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.
