Bantayan Island

I guess I was born in a family with itchy feet. We enjoy travelling, visiting famous destinations, and seeing new places. We always make sure that our summer will not be wasted by simply resting inside the household and being idle. It seems that travelling has become a tradition in our family. This summer of 2014, we decided to revisit a spot we always thought of as a paradise. We went to Bantayan Island for the third time.

For those who aren’t familiar with the place, Bantayan Island is situated to the west of the northern end of Cebu Island, making it a part of the province of Cebu. It is a small island, made up of three municipalities: Bantayan, Madridejos, and Santa Fe. If you are looking for the famous beach resorts, then Santa Fe is your destination. The beaches in the municipality are known for its fine white sand, making it a famous destination that caters to tourists, both foreign and locals.

We live in the humble city of La Carlota in the province of Negros Occidental, so going to Bantayan Island requires patience and a little effort. In our province, Bantayan Island can be reached via ferry services from Cadiz and Sagay. We chose the ferry in Cadiz City since it’s nearer for us compared to Sagay. The price of the ticket is 250 pesos and the ferry leaves at 9 or 9:30 a.m. Travel time ranges from 2 to 3 hours, so it is important to bring a lot of foods, or you can buy from their canteen. 

We arrived at the port of Bantayan at exactly 11:30 a.m. It was very hot and we were all hungry, but we decided to ride a tricycle and asked the driver if he could take us to some resorts that are affordable because we haven’t made any reservations. 

Our first stop was Beach Placid. It was a nice resort, a little bit expensive, but unluckily only one room was available at that time. Then we went to St. Bernards (the resort where we stayed in during our first visit), but we found out that they were having water problems and it would take a while for the water to come back. Finally, the third resort we visited was truly a charm. 

Northville Beach Resort has 6 rooms. Each room is good for 3 persons and costs 2000 pesos. Our group was composed of 5 adults and 1 child, so we asked for an extra bed which costs 300 pesos. The room was clean, air conditioned, and equipped with cable television. The resort has a restaurant which served delicious meals, mostly sea foods, and the prices are very affordable. If I were to give a rating for the resort, it would be 4.5 out of 5.

After eating our lunch and resting for a little while, we headed to the beach. The water was very alluring, and without having second thoughts, we enjoyed the heat of the sun while swimming in the tranquil sea of Bantayan.