Date visited: June 14-16, 2008
My trip to Bantayan was not planned. My previous company sent me to our Cebu site for three weeks, and one weekend, my colleagues (who were also from different Philippine sites) and I decided to make the trip really worthwhile. Because Cebu is known for its beautiful beaches, we asked our counterparts which the best one is. Camotes Island and Malapascua came up, but the locals unanimously agreed that Bantayan Island is unrivaled as a swimming destination.
It was a good thing we were housed in an inn across the office, and we had the mind to pack the night before because we got off work at 1:00 p.m. on a Friday. After getting our stuff, we immediately took a cab to the North Bus Terminal (near SM Cebu) and waited for the next bus.
Getting on a bus to Hagnaya Port on a Friday afternoon was no easy feat. Everyone seemed to be going north, and we feared that we'd get to the port too late to catch the last ferry to Sta. Fe. We had asked how much it was to rent a van to Hagnaya (they said P3000, which was too expensive because it was just me and Gail, the girl from Bacolod), when a non-airconditioned bus arrived. And yes, we had to claw our way into the bus to get spots on the aisle. We had to stand on the bus for at least an hour before we got seats when other passengers started getting off.
We were on that cramped bus for about four hours before the hour-long ferry trip to Sta. Fe. From the port of Sta. Fe, everything went smoothly because Marlin Beach Resort was just a tricycle-ride away. We arrived at the resort at about 7:00 p.m where the two girls from Cavite, Rej and Au, were waiting for us.
My room at Marlin's Beach Resort, which I shared with Gail, was basic--it had two single beds and a wall fan-- but the P900 fee/ night was definitely worth it. Marlin's is a beachfront resort, and our room was less than a hundred meters away from the sea. Also, since it wasn't peak season, there weren't a lot of guests, so we had the beach lounge chairs to ourselves. The only other people we noticed were a group of Koreans who left the day after we arrived.
Because it was dark when we arrived at the resort, I only truly appreciated the beauty of the island the next day when I saw the crystal clear water and the long stretch of white sand. We spent the entire morning strolling along the shores and sandbars, even going beyond the territory of Marlin's.
Read the second part.
Labels: Bantayan Island, Cebu, Cebu North Bus Terminal, Hagnaya Port, Marlin's Beach Resort, Sta. Fe
