Advertisement
Motag Living Museum

Motag Living Museum

Motag Living Museum
5
Points of Interest & Landmarks
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM, 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
About
SEE THE PAST COME TO LIFE; Step back in time and experience life in Boracay as it was before the tourists arrived Visit the FIRST INTERACTIVE LIVING MUSEUM in the Philippines! Reservation required.
Duration: 1-2 hours
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
What is Travelers’ Choice?
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.

Top ways to experience nearby attractions

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

5.0
5.0 of 5 bubbles156 reviews
Excellent
140
Very good
13
Average
3
Poor
0
Terrible
0

Daniel T
11 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2023 • Couples
We had a whale of a time, the tour was really enriching and interactive. It was a great change of pace to a beach holiday here in Boracay. Everyone was really hospitable and friendly, there was even a really endearing surprise at the end. I highly recommended for everyone! 😊
Written May 30, 2023
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.

Kate C
6 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2023 • Family
Fantastic cultural experience, a must do for families or groups. Very well put together. A chance to give back to the local community and gain an insight to some history.

Pearli was amazing, a great guide.
Written December 4, 2023
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.

paulophonic
New Jersey30 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2015 • Family
I visited Motag Living Museum with my Mom and Dad (who are Filipino) and my American spouse. It was my Mom's idea, and I was skeptical at first -- I thought it might be gimmicky, fake, tacky, or tourist trap-y. But I am SO glad I went because it was a wonderful, eye-opening, charming and heartwarming experience -- for both Filipinos and foreigners alike, as my little group can attest.

The museum allows visitors to experience rustic Philippine village life (to be precise, 1930s Philippine village life, if I remember right: no electricity, no nails in construction, and no farming technology). Think of places like Casa Manila, or the Chinese shophouse-turned-museums in Hoi An and Penang, whose draw is that they are "dressed up to emulate another era"... except here at Motag, absolutely nothing is cordoned off. You're encouraged to touch, try, taste everything.

The museum experience is completely guided (there are two tours a day, every day except Monday, and you have to call the day before). It starts in a pretty garden, where you can draw water from a well and learn about old-fashioned showering and toilet use practices. Then you're led through a hut (bahay kubo) built entirely of bamboo and coconut products -- again, with no nails -- where you can learn to roll tobacco or stuff pillows from village ladies, and learn about ingenious old-fashioned kitchen technologies. Next is the main draw of the place, the rice-planting experience, where you can actually wade into muddy fields and bend over to stick grains into the ground, and see a carabao (water buffalo) up close -- even ride it. The last portion (my personal favorite) was a busy field with lots of work and play going on: old-fashioned rice threshing (not unlike stomping grapes); weaving huge coconut leaves into panels for roofs and walls; twisting palm fronds into charming little toys like balls and birds; trying out stilts made from bamboo; and having your fill of native snacks and ginger and lemongrass tea. At the end of the visit, the staff comes together to sing a gentle farewell song in native Aklanon.

I loved the tastefulness, authenticity and warmth of it all. It's very pretty and photogenic -- nothing tacky or over-the-top (which, sad to say, a lot of touristy things in the Philippines tend to be). Moreover, everyone in the staff seemed so happy to have us there and to share their knowledge and experiences with us -- they even gave us all the toys they had been crafting from coconut fronds, wheras at other places, they would have tried to sell those to us -- so much so that we ended up not only learning about their lifestyles, but bringing with us some of their joyful, simple spirit.

Motag Living Museum deserves to be visited and talked about, by Filipinos and foreign visitors alike -- whether you just want to take photos (like me and my dad, who couldn't get enough of the views), or like hands-on activity (like my mom and my spouse, who waded into the mud). It's a little pricey, as Philippine museums go -- I think it was Php500 (just above US$10) per head -- but it's totally worth it. On the phone, they'll tell you that the tour takes 1.5 hours; but we had so much fun, and we were so interested by everything going on and everyone who was there, that we stayed for almost 3 hours.
Written August 4, 2015
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.
Fantastic to hear you took it all in and what great in-depth review. hope everyone who intends to come to the museum reads it, it gives us a great overview. yes we are a little more expensive than other museums, we have to pay our staff and as you saw every station is covered by a member of staff who encourage you to get involved with everything we do, with very few static displays. all live action for our guests. many of our guests stay like you did for longer than the allocated one and a half hours and we just love it when that happens. please come and see us again hopefully we will have more to show you by the time you come back. :)
Written August 10, 2015
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

dream-travel
Bern, Switzerland266 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2015 • Friends
I was always fascinated with the pictures on the net. Looks very interesting to know that somebody had the initiative to put up such museum.So when we go home for holiday in boracay, it was on our itinerary! As we visited our friend Cris near Nabauy river, we decided to drop to Motag. We are just lucky because they have guest arriving that day, or else we could not experience the Motag Living Museum. It is very important to book the trip. Mostly hotels have Brocchure on it. For me, it was a nostalgic trip as i grown up from the province. It feels good to experience again. My husband and a friend of us who are from Switzerland was very amazed and happy. The experience was really undescribable.
Written June 1, 2015
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.
Hi Myra, Thank you so much for your lovely review. I am so glad we took you back to your roots. I am also pleased that you managed to bring foreign guests and that they enjoyed the experience. please come back and see us again. thank you so much for your recommendation. Louise
Written June 4, 2015
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Catherine
18 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2019
We really enjoyed this “museum” tour. It is not a museum in the traditional sense but it is very educational and fun! The purpose of the tour is to teach guests about the traditional lifestyle of the Philippines (before electricity and running water). You are outside the entire time so wear outdoor that you don’t mind getting dirty. The tour is very hands on with lots of doing and tasting and includes a ride on the water buffalo. We planted rice in the paddy and harvested rice, went through a traditional bamboo home, and learned about their faith and traditions. The elders sang us a beautiful song as farewell at the end. This is a family friendly, fun, entertaining and educational experience. We thoroughly enjoyed our time at the Motag Living Museum.
Written October 20, 2019
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.

