Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Ocean Vida Beach and Dive Resort is situated on Malapasua Islands beautiful Bounty Beach offering 12 Sea view and 8 garden view rooms. The rooms include air-conditioning, mini bar, safe, beach towels and balcony. The resort also features a restaurant, beach side bar and a fully equipped PADI 5* IDC dive center, Sea Explorers. Free high-speed WiFi internet is available throughout the resort. Guests can also use the Gym in Buena Vida free of charge. We hope we can welcome you here in Malapascua one day.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Charming
Ocean View
Languages Spoken
English, Spanish, Filipino, German
Location
Bounty Beach, 6013 Philippines
Ocean Vida Beach & Dive Resort
4.5 reviews
Getting there
Good for walkers
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travelers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
This is one of the best run resorts which we have stayed…and we travel a lot. The staff is incredibly friendly, attentive, and immediately addressed any question. The dining was outstanding with many phillipine, Thai, Korean, Chinese, Italian, European options. Service was great, wait time was minimal. It was so tasty and inexpensive we never dined outside the resort. The diving is spectacular. Will review Sea Explorers separately. Can’t Wait to go back! Extremely highly recommend!
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Date of stay: June 2024Trip type: Traveled with family
Room Tip:Â Great!
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The resort over exceeded my expectation. The service crews provided good service and they were very friendly and attentive all the time.
I stayed at both the sea view and garden room. In my opinion, garden room is much better as it is more renovated and the shower works better. Overall the room is clean, towels, shower gels, shampoo are provided. There is also hot water kettle in the room.
The resort also have a power generator in case of island power shortage. Which happens quite often during the night and morning but with the generator, everything goes back to normal quickly.
The restaurant in the resort has a wide selection of food, breakfast is ok but maybe can have more varieties. They also have happy hour from 4-6pm everyday.
The dive centre is very well organised, dive masters are experienced and the instructors are professional. Everything works well and run smoothly.
Overall I would recommend this resort and the dive centre if you are coming to Malapascua!
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Date of stay: July 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Great resort for divers. In front of the beach, with all services: WiFi, bar, restaurant, etc... They are associated with a dive shop called Sea Divers.
If you want more quietness, choose a bungalow behind their main building, if you choose one with a beach front, be prepared to be woken at 5:00am by those divers going to go see the thresher sharks.
They gave you a coupon for 30 minutes free massage, which we tried and we really loved it. The massage place is really good.
The staff is really friendly, they arrange everything for you from breakfast to go for early dive to transport from Cebu, and private boat crossing.
Another thing that you need to be aware, if you pay with Paypal, there are hidden fees which the owner won't tell you about. From Singapore, Paypal is set in a way that there is no fees so they are not used to deal with that. So if you are coming from Singapore, better pay by direct bank transfer if you want to avoid the massive fees. I really did not have to deal with that the last day of my stay.
Putting 4 stars just for the hassle of the payment. Things should be clearer.
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Date of stay: November 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Before reviewing the hotel, I will note that 75% of Malapascua's other hotels, restaurants and attractions were closed due to COVID and the island was mostly on "limited" offerings and services.
We were 5 couples traveling together and we all stayed at Ocean Vida; the rates we paid which averaged PHP 6,000 per room, per night was excessively over priced for the facility (room, F&B, etc.) quality as well as the services offered. in checking with other comparable hotels in the vicinity, we over paid easily by 100%. Value for money paid for all of us was extremely low.
On the plus side, the resort's staff was friendly and the location was very central on the island within walking distance of other attractions (those that were open). The rooms were tidy with air conditioning and fronting the ocean, which was only a few steps away from the rooms.
Food quality was disappointing as was the selection; the breakfast which was included basically inedible unless you had preference for Philipino style sweet bacon, sausages, etc. Everything was sweet including the sliced bread and the options were extremely limited.
The island itself is very beautiful and as we were there to also dive, we found an excellent dive centre at an adjacent resort which was open. Diving sites ranged from thresher sharks, caves to beautiful reefs and it was the highlight of the trip.
Overall, I would rate the Ocean Vida a 5.5/10.
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Date of stay: March 2021
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:Â Ocean front rooms, not garden view rooms
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Very attractive, comfortable accommodations. The resort is nicely compact. Our room had a cozy , quiet front terrasse complete with loveseat & beanbag chair. A big downside was our bathroom. It was in poor condition ( picture attached). Reception always helpful and friendly, steps from our room. Lovely restaurant also steps from our room , where a buffet breakfast was included in our stay. Many options available including fresh fruit, fresh breads and danishes, eggs, omelet on order, delicious overnight oats with fruits. There was great attention to detail with the food that was offered. The restaurant also had a full menu with a great variety of food options. We had several really good meals including a chicken pansit, chicken adobo, chicken noodle soup which was delicious and comforting. Good pizza as well. The bar had a plentiful selection as well. We have stayed in several hotels & resorts on this stay and Ocean Vida has been our favourite place by far. The beach area is so nice as well, and all the staff are accommodating and friendly. Comfortable beanbag chairs with sufficient shade are wonderful, just steps to the sea. My husband was very happy with the dive shop and the assistance he received while on his dive trips. Ocean Vida will remain a terrific memory from this vacation. So glad we made the choice to stay there!
