Sorry for the hiatus - as you might have figured out (in fb/ig), we were in Cebu last week! Specifically at its northern tip: Bantayan Island. You probably heard of this place already, or you might have read this from me before, but in any case, I'm still sharing this awesomeness because -- apart from my desire to always promote local tourism (good for the economy!) -- the island was badly hit by typhoon Haiyan ...and keeping their tourism alive right now might be just what they need!
...and the beach is -- as always -- very very beautiful. That's enough reason for me to travel. :)
Don't be deceived when a resort says online that they're the only surviving resort after Haiyan hit. It's been 7 months, and almost all resorts have already recovered. So, pick the resort of your choice, but I highly recommend a beach-side one within Sta.Fe. We chose Marlin Beach Resort, because it has great reviews in TripAdvisor. :)
And it didn't fail us! Well, it had a few cons but they got the most important pros for me. The bathroom is spacious and clean, our sleep quality was really good, all the staff are polite and friendly ...and my FAVORITE: The food is really good, everything comes in big servings! No wonder a lot of westerners also dine here!
We loved their sinuglaw (kinilaw na tangigue plus sinugba/grilled pork), and spicy squid. :)
Wait, no, my favorite actually is their KITCHEN, which is situated right in the middle of the resort. It has huge glass windows, so you can see exactly what they do inside to prepare your hearty meal!
On our 2nd day, we went to Bantayan proper (about 20 mins away from Sta.Fe by trike) to see this 5-century old Sts. Peter and Paul church, one of the oldest churches in the country!
Then we went to the market -- just across the church -- to buy some fruits (aaah, sweet mangoes!!!), which explains why Lou always has that white tote bag in the next few photos! :)
We then went back to Sta. Fe and strolled around.
We saw a bunch of THANK YOUs for the help they received after typhoon Haiyan hit.
Tide was low by afternoon, so we decided to walk by the shore to get to our hotel. It's still as beautiful, because this is when some sand bars appear!
On our 3rd day, we went to Ogtong, a resort and tourist attraction in one. This is my most favorite spot in the island. As you can see, the cliffs and turquoise water are breathtaking! Entrance fee: P100
They have a small cave where the water is fresh and clean. I enjoyed wading here, I can stay here the whole day!
And the rest of the day was spent swimming, taking vanity pictures, napping, basically bumming around. This beautifully caps off our 3 days stay in Bantayan. slash honeymoon 1.3. I'll really miss this paradise. :)
That's it! I hope this post encouraged you to travel ...now!
Before rainy season comes in full blast. ;)
-----
How to get there (from Cebu City/Mactan Airport): Take a cab going to North Bus Terminal (20-30 mins), ride a bus going to Hagnaya Port (3 hours. First aircon bus leaves at 4am.), then take a ferry going to Sta. Fe (1 hour. There is a ferry every hour starting 5am, I think). Once you arrive Sta. Fe port -- if your hotel's not picking you up -- tip: take a tricycle to your hotel then ask for the driver's cellphone number - this will be really handy once you decide to go to Bantayan town proper later on. I know! it takes all modes of transportation to reach this paradise!
No comments:
Post a Comment