Friendly warm service, great location”

It is a bit tiring to reach the island. From Cebu you have to take a bus or taxi, and 4 hours drive way to Maya. And from Maya taking a boat which is 30-40 minutes ride to reach Malapascua. But fares are cheap,from Cebu to Malapascua, including bus & boat wont cost more than 300Peso per person! The island is small, not crowded. And if you are after a relaxing vacation, even during Christmas or New year time, this island is the best! Hotel is located along the beach which all the other hotels and restaurants are. We stayed at standard room, no AC or hot water. Not a big issue! It was a Fan room and AC is not a must. Staff is friendly, breakfast was great also. Haven't tried their dinner. You can see many foreign tourist around, but all are there for same reason, to have a cool relaxing vacation, thats the mood of the island, which i loved! if you are a diver, the island is again a good choice, and lots of divers boats, shops etc around. Hotel has plenty of birds, and one of them is speaking! Really funny, fun to have her around. After having a very tiring busy year, this island experience at Hippocampus resort recharged me i can say. Ready for new year!

Beautiful beachfront, cosy rooms, clean bathroom & amazing breakfast!”

Stayed at this hotel from the 1st-3rd Sept and enjoyed our stay here. We arrived at the island at 6am on the 1st Sept and waited at the lobby for the reception to open at 7am. Slept by the beach in front of the lobby in the meantime. When the staff arrived, my partner asked them if we could check in early and rest and they gladly allowed us to enter our room. We were so thankful as we were really tired because we traveled from Cebu city by bus for 3 hours plus (bumpy ride all the way). Up north the roads are bumpier hence try taking the V-hire (van) instead. We had a rest till afternoon and woke up to find lunch and a cheap diving shop. That's where we found a local who recommended Ging- Ging dive shop called Sea Slug Divers. I recommend diving with them as they are a local divemasters and are so friendly. They offer the cheapest dives than most dive shops around. We had dinner at the lobby of the hotel on that Saturday night where there is a bar and live band. They had amazing singers and perfect dinner food. We decided to have an early night to rest after a long day of dives. Despite having a live band at the hotel, our room was peaceful as we stayed in the non-aircon room at the back of the resort. The room wasn't hot at all as it is surrounded by big trees. At night it was nice and cosy and not hot at all. The non-aircon rooms are definitely sufficient enough for our stay. One thing is there are many stray dogs around but they aren't fierce at all so don't worry. Overall I loved our stay at this hotel as the rooms are so spacious, beds are comfortable, bathroom was so clean, sheets and towels are changed daily and have an amazing choice of food for breakfast. Will definitely stay here again and thank you for the perfect stay Hippocampus Beach Resort!

Great location, staff and dogs!!!”

This property is located in bounty beach where you will be dropped off by the boat from Maya port so getting to the property is not a problem. If you are a diver then this place is perfect for you, I personally considered getting certified in this resort soon because their staff is very friendly. You will feel very welcome. Malapascua is a small island with locals residing in it and DOGS. The dogs here are FRIENDLY. Especially the dogs in Hippocampus, they deserve a special mention, Magnum - the leader of the pack, and The loyal Ysla, you can really feel they are guarding you all the time. On my 1st morning I decided to go for an early morning run and guess what? The dogs knew and sort of showed me the way! And they would bark at other dogs like trying to say to them to better behave. It was crazy! I would go back to Hippocampus for the dogs alone. Oh and their breakfast is amazing!

Perfect place to unwind!”

Hippocampus resort! What More can i say. The location is almost accessible to everything. Just a few steps Away and you are in the beach front. The room were okay. You still have open cabinet for your things and swimming gears in the room. And a balcony with table and chairs. Simple room yet very comfortable to stay. The staffs are very friendly and courteous. We just loved to stay in beanbags in the beachfront watching the sunset plus an happy hour and a good tropical vibe too perfect to unwind. It is highly recommended. I certainly go back to Malapascua Island and stay here again.

Good Vibes and Tasty Food”

Enjoyable stay! Service is friendly. Although Malapascua is limited in resources and activities, we were pleased with our stay. Reasons why the Hippocampus is a 3-star: this tiny island caters to divers, so everyone is easygoing. Room includes a fridge with a few overpriced drink choices and no other amenities. Water pressure for shower is nonexistent but is the same for the entire island. We were able to join dives at the last minute but booking a day ahead is recommended. Food was excellent but depended on what was available on the day. Nice variety of menu choices, from traditional Philippine cuisine to western favorites.

