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Bantayan Island Travel Guide: How to Go + Places to Visit

Meghy — Wed, 10 Jul 2024 21:39:02 +0000

“A piece of heaven on Earth” that’s how I would describe Bantayan Island. Just right stepping on Santa Fe port, you would notice its crystal-clear waters and would have a glimpse of all the beautiful things this island could offer. I visited Bantayan Island last May for a girl’s summer getaway and it gave me one summer to remember. Though it was the summer season in the Philippines and our visit fell on a holiday week, we were surprised that the island was not loaded with tourists so we were able to relax and enjoy the scenery without the crowd. The island was added to my travel bucket list after being featured in the famous local film “Camp Sawi”. The said movie made the place known and opened tourism opportunities to its locals.

Knowing Bantayan Island

Bantayan Island is an island located in the northwest part of Cebu Island. The island is about 5 hours away from Cebu City and a popular vacation spot among Cebuanos. If you are living outside Cebu and you want to enjoy your vacation with a lesser crowd, compared to Boracay or Palawan, you might opt to visit this majestic island. The island is divided into 3 municipalities namely Santa Fe, Bantayan and Madridejos. Santa Fe is the heart of tourism where beautiful white beaches can be seen, Bantayan is the largest covering the central part and Madridejos is located on the northern portion known to be the best spot on the island to watch the famous Bantayan sunset.

How to go to Bantayan Island?

From Cebu City, make your way to the North Bus Terminal and ride a Ceres bus or van bound to Hagnaya Port. From Hagnaya Port, ride the Island Shipping or Super Shuttle that will take you directly to Santa Fe Port. Upon arrival at the port, you may take a tricycle that will take you directly to your accommodation.

In our case, from Cebu-Mactan International Airport, we opted to rent a private car that will take us directly to Hagnaya Port. It costs us Php 3,500 for a 6-seater SUV, we took this option for a more comfortable and less hassle trip. We had an early flight to Cebu so we didn’t have enough sleep that day, the private ride allowed us to rest and get us to our destination at an earlier time. We were able to take the 11:30 AM trip to Santa Fe of Island Shipping which costs us Php 325 (regular fare of 300 + terminal fee of 25). Upon arrival at Santa Fe port, we were picked up by the shuttle provided by our accommodation.

Where to stay in Bantayan Island?

We’ve seen a lot of beautiful accommodations around Santa Fe but what stands out to us was Santa Fe Beach Club and it didn’t disappoint! With its proximity to the port, I would definitely recommend this premier resort. Upon your entrance, you’ll be accommodated by their friendly staff and welcomed with a welcome drink. The villas and overall interior are aesthetically designed, perfect for those pretty snaps, and the beachfront is clean and well-maintained by the caretakers. I love the beach chairs and open cabanas you could use to lie down and relax while watching the pristine beach right in front of you. The resort is simply amazing, cozy and such a picture-perfect drop every corner. It exceeded my expectations and would definitely book here again next time I visit.

Here are their room rates as of May 2024: (Rates may change without prior notice)

Beach Villa for 4pax @6,700/night with free breakfast
Standard Family Room for 4pax @4,300/night
Standard Room for 3pax @3,600/night
Standard Room for 2pax @2,900/night

Note: This already includes pick up and drop off in Santa Fe port (7:00AM-7:30PM) + Free entrance to the iconic Ogtong Cave Resort and Sandira Beach.

For more information, you may contact Santa Fe Beach Club through their official Facebook page here.

Places to Visit on Bantayan Island

Omagieca Obo-ob Mangrove Garden

This is a mangrove eco-park located in Brgy. Obo-ob, Bantayan Island. Managed by OMAGIECA stands for Obo-ob Mangrove Garden Integrated Eco-Tourism & Conservation Association not only promotes the place as an attraction but also raises awareness of the importance of mangroves on our coastal ecosystem.

You have to wander around by walking on their bamboo boardwalk passing through mangroves. Since Bantayan Island is the home of the movie “Camp Sawi”, the famous signage can also be found in this mangrove garden.

