Hello,
Im now home from the trip of a life time! In July-August 2012 I arrived in Malapascua to complete my EFR, Rescue Diver and DMT with Xtreme Gap. I was still relatively new to diving, being only AOW since 2010, but I wanted to learn and gain more experience in diving.
Malapascua and Xtreme Gap did more then just teach me, they showed me a new way of life as they surrounded me with brilliant and amazing like-minded diver’s and Instructors that were always helpful,knowledgeable and professional.
The Diving in Malapascua is truly amazing, from diving sights like Pantaw-Pantaw to see the pigmy seahorses to getting on the early morning dive to sea the beautiful thresher sharks.
The staff always have safety in mind, and although there is minimal crime on Malapascua, there was a guard at both entrances for customer safety.
I ended up closing in on 100 dives whilst in Malapscua doing these courses, so for for 3 courses, accommodation and unlimited dives, for the money its a bargain and if I could do it again i would.
My last review of this place is how welcoming the staff and instructors were and how many of them became and still are good friends and though my experience with these people (and all the locals and the island) has made me consider going on to the Instructor level and even living as a pro-diver, and Malapascua could easily be the place to live out that dream
Thank you very much for all the help you guys provided and support given by emailing and corresponding quickly.
Best Wishes
Eddie
Malapascua is not around the corner. You have to travel quite a long way…but once you arrive in Manila,in the Philippines the adventure starts. From here you fly through to Cebu, (we can arrange pick up from the airport). About 4 hours plus an amazing boat ride later you arrive in paradise.
Tranquil white beaches, friendly people (here they are truly amazing and lovely), the wonderful weather, the crystal clear water, the palm trees…wow! I added some pictures in this post so you can judge for yourself. I, Debby (owner of Xtreme Gap) visited this place before putting it on our website. I visited many countries, places, islands, dive sites…but this island is so nice, it might even be the nicest island I have ever visited.
I loved it: the people in the Philippines and also on Malapascua are super friendly and because the second language here is English it is easy communicating with them.
The island is really small so you get to know it fast. The resort we work with is very comfortable, and I feel the best resort on the island. The restaurant is on the beach!
The locals live in the middle of the island and have their kids and animals running around, they love to meet new people. Also they have little bars and karaoke nights! The coastlines have nice restaurants and little bars. Nothing too crazy but hey, there is always a way to make your own little party!
And the diving…well it is not easy to spot the main attraction, because you need to get up at 6 am, but it is absolutely worth the effort! The Thresher Shark! Joining the dives later on in the the day you can get a super relaxed lunch on one of the beautiful islands! Pff hard work!
Check out the pictures, and let me know when you are ready to join the Divemaster course in Malapascua!
when you have been bitten by the diving bug, you will understand why it is so exciting to see rare marine life swim interview out of the deep. Sharks in particular hold an incredible fascination for me, being one of the top predators in the ocean, majestically streamlined, Kings of the underwater realm they are absolutely magical to dive with. There are hundreds of species of shark all over the place, many are very rarely seen due to them living deep down in the ocean, the thresher shark named because it has a huge whiplike tail, is no exception to this rule.
The thresher shark can be 6 m long, depending on the species (there are three different types of thresher shark) however half of the thresher’s body is made up by its impressive and distinctive tail. The thresher shark is listed as in danger of extinction, so it is a great privilege to be able to see one when you dive. If you want to see one, one of the best places to go diving with them, is in malapascua in the Philippines, a small and stunning tropical island, in Cebu province. This is the location for our shark dive master programme, which due to being a course running for several months gives you the best opportunity to encounter Threshers.
Threshers were discovered there about 10 years ago, by our partner dive school, and they are usually found that just one dive site called the monad Shoal. This is a giant underwater pinnacle, which peaks out at 30 m, with a big flat top, about 100 m² in size, the edges of the pinnacle drop-down to about 200 m, and it is believed that the Threshers gather at the top of the pinnacle to be cleaned just after the sun comes up. It is in effect a thresher shark cleaning station, making it the ideal spot to hover over and observe the Threshers.
I have dived the monad Shoal about six times, and on only one occasion caught a glimpse of a thresher in the distance. Other divers on my dive were lucky enough to have been with them for the majority of the dive, so luck does play a big element of whether you will successfully counter them.
