The Ultimate Guide to Moalboal

Have you been planning on visiting Moalboal in the Philippines for a while now and have finally come around to researching your trip? Then you will know the internet is saturated with information on this topic.

My husband Phil and I created this blog post extravaganza to help make planning your trip to the Philippines super easy. This comprehensive Moalboal guide will breakdown the must-see’s in Moalboal but also link to our other must-see’s in the Philippines including Siquijor, Coron, Bohol, Nacpan and Port Barton (notice El Nido is not on that list – click here to find out why). The posts are packed to the brim with everything we learnt on our month-long trip and include some super helpful time and money-saving tips.

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Why Visit Moalboal
What to Do in Moalboal
Moalboal Sardine Run
Moalboal Sardine Run Video
Kawasan Falls
Where to Stay in Moalboal
Where to Eat in Moalboal
How to Get to Moalboal
How Long to Spend in Moalboal

Why Visit Moalboal

Moalboal is a cute and chilled beach town on the island of Cebu. Approximately 3 hours drive from Cebu City you will reach Moalboal and have access to two of the most beautiful natural phenomenoms – Moalboal Sardine Run and Kawasan Falls.

What to Do in Moalboal

Moalboal Sardine Run

Ever wanted to snorkel with hundreds of thousands of fish? Then look no further than the incredible sardine run in Moalboal. One of the most amazing experiences we have ever had underwater was snorkelling through hundreds of thousands of sardines. Watching their huge shifting shoals parting ways as you head through them is incredible. Just 50 meters from the shore you can be snorkelling or diving in no time at all. Unless you look below the surface you would have no idea that this beautiful thing is even happening.

The best time to see the Moalboal Sardine run is in the dry season between November and May. The sardines are there all year round, but these months provide the best viewing conditions.

Moalboal Turtle — Turtle swimming in Moalboal sardine run

The best way to find these sardines is to swim out from in front of the Chili Bar to the edge of the reef. As soon as the reef drops off you will find the sardines. We also had our closest turtle encounters in the same area so keep an eye out in the shallows. Check out this video we made of our encounter here:

Moalboal Sardine Run Video

Kawasan Falls

Moalboal is a great base to explore Moalboal’s equally famous Kawasan Falls. Enjoy your scenic 40-minute scooter ride from Moalboal or Badian and reach the much-photographed and stunning falls. After you pay the 200php entrance fee and walk a short distance to the main falls you will be swimming in the bright blue fresh waters of this stunning waterfall. It does get crowded fairly fast so we think it’s best to arrive early if you want a more peaceful experience. We arrived at 8 am and there were people there, come midday the families arrived with picnics.

Once you are done with the main falls make sure you make your way to the jungle trek to the upper falls. On the way, you will find other waterfalls and pools. Once you arrive at the upper falls you reach a rope swing and natural rock slide with more awesome lake swimming.

2024 UPDATE: It seems that access to the upper waterfalls is now restricted to those wanting to go canyoneering only. We did see lots of people doing this and it does look like a lot of fun so if you want to see the rest of the waterfalls, this would be a great way to do it.

Popular Moalboal Activities

Do Not Swim with Whale Sharks in Oslob

Swimming with Whale Sharks in Oslob is a popular activity in many guidebooks and internet guides, however, environmental groups and government organisations warn against it.

Tourists are led to believe whale sharks live in the wild in Oslob, with tours taking hundreds of tourists a day to view them in their “natural” habitat.

The official conservation status for these whale sharks is vulnerable and declining. Naturally, these sharks are migratory and mobile – now picture 100’s of tourists in the water swimming and touching these animals which are fed by locals to keep them in the small bay for the purpose of tourism.

Not quite the life the whale sharks are used to. The unregulated practices in Oslob have led to behavioural changes in the sharks. They now rely on feeding from the fishermen and associate tourist boats with food. They will probably never venture into the open ocean if this continues to happen.

According to studies by independent groups, up to 95% of the boats and swimmers in Oslob fail to abide by the rules that stop close interaction with the species. As thoughtful travellers, we should be aware of these practices and do our best to avoid them.

There are many travellers who are aware that the practices are not right but might really want to experience them anyway so will put their conscience aside. However, there are many other ways to experience the Philippines’ amazing ocean wildlife in its natural habitat with accredited companies.

Want more general Philippines travel info – read our Ultimate Philippines Travel Guide here.

Where to Stay in Moalboal

Soul Travellers 9.2/10 Rating

Based just a short scooter ride from Moalboal town, Soul Travellers in Badian was a fantastic quiet getaway from the main busy area. Having the use of a kitchen was a bonus and scooter hire from the owners worked out great to explore the sights of Moalboal.

Jocelyn was a fantastic host and helped organise and plan our stay. We had a huge private double room but they also have bunk-style accommodation if the budget is tight. This place really deserves its great reviews and also serves as a base for popular canyoneering trips to Kawasan Falls. They also have the most stunning sunsets here.

If you would prefer to stay in Moalboal these are some great options:

Pig Dive Hostel 9.7/10 Rating
Roos Guesthouse 9.4/10 Rating
Beyond Island 9/10 Rating

Where to Eat in Moalboal

Chili Bar – serving oceanside food at reasonable prices. This casual bar and restaurant is a great option in Moalboal. They also have pool tables with views overlooking the ocean.
Hungry Monkeys
Ven’z Kitchen
Betsy’s Grill and Restobar

How to Get to Moalboal

We caught the Ceres bus from Cebu City South Bus Terminal. They have air-con and non-air-con options and it cost us approximately 150php per person (in 2019). Make sure you get the bus that says Bato via Barili so you don’t go in the wrong direction towards Oslob. There isn’t a schedule and the buses go quite regularly (every 30 minutes or so). The journey takes 3+ hours.

Getting around Moalboal

The easiest way to get around Moalboal is to hire a scooter. We hired a scooter from our hostel for several hundred Pesos per day. This means it is a lot easier to get to Kawasan Falls by yourself. There are also tricycles that you can catch a ride with if you want to travel locally and don’t want to ride a scooter.