Entrance Fee:

Adult – Php 75
Senior Citizen/PWD – Php 60
Children (4-12 years old) – Php 20

Sandira Beach

Also known as “Paradise Beach” is probably my personal favorite place I visited during our land tour. The beach is somehow secluded and not as developed compared to other beaches on the island but its natural and bare beauty makes it more special than the rest. Fewer tourists are visiting here so if you are looking for a place to chill and relax, then this would be the perfect spot. It was called paradise for no reason, the beach has fine white sands, crystal blue waters and rock formations. Less crowd, quieter with a great view, we really enjoyed our stay here and will recommend it to your Bantayan bucket list.

Entrance Fee:

Adult – Php 70
Children – Php 30

Note: If you are staying in Santa Fe Beach Club Resort, you are free of charge.

The Ruins Bantayan

It’s literally just ruins of an abandoned house but people started to make craze of this place that it started to be part of their travel itineraries. As per locals, the house was once owned by a German who left the property after some time. The ruins or walls are now covered by graffiti making the place perfect for picture taking. Just get that angle, and you will be loaded with those instagrammable photos! Just below the ruins are famous spots now for cliff diving and swimming.

Entrance Fee: Free

Kota Beach

Kota Beach is one of the famous and developed beachfront resorts in Bantayan Island. The resort made fame as this is the actual beach where the “Camp Sawi” movie was filmed. The place also highlights a beautiful sand bar and a good place to catch the sunrise.

Entrance Fee: Free

Little Siargao

Are you familiar with the famous coconut palm tree road in Siargao? Bantayan Island also has a smaller version of it. Take those photos with the coconut trees but be mindful of the vehicles passing by the road.

Entrance Fee: Free

Ogtong Cave Pool

This enchanting cave pool is located inside the Ogtong Cave Resort. Don’t miss out on taking a dip in this natural pool, the clear blue cool water is a heavenly reward after all the tours you do under the sun.

Entrance Fee:

Adult – Php 225
Children – Php 120

Note: If you are staying in Santa Fe Beach Club Resort, you are free of charge.

Kota Park and Ruins

You haven’t gone to Bantayan if you haven’t witnessed yourself the famous Bantayan sunset! Since we are staying in Santa Fe (where most of the resorts are located) which is located on the right side of the island, sunset watching is not possible. We badly wanted to watch the sunset, so as suggested by our tour guide, we visited Kota Park in the town of Madridejos.

Here you can see a historical fort built in the 1790s that served as a lookout for Muslim and Moro invaders. Just a few walks from the park is a coastal shore and a boardwalk where you can take a stroll and watch the sunset.

Entrance Fee: Free

Balidbid/Baigad Lagoon Beach

This lagoon/beach is also one of the scenic places I visited on this trip. This specific beach is located at the end of a lagoon, so one side of it faces the lagoon while the other side faces the open sea. While the scenes here are another level of paradise, there are lots of resting chairs, tables and hammocks that can be seen here making the place the go-to spot for a relaxing time. Waves coming from the open sea might be strong at times, so most visitors take a dip instead on the lagoon on the other side. There’s an in-house restaurant on this resort but if you opt for a cheaper menu item, just go to the smaller stores located at the side of the resort. Food options there are affordable yet delicious and have big servings! Don’t miss out also their yummy fruit shakes, one of the best I had in my life!

Entrance Fee:

Adult – Php 200
PWD/Senior/Locals of Bantayan – Php 100
Children (under 6 years old) – Free of charge

Virgin Island

A must-destination in Bantayan Island if you are doing an island-hopping trip. It is a majestic private-owned small island located east of the main Bantayan Island. Virgin Island offers white beach shores, pristine waters, and a lot more activities such as snorkeling and cliff diving. This resort island is much bigger compared to Baigad Lagoon Beach with more activities and facilities to see. It is also not crowded so we really enjoyed our stay here and took all the time to relax and swim. Unlike the other known Virgin Island of Bohol, this island is not bare, it has a lot of trees, tables, cabanas, accommodations and even a cactus garden.

