Malapascua Island's

Scuba Diving Internships in the Philippines

What you should know before coming

Money

Recently the value of foreign currencies has increased dramatically, and so you money will go a lot further. Average value at the time of writing is USD = PHP 45, EUR = PHP 70 and GBP = PHP 90. You can get current rates at xe.com

There is not much to spend your money on, you will need very little for living expenses. Malapascua is very small, and everything is within walking distance.

We have tried to include on this page everything you would need to spend money on

Food and drinks

Here are some rough estimates:

Most people fall around the P10-15,000 mark. It is possible to cut down considerably on the costs of meals by once or twice a day getting food from the nearby village and eating things like noodles which are cheap and easy to make - hot water is always available. If you are very frugal and don't drink soda or alcohol you can probably live on less than P9,000 per month.

To give you an idea of individual prices in restaurants, approximate price range is as follows:

If you are on a very tight budget, contact us and let us help you with some money saving ideas.

As soon as our restaurant is open we will be offering full and half board. Contact us for more details.

Dive equipment

The equipment you will receive with this package is of high quality and is good entry level gear. But with dive equipment there are many other options. You may prefer to upgrade one or more items of your equipment. Most of the dive equipment in our retail shop are products we have used personally and know to be of high quality. You will be able to get good advice from our instructors who have first-hand experience using the products. You get a 10% discount on any item bought from us, including upgrade items.

Trips to the city if you want a break

If you feel you need a city fix, Cebu is 6 hours away by public transport. It costs around P100 to get there by public transport or we can arrange a private transfer. If you choose to use the bus, you are sure to have an interesting trip. If you have ever wanted to sit next to a cockerel or a goat on the bus, now's your chance. We can help you with advice on where to stay and what to do whilst in Cebu.

What to bring

Don't bring too much! If you pack everything but the kitchen sink you'll find you won't use most of it. Don't forget you will have a full set of diving equipment to take away with you when you leave.

Many basic personal items like toiletries and mosquito repellant are available on the island or in the city.

Clothing - again, don't bring too much. You will need swimsuits, a few t-shirts and shorts. It is very informal here, so don't feel you need to bring evening clothes unless you want to.

Electronics - you may want a laptop etc for personal use.

Communications

As Malapascua is a small undeveloped island, communications are not always easy, and not necessarily cheap, but it is getting better month by month.

Internet: If you have a fairly modern cell phone and laptop, the best way to access the internet is with a local SIM card with your phone connected to your laptop. Although this can sometimes be hard to set up, it is very inexpensive. If you do not have your own laptop, there is an internet cafe on the island, and internet access is coming to TSD very soon.

Phone: You can make phone calls at the dive shop. International calls are P100 per minute. Cell phone coverage is good with Globe and Smart reception.

Fax, copying and scanning services are also available.

Medical

You need to get signed off by a doctor prior to completion of your Divemaster course. If you have any medical problems you will need to do this prior to any courses. It is possible to do that on the mainland, it will take you a few hours round trip and costs around ten dollars. You may feel more comfortable having a check up by your own doctor.

Please see here for medical requirements

Immunizations: Make sure your immunizations are up to date.

Travel Insurance

If you wish, you will need to arrange travel insurance yourselves. We recommend that you get insurance that covers dive related accidents, otherwise take out specific diving medical insurance. DAN (Divers Alert Network) is highly recommended.

Entering the country

A 21 day visa is granted to most nationalities upon entering the country. Make sure you have an onward flight. Contact us for advice on this.