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Date of stay: January 2025Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Â Pack small air freshener for bathroom as it gets very humid & musty.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Its the people who work here that make this place number 1. They are kind, considerate & go out of their way to make your stay pleasant. I've never felt so loved by a resort! Yes the food is great as well - they have the best breakfast buffet - fresh mangos (my favorite) & calamansi juice (1 carafe is squeezed from over 300 juicy mini limes) as well as a large selection of sumptuous offerings in the morning & throughout the day & night. In fact the food is so good we never ate anywhere else. Originally we booked 3 days but extended to 5. Our room #1 was right next to the bar. At first we thought it might be noisy but they played the music at a tasteful level & our room was quiet & cozy inside. With the choice of a ceiling fan &/or AC we slept comfortably without getting too hot or too cold. The room was conveniently located on the beach so we could use our own washroom/shower & deck easily & then slip back onto the beach for happy hour afterwards. All in all a perfect stay!
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Date of stay: February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello Jane! First of all we want to thank you for choosing Ocean Vida Resort for your stay in Malapascua as well as for taking the time to leave us this nice comment! We are delighted to learn that you particularly appreciated the professionalism and kindness of our team as well as the quality of our accommodations and the breakfast! We make it a point of honor to offer our guests the best service they deserve! We are lucky to be well located to be able to enjoy the magnificent sunset of Malapascua from our beach, and this with a delicious cocktail :-) We hope to see you again soon! All the best from Malapascua and Greetings from the Ocean Vida Family!
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Nice clean rooms. Fabulous position, right on the beach. Clean fresh linen. Quiet Air Conditioning. Strong enough shower. Great food and friendly helpful staff and management. Thoughtful touches, including foot bath, to remove sand before entering the space. Airy seating area, located at the front of the bedroom to chill and relax. Comfortable bed.
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Date of stay: November 2021Trip type: Traveled with friends
Room Tip:Â Great time to visit, is during the week, and Nov, Dec 2021 Jan, Feb 2022 before the return...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We specifically visited Malapascua to dive with the thresher sharks — which was outstanding — but we were pleasantly rewarded with an amazing stay at Ocean Vida. The staff, food, bar, room, and dive center were all excellent and it was one of the highlights of our travels in the Philippines. Our fabulous bartender, Grace, was a true standout. The level of service and friendship was amazing, not to mention the best cocktails we’ve had in our month in the Philippines. We have no hesitation recommending a stay at Ocean Vida to any divers out there. PS - did we mention diving with the thresher sharks was an incredible experience? Don’t hesitate - book.
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Date of stay: December 2022Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Fabienne Wyss, Owner at Ocean Vida Beach & Dive Resort
Responded Jan 27, 2023
Thank you for this kind review, we are happy to know that we met your expectations and that you enjoyed your stay at Ocean Vida. We couldn't agree more about Grace. She really rocks the bar! Best regards from Ocean Vida Family
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
I rate this little gem of a hotel 5 stars on its position on beach front position. Staff are helpful. friendly and attentive to your needs. I was sick and they really looked after me. Food was very nice with a huge variety on the menu with great value. Rooms are comfortable and clean the spa was so relaxing . Our housekeeping lady was the best. Each and everyone of the hotel staff worked so hard to make this hotel what it is. I thank you all for making us so welcome. We hope to see you all again soon
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Date of stay: March 2024Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Â Upper floors are more private
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I first visited Malapascua and Sea Explorers in 2013 and have been back several times since. It is still a gem of a dive resort and a wonderful place to visit. Tellingly many of the same, outstanding, staff including dive guides are still there.
For a January visit, the weather was exceptionally good.It was sunny virtually all day every day. In my opinion the food is now much better than it was then. Breakfasts are more varied and are a highlight of the day.
Many of the diving days start at 5 am and are three tank dives, which can be quite tiring. But it paid dividends at both Gato and Kimud Shoal, because we encountered almost no other divers underwater. Our two dives at Kimud were the sort diving dreams were made of. We had constant thresher activity. At the beginning of the second dive, there were seven beautiful relaxed threshers slowly swimming beside us and above us. The reef is lush and beautiful with masses of fish. I decided to forgo a dive on the last day, my friends were super lucky and had a close encounter with the legendary tiger shark !
The rest of the diving was also superb, Gato had plenty of healthy looking relaxed white tipped sharks. The macro was wonderful, nudis, sea horses, frogfish, unusual crabs, flamboyant cuttlefish and giant cuttlefish to name but a few ! Arnil was my guide every diving day and could not have been better or more professional under and overwater.
Highly recommend this fantastic property !
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Date of stay: January 2025Trip type: Traveled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear
Thank you for your message. The transfer its not included in the room prices. If you sent us a email we are happy to forward to the details.
We hope to welcome you soon in Ocean Vida Beach and Dive Resort.
Best regards
Los Angeles, California19 contributions12 helpful votes
If I remember correctly, I don’t think we had one in our room. We were always out exploring the island that I didn’t really pay attention too much about having a TV.
There are more places to choose from in the Malapascua Island area.
PRICE RANGE
$66 - $96 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
ocean vida beach & dive hotel malapascua island, ocean vida beach and dive resort
LOCATION
PhilippinesVisayasCebu IslandMalapascua Island
NUMBER OF ROOMS
29
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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