Entrance Fee: Php 200

For a hassle free Bantayan land tour, please contact our recommended tour guide, Kuya Lito, at 09365451858. If you’re looking for an accommodating, good photographer and the best tour guide, Kuya Lito is the man to call.

We traveled by air, by land, and by sea just to arrive on Bantayan Island, but the exhaustion we had after the long trip completely faded away after getting all the love and allure this island blown to us the moment we stepped on its land. We found Bantayan Island but the island kept a piece of us, our hearts.

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Cebu Travel Guide: Places To Visit In Cebu City

Meghy — Mon, 11 Feb 2019 13:39:42 +0000

Cebu City is now the most developed and busiest city in the Visayas Region. It became as progressive as Manila where a lot of businesses and commercial establishments rises on the metropolitan city. But despite the busy lifestyle the city has to offer, it is still a worthy place where culture and beautiful attractions meet the modern city.

So here’s some of the tourist attractions within Cebu City vicinity that you can pay a visit.

Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño

It is considered as one of the most famous landmark of the Cebu Island. The church was founded in 1565 and said to be the oldest Catholic Church of our country.

Magellan’s Cross

It is just located few steps away from the entrance of Sto. Niño Church. Magellan’s Cross is a Christian cross planted by the Spanish explorers headed by Ferdinand Magellan in 1521 that patent the natal of Christianity on our land.

Cebu Taoist Temple

It is a Taoist temple built in 1972 located in Beverly Hills, Cebu City. It has one of a kind architectural structure and a great spot to have a good view of Cebu City from above. It is open to the public (even non-worshippers) and a perfect venue for your morning jog.

Tops Lookout

Tops lookout gives tourists a chance of seeing the striking Cebu City skyline. The perfect time to visit this place is during the early morning and late afternoon to prevent exposing yourself on too much sun during noon and early afternoon. The place provides a panoramic view of the whole Cebu City and Mactan Island. During the night, the view makes more captivating as you can see the city lit up and bright up through the dark.

Temple of Leah

It is being tagged as the “Taj Mahal” of the Philippines. It was built by Teodorico Soriano Adarna in 2012 as a symbol of his undying love for his wife Leah Villa Adarna. It has Greek and Roman inspired architecture that makes the temple more fascinating.

Sirao Garden – Little Amsterdam

This flower garden will give you a taste of Europe! The garden is fmous for its Celosia flowers that has a combination of red, yellow, pink and orange and being used as the official flower of Sinulog Festival. There are other flowers aside from Celosia and they put up a windmill making the place more Europe-ish. There’s so much beauty and colors on the garden that you can’t stop looking on this breathtaking place.

Sirao Pictorial Garden and Camping Site

Yes, you read it right! There is another Sirao Garden and it is located just beside the Sirao Garden – Little Amsterdam (It will actually comes first). It is as picturesque as the little Amsterdam so you can take as many creative pictures as you can.

10 000 Roses

Though it is located in Mactan Island, this place is just an hour away from the Cebu main Island. This is where led-powered roses attraction started that eventually became famous across the country. It has 10,000 artificial flowers where a café stands at the center. Perfect time to visit this is during the late afternoon to witness the sunset and watch how beautifully the led-roses lit up at night.

Cebu Downtown (Colon Street)

I really loved how a province downtown highlights the old commercial history of the place. The busy streets of Cebu downtown were once the heart of Cebu City’s shopping and commercial activities before bigger known malls came to the picture. While visiting the Colon Street you will see how the past meets the present era. The place is a portrait of a busy and crowded street during the day and night.

Fort San Pedro

It is located in Plaza Independencia near the Pier area and was built as a military defense structure under the command of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi. Fort San Pedro is said to be the oldest and smallest fort in the Philippines. You can pay a visit to learn more about the rich history of the province.

