There’s just something so creepy about caves. Especially when it's filled with seawater.
When me and my hubby went on a trip to Bantayan Island, Ogtong Cave was definitely on our checklist! We went there around 3 PM but they were already closing.
Turns out the resort operates from 8 AM to 4 PM and they have an entrance fee of Php 200 per person (about $4) for day use.
If you opt for an overnight stay, the prices vary depending on where you’ve booked it. We didn’t bother looking it up online because we were so sure it cost Php 2000 above per night (way ahead of our budget)
Ogtong Cave was actually a part of Sta Fe Beach Club. It’s a resort. And quite fancy, I might add. I didn’t expect that. Well, not like this...
Photo is a bit dark. It was cloudy when we got there the first time.
On the second day, we went back to the cave and paid the surprisingly expensive fee and circled around.
The resort has an amazing landscape design and it even has a pool!
We went by the beach but it’s not exactly as good as the one in Sta Fe. There were a lot of rocks and seaweeds. And there’s no shoreline in sight. Or just a short one, if it’s low tide.
Still, we couldn’t help but take a few photos. There was quite an amazing view by that elevated mini-hill near the stairs to the beach.
Okay, so going back to the cave...
There was also a couple swimming around when we got there. If you’re planning to go there, know that they only allow 10 people inside the cave. And only give you very limited time (around 15 minutes) if people are lining up.
In our case, when the other couple got out, we had the cave to ourselves!
We swam around but didn’t dwell too far into the cave. It was dark and creepy. Also, my hubby doesn’t know how to swim!!
See his happy face when he thought he was floating.
So, we took a lot of photos and took turns. Good thing I had my waterproof phone bag with me.
The water was so clear that I could actually see my toes so vividly like there wasn’t any water. The rock formations were astonishing. It’s a low-ceiling cave and that there weren’t many stalactites though.
So, it was hubby’s turn to take shots of me. He tried different angles here…
And later, he got out and started taking photos farther.
He then told me he was going to up and outside the cave to check on our bags. I panicked.
I was thinking all sorts of things...snakes, fishes (this isn’t so bad), mystical creatures, cursed rocks, earthquakes -- you name it!
I started to feel some kind of current underwater. I was half expecting I’d get dragged by some mystical waterhole. I even faced the possibility of death whenever an earthquake would strike at that very moment, making me the unluckiest travelling person everrr!
Not sure if this was a tanga moment, but I shouldn’t have let my hubby get out and leave me there. Or I should’ve gone with him instead. But I wasn’t ready to leave.
He was taking a while.
So I called him. Sounding so pathetic in the echos of the cave.
Luckily, he came back right in and we continued taking more shots, more swimming, more messing around until we decided to get out and head on to the next destination. ⛱️
