Your travel guide to Bantayan Island, Cebu
I'm usually at the beach during Holy Week but I always make it a point to choose a quiet beach where I can allow myself to be consumed in silence and do a bit of reflection. Last year, I was in Puerto Del Sol in Pangasinan where I enjoyed quiet time just to myself and a few friends exploring the Hundred Islands.. This year, I thought about going to Bantayan Island in Cebu since I haven't been there yet. I had the impression that Bantayan would be quiet and discounted the fact that many Cebu locals would be coming over for the long weekend. So I booked with two friends.
The long road to Bantayan on a Holy Week
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| I woke up one morning to this - natural spotlights from the sky on this side while the moon was setting. On the opposite side, the sun was just staring to rise. |
Our flight was 4am on a Thursday and we arrived in Cebu at exactly 5am. Air Asia was on time and everything was going smoothly until we reached Central Bus Terminal. To my horror, the line was VERRYY long. I found myself amidst the sea of eager and hot-headed travelers wanting to reach Bantayan ASAP. I knew the bus would be hopeless so I started negotiating with a van for hire. Luckily, another local group was also looking for a van and in about 30 minutes, we were able to gather and complete 16 persons who'd carpool and split the van rent with us which was P3,000.
The travel time was approximately 3 hours and at around 10am, we were already at Hagnaya Port, jump-off point for Bantayan. After seeing the line at the Central Bus Terminal, I had expected the crowd in Hagyana to be like this and had no choice but to just endure it. Secretly I was telling myself "never again on a Holy Week!" I dragged myself to fall in line and buy our boat tickets. After over 30 minutes, we got ours. It was only 11 am but we were told that the next ferry available would be at 2pm. Bummer! I imagined myself already sunburnt by 2pm. So we waited again. Luckily, ferries arrived one after another. Our tickets were color coded – one color per ferry. After 4 ferries, we were finally asked to line up for (drum rolls please) our very own ferry! We were the first ones to enter and I knew the moment we were seated that that would be last of our travails.
Arrival in Sta. Fe
Tricycles and padyaks await you in Sta. Fe and just like in any other place, you can choose to commission the driver or wait for other passengers to join you. In our case, our hotel van was there waiting for us which was a good thing because after all that we’ve been through, I no longer had the energy for more long lines. The van was pretty big, even bigger than the one we hired from Cebu City to Hagnaya, and it was all to the three of us.
After almost 12 hours of traveling (left home for the airport at 2am), we arrived at Maia’s Beach Resort. And then the Murphy's law ended.
Where to stay in Bantayan
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| The shore in front of Maia's Beach Resort at high tide, the only time where you can swim. |
There is a range of options for you to choose from. If you want a good beach where you can laze around, pick hotels in Sta. Fe. The sand here is finer than in other beaches in Bantayan. Just bear in mind that these are the resorts that get too crowded especially during peak season.
However, if you want a quiet time, choose hotels located in other areas. In our case, we chose Maia's Beach Resort in Sulangan. It's a 20-minute drive from Sta. Fe. The resort is clean, well-kept, quiet and serves good food! I recommend it to those who are looking for a peaceful time. Read about my Maia's Beach Resort review here.
What to do in Bantayan: Eat, burn, repeat.
Peace, quiet and the fun personality of everyone in the community is what Bantayan charm is all about. We made the most out of this by eating, bumming, reading, watching the stars and waiting for the sun to set and then rise again. Bantayan had a certain vibe that forces us to sleep early and wake up at 4am. I’d see the skies as dark as midnight and then slowly blending with the beautiful hues of pink and gold just before the sun rises again and the cup of our favorite homemade hot chocolate is served.
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| Kabayan in Sta. Fe is one of the local restaurants that you have to try |
It was a very relaxing stay in Bantayan, overall but some day, I’d like to come back minus the crowd and stay in a resort in Sta. Fe.
Happy summer!
Read more of my Cebu series:
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