Malapascua, you're silent killer.
I heard so much about you. How travellers describe your beauty without comparison. How a smile was the only response I received from people I asked about what you could offer. It was a rough ride before I reached you. Countless times when trips were postponed without reason. But when I finally met you, you were calm and unassuming. Little did I know that you were deadly beneath the meekness.
First Sight of Malapascua
For a guy who's constantly working day in and day out, you couldn't have come at a better time. It was a cold December and it was warm enough to make me feel at ease. I swam in your waters and jumped from your cliff. I dove into the deep and cruised along your shores. You shared so many faces in different times of the day. However, only during the later part did you show your real colors.
Malapascua Island – calm and secluded
Beach in Malapascua
Amidst laughs and smiles with companions, you wanted to slap me in the face to make me realize what I've been missing. I bury fleeting thoughts in order to conceal the condition of actuality; that I’m not sure of what’s to come but still keep a sappy face intact in order to cover the hopeless truth.
There was no rain needed to make me feel how harsh and cold the weather was at night. But I’m just exaggerating things. The weather was neither harsh nor cold; you just needed another soul to fill the emptiness within.
The night is cold and body needs a different kind of warmth.
When the lights dimmed and I could see none but fire, another desire burned from within.
Night turned into dawn when I remembered that I needed to work. I brought out my notes to bring me back to reality. But it was cut short as lights were only a luxury given to people you’ve shown mercy.
Orange and Plum.
I stepped out and the light revealed another shade. Orange and plum; my eyes were at ease despite the lack of rest. I lay on the sand and witnessed how you painted the sky and filled it with enough hue to keep my mind at peace. The sea breeze and the calm waves served as a sweet lullaby. It was almost perfect.
Waiting for the sun to rise.
Malapascua, in your sanctuary, life was simple and life was slow. How you’ve captivated me even for a short stay. I never thought I'd stop and pause but you forced me so. I know I can be stubborn at times. Seldom do I show my weaknesses but with you, I can only surrender.
Everything seemed alright; but who am I to fool myself? You already noticed when I first stepped foot on you. I was in denial. I didn’t need anybody. I thought I was ice but you made me melt.
Modest as you were, you pierced my skin and broke down my walls. I stared at your masterpiece for hours and realized that you were trying to tell me something.
All the while you wanted me to carry a hand to hold and a head to rest on my shoulders.
All the while you were telling to me go out and get somebody and take her with me to experience your charm.
yellow flower
Next time, I'll have someone by my side to stare at your horizon. No need for words and conversations. You know how to tug emotions and I’m counting on that to unify our feelings.
If that were to happen, I won't even care if the bus will take longer to reach you. The ride itself will already be a destination. I'll take her with me, so she can experience the beauty you made me see.
Next time, there will be two.
You taught me to jump off a cliff and it was all fun and games. But beneath those smiles and laughs, you knew what my heart was longing for. No other adventure could cover up for my needs. I try to hide and I even deny it, but you were far too knowledgeable to understand what I've been missing all along. Call it tough love but I had to learn it the hard way.
Malapascua, you kill me and yet I’m still alive. I know you can’t bring me back to that cold December; we all have to keep moving forward. But I beg you not to give up. Wait for me and I’ll return. When I do, I’ll introduce her to you.
Malapascua is 4 hours North of Cebu City. Here's how you can get there: How To Get to Malapascua
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This is my entry to Pinoy Travel Blogger's Blog Carnival themed Most Romantic Places in the Philippines. which is hosted by Aleah of Solitary Wanderer. Click on the Blog Carnival Logo on the left to see more interesting posts regarding the Most Romantic Places in the Philippines.
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soloflightEd.com is a travel blog by Edcel Suyo. He enjoys performing headstands and crazy stunts during his trips in the Philippines and the rest of Asia. He just started his backpacking trip across Southeast Asia in order to live as a digital nomad. Read more about the beginning of his delusions of grandeur here.
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For questions, advertising, and other concerns, shoot an email to edblogs@yahoo.com.
Micamyx February 13, 2011 at 8:00 pm
Nakaka-inlab naman ito
Like the way you wrote this entry 
Happy Vday!
Sana makapunta na rin ako dito
lakwatsera de primera February 13, 2011 at 10:58 pm
I like this part "Wait for me and I will return. When I do, I'll introduce her to you". pwede rin "when two love ones collide" ang theme ng iyong pagbabalik
monette | fliptravels February 13, 2011 at 11:17 pm
sunset is the color of love!
