Review of Ocean Vida Resort in Malapascua, Cebu

Ocean Vida Resort is located on Bounty Beach, one of the most popular beaches in Malapascua. The resort is situated on the northern tip of the island, offering guests a peaceful and secluded atmosphere. The beach is just a few steps away from the resort, making it easy for guests to enjoy the sun, sand, and sea. The resort is also close to several attractions, including Logon Church and Daanbantayan Ferry Port.

While the location and beachfront setting of Ocean Vida Resort were the main reasons for booking, the actual experience did not entirely meet expectations. I will start with the negative feedback first before I move on the positive reviews.

Poor internet connection

One of the cons was the poor internet connection in our room (Room #1), which was the nearest to the restaurant and bar. The Wi-Fi router was placed somewhere nearer the center of the guest room building, and since the room was at the farthest side of it, the signal couldn’t reach it.

Solution: If internet connection is important for you, better stay in rooms somewhere in the middle of the building or ask the staff to put you in a room with the strongest signal. Mobile LTE can also be used as a backup.

Slow response time

One area where Ocean Vida Resort could improve is in their response time to customer inquiries via social media platforms like Facebook or text messaging. Actually, they were not slow, they have never responded to my questions, which maybe understandable at times. Perhaps they were understaffed, their social media accounts were not accessible to them at that time, etc. Unfortunately, this can be frustrating to guests when seeking assistance or information.

Solution: I had to call them up to get my questions answered so just give them a ring if you are unable to reach them anywhere else.

Briefing incident

Upon arrival, the resort manager offered a briefing about the room details and general information related to our stay. It took her a long while to conclude the briefing and she could see we were soaking wet and looking very tired while conversing with her due to the heavy rainfall while we were on the flatboat on the way to the resort.

We requested to delay the briefing until later, promising to return once we had dried off and rested. She agreed and said that unfortunately, they couldn’t serve the welcome drinks until the briefing is completed. Although the briefing was of course helpful, it felt unnecessary at that time due to our exhaustion and given our ability to discover these independently.

After we have rested and despite our initial intentions, the manager seemed to forget about continuing the conversation and failed to deliver our welcome drinks.

Solution: If you encounter similar circumstances, do not hesitate to remind them gently about the briefing and welcome drinks, ensuring that you receive the full attention and care promised upon booking. Remember, clear and consistent communication is essential for a satisfying stay at Ocean Vida Resort.

Beach cleanliness issues

Although not directly associated with Ocean Vida Resort, Bounty Beach appears to suffer from water quality problems. Bounty Beach was really dirty when we were there! I seriously don’t recommend swimming in the area or you’ll just get all kinds of rashes and your body will itch in places you never knew existed. LOL!

Solution: You can just use the beach to lounge and enjoy the sceneries but for your sake, don’t swim! If you want to swim, go ahead and join organized island hopping tours far from Bounty Beach. These tours typically visit pristine snorkeling spots and beaches around Malapascua, which are much cleaner. These trips allow guests to safely explore the underwater world without risking exposure to potentially contaminated waters.

Now, we talk about the good stuff about this resort. Despite the issues I mentioned earlier, there were several pros to staying at Ocean Vida Resort. 

Good breakfast

The breakfast buffet menu was good, and the food choices were just right relative to the price paid. The menu never changes, at least not for the past 3 mornings that we were there but the food was good. Nothing special — just sufficient for the palette. I particularly loved the ice cream they sold along the beach and the bamboo straws they used for the drinks and fruit shakes were particularly noteworthy.

Wonderful restaurant staff

The restaurant staff was also friendly and accommodating, especially those stationed there in the evening. During one of those nights, my husband caught fever and wanted hot soup in the middle of the night. That was nearly 10:00 PM, I think.

So I headed straight for the restaurant to find them almost closing up. I told them about our situation and they politely turned down my request since the chef/cook will be leaving soon. I rested my case and headed back to the room.

After a few minutes, one of their staff knocked on our door to tell me that the cook/chef will be cooking hot soup for us and asking us what kind we wanted. It was a gesture we can never forget and couldn’t thank enough!

Perfect beach view room

​Pro #3 The room we stayed in (Room #1) is very well-maintained and always very well-made every time we come back from our island hopping tours. The room was very homey and comfortable and has a nice view of the beach. No obstructions whatsoever except for a few coconut trees. It is also very near the restaurant and the reception.

Lovely turn down service

At the end of every day, they would give us some sweet pastries for free along with an inspiring quote they’d write down on a piece of floral stationary with our names on it. It was a very nice thing to do which made us feel at home and feel valued as customers. This simple but sweet gesture is something that I have never experienced with other resorts.

Convenient location

The resort is also very near the booth where we registered for a boat ride back to the mainland, practically in front of the resort. It was a relatively a long walk to the dock but the boat crew helped us with our luggage.

Spa service

If you are up for a massage, their sister resort Buena Vida offers the best spa services in the island. You can simply approach the reception of Ocean Vida to book their service. To get the actual service, you have to go to the spa resort itself or request for room service. They do not offer any discount for Ocean Vida guests, though, if that is what you are expecting, which I did.