*Was supposed to publish this post last month lol, but I had some personal matters so I wasn’t able to 🙁
Early last month, and I was finally able to cross out one of my Cebu wish lists which is the Bantayan Island. Yasss! It was supposed to be last August but we had some family emergency and all of that, so the rescheduled date was just decided at the last minute. But I’m so glad everything went well and the weather cooperated, *wink.
Transportation
Bantayan Island is situated at the northern end of Cebu, so it would take around 5-6 hours (depending on traffic) from Cebu City. Luckily for us, we’re living in Liloan and we departed at around 5 am so the whole bus ride was very pleasant. Then we arrived at the port in only 2 hours!
The boat ride from the port to Sta Fe. (one of the three municipalities in Bantayan Island) was only for 1 hour (just like going to Camotes Island). Afterwards, a service from our hotel accommodation fetched us at Sta. Fe port.
I have to say that our overall travel from Liloan to Bantayan was very fast and comfortable 🙂
Hotel Accommodation
We only paid around Php5,200 for three days and two nights on Sandscape which is good for 6 people. Not bad eh? The room is very basic and they provide towels and some toiletries. They also have bidet, *wink. It wasn’t 5-star quality but it was good for people who are looking for budget friendly accommodation in Bantayan. They also have a kitchen where you only need to pay Php50 (rice + 1 viand). There’s also free hot water in the kitchen so you can drink coffee or milk.
There’s no elevator so it was a great exercise going back and forth from our room, lol. It’s not very near the beach, but it was only a walking distance from Sugar Beach. And if you want to walk more, you can go to Kota Beach and Sta. Fe Market.
Beach
It was indeed splendid! There are some beaches that you need to pay for the entrance fee but there are also lots that are free with equally gorgeous scenery and clear water. Their cost line was also very long so you can still enjoy the beach even if it is low tide.
It was very hot during our stay, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying the beach. I still miss it just thinking about it <3
Unfortunately we didn’t do an island hopping tour. Well, I guess that’s something I need to do on my next visit, eh.
Tourist Spots
We paid for a land tour for Php1,000 good for 7 destinations. I think we spent most of our time at the market purchasing dried fish and seafood, lol. There were 2 destinations we skipped since we’ve been there the day before. We end our tour dipping at Sta. Fe Beach Club and Ogtong Cave.
After the market, the whole fam really enjoyed our time at Omagieca or most popularly known as Camp Sawi. It was really hot that day, but seeing nature made us forget the scorching sun. Ahhh, it was indeed a very fun day.
Food
There’s a lot of affordable seafood there, so I think that’s a really must-have when you’re in Bantayan Island. There were also a lot of carenderia or restaurants you could enjoy there, so most of the time, I’ve seen ourselves eating there, hahaha.
Final Thoughts
It was only a short stay, but I really enjoyed our whole Bantayan Island stay. If you’re a big beach lover, Bantayan Island is definitely a must visit!
Fun to read your quick travel summary and see your pictures. Pretty beaches and glad the market had some delicious food.
Thanks Sophia. It was indeed a fun travel 🙂
I am definitely a beach lover, so I think Bantayan Island is a place that could be for me! I mean, look at those pictures 😍 I’m really glad you had a good time, even though it was a short stay, Vanessa!
Bantayan Island is indeed for your Silvia 😉 Thank you for stopping by!