Explorer283426
6 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2019 • Family
This place should not be called “museum” at all since the place is by no means any traditional museum experience. It’s more like cultural learning center. The host went through great length to prepare the place to demonstrate the old phillippines cultural values. By having people dressed up in traditional clothes, they show you what th old phillipines culture looks like. They show you what people back then do to go to the toilet, how you can use their archaic bamboos equipment to get water feim the well for taking a bath, how to make fire from dry leaves, how to roll your own cigarette. They also show you how farm: plant the rice stalk, ride the buffalo, cut and filter the rice, etc...The cool thing is you can participate in this interactive learning experience. We learned a great deal and the kids will enjoy it as well. This is really exceeding our expectations for “museum”
Written February 27, 2019
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.

anav e
Vancouver, Canada76 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2018 • Couples
Highly recommend this place if you are looking to learn more about the Philippine culture. You get to learn about how rice is planted, what the traditional homes were made up of, traditional cooking wares, basket weaving and other interesting activities. The people are genuine and great at explaining everything. Well organized and a unique activity different from your usual beach time and well worth it. Do book ahead of time as the museum is only open when there are bookings and internet is not always reliable so it may take a few days for them to receive your booking if internet is down. The cost of the tour of the museum is 700 pesos per person. Transfer from your hotel is separate, I recommend doing it on your own (the transportation part)way cheaper and not difficult, whatever you do, do not book through random tours on the beach (especially through a long haired guy named John who claims he is a licensed tour guide-he has a board with different tours on it at the beach by the big chicken restaurant-avoid him as he will rip you off as he did with us).So either book the transfer through the museum or do it on your own. If on your own: take tricycle to Cagban Jetty Port (main boat area), then a boat to Malay and then another tricycle ride (the drivers know where it is)to Motag museum, the whole ride from Boracay to the museum is about 1-1.5 hours max (traffic dependent).
We thoroughly enjoyed it despite a bad experience with John the tour guide (not part of motag living museum).
Written January 3, 2019
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 Anav, We, the Motag Living Museum family are glad that you enjoyed the tour and experience the life in the Philippines and Boracay during the 30's or way before Boracay tourism. We hope the little that we shared with you is something that will be part of your good memories of your Boracay visit and not John. I will look for him today, whoever he is. How did he rip you off? Did you give him money? Thank you very much again for visiting us in Motag. Nenette
Written January 5, 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

brj0001
Tokyo, Japan43 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2017 • Family
I was a little unsure about this living museum. It seemed difficult to reach and a bit difficult to arrange, but I am very glad that we went. I was a highlight of our trip and we thoroughly enjoyed it. We went with 4 adults and 3 teenagers, and we were very happy to learn about the local culture and customs. We spent 5 more days in the Philippines, but never saw so much great information and experience. We decided to do this on our way from Kalibo to Boracay and it was a simple trip (by trike) from Caticlan. I would highly recommend this for anyone that wants to have a cultural or interesting experience in the Philippines.
Written April 4, 2017
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 brjooo1, We are happy that you still made it to our Motag Living Museum despite the difficult and many transfers you have to do to get there. Rest assured we will one day be able to offer a direct way and not go through Catiklan anymore. Thank you very much for your appreciation to our local heritage as culture back in the past. We hope to have more like you in the future so that we can sustain our museum and make it grow with other actiivities to offer our guests. Motag Living Museum team
Written April 8, 2017
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Lois N
Buffalo, MN6 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2017 • Couples
Because my wife and I did not want exposure in the sun while on a daytime cruise excursion to the lovely beaches of Boracay, we chose instead the fantastic cultural experience of the Motag Living Museum. Beautiful, friendly Philippino natives provided an unforgettable tour of the rice plantation as it was operated in the 1930's. We immersed ourselves in "their life" by participating in every activity demonstrated, including a ride on the water buffalo! Rice planting, picking, stomping to remove pods, shelling, grinding, and then eating delightful morsels and drinking raw coconut water and fruit were all highlights of the adventure at Motag. To top it off, the elders all sang a beautiful song of farewell and blessing, bringing tears to our eyes. Nothing commercial, nothing fake. This was real, because the people at Motag are truly "real".
Written March 31, 2017
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.

Mikella G
Larnaca, Cyprus8 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2017 • Friends
Totally totally worth visiting! and experiencing the philippino life before technology. Absolutely stunning and it was one of the most enjoyable visits I personally made whilst in the Philippines. A shame not to do while there!
Written March 14, 2017
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 Mam Mekella G, The Motag Living Museum team is sending you their warm greetings and thanking you for the very nice recommendation and review. We hope to ssee you again or your friends and family in the future. Sincerely Motag Living Museum team
Written March 15, 2017
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Showing results 1-10 of 127
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing

MOTAG LIVING MUSEUM (2024) All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

All Boracay HotelsBoracay Hotel DealsLast Minute Hotels in Boracay
All things to do in Boracay
Day Trips in Boracay
RestaurantsFlightsTravel StoriesCruisesRental Cars