AJ MNL February 14, 2011 at 12:32 am
Dear Ed,
The place is indeed nice. Its like a breathe of fresh air compared to other beaches that are already cramped with tourists. How much did you spend for the trip? Thanks.
AJ
aleah February 14, 2011 at 1:09 am
Keso nga rin ed; love the line: "I thought I was ice but you made me melt." Haha. Romance na romance talaga ang theme ng month na to ah. ^_^ You've made me so curious about Malapascua though. Now I wish I can go and pay respect to her charms!
Edcel February 14, 2011 at 1:58 am
@mica: happy vday din! thanks. it’s the season and it’s because of PTB!
@lakwatsera de primera: haha. in due time, I’ll be able to write about that entry.
@monette: it was a beautiful display of colors when i visited the place. You should
@AJ MNL: hi AJ, can't really recall. I think around 2000. there were 4 of us, we spent more on the room for an overnight's stay.
@aleah: keso? sinabi mo pa! haha. I seldom open up but the PTB Blog Carnival really made me do it.
Cedric February 14, 2011 at 4:29 am
Favorite ko yung photo nung fisherman na may sun sa background. Nakuha yung mood ng post mo.
Rizalenio February 14, 2011 at 6:27 am
Oh torture…I was reading this entry with ALL BY MYSELF background music being played in our penthouse's pipe in music.
…and then followed by the song BABY of Justin Bieber was played.
Ohowohowowow…ohowohowowowow…Baby baby Oh. Oh, this entry is LOVE.
Malapascua was first introduced to me when a friend posted some of her photos in FB. Then, I read things I wanted to know about Malapascua on the Lonely Planet magazine issue last year.
And reading something this heartfelt, oh wow, I MUST go to Malapascua. I'll be in Cebu this second week of March. Hope, we can plot our side trip in Malapascua.
Great entry. Genius photos too, those are like beautiful paintings.
Edcel February 14, 2011 at 12:54 pm
@cedric: I've a number of shots with the fisherman on the background
. you should go to Malapascua and feel the serene atmosphere there!
@Rizalenio: lol. bat nagkaroon ng ALL BY MYSELF dun? hehe. Laslas mode ba toh? hehe. Funny thing cause I was first introduced to Malapascua in Multiply. ganda ng photos and the people in the photos seemed really contented and happy that they were there. thanks!
Steve February 14, 2011 at 4:06 pm
It looks like such a beautiful island. Seems so peaceful and serene. I especially liked your photos of the sunrises. They are really colorful.
chyng February 14, 2011 at 8:48 pm
aaww, it's hard to imagine that you and estan and jerik could open up with your emotions like this one.
galing ng theme this month!
journeyingjames February 15, 2011 at 1:46 am
next time will be two! woooohoooo!
love the sunrise shots edcel.
sana ma-experience ko din si malapascua
Will February 15, 2011 at 1:39 pm
Very nice photo of the fisherman sa boat. Nice entry as well.
pusang-kalye February 15, 2011 at 2:59 pm
para lang akong nagbasa ng novel. makatang makata.D: at me napansin ako sa mga pics ha. same sizes. good job.hehehe
Edcel February 15, 2011 at 4:57 pm
@Steve: just the words that could describe the place! You should check it out! I've a few more sunrise shots of the sun. Can't wait to be back!
@chyng: I blame the PTB Blog Carnival! haha. Really, it's also hard for me to imagine opening up like this in this blog. I don't normally share too many emotions but the group made me do it. haha
@james: dapat dalawa na talaga next time. pinepressure ba ang sarili na makadala ng iba para makabalik uli? hehe. thanks james!
@will: thanks will! appreciate it!
@pusang-kalye: haha thanks. wasn't able to sleep well due to this entry. lol. yeah same sizes. pero still unsure which particular size im going to follow. we'll see. hehe
pinoy boy February 15, 2011 at 9:54 pm
bai, very very nice this line – When the lights dimmed and I could see none but fire, another desire burned from within. Kung sakin Nueva Valencia, Guimaras sayo Malapascua, Cebu! Sana makita at makilala ko rin girlfriend mo! he he
thepinaysolobackpacker February 16, 2011 at 7:20 am
awww! i fell in love with this post Ed!
Para ba sa kanya to? hehe Ikaw kase eh, wala kang ginawa lumayo tuloy! haha ;p
i'll see you soon!