To see them you have to get up very early in the morning, well before sunrise, and then enter the water just as the sun comes up, there is a feeling of nervous excitement and anticipation on the boat as you gear up. Will you see them? Will you not? It’s quite a buzz. Imagine seeing a 6 m shark swim out of the blue towards you, pass within a couple of metres of you, it’s huge thresher tail sliding right past your face! Pretty thrilling stuff, and not your typical dive.
On days when you are not lucky to see the Threshers, there are plenty of other things to see. A lot of unique sea life is found off the shores of Malapascua, it is a favorite destination for documentary film producers, with lots of incredible macro Marine life.
if you are into the idea of spending a decent amount of time diving, living the life on a tropical island (one that is far enough away from the typical backpacker trail) then this is the place for you.
Want exclusive access to tonnes of free travel guides written and edited by Xtreme Gappers on plenty of different destinations? Then like our fan page and you are good to go. We take a lot of pride in discovering, reviewing and writing about some of the most exciting travel activities out there, in our travel guide section you can find all the details.
We are constantly publishing new guides so you can subscribe to the library to get notifications of when new ones are released, might give you something to look forward to when you are back off your travels!
If you would like us to write a guide on one of our destinations or activity then let us know through the face book comments system below.
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We have guides on traveling to Oz, Guides on Kilimanjaro, Guides on staying safe and how to best prepare for your travels. This is not the kind of watered down crap you find in the lonely planet.
We hope you enjoy reading them as much as we enjoyed writing them. Oh you will need flash to view the guides too. Sorry Ipad people.
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Pretty exciting news! The new Xtreme Gap Year brochure is ready! If you have not already requested it click the image below.
The last year has been pretty busy for the Xtreme Gap team researching even more incredible places to go and finding even more special activities for you to do.
Really exciting experiences that you just can´t do at home. Travel that is not only benefits you personally but gives you something seriously cool to write home about.
The brochure is interactive, giving you links to videos, galleries and reviews so you can get inspired about ways to escape the doom and gloom of the News and dreary weather at home. There is another way people (and it starts by clicking the brochure link below).
Have a happy and adrenaline fuelled adventure!
So you are planning on setting off on a round the world adventure? Good for you!
I love travel and all the exciting things that go with it, and have assisted many people in planning the ultimate round the world trip-
By way of introduction, my name is Oliver Bray and I am one of the founders of Xtreme Gap Year, I take a very hands on approach with our customers and their travel plans (if needed!)
I have been on a lot trips in the past (68 countries and counting so far!) and pretty much been to every continent (well not the 2 poles) with work and for pleasure, so I do have some experience in round the world trips, and all that goes along with it.
Many people really don´t know where to start when it comes to planning a huge trip, understandably so, as there is so much to see and do, so I have created a series of newsletters that can help give you some guidance when it come to planning your round the world trip.
If you are planning on that once in a life time exodus, then check out our round the world section. Customisable itineraries taylor made for you, vetted and researched by us. Sign up on this form and we will send you information on planning your trip Including:
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Firstly some things to think about! Planning a trip is a pretty exciting experience, all the place you can go and all the cool things you can see. The people you will meet on the way from all over the world, and the totally amazing adventures out there that await you, but like many you may be wondering where to start.
Most people have an idea of roughly where they want to go before they set off, knowing certainly helps because it enables you to research flights a lot easier, and once you have a route in mind you can get to the really fun stuff. However if you don´t know, start with an Atlas or Google Earth (there is a google earth plugin on the home page of our site – check out the big map). Think about places you have seen on the TV that are of interest and ask your mates where they would recommend!
Your personal budget will make a difference as to where you can go, Africa and Asia is a lot cheaper than Australia and New Zealand, but they all are a very different travel experience. So think about what you want to get out of the trip!
If you want more of a cultural experience head to Africa, Asia or South America, if however you want more of a party and action sports scene, check out Australia and New Zealand and the USA. Just remember the golden rule! Don´t be too greedy! You might have limited time away and spreading yourself too thin can lead to too much travel – sometimes it is best to enjoy somewhere for a while!