Best Spot in Malapascua”

Best location in bounty beach, we chose the beach view (money well spent). you will be relaxed by the sound of the sea and the rustling of the leaves. The staff was very accomodating, they have bean bags and duyan (hammock) in the front but their chairs are already the best! Ergo designed for beach bumming 😆. The food was decently priced, we ordered pesto olio and malapascua meat lovers and it was another perfect choice can level with ginos and mamalous 😆. you can try other resto around the area but hippocampus for us is the best. we will surely go back because of the food, the people and the vibe. i will posting complete itinerary for our malapascua - bantayan vacation soon. 😁

Best location”

Excellent location for diving lover but not only. Few meters from the beach and in strategic position to reach all others site of Malapascua island. Staff very kind and friendly but also efficient always ready to help. The structure is nice and well cheeped and easy going, for sure I raccomand Hippocampus for stay in Malapascua. P.S. breakfasts really super delicious !

Best Place in Malapascua!”

Hippocampus is the best place on the island! The staff were all fantastic, from the first moment we were greeted, to our final goodbyes! The rooms were clean (we had a delux room facing the beach), spacious and bright. The on site dive shop (Devocean Divers) was also great. We absolutely recommend this place to anyone wanting to feel at home on Malapascua.

Great location and nice stuff”

hippocampus is simply the best hotel at malapascua (in our opinion). but malapascua wasn't the paradaise we aspected.the bus from cebu city is a 5 hours journey, som we took a cab and manage to get to maya in 3 hours - on terrible roads and heavy traffic. the beach isn't great with lots of corals that hurts under your feet and you hesitate to swim when you see the sea urchins just a few meters out from the beach. if you want to go scuba-diving - then maybe this is a place for you.....maybe

Great place to stay ”

Hippocampus is the go to place in Malapascau. It has a very popular dive place attached to it which is the main reason people stay here. Rooms are simple and clean with nice balcony. Great little bar and tables on the beach for the restaurant. Lee the owner was there to welcome us and provided us with all the necessary details. We arranged private transfers which were no problem and also a boat trip which we also changed at the last minute. The only downside is that the restaurant does get busy especially in the morning for breakfast so the service is a little slow, however the food is worth the wait. We booked Hippo based on reviews and weren’t disappointed. P.S WiFi is slow throughout island so don’t complain, buy a local SIM card for P300 before you get there.

Lovely staff, good service, nice room no hot water”

Hippocampus has a great location nestled in amongst other hotels right on the beach. We had a garden room off the beach front which was quiet and a 2 min walk to the beach. The standard room with fan was clean and comfortable and the towels, sheets were changed daily. There was no hot water from the shower which was not a problem but would have been preferred. Breakfast was included in the room price and was served upstairs in the restaurant which had a lovely view and the selection was good - continental, american, local dishes. What really made this an enjoyable stay were the staff - friendly, chatty and helpful.

The coziest resort on the Malapuscua island”

It's not the fanciest resort and definitely not as luxury as some others around, but the experience of staying here is very-very pleasant. It has the nicest atmosphere and has a feeling of a jungle inside as well as being right on the beach. Restaurant is great and the breakfast is awesome! Standard fan-rooms are very simple, with a nice balcony facing the garden, nothing special but comfortable, and we're spending the whole day on the beach anyway. Sea-view rooms look amazing, right on the beach! Next time we'll try to upgrade there. We've looked into other resorts around the island and didn't regret our choice for a second, next time will come back to the Hippocampus for sure!

