Showing posts with label Philippine Beaches. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Philippine Beaches. Show all posts

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Mr. and Mrs. Pinoy Biyahero in Bantayan, Island Part 2: Experience Serenity by the sea!


Bantayan, Island in Cebu has always been compared to Boracay. It is popular by its powdery white sand beaches and crystal clear water. But Bantayan is more than just the beach, tranquility is what defines Bantayan Island. 

Me and my best travel buddy, Gold, had a sojourn to the Island. On our day 2, I woke up around 5:00am to witness the sunrise. However, I was disappointed because it rained. I decided to go back to slumberland. Around 8:30am, we went to the resort's restaurant and ordered for breakfast. Menus are quite expensive. Fried danggit+sunny side up+fried rice+coffee+orange juice priced at 175Php per order. Taste was just so so and flies were all over the place, that really pissed me off. But what could we do? We just dealt with it because it was our choice anyway to eat at the rooftop bar. After we're done eating, we opted to take a nap on the hammock while waiting for the sun to come out. When finally the sun showed up, we went down the shore. We were actually eager enough to go swimming but to my dismay black jelly fishes were scattered on the shoreline. We saw a group of kids taking out the jelly fish and bury it on the sand. I asked them why is it that there were a lot of it that day, they said that black jelly fishes really appeared during the month of June. I was looking around and wondering if the other resorts had the same dilemma. We decided to rove around the adjacent resorts and observed that there were actually resort guests swimming on their beach front. I guess Jelly Fishes have already been scraped from the sea. I was wondering why tickety boo were not doing the same. Luckily, beaches in Bantayan are open to the public.  That means you can do swimming anywhere you want even in front of the other resorts. We stopped in front of Beach Placid and soaked in the crystal clear blue water of the Island. I would say Bantayan Island has the best beach in Cebu and better than the crowded Boracay, right? A complete relaxation is what you'll get when you are in Bantayan Island. A swimming spree from around 10:00-2:00pm, how's that? It was actually cold down under the sea. We couldn't feel the heat of the sun and as a result, we were like grilled. Mapula-pula parang BBQ!:). Ayaw na sana nameng huminto eh pero gutom na kasi. Kaya siguro naging kulay BBQ na kami!:)) 

We took a quick shower and went to Sta. Fe Market. Saktong sakto sa hitsura namen, BBQ ang ulam for late lunch!:) Just an observation, foods in the Island are sold at a higher price. Maybe because it needs to be imported to the Island thus, transportation cost is added. 




Right after our lunch we visited their public market. We were planning to buy fish/seafoods and have it cooked by the local. We learned it from trisikad drivers that there are locals near the resorts offering the service. However, we were not able to buy some because that time fish/seafood stocks were already unavailable. We just made use of the time visiting their church, Sto. Nino Church, roaming around the town center, bought chicheria, tanduay ice, etc. and off to tickety boo for a power nap. The trisikad driver offered us fresh buko juice for 20Php per buko which was available just beside the resort. It was contained in a pitcher (just don't forget to return the pitcher..hehe!) and if you would request for a cold one, they'll buy you an ice. It was also our way to sneak in our goods without getting charged with a corkage fee by letting the driver brought it together with the buko juice at the back door (the beach front) Good idea, right?:).  Another cost-cutting tip!haha      

  
To cover up my disappointment on failing to witness the sunrise, we stayed at the beach front as the sun set and enjoyed the rest of the night together! Time always runs fast when you're with the one that you want to spend the rest of your life!:) 

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Mr. and Mrs. Pinoy Biyahero in Bantayan Island Part 1:Getting There

Plan after plan,  finally  our summer vacation together had been pushed through. It wasn't Puerto Galera which was our first choice. Nasugbu Batangas was also on our list but it ended up to our third plan, Bantayan Island in Cebu!    

Taking advantage of  the June 12 Holiday, we decided to go on a vacation together. But, have you experienced travelling during sandwich day (a day between a weekend and a holiday)? You wanted to make it a long weekend however, finding an approval for a vacation leave from your boss is difficult so you are left with no choice but to invent a reason for a sick leave:)). I am not recommending for you to do this. Diskarte mo na yan!:)

So, let's start the story rolling! We went to Cebu North Bus Terminal around 1:30PM and looked for Hagnaya-bound bus. A dispatcher approached us if we want an aircon Hagnaya-bound bus. We said yes and followed him. We stepped inside thinking it was an air-conditioned but I just found that it was not when the real air-conditioned bus was about to leave. Anyway, we had no choice but to stay on that open-air bus. We left the Terminal around 2PM. We paid 123Php each, cheaper from the 150Php air-conditioned bus. If your looking for convenience, I would advise you to ride an air-conditioned bus specially during summer season because definitely that'd be friggin hot. 