Sometimes you can combine both quite easily, like Asia and Australia and New Zealand, other time you will find it is a lot more expensive to add on certain continents to a round the world itinerary. In my experience South America always adds on a significant amount to flight prices so consider where you would really like to go carefully and weigh up the pro´s and Cons. Don´t get me wrong South America is a truly amazing place, but probably worth exploring on its own trip, rather than bolting it onto a round the world trip for instance, especially if you have limited time or funds.
Here is a check list, write it down on a piece of paper, buy a little notebook to scribble down your ideas and do your budgeting, or if you are really nerdy sign up to google documents and start planning your trip saving your stuff online (handy to access anywhere on your travels).
Firstly When can you go? So you may just want to drop it all and head off tomorrow, great if you can, but if you are unsure it helps to set a date! Plan you departure on the flight prices and weather (seasons) at your intended destinations. The most popular time to set of on a round the world trip from the UK is After January 21st. Why? The weather is miserable in the UK and the flight prices have decreased after the Christmas holidays.
Remember if you are heading to the Southern Hemisphere, the seasons are reversed, and if you are heading somewhere Equatorial, to watch out for Monsoon seasons.
Secondly how much realistically can you save? Money is the life blood of travel, the more you have the more you can do, so work out what you can save, and cut costs like there is no tomorrow. £10 goes a long way in Asia! Once you work out how much you can save this gives you an idea of your total budget and what will be realistic. Remember you will always spend more that you think, so double your estimate. May seem like a lot, but it is pretty realistic.
So there you go, and action plan to get you started, with plenty to think about. If you want lots of further tips and hints sign up to this newsletter it contains lots of advice on finding good flights and travel insurance then its on to the fun stuff, some kick ass ideas for your trip…on that note be sure to join our facebook group for access to photo galleries, videos and ideas for travel options!
A whale what? Shark? A Whale Shark, surprisingly neither a Whale or a shark, but in fact the worlds biggest fish. If you are lucky enough to swim with one of these, then you will have the buzz of your life!
Whalesharks are seasonal, but there are some great places to swim with them. This video was show swimming with a Whaleshark in Koh Tao in Thailand, but another place you can see them is in Mozambique, on the Whaleshark diving programme and Whaleshark conservation project.
On the Thresher Shark Divemaster Course in Malapascua you get there by flying into Cebu. Cebu is assessable by low cost carrier Cebu Pacific from Manila. At Cebu, you will be picked up by private car and taken to an awaiting boat. Destination Malapascua: an incredible tropical island, famous for its superb diving and laid back Island life.
The drive takes about 2 hours and it pretty stunning, through Rice paddys, tropical jungles and plantations.
This vide tells you a little bit about the transfer and shows you what you can expect when arriving in Malapascua for the first time. Fair warning though, once you arrive you will never want to leave!
During the Philippines Dive Courses (Including IDC and Divemaster) you stay in a beautiful beach side resort-
You can stay here at our newly updated resort. This is situated on the resort only a 2 minute walk to our private beach. Built with you in mind, they are comfortable, brand new and with a shared bathroom.
In between dives you have the island of Malapascua to explore, with its white sandy paradise beaches, amazing snorkling and a sea crystal clear.
There are a fair number of little restaurants on the Island, catering for all tastes and budgets. Night life is cosy but not over the top.
Check our website for diving options in Malapascua.
Malapascua is a little tropical island in the Philippines, which is pure white sandy beach paradise. If you are looking for a picture perfect tropical island to while away a few weeks or even months then you would be hard pushed to find a better spot in Aisa. Much like Thailand in the 80´s it is unspoilt, one of those places on earth that is just so perfect.
There is not loads going on there, but that is the charm, a few beach bars and dive schools, but really nothing more is needed.
Under the pure turquoise seas there is a growing attraction luring backpackers to this little piece of paradise, because Malapascua is the best place in the world to dive with the Thresher Shark. This particular species of Shark is very distinctive having a huge tail but hard to find as usually they live at 200 metres. On our Philippines Thresher Shark Divemaster programme, you can really get some amazing exposure to them as you will be diving in search of them everyday. We also run selective date IDC´s in Malapascua, so if you are looking to become a Scuba Dive Instructor, then this is a great option.
When Xtreme went to Malapascua, here is what found:
