus. One word of caution: there are no ATM's on island and you are not allowed to tip by credit card, so bring plenty of cash to cover your stay.
