The Beauty Of Bantayan Island Cebu

I have always wanted to go Bantayan Island because of the good feedbacks that I heard from people who have been there.  And since we are in Cebu City, why not take a side trip to Bantayan Island!  From our hotel in Cebu City, we hired a taxi to bring us to Hagnaya Port in northern Cebu.  We paid Php1,500 for the taxi, but another option in to go to SM Cebu's northern bus terminal and avail the 3-hour bus ride going to Hagnaya at Php150 per person.  I guess we just preffered the comfort of a car that's why we took the taxi.  Once you reach Hagnaya Port, you then have to take a 75-minute ferry boat ride to Sta. Fe, Bantayan Island.

Among the many resorts in Bantayan Island, we decided to go to Ogtong Cave Beach Resort, which is a 15-minute ride from Sta. Fe port.  We chose this resort because we wanted to check out the underground cave in the middle of the resort.  The resort was beautiful with great landscape, swimming pool, serene shoreline and a mini farm with pet birds, reptiles, and farm animals.

The highlight of ogtong is the cave in the center of the resort.  It has crystal blue waters and semi-limestone walls.  The water comes from the beach which enter the cave during the tides. 

Late in the afternoon, the tide from the beach began to subside.  We noticed the locals heading out to the seas with their containers of rice and started getting sea urchins scattered on the coast.  We also head there to check it out.  Apparently, the sea urchin is a delicacy to them.  You crack it open to eat the edible part inside.  We tried it, and was amazed how decently edible the sea urchins were.  It's bit salty and I guess best suited for salad dressings.

There is no night life here in Bantayan unlike Boracay or Puerto Gallera.  So, we just relaxed and enjoyed the comfort of our cottage.

The next day, we availed a boat ride touring the island.  We also stopped by a famous snorkelling spot.  There, I enjoyed the view of beautiful corals and colorful fishes while snorkelling.  The boat ride, took about half a day.

After that, we have a bit of time to spare to stroll around the island.  By early afternoon, we are leaving and heading back to Cebu City to finalize our tour there. 

Overall, we a had a great time at Bantayan.  Its perfect for those who want to enjoy serenity of nature and at the same time have a relaxing getaway from the busy city life.

Here are some reminders if you want to go to Bantayan Island:
1. Make sure you have everything you need like toiletries, medicines, etc.  There are no convenience stores in the area and sari-sari stores make no assurance that they have what you need.
2. Make sure you have load in your cellphones if you are using prepaid.
3. Bring snacks during travelling.  It will take you 4-5 hours from Cebu City to Bantayan Island.
4. Bring cash.  No atms in the area.
5. Danggit is cheaper in Bantayan compared to the danggit market in Cebu City.  Just ask locals to guide you on how to go to their market place.
6.  Get the contact numbers of the ferry boat operators from Hagnaya Port.  They might be useful when asking for transfer schedules.


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