FAQ
We have collected questions from guests and visitors and added them to this FAQ. If you don’t find your answer (or question!) here then drop us an e-mail and we’ll try to help.
Usually no meals are included, however for direct bookings for cottages through our web site breakfast is part of your package. Most of the offers on the OTA sites do not include breakfast, remember this when booking! If you wish to run a bill during your stay and pay when you leave, just ask the restaurant staff. This is more convenient for you and for us. If you want to order a meal package for yourself or your group, please send us details of your requirements to our e-mail and we can quote you for a custom package. Our menu is available on our web site and also on our Facebook page. We will ask that you pay for your first night’s stay in full on arrival, subsequent nights can be paid on departure; if you have booked through booking.com, Expedia or Airbnb this will usually have been dealt with already. We also charge a P1,000 cash deposit on arrival to cover equipment loss or damage during your stay; this will be refunded in cash on departure. No sorry, we can’t arrange massages at Eskapo Verde. There are plenty of masseuses (of variable quality) hanging around White Beach and Panagsama Beach and a couple of massage/spa businesses in Panagsama which you could try. Yes, we can help keep you clean! Laundry service is on request, please check with Reception Our normal times are 8-11am check-out and 2pm/14.00 check-in. With notice we can usually arrange early check-in and/or late check-out so please ask if you need something different, we can probably help :). Apart from our sea kayaks and paddle-boards, our facilities include a function room which is ideal for seminars, workgroups, study group, social events or yoga. The room is available for rent by the half-day or day, please ask at Reception if you are interested in renting for your group. Or send us an e-mail to info@eskapoverde.com! No, we have no motorbikes to rent however we have contacts with local partners and can help you to arrange this Yes, we have a delicious selection of vegetarian and vegan meals. Have a look at our menu under the Downloads section. We doubt you will leave hungry 🙂 Our accommodation consists of four cottages, two with private balcony, bathroom, hot showers and large double or twin beds suitable for a couple, and another two with beds on a mezzanine floor suitable for a family with young-ish children. Have a look at our online booking page for current availability Sorry, we have no hot water in our shared washrooms! We decided when we were building Eskapo Verde Lodge that hot showers for the dormitories did not fit with our simple, low-impact vision and anyway are rarely needed. We do however have hot showers in our cottages No, as for the question about hot water, we feel that air-conditioning does not fit into our vision. We have designed our buildings to maximise airflow and passive cooling and use ceiling fans for when the weather gets a little warmer. As the trees on the property grow and provide more shade our buildings will get cooler. We will not be fitting air-conditioning in any of our facilities. Guests are usually very pleasantly surprised at how cool our rooms are at night. We have free fiber Internet access distributed by WiFi over the whole resort area, cellular phone and data access are available but are somewhat limited though. The best cellular signal in the resort area is from Dito, though all providers have black spots. We have plenty of parking just off the main Santander-Barili road which is signposted. If you are coming by car then we are on Wayz and Google Maps, entering “Eskapo Verde” there will bring you straight to the parking area. From there the resort is reached by a 160m boardwalk through the very pretty mangroves. Note that if you have wheelie bags or heavy luggage, our boardwalk is not very luggage-friendly. You can leave your big bags in your car, let us know and leave your keys with Reception; we will collect the bags and bring them to your room. We are sorry but Eskapo Verde is not particularly pet-friendly because we have lots of wildlife which will be disturbed by free-running animals; we must insist that all pets must remain on a leash during any daytime visit. We do not allow pets for overnight stays. Reception is open from 8am until 5pm. If you need to leave before 8am then please speak to Reception the day before to make arrangements for paying your bill. Our restaurant is open from 7am until last orders at 7.30pm Our Lodge restaurant specialises in Filipino dishes, many with a slight “Eskapo” twist :). We also have Asian dishes, vegetarian and vegan dishes and of course burgers and French fries for those that can’t live without! Our mashed potato is second to none . . . so simple to do right but so easy to get wrong! Of course we bake our own bread. We use no MSG in our kitchen and reduce salt and sugar to encourage a healthier diet for all. Even our humba (special order only, sorry) is tweaked to reduce the delicious unhealthiness :). All our dishes are made fresh when you order. Our desserts must be mentioned: our halo-halo is very popular and we have some excellent variations on local ideas. By special order we can make old favourites like biko, maja blanca and fresh siopao with different fillings. You can find our full menu in the Downloads section of the web site and also on our Facebook page Eskapo Verde Lodge doesn’t have a beach though there are a few private beaches in the area. The nearest public beaches are Lambug Beach, Panagsama Beach and White Beach. Have a look at some online photos and see which you prefer. To get to Lambug Beach if you don’t have a motorbike then it’s easiest to get a public bus to Badian then a tricycle from the market area to Lambug. It’s about 10km away and takes perhaps 15-20 minutes to get there. The beach is mostly quiet with a few places to eat and (of course) karaoke by the road, but the beach is long so just walk for a while and you’ll escape any noise. Good white sand and blue water . . . what more do you need? 