I've always wanted to go to Malaspascua, kaya nga super ecstatic ako nung pinakita mu mga raw shots neto, sa VBS, maganda tlga xa. asar! dapat yan target ko this weekend kase malapet din pala xa sa Carcar where my Tito is a priest. hayst! Mapupuntahan ko din yan nxt time, baka nga makasalubong pa kita ksama mu xa.
seriously Ed, LOVE will come at the right place and at the right time, and that moment will be perfect!
Edcel February 17, 2011 at 6:10 am
@pinoy boy: thanks a lot! nameet ko na gf mo. drop by malapascua one of these days!
@thepinaysolobackpacker: thanks gael, drama kasi ang theme natin this month!
you should definitely go to Malapascua as I prefer it over Bantayan. 
see you soon!
s. February 19, 2011 at 6:47 am
hi,
are credit cards widely accepted there?
how much is the beginner's diving/shark-seeing in the island?
cheers!
Edcel February 27, 2011 at 4:46 am
@s.: hi, not entirely sure. there are some shops that accept them. you may try contacting them as i don't have any details.
cara March 17, 2011 at 4:44 am
nice write up! malapascua is a place very close to my heart.. i shall be back this summer!
Edcel March 17, 2011 at 1:07 pm
@cara: thanks for dropping by! nice to go back there!
Nelly March 21, 2011 at 5:34 am
hi Ed..my partner and I will to to Cebu mga around August, nagtitingin tingin na ako ng mga places na mapupuntahan… and Malapascua Island is amazingly beautiful… Can I know ur Itenerary there? I mean how can I go there from Fuente Osmeña Blvd., Cebu City.. do u still remember your expenses?
Thank you very much!!
Edcel March 21, 2011 at 10:10 am
hi nelly: From Fuente Osmena, you can go there by going to the North Bus Terminal. It’ll take around 3 hours na byahe from Malapascua via bus and then 30 minutes via boat. roughly around 4 hours lahat. it would be good if you’ll spend a day there. I paid around 1-2K ata for an overnight stay inside an airconditioned room (4 kami lahat).
For more info, kindly refer to my friend’s site: http://lakbaydiva.com/byahe/laag-sa-cebu/malapascua-island-cebu-beach-bumming/ — I Googled it.
fetus March 22, 2011 at 11:43 am
wow thanks for the link eds hehehe
soloflightEd April 19, 2011 at 1:48 pm
@fetus: no problem! your directions were very helpful! hehe
AJ July 17, 2011 at 3:33 am
No wonder – beautiful is the right word. Beautiful narrative and beautiful photos. I felt like you were writing about a person, not a place. At may pagka-sexy pa ("the night is cold and body needs a different kind of warmth" – panalo!).
soloflightEd July 17, 2011 at 4:50 am
@AJ: haha, dun talaga nakafocus sa WARMTH. haha. thanks though! emo mode lang toh. hehe
kura July 20, 2011 at 9:13 am
I agree with them.. na ma-keso ka nga.. hahah! hey! take it as a compliment though.. I admit, I was moved. Ang romantic nga nung lugar na yun. Aliw yung silhouette na shot.. I'll stay tuned kung magiging dalawa yun. haha! pressure?
Anyway, ma-OA ako pero I don't think makakagawa ako ng ganyang kagandang composition. Torture. Kung hindi ako manosebleed, internal bleeding ang aabutin ko. hahah! Kailangan ko ng matinding pag iinternalize na mag isa nga talaga ako sa isang lugar na romantic. Or maybe I can if I'm going to pursue my solo trip next month. Please do me a favor.. pray for me.. na maging ok ako kahit mag isa. First time ko kasi e. hay naku naman! ang inggitera ko kasi sa inyo.
thanks for sharing this. Very inspiring…
soloflightEd July 21, 2011 at 5:28 pm
@kura: haha. at least we have an excuse kasi february toh ginawa. haha. no pressure lang
Feeling ko makakagawa ka rin nito at some point. 
Wow, solo trip na! good luck on your trip and take care of yourself! hope to hear that story soon! I'm sure it will be very reflective. It's different to travel with a group and to travel solo. both have different effects but definitely pag first time, it will be memorable. 
kura July 22, 2011 at 12:45 am
hahah! pupunta na lang ako sa pinakamalapit na police station if all else fails at sabihing "nawawala po ako!". lol! thanks!
ian | going places July 26, 2011 at 5:53 pm
This is definitely your most beautiful posts! I feel like reading a romantic poetry about Malapascua and it effectively put me in a romantic mood. Beautiful and romantic post, I love your style of writing here and choice of word. No wonder you choose this as the most beautiful post because its not just about the romantic Malapascua but its also about LOVE.
