I’ve stayed in Cebu City for a year and a half after graduation but never was a time I traveled to Bantayan. Recently, an arisgada friend of mine, Concon, convinced me to explore and conquer the island, which some travelers claim has one of the pristine beaches in the country.
After the plane landed at Mactan International Airport, we went straight to North Bound Bus Terminal. We arrived at the terminal around 10:00am and we were a bit early for the 10:30am bus schedule bound for Hagnaya (Fare: Php 150/head). We arrived at the port around 1:30pm and we haven’t taken our lunch yet. There are some carinderia near the port area, mostly selling barbecues. I was a bit hungry but maybe because I was too excited for the vacay, I just settled with a cup of instant noodles. We bought our tickets for Php 170 per head and took the 2:30pm ferry shuttle bound for Bantayan Island.
We arrived at Santa Fe Wharf around 3:30pm and we have no idea where to stay. While nearing the wharf exit, some locals approached and told us they will help us find a resort to stay. One offered his trisikad or padyak without any fee just for us to see the resorts they were bragging about. So we gave it a try but to our dismay found ourselves checking out the not-so-good resorts. My Cebu buddies, who were coming over the next day, suggested Budyong Beach Resort. So we told our guide to bring us to the said resort. To our amazement, we found the coastline along the beach, really beautiful. It was way more beautiful than the few beaches we've checked earlier and this one has a great sandbar. However, due to no room avail, we checked in to its adjacent resort, Kota Beach.
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| Sand bar |
We took a few pictures in the area and just enjoyed the breeze.
Since we had quite a tough day, we decided to get an early dinner and regenerate our energy for tomorrow’s activity – biking! It was not until the one of the resort’s staff told us we can rent a bike for only Php 150/24 hours. Great deal for a great adventure ahead.
I woke up around 5:30am to catch the sunrise. But I guess I was already a bit late. Never really got a good shot of it or maybe it was just my phone camera or maybe my photography skills. LOL. But the view was truly amazing. We even saw a black jellyfish on the shore.
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| Black Jellyfish on the loose |
After taking our breakfast, we prepared for our biking activity. Our initial route plan was Santa Fe - Bantayan Town and vice versa. According to the locals, it is approximately 10 kilometers apart. I never remember myself biking even on a 500-meter distance but I thought I must give it a try. So we got ready and brought our swimming attire and goggles just in case we happen to stop by a very nice resort in Bantayan Town, which unfortunately didn’t happen. But it didn’t make our day any ordinary because biking on the road to Bantayan Town was already something. It was a liberating feeling and you get to enjoy nature at its best.
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| Santa Fe to Bantayan Town Road |
After approximately 2.5 hours of biking, we reached Bantayan Town. We asked the locals if there are some resorts nearby however they told us that most of the resorts are located in Santa Fe. However, they told us that there is a resort named Nature Park Resort located around 7kilometers away from the town. They suggested for us to take the route Bantayan Town – Sillon – Santa Fe, of course with the said resort for our side trip. But before the adventure continued, we toured around the municipality of Bantayan town, took a glimpse of Lantawan Baywalk and to our surprise found a tourist spot, Bantayan Church. It is said to be one of the oldest churches in the country and was founded on 1839.
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| Bantayan Church |
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| Lantawan Baywalk |
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| Nature Park Resort |
After taking our lunch, we got back on our bikes and headed to Nature Park Resort though we don’t know where exactly it is located but thanks to GPS and friendly locals for guiding us to reach our destination.
Nature Park Resort has a lot of amenities to offer: cave pool, mini zoo, infinity pool, bar and restaurant, fish spa and billiards hall. The all-in day tour package rate is only Php 150. We soaked in the cave pool for just a few minutes. We would have wanted to stay a little longer in the place and try the infinity pool, however, we needed to get back to Santa Fe before sunset. Around 4:00pm we headed back to Santa Fe wearing our wet rash guards but it really didn’t matter. And of course, we stopped once in a while for photo ops.
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| View on top of Bantayan island |
We got back to Kota Beach, Santa Fe just in time – just in time to make great memories with my good ol’ friends Kathy and Leandro and perhaps a great finale for a great day.
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| Sunset with Leandro and Kathy |
Day three. I got up early to catch a glimpse of the sunrise. Took a few pictures of it and enjoyed catching up with my friends. We also took pictures of Kota’s Ding Dong Café and its surroundings before leaving for Cebu City.
Bantayan Total Expenses per person: Php 2640.00
Bus Fare (North Terminal to Hagnaya): 300.00 (Round trip)
Ferry Ticket (Hagnaya to Sta Fe) : 340.00 (Round trip)
Room Rental: 900.00 (2 nights/900 per room good for 2pax)
Bike Rental: 150.00
Meals: 800.00 (5 meals)
Miscellaneous: 150.00