🙂 The nicest beach, at least during the week, is White Beach which is about 4km from Moalboal. Nice snorkelling and a sandy beach at all states of the tide. Downsides are over-development and it’s often very crowded. Renting a self-drive car at the airport is easy. Driving here in the Philippines – whether in a car or a motorcycle – is similar to most other countries in Asia, with all the hazards and complications that westerners may have forgotten how to deal with! It does offer lots of flexibility though so if you want to do then go ahead . . . but make sure that your travel insurance covers you! As a tourist you can use your own licence to ride or drive here for 90 days after arrival; the licence must cover the type of vehicle you are driving or riding. If your licence does not have the details in English then getting an International Driving Permit is sensible but note that the permit is not a driving licence but only a translation of your licence and you will need to have your own licence with you. Having a copy of your passport showing your arrival date is also sensible. From Eskapo Verde Lodge just jump on any Ceres bus heading for Bato or Samboan. The ride takes about 30 minutes, get off the bus about 1km south of Alegria at the Blue Innovation petrol station. There are many habal habal bikes around there who will take you up to Montpeller falls. It’s about a 15 minute ride to the entrance which is marked by a nice mural on a hut almost hanging off the side of the mountain :). Follow the path down. You will pass some people’s houses, just keep going. If you’re not sure ask anyone, the locals are very friendly and will be happy to point you in the right direction. The official trailhead is a bit further up the mountain on the main road if you want a guide. You can also visit Cambais Falls which are further up the same road and are very pretty. After a 15-20 minutes walk you’ll hear Montpeller Falls and then see them. It looks like around a 30m drop, there is a large pool that is very suitable for swimming and you can climb up behind the falls for a great view through the falling water. And a hard-core head and shoulder massage as well! The best part – only our family group was there on a Tuesday afternoon in March :). There are sometime local families doing their laundry and school kids there. Kawasan Falls open at 7am and close at 5 or 6pm (depending on the time of year), you can visit the falls at any time during opening hours. Cut-off time for starting *canyoneering* is around 1pm but please check with us or your guide for exact times. Last pickup from Eskapo Verde for a canyoneering tour is around 12.30pm. Note: Kawasan falls is closed for river cleaning on the 3rd Wednesday of every month and no canyoneering activities there are possible. There are several reasons, the whole issue of whale shark-feeding is complex with no clear answer. In the end it has to come down to an individual decision however here are some of the reasons we don’t feel that this activity is sustainable or healthy: Negative Points Positive points In the end it’s your decision but please be aware whale shark watching in Oslob is not the environmental wonder that it superficially appears to be and has significant downsides. Please don’t ask us to arrange it for you because we won’t! Here is a link to an Australian study on the impact of whale-shark feeding: We will ask that you pay for your first night’s stay in full on arrival, subsequent nights can be paid on departure; if you have booked through booking.com, Expedia or Airbnb this will usually have been dealt with already. We also charge a P1,000 cash deposit on arrival to cover equipment loss or damage during your stay; this will be refunded in cash on departure. Yes; we accept any Visa or Mastercard, Maestro cards and American Express and we have GCash, Google Pay, Apple Pay, WeChatPay, Alipay and QR PH facilities at Reception and the restaurant. We also have PNB and Landbank accounts as well as Paypal so please ask if you wish to discuss other means of paying for your visit. Cash is always good! We do not make a surcharge for using a card. There are several ATM’s in Moalboal: Metrobank at Gaisano Grand and 360 Pharmacy by the market, PNB and BdO at Gaisano Grand and Landbank at Gaisano Town Centre and the Municipal Hall. There is also a PNB machine in Panagsama Beach by Eve’s Kiosk and another at Blue Abyss Resort. Be aware that the standalone ATM’s often charge substantially more than the machines at the banks in Moalboal. Badian has a PNB ATM by Ging Ging’s Hotel on the main street. Yes we can. A car transfer is very practical if you are travelling with a group or are arriving at inconvenient hours. As a guideline a car pickup from the airport (suitable for 1-3 people) costs around P4,000 and a van suitable for up to nine guests around P6,300. Please contact us and we’ll give you a specific quotation No, we have no motorbikes to rent however we have contacts with local partners and can help you to arrange this Renting a self-drive car at the airport is easy. Driving here in the Philippines – whether in a car or a motorcycle – is similar to most other countries in Asia, with all the hazards and complications that westerners may have forgotten how to deal with! It does offer lots of flexibility though so if you want to do then go ahead . . . but make sure that your travel insurance covers you! As a tourist you can use your own licence to ride or drive here for 90 days after arrival; the licence must cover the type of vehicle you are driving or riding. If your licence does not have the details in English then getting an International Driving Permit is sensible but note that the permit is not a driving licence but only a translation of your licence and you will need to have your own licence with you. Having a copy of your passport showing your arrival date is also sensible. The easiest way to get away from us whether you