I’ve been in Cebu thrice and even live there for three months but the province still never failed to leave me in awe everytime I visit. Have you ever been to Cebu? Share your experience below!

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Discovering Cebu’s Hidden Gem: Bojo River and Hermit’s Cove Day Tour

Meghy — Mon, 24 Dec 2018 14:27:07 +0000

Cebu is one of the most visited province of our country today because of its beautiful spots no one can resist. If someone will be asked “Where you want to go in Cebu?” he/she will most likely to answer to go whale shark watching in Oslob, do Canyoneering in Badian, experience Sardine Run in Moalboal or simply taste the famous Cebu Lechon in Carcar. These are the must things to do in Cebu and due to its popularity, tourists flock making the places too crowded.

Aside from this popular attractions, there’s still a lot of things Cebu has to offer. Two of these hidden gems can be found in Aloguinsan, located southwest of Cebu, the Bojo River and Hermit’s Cove. These hidden sanctuary is as beautiful as the other Cebu’s top destinations BUT with lesser people. So for those people who always wanted to take the road less travelled by then you will surely love this place.

How to get there?

You can ride a bus bound to Pinamungahan at Cebu South Terminal. First trip is 5am and just asked the driver to drop you on Aloguinsan. Travel time is 2 hours. Once arrived in Aloguinsan, there are habal-habal that you can ride going to Bojo River and Hermit’s Cove
Another option is to ride a bus or Vhire bound to Toledo, travel time is 1 to 1.5 hours. Upon reaching the Toledo Terminal, ride a jeepney en route to Aloguinsan that may take another 30 minutes

Bojo River

Bojo River cruise is an eco-tourism activity and the premier attraction of Aloguinsan. It is more than just a tourist attraction. From the collaborative effort of the local government and its people, they came up with this eco-tourism campaign that provides additional and alternative source of income to its townpeople. Fishermen served as tour guides and most women are designated on reception service and food or souvenir making.

With the P400 per head fee, you will be experiencing the one-hour boat ride (they will allow you to borrow a Filipino native hat to wear) while a local fisherman explains the plants and animals that can be seen on the river. They are very knowledgeable of the river’s ecosystem, explaining different kinds of mangroves, tells local folklore and promotes care for the environment.

Contrast to other exhilirating Cebu destinations, Bojo River will embrace you with serenity and calmness while being mesmerized by the view it has to offer. Rock formations found on the river are being compared to those found in Palawan.

Upon reaching the mouth of the river where the river meets the sea, the guide will tour you briefly on the open sea and shows different kinds of corals that can be clearly seen due to the clarity of the sea water. The guide will let you swim for some time on the river’s mouth and they will gladly help you take pictures.

Hermit’s Cove

The same habal-habal driver picked us up on Bojo River after 1.5 hours and serviced us going to Hermit’s Cove. You will be passing through rough roads so better be careful. Upon reaching Hermit’s Cove located in Brgy. Kantobogon in Aloguinsan, we were greeted by the resort personnels who are from the local government unit on their baro’t saya uniforms. Entrance fee is P100 which includes the use of their tables or open cottages. They are too friendly and got surprised that we came too far just to visit their humble town. Before going down the staircase that leads to the shores of the hidden beach, the resort personnel will tell a brief history of the beach and discuss the Do’s and Dont’s. The beach was named after an old hermit that once lived on this place. Overnight stay is not allowed on this place.

Hermit’s Cove is a sheltered beach waiting to be appreciated. It has clear waters, white sands and though it is no longer a secret beach, the people is still lesser compared to those most-hyped Cebu beaches. On our case, there are only around 25 people on the area so you can really enjoy its waters and reconnect with nature.

How to get back to Cebu City?

You have to ride a habal-habal back to the town center of Aloguinsan and ride a bus bound to Cebu City. Last trip is 4pm
(Since it’s almost 4pm when we left Hermit’s Cove the drivers suggest us to take the Mantalongon route) Ride a habal-habal bound to Mantalongon and wait for a bus bound to Cebu City

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