Information on  how to get to Hagnaya:
Estimated Travel Time from Cebu - Hagnaya and vice versa: 2.5hrs
Bus Schedule: Departs Every hour 
Note: Hagnaya Port is the last drop-off point for Hagnaya-bound buses, so you can just sleep with no worries for a misroute. 

Shipping Schedule: Hagnaya, San Remigio to Santa Fe, Bantayan
TimeFromToDurationCompany 
12:00 AMSan RemegioSanta Fe1hIsland Shipping Corporation
01:30 AMSan RemegioSanta Fe1hIsland Shipping Corporation
03:00 AMSan RemegioSanta Fe1hIsland Shipping Corporation
05:15 AMSan RemegioSanta Fe1hIsland Shipping Corporation
05:30 AMSan RemegioSanta Fe1h, 30mE.B. Aznar Shipping Corporation
06:30 AMSan RemegioSanta Fe1hIsland Shipping Corporation
07:00 AMSan RemegioSanta Fe1hSuper Shuttle Ferry
07:30 AMSan RemegioSanta Fe1hIsland Shipping Corporation
08:00 AMSan RemegioSanta Fe1hSuper Shuttle Ferry
08:30 AMSan RemegioSanta Fe45mE.B. Aznar Shipping Corporation
09:15 AMSan RemegioSanta Fe1hIsland Shipping Corporation
09:30 AMSan RemegioSanta Fe1h, 30mE.B. Aznar Shipping Corporation
10:00 AMSan RemegioSanta Fe1hIsland Shipping Corporation
10:30 AMSan RemegioSanta Fe1hSuper Shuttle Ferry
11:30 AMSan RemegioSanta Fe45mE.B. Aznar Shipping Corporation
12:00 PMSan RemegioSanta Fe1hSuper Shuttle Ferry
12:30 PMSan RemegioSanta Fe1hIsland Shipping Corporation
02:00 PMSan RemegioSanta Fe1hIsland Shipping Corporation
02:00 PMSan RemegioSanta Fe1h, 30mE.B. Aznar Shipping Corporation
02:15 PMSan RemegioSanta Fe1hSuper Shuttle Ferry
03:00 PMSan RemegioSanta Fe1hIsland Shipping Corporation
03:30 PMSan RemegioSanta Fe45mE.B. Aznar Shipping Corporation
04:00 PMSan RemegioSanta Fe1hSuper Shuttle Ferry
05:30 PMSan RemegioSanta Fe1hIsland Shipping Corporation
06:30 PMSan RemegioSanta Fe1hIsland Shipping Corporation
07:45 PMSan RemegioSanta Fe1hIsland Shipping Corporation
09:30 PMSan RemegioSanta Fe1hIsland Shipping Corporation
10:45 PMSan RemegioSanta Fe1hIsland Shipping Corporation
Source. www.schedule.ph

We arrived Hagnaya port around 4:30PM paid a terminal fee for 10Php each, purchased a ticket at Island Shipping ticket booth for 185Php per person (tourist class). If you opted for an economy class it will cost you 170Php each. It departed at around 5:15PM and reached Sta. Fe Port around 6:45PM and disembarked at around 7:00PM already.

Note: Bantayan Island is composed of three towns: Sta. Fe, Bantayan and Madridejos. Popular beaches are located at Sta. Fe, just adjacent to the Sta. Fe Port.



Upon disembarkation, tricycle and trisikad drivers are waiting to convince you for a ride. We chose a trisikad and helped us find a cheaper and good resort around Sta. Fe. What's good with trisikad is that you will be taken to a resort after resort for a fixed rate of 15Php per person until you find a good find. We were taken to Beach Placid, which they said one of the popular resort in Sta. Fe but 'twas fully booked. 




We chose to stay at Tickety Boo Beach Resort. Although Tickety Boo was a bit far from the Town Proper, the room is big enough and it's cheaper of course. It is good for budget travelling. Their room space is quite big for 2 guests, with a queen size bed, a CR&shower. We took the Fan Room at 950Php per night for 2. Resort facilities available are: swimming pool, rooftop bar, restaurant, entertainment area (KTV & Billiard). Their restaurant closes at 8:00pm. No problem anyway, we advised the trisikad to take us back to the town proper where we can dine without paying any additional cost for the waiting time. A whole Lechon Manok (Smoked Chicken) was already enough for the two of us!Hahaha..Nde halatang gutom eh!:)) Then we headed back to Tickety Boo for a shower and rest. 

More of our Bantayan Island Adventure, wait for the Part 2 blog post..............

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