are heading north to Cebu City or south to Oslob, Siquijor or Dumaguete is to wave down a Ceres bus heading in the right direction on the main road at the junction with our access road. You should allow at least four hours to get to Cebu City, six hours to get to the airport and about three hours to get to Oslob. To get to the ferries from Bato or Liloan for islands to the south will take about 1½ to 2 hours. The most pleasant way to get to Bohol from us to to book a ticket on the daily boat from Oslob to Panglao Beach, this leaves Oslob at 11.30am and is very busy during the December to April period – book in advance! However there are also several OceanJet fast ferries to Siquijor, Bohol and Cebu from Dumaguete. There is a guide to heading south from Eskapo Verde Lodge in our Downloads section. Busy times for the buses are every Sunday afternoon heading to Cebu City and any afternoon bus leaving the city but especially Fridays and Saturdays or any day preceeding a holiday. Please remember that it is most sensible to organise your time to travel in the provinces in Philippines for earlier rather than later. Buses and ferries are less frequent or stop after sunset and it’s more complicated to arrange alternatives in the dark. Please allow plenty of time for delays, especially if you have a flight to catch. Oh and if you are travelling domestic, it is usually simple to book a last minute flight which gives you flexibility that you will lose if you tie yourself down to a pre-booked itinerary It’s very easy! If you want to go canyoneering at Kawasan then we can arrange a tour with our local partner which includes pickup and return to Eskapo. If you just want to visit the Falls then the easiest (and cheapest!) way is to hop on any of the Ceres or Metrolink buses passing our entrance and get a ticket to Kawasan. The bus will drop you at the church in Matutinao which is right by the entrance to the falls. To come back just wave down any bus heading north in the direction of Cebu. Fare is P20-25 per head. Travel in the Philippines is generally easy, though buses and ferries can get busy. Watch out for Friday and Saturday afternoons and Monday morning travel, plus holiday periods such as Christmas, New Year, Sinulog and – especially – Easter. Our advice for Easter is “don’t plan long distance travel”. If you really must travel then book as much as possible well in advance since all public transport and accommodation will be very very busy! Here is the queue to get into the South Bus Terminal in Cebu just before the All Souls’ Day and All Saints’ Day holiday last year. The queues to get onto buses’ was equally long. Note: if there is a long queue for taxis then waiting for the bus could be your quickest option as well as cheapest! Likewise if there is heavy traffic the buses may be faster than a taxi From Eskapo Verde Lodge just jump on any Ceres bus heading for Bato or Samboan. The ride takes about 30 minutes, get off the bus about 1km south of Alegria at the Blue Innovation petrol station. There are many habal habal bikes around there who will take you up to Montpeller falls. It’s about a 15 minute ride to the entrance which is marked by a nice mural on a hut almost hanging off the side of the mountain :). Follow the path down. You will pass some people’s houses, just keep going. If you’re not sure ask anyone, the locals are very friendly and will be happy to point you in the right direction. The official trailhead is a bit further up the mountain on the main road if you want a guide. You can also visit Cambais Falls which are further up the same road and are very pretty. After a 15-20 minutes walk you’ll hear Montpeller Falls and then see them. It looks like around a 30m drop, there is a large pool that is very suitable for swimming and you can climb up behind the falls for a great view through the falling water. And a hard-core head and shoulder massage as well! The best part – only our family group was there on a Tuesday afternoon in March :). There are sometime local families doing their laundry and school kids there. We have plenty of parking just off the main Santander-Barili road which is signposted. If you are coming by car then we are on Wayz and Google Maps, entering “Eskapo Verde” there will bring you straight to the parking area. From there the resort is reached by a 160m boardwalk through the very pretty mangroves. Note that if you have wheelie bags or heavy luggage, our boardwalk is not very luggage-friendly. You can leave your big bags in your car, let us know and leave your keys with Reception; we will collect the bags and bring them to your room. Resort
Are any meals included in my stay at Eskapo Verde Lodge?
Are there any charges when I arrive?
Can I arrange a massage?
Can you do laundry?
Check-in and check-out
Do you have any other facilities?
Do you rent motorbikes?
Does Eskapo Verde offer vegetarian dishes?
I don’t want to stay in shared accommodation, do you have private rooms?
I need hot water for my shower….
I will never survive without aircon…do you have any air-conditioned rooms?
Internet access
Parking
Pets at Eskapo Verde
What are your Reception hours?
What are your restaurant hours?
What sort of meals do you serve?
Activities
Are there any beaches nearby?
Driving in the Philippines
Highlights in our area
How to get to Montpeller Falls, Alegria
What time does Kawasan Falls open?
Why doesn’t Eskapo Verde support whale shark watching in Oslob?
Money
Are there any charges when I arrive?
Can I use a credit or debit card at Eskapo Verde?
Where is the nearest ATM?
Transport
Can you arrange transfer from Cebu City or the airport to Eskapo Verde?
Do you rent motorbikes?
Driving in the Philippines
Getting away from Eskapo Verde
Getting from Cebu City to Eskapo Verde?
Getting from Dumaguete to Eskapo Verde?
Getting from Eskapo Verde to Kawasan Falls?
Getting from Oslob to Eskapo Verde?
Getting from Siquijor to Eskapo Verde?
Holiday travel
How can I transfer from the airport to the South Bus Terminal?
How to get to Montpeller Falls, Alegria
Parking