It started with a Facebook listing in Moalboal.
Johan Blixt came across a post about Backyard Inn, a small hostel in the area that was up for discussion. He contacted the owner, which opened a conversation about taking over and developing the place.
At that point, he and Andreas Westpahl already knew each other from years of working in the diving industry. The idea of running the hostel together developed naturally from there.
And then one day Johan texts Andreas: “It’s ours!”
The property became a shared project alongside their work as diving instructors in Moalboal.
Rat race and hamster wheel
Both Andreas and Johan come across as calm and easygoing.
It is a trait that seems to match the life they have chosen – far from the pace of their previous lives in Sweden, and closer to a quieter rhythm built around diving, seasons and a small coastal community.
Before the hostel, both had left Sweden after years in different trades.
Johan Blixt worked as a carpenter before moving into diving.
“I was tired of the rat race,” he says.
He had already spent time diving in Sweden, and eventually trained as a diving instructor.
He first came to the Philippines around 2007. He had also travelled in Thailand, but describes Moalboal as a place where the connection felt different.
He stayed, and built his life around diving.
Today he works as an instructor and freelance trainer, while also running the hostel business he now shares with Andreas.
His wife is Filipino and works in the same operation. They met when she was a nanny at his first dive centre, and they now have children together.
Andreas Westphal came from construction work in Sweden, where he worked with concrete floors.
“I was a bit tired of the hamster wheel in Sweden as well,” he says.
He travelled to Thailand around 14 years ago, and later to the Philippines. His first stay in Moalboal lasted around two weeks, but over time, he kept coming back until it became permanent.
He met his wife in Moalboal about ten years ago. They now have four children.
A growing base in Moalboal
The hostel has become a key part of their work alongside diving. Business is going well, with steady demand during the high season.
“We have a lot of guests during the busy season,” they say.
They are now expanding the property, with renovations underway that include a swimming pool and 12 new rooms, along with wider improvements to the hostel.
Before moving into hospitality together, both describe a path that unfolded slowly over time – through repeated returns, longer stays, and a gradual sense of belonging in Moalboal.