Great Location on Malapascua ”

If you are looking for and affordable and clean place on the beach, then I would recommend Hippocampus. The location is great, right in the action on the main part of the beach. The grounds were lovely, complete with a friendly talking bird. It's a motel style set up, but every room has a nice balcony facing the leafy courtyard. The rooms were basic, but comfortable enough, with a mosquito net, lots of storage, and was always cleaned daily. The restaurant wasn't much different than every other restaurant along the beach, but the food was as good as any other. Staff was hit and miss - many were very friendly, but a few seemed like they would rather be doing anything else but serve us. We found that travel information was hard to come by, and the staff had little interest in finding out about boat schedules or activities options. Overall though, we enjoyed our stay and would stay there again if we were to return. It seemed like one of the best valued options on the beach and we had a nice and relaxing stay. However, there is a negative that you should be aware of. When we booked online they only had 3 nights available. We wanted 4, but decided we could just go and find another place for the last night once we arrived. It turned out that Hippocampus did have our room available on the 4th night so we booked it. What we found out when we payed for the 4th night, is that the room rate is actually significantly less than what we payed through agoda. We had payed $42 online, but the room was only $29. On top of that, when we checked in, they told us that breakfast was not included. We were sure that we had payed for breakfast, and once we left the island and had internet access, we checked our booking and sure enough, we had. So be aware that you may pay more to book online, and they may not actually honor the free breakfast.

Very pleasant”

Our stay was great, not a lot to do except swim but you need boat shoes as there is a lot of dangerous matter in the water/sea grass area as well as sea urchins on any rock areas in the seagrass. While the grass is a good sign and it brings in some fish, its an awful feeling under the feet. Hippocampus was a great spot, well located, brilliant view and access to the beach, wonderful restaurant,cheap good wine and excellent bar. You do need mosquito repellent and spray for your room, we had insect nets but your clothes filled up with mosquitoes. The snorkeling is ok only, but watch for jellyfish. No real coral to talk about, some dead stuff and an old shipwreck but not much to see. Recommend the swim with the Thresher Sharks though. It is no where near as good as Boracay, looks similar in set out but otherwise way less occupied because of the storm damage and even then its beach is not as good, nice place to get away from the crowds though.

Great hotel on the beachfront w/ free breakfast!”

This hotel is one of the more affordably priced hotels in Malapascua island, really a good choice. Staff are friendly, rooms are always cleaned (daily), food choices are varied. They offer free breakfast and you can choose any type of breakfast you want (continental, american, chinese, asian etc). The rooms are big enough and the bathrooms (no hot water) are nice. Wifi available at the receptionist area but not in the rooms.

Excellent experience”

Great Location, Delicious food and very nice and thoughtful staff. We really would consider to stay in Hippocampus if we come back to Malapascua island.

A Nice place to get away”

I had a great time at this resort. It is centrally located on the beach and has great snorkeling about 300m off shore. The owner is very friendly and helpful and met me as I arrived and helped me to arrange my diving. The food is good but the service is sometimes a little slow, especially for breakfast. The internet also did not work for the duration of my stay. Overall I would recommend this resort for anyone coming to Malapascua Island

Friendly staff but bad management”

hippocampus resort have an excellent location, just as any other resort in malapascua and room that will accomodate any traveler without the need for ac rooms. the cold water shower is not unusual for malapascua and the rooms are clean, small but clean. but your there to spend time on the lovely beach, not in the room. staff is friendly and their language proficiency is good. only downside is the management, they seem uninterested in taking the service level just that extra bit higher and even though a personal review on their food didn't change their attitude nor service. another example is sitting in the bar and the management gets served before the customers, bad policy from my point of view! but then there is always loads of other restaurants nearby, so no problem if you wish to better quality of food.

Amazing stay in Hippocampus, staff were very nice!”

Amazing stay in Hippocampus, I love their breakfast, I love their staff, location is very good! Will probably stay hera again when I get back in Malapascua!

Small, basic, clean, welcoming.”

The hotel staff are very accommodating, the waitresses Joy and Joy are indeed a joy! Everything works, as a dive base you really don't need anything more. The beach outside the resort is nice soft white sand and the sea very shallow. Lots of sea grass so not much marine life to see, you can snorkel out 100m or so - same shallow depth - where there is a little coral. Breakfast is more than adequate with several options. Meals are varied, reasonable portions and priced in accordance with the local prices. The Philippines is not cheap. No beach towels, although you can ask for a second bath towel. Very laid back and relaxed, don't read much into 'resort' it isn't. Rooms are a reasonable size, you are not cramped. Clean. You need toiletries. Nice balcony. Linen changed every day. Malapascua is a great dive venue.