Bantayan Island

After relaxing Malapascua Island, we proceeded to Bantayan Island for the second part of our vacation.

Bantayan is four hours away from Cebu City. The island itself is composed of 3 municipalities -- Sta. Fe, Bantayan and Madridejos on the northern tip. It is supposedly the "Egg Basket" of Cebu since it generates over one and a half million eggs a day to supply the growing demand of eggs for mainland Cebu, Negros, Panay and even Leyte.

Getting There

To get to Bantayan Island, take the bus bound for Hagnaya from Cebu's Northern Bus Terminal. There are also non-stop aircon buses. Buses leave hourly.

In our case, we were travelling from Malapascua (in Cebu Island's northern most tip) to Bantayan. From Malapascua island, one can actually hire a boat straight to Bantayan Island. That costs around P1800-P3000 per boat, depending on the size of the boat.

Since we were only two people, we opted to ride the boat back to the town of Maya, from where we can take the bus back to Hagnaya. But, since the bus at Maya was to leave a lot later then we thought, we rode a habal-habal (for-hire motorcycle) back to the town of Daang Bantayan, where we boarded the Cebu City-bound bus. We asked the bus conductor to drop us off at a place called Don Pedro, where one can either take the tricycle to the Hagnayan Wharf (P20 per head, P100 for the whole tricycle), or wait for the bus bound for Hagnaya Wharf.

At the Hagnaya Wharf, there are fast craft boats and roro ferries that travel to Bantayan Island. Fare is P134.50. Expect to pay around P5 for the terminal fee. And expect to be harassed by ferry barkers.


Accommodations


There are a lot of places you can stay in Bantayan. Some of the most pricey ones are Sta. Fe Beach Club and Ogtong Cave. Most accommodations are cottage-type. We had an aircon cottage. Try Kota Beach Resort or Budyong Resort beside it. Another famous one seems to be Sugar Beach. You can also opt to pitch a tent on the beach.


Things To Do


Like most beach towns, you can hire a boat and go snorkelling. Or you can walk along the whole beach area, from Ogtong Caves to the Bantayan Pier, and maybe even to the Sta. Fe Beach Club. You can try some overpriced seafood dining at White Sand Seafood Restaurant, where the view is nice. It seems though that the wind really picks up at night, so it's a bit hard to sip your sinigang when the wind is blowing the soup all over the place. There are also some species of birds that you don't normally see around Manila.


The sand bars are perfect for some skimboarding. You can fly kites, chase small crabs, play habulan, or just laze around the beach front. The tide usually rises around noon time, so it's actually more fun to swim around then. If you wait till sunset, the sandbars become more prominent, and you can walk for miles in shallow water.


Ride a tricycle or multi-cab (smaller than a jeep) into the town proper of Bantayan to visit the Bantayan Market and the 400+ year old Bantayan Church. You can buy lots of dried squid, fish tocino and dried fish (danggit) in Bantayan Market. This is only around 30 minutes away from the Sta. Fe beaches. If you have more time, you can hop on a multi-cab to the town of Madridejos, and check out their board walk.

*** More pictures here: Multiply***

Bantayan Island, Cebu

After relaxing Malapascua Island, we proceeded to Bantayan Island for part 2 of our vacation.

Nagulat kami, roro pala yung boat papuntang Bantayan. And maraming tao! Lots of families. There were people just strolling along the beach, swimming, skimboarding, kiteflying, even playing frisbee!

Malapascua, Cebu

Five months pregnant, but according to this book I got, it's the perfect time to travel! So travel we did -- to Malapascua Island in Cebu, Philippines. The sand was white. The waters blue. The pace idyllic. A perfect place to slow down and relax.

Malapascua Island

5 months pregnant.

But according to this book I got, it's the perfect time to travel! So travel we did -- to Malapascua Island in Cebu. The sand was white. The waters blue. The pace idyllic. A perfect place to slow down and relax.




Getting There

Malapascua is around 4 hours away from Cebu City. Take the bus bound for the town of Maya in Cebu's Northern Bus Terminal. Buses leave hourly, from 5AM til before lunch. Fare is around P60 for the non-aircon bus. Sit on the driver's side of the bus if you want to avoid the morning sun. Sit on the other side if you want to catch views of the ocean.

Once in Maya, walk past the gas station to the boat docking area. Boat fare is P40 for the almost-1 hour ride. Expect to get your feet wet. The boat will land directly on the beach front of Cocobana Beach Resort.


Accommodations

There are available accommodations, from aircon to fan rooms. Cocobana Beach Resort is owned by this friendly Swiss guy named Freddy. Non-aircon beachfront rooms (with 2 double beds) can cost PHP 1700 a night. On the far left side of the beach lies the Blue Coral resort, where non-aircon rooms cost PHP 500 a night. There are plenty of other accommodations around the island.




Things To Do

Eat. Sleep. Laze around. Island hop. Snorkel. Dive. There are dive shops that organize dive trips and rent out dive gear. Just chill out. Almost all of the resorts have their own restos/bars. Of course, it's not as lively as Boracay, but if you want beer, you can find beer. Take note though that the island runs on electricity only from 6pm-12 midnight. Beyond those hours, generators provide electric comforts. Restos usually close at 10pm.



Try Ging Ging's Eatery and Flower Garden if you're hungry. Prices here are relatively cheaper as compared to food from the other resorts. Ging Ging's can be found somewhere in the back alleys near Cocobana. Also, don't miss dining at La Dolce Vita, an Italian restaurant with a spectacular view of the sunset. There are signs leading to La Doce Vita -- just go near to the end of the beach. There's a shortcut from Blue Water resort. La Dolce Vita is located near the Maldito resort. If you're confused, try this Malapascua map.

You can also visit the barrio/town proper, which is just a short walk away from the beach front. Or if you're really energetic, you can visit the lighthouse near the northern tip of the island. Obviously, Bok was not energetic. Hehe. I had to practically drag him around, and beg him to let me snorkel. (But to be fair, he was only concerned about my health.) Hiring a boat for snorkeling/going around the island can cost P600 a boat. Add around P100 for snorkel gear rental. You can also have a massage/hilot -- a massage can cost P300, and they have "official" masseuses (dressed in yellow shirts) roaming around.


I therefore conclude...



After 3 days and 2 nights in Malapascua, and despite Bok always scowling, we both actually enjoyed our vacation. And what are some things we learned here?

• Buy a tripod. It's really very very hard to take night shots without a tripod or without a table that will act like a tripod.
• Pregnant women float funny.
• Don't take your room key home with you!
• It's great to relax and enjoy the quietness of just being there.

** More pictures at my Multiply site.