Miranda July 30, 2011 at 7:36 pm
Wow I agree. This is an amazingly beautiful post! I'm so glad you linked it so I could read about it!
Dee Quixotic August 28, 2011 at 1:30 am
ambabaw ko ah, i thought about bug bites in the beginning and I wondered all throughout hanggang matapos ko basahin.. (laughs at myself) this is something I didn't expect from reading the title. very nice.
Brenna August 30, 2011 at 2:01 am
aha! eto pala secreto mo! haha! bang kilig naman to ed!
soloflightEd September 10, 2011 at 5:14 am
@kura: hahaha. ok na rin yan. wow. ngayon pa ako nakapagreply, natapos na ang solo trip mo. congrats again!
@ian: hi ian, thanks for the kind words!
@miranda: thanks miranda!
@dee: hahaha, bug bites. pwede din noh? hehehe, thanks!
@brenna: iba talaga brenna ha? hehe. lapit na December!
chinchan October 26, 2011 at 6:35 pm
nag babackread ako ng blogposts mo. For some unknown reason nakakalungkot ang post na ito. hehe
soloflightEd October 26, 2011 at 7:53 pm
@chinchan: thanks for backreading! haha. malungko nga naman toh.
chinchan December 16, 2011 at 1:51 pm
sa wakas, napuntahan ko na rin ang malapascua ….
hana banana March 29, 2012 at 10:56 am
been here finally =)
this post was one of my major inspirations to visit the place and so i did it! yay! ^^
we stayed at Bounty Beach Resort. There were 9 of us and we had a beachfront room for only 300php each =)
keep blogging and travelling ed
soloflightEd March 29, 2012 at 2:50 pm
@hana banana: ey hana, thanks for the recommendation! will take note of the resort when i go back to Malapascua!
caieomeansfire April 23, 2012 at 3:34 am
i've always been a follower of your blog and this one is just soooo interesting..it makes me experience how malapascua would kill me
einebelle June 13, 2012 at 3:39 pm
i'm so blessed to see your blog today. very inspiring specially your TIPS!
travelling is my passion and my stress reliever.. i can relate on some of your posts due to some similarities though i'm not a blogger!
thanks, your blog made my day..
i'm a blog fan but its my first time to spend time to post a comment !
keep it up!
soloflightEd June 20, 2012 at 8:23 am
@caieomeansfire: thanks for reading this emo post! don't let malapascua kill you though!
@einebelle: thanks for spending time to comment! I appreciate you reading this blog! hope you find what you're looking for!
chizacheesemiz July 9, 2012 at 5:17 pm
hi i hope and i wiiiiiiiiiiiiissssssssssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhh that my bf is much like you who wants to travel and go to wonderful places specially here in our country. I'm just so amazed by people like you to be specific guys who wants and love to travel to see wonderful places good job!
soloflightEd July 12, 2012 at 9:30 am
@chizacheesemiz: maybe he just needs a little nudge to see how beautiful travelling can be.
thanks for visiting this site!
Brandie July 12, 2012 at 10:15 am
awww! soooo Touching! Traveling with a Heart…
chizacheesemiz July 12, 2012 at 10:42 am
yeah i guess a little nudge may help…:D well i told him to visit your blog ha!ha!ha!ha!ha!ha for him to know why i am being so "makulit" on him to travel.. i told him i can travel alone if he doesn't want to come lol! thanks by the way
goodluck on your future trips 
well i hope we can join you on your trip someday 
Jenifer Rose A. De Leon September 11, 2012 at 7:03 am
"Next time, I'll have someone by my side to stare at your horizon. No need for words and conversations. You know how to tug emotions and I’m counting on that to unify our feelings.
If that were to happen, I won't even care if the bus will take longer to reach you. The ride itself will already be a destination. I'll take her with me, so she can experience the beauty you made me see."
– I super love this lines! I wish when i have my "someone" mapuntahan namin ito! craving for this place! thanks to your blog!
soloflightEd October 27, 2012 at 3:32 am
@Brandie: Thanks for reading!
@chizacheesemiz: thanks a lot! hopefully when i get back to cebu.
@Jennifer: Thank you for reading!
aishi October 27, 2012 at 1:51 pm
haha… lovely article… sure one day u'll find dat hand that will hold urs… as what u promised to this island
goodluck. looking forward for more travel blogs.
alva nombrado January 28, 2013 at 10:37 am
wow great write-up indeed. I wonder if it's really true, I know someone who has been there and said the same thing. I have to prove it myself this June
this place, reminds me of her.
great choice or words, very very captivating