Malapascua is a silver of an island fortuitously blessed with beauty. On its southeast coast – facing Cebu, Leyte and Biliran – is a Bounty beach, a glorious stretch of white sand. The northwest side, near the lighthouse, sports a craggy, rocky coastline. Coconut trees are everywhere with secluded covers all around. Life is simple here. There are no roads, no cars, and no traffic. Everyone knows everyone else. Fishing is the main livelihood, and when the tide is low, it is not rare to see little boys just walking a few meters from the beach to catch a fish or two for dinner.

Tourist were brought to the island because of thresher sharks. In the early 90s divers discovered the beauty of Malapascua under the sea. Thresher sharks, solitary creatures with long tails that could account for up to a third of their bodies, where seen with great frequency around Monad Shoal. The thresher is one of the few shark species that could jump out of the water like dolphins and could grow for up to 20 feet. And Malapascua, is one of the few places in the world where they are seen with regularity.

Just a couple of meters down the ocean are full grown puffer, butterfly fishes, lionfishes, and frogfishes. Dive in the afternoon and come face to face with a manta; at night, swim with mandarin fishes and seahorses by the lighthouse. Hammerhead sharks have also been seen at Kimud Shoal and white tip reefs in Gato Island.

But one need not be a diver to enjoy Malapascua. Soak under the sun, sleep on a hammock. Snorkel for visual delights; hike up craggy hills for a glimpse of a most fantastic sunset. Read book quietly by the shade; drink yourself to dizziness. Malapascua offers the kind of heaven where one can revel in the joys of suspended animation. And in the evenings, because there is no electricity, the island is blanketed by darkness with only the moo, the stars and a couple of oil lamps to light the lonely wanderer’s way.

photo credit: hushbaby22