Mangoes in Moalboal, Cebu 🥭 The Best Taste of the Philippines

Mangoes in Moalboal, Cebu 🥭 The Best Taste of the Philippines

We came to the Philippines for a single, utterly selfish purpose. No, it wasn’t for spiritual enlightenment or to find ourselves on some pristine, untouched beach. It was for the mangoes. Specifically, the mangoes in Moalboal.

We’d been told tales, whispered like ancient folklore, of a fruit so sweet and unctuous it would change our understanding of the universe.

And we’re not going to lie, the Philippines delivered.

Highlights

• Moalboal by Bus 🚌➡️🏝️ 💨
• A Cottage of Charm
• The Grand Fruit Heist
• The Great Escape
• Snorkeling in Moalboal Cebu 🐢
• Book T-Breeze Resort, Moalboal
• Philippines Beach Destinations 🥂🌊
• All Hotel Deals in Moalboal
• A Complete Philippines Itinerary

Moalboal 🚍 The Bus to Paradise

Moalboal, Cebu, was a name that had been lingering on our list for a while. It promised a certain kind of seclusion, the sort of place where the sea is bathwater warm and the fish are so numerous they look like an underwater traffic jam.

After a mercifully brief overnight stay in the sprawling urban sprawl that is Cebu City, we hopped onto a bus. Now, a three-hour bus journey in the Philippines is not a mere commute; it’s an event. It’s a grand spectacle of humanity, chickens, and the occasional bewildered goat, all hurtling south to the other side of the island. We settled in for the show.

A Cottage of Charm

Our chosen sanctuary was the T-Breeze Resort, a place that, despite its name, offered a complete lack of anything resembling a breeze strong enough to mess up your hair.

Our little bolthole, the Shell Cottage, was tucked away some fifty meters from the water, just close enough to the bar to hear the happy clinking of glasses. It was enveloped by a jungle of meticulously kept gardens, a fragrant collection of herbs and spices that had us feeling like amateur botanists.

We’d spot lemongrass here, a local version of basil there—a verdant, living larder.

Shell cottage at T-Breeze Resort

The cottage itself was, let’s call it, “economically designed.” By that, we mean it was basic.

We might even describe it as spartan (if Spartans had a penchant for gas cookers and a fridge). But it had everything we could genuinely need, and at a price of €30 a night, including breakfast, we certainly weren’t going to complain.

The true genius of the place, however, was the bottomless pot of coffee and tea. Free, all day. A true siren’s call to the perpetually caffeinated.

The staff were simply wonderful. It’s rare we feel genuinely welcome, but these folks had it down to an art. We spent our evenings in the sort of cosy bar/restaurant area that encourages us to stay for ‘just one more.’ The food, prepared by the owners themselves, was a testament to local culinary prowess.

There were no frills, no fuss, just genuinely tasty dishes that hit the spot every single time.

And the price? We felt as if we were fleecing them.

Moalboal – T-Breeze restaurant view

Book the T-Breeze Resort

Finally, Getting Wet

Now, for those of you with a penchant for sinking your toes into golden grains, a word of warning: there’s no sandy beach here.

You can find sand beaches a little further along the coast, used mainly by locals.

Like many places we’d seen in the Philippines, the coastline was a stony affair. We found ourselves navigating down stone steps, clambering into the sea as if we were undertaking some sort of aquatic pilgrimage.

We snorkeled off the stone steps of our resort. A little way out there is a drop-off from the reef. Here, you can encounter turtles and other marine life, together with some interesting and colorful corals.

The Grand Fruit Heist

Moalboal town is a mere 25-minute trundle away by trike (a glorious three-wheeled contraption that seemed to defy the laws of physics). The fare was 150 pesos, which, in a moment of mathematical genius, we figured was a bargain.

The town itself offered the usual suspects: a supermarket/mall that felt like an air-conditioned beacon in the tropical heat, and a couple of bustling markets that smelled of fruit and adventure.

Here, we embarked on our true mission: the procurement of tropical fruit!

Mangoes in Moalboal – Local fruit

The Soursop, known locally as Guyabano or Chicos, became an instant obsession. We’d never before encountered a fruit that tasted like the creamy, slightly sour lovechild of a strawberry and a pineapple. It was pure, unadulterated pleasure.

But let’s not get distracted. The real stars of the show were the pomelos and, of course, the mangoes. These were not the sad, pale imposters we’d find in a British supermarket. These were titans of flavour, dripping with a sweetness that bordered on the obscene.

The town also offered up a couple of irresistible bakeries. One, positioned conveniently opposite the main bus stop, seemed to be a deliberate, strategic attempt to sabotage our willpower.

We’d walk past, a quick glance at the pastries turning into a full-blown existential crisis.

We’d go in, of course. We’re only human.

Mangoes in Moalboal – The Bakery

Across from the fish market was an establishment that captured our hearts and stomachs: Sula’s.

The place was an absolute treasure trove of local grub. We’d stand in front of the counter, faced with a glorious array of meat, fish, and vegetable dishes, none of which we could properly identify.

This meant our meals became a culinary game of Russian roulette. We’d choose three or four items, hoping that at least one would be a winner.

More often than not, they all were.

Mangoes in Moalboal – Sula’s

A word to the wise: always ask the price before you choose.

There’s a certain creative flair to the local mathematics. We’d find ourselves staring at a receipt, trying to decipher a number that seemed to have been pulled from thin air. It’s all part of the fun, naturally.

Hotel Deals in Moalboal

The Great Escape

After three nights of mango-fuelled bliss, it was time to move on.

Our next stop was Bohol, another island calling our name. This time, we decided to play it safe, opting for an air-conditioned bus back to Cebu City and then a ferry across the bay.

The alternative, a bus to Argao on the opposite coast, was a risky endeavour. With only one ferry a day and schedules that seemed to change with the wind and the whim of the weather gods, it was a gamble we were not prepared to take.

Moalboal Bus Stop

So, there you have it. Moalboal.

We came for the seclusion and the coral, but we left having discovered the fruit that ruined all other fruit for us forevermore. The mangoes of Moalboal. They are a force to be reckoned with, a truly transformative experience.

Go for the sea, stay for the mangoes.

You won’t regret it. We certainly don’t.

If you enjoyed Mangoes in Moalboal, check out Central Philippines – Cebu & Bohol. You may also like:

Spice up your inbox…

… with discounted hotel deals, cost-saving travel itineraries and SandSpice escapades! 😉