Cebu, home of some of the most beautiful beaches in the Philippines, and as someone who lives here, I'd say we are more than blessed to experience God's beautiful gift. As a kid, I've always loved the ocean, like what I've read on a magazine, swimming is just like flying but under water. The serene scenery and the calming sound of the waves just bring me comfort. Today I'll be sharing my visit to one of the best Islands in Cebu, Bantayan Island.
I've been to Bantayan three times already, the first one was back in 2019, together with my bestfriend, Renz. It was such a spontaneous trip, he just texted me the night before if I'm down and without hesitations, I said yes. We were supposed to have the rest of the squad but at that time, most of them were working, so we just decided to push through even if it's only the two of us. We stayed in Chef Panyang's Rest House, just a small place to stay for the night. That was our first time to ever travel together, so it was really a memorable time. Here are some of the photos we had during that trip.
Since it was just a brief vacation, we only got to visit Kota Beach and Camp Sawi. Nonetheless, as a first time, the Island really took my breath away and promised myself I'll comeback. And fast forward to May of 2021, girl I did.
This time around I was with my sister, Jong 
Right after we arrived at the guesthouse, the first thing we had in mind was FOOD since it was also lunchtime. We strolled on to the streets and found a cute Filipino Restaurant just a few blocks away called HR Bar and Restaurant. We had Sisig, Calamares and Sinigang. All of what we ordered were really good, so if you plan to visit Bantayan, make sure to check this place out.
We rested for a while, and then after that, we decided to put our bikinis on and went straight ahead to Kota Beach, where we took amazing photos for Instagram!
We probably stayed until 5pm I assume then went back to the guest house. We showered and then had dinner. I was planning to go somewhere for the night but Jong was really tired and I didn't want to go alone, so we just stayed in for the night. We also had to sleep early since we planned a Land Tour the day after.
We started the second day with some light breakfast that we prepared ourselves. We then got ready and called the Tricycle Driver we booked for the tour. Our first destination was the Ogtong Cave. Our sister told us to go there in the morning for it's usually crowded in the afternoon. The entrance fee is 200 pesos and you can already enjoy the pool, the cave and the beach.
Since it was our first destination, we didn't really swim. We didn't want to ruin our makeup lol. However we did manage to take amazing photos and since we booked a Tricycle, we didn't want Manong Driver to wait for a long time. Our next stop was The Ruins, it's an old German house that somehow became a tourist attraction. There is also a diving cliff there, I didn't really jump nor did Jong, I mean I know how to swim but I just didn't want to ruin my curls lol.
Next stop was Paradise Beach, and it really live up to its name. The water was so clear and the sand was as white as snow. It's a little far from where we're staying but it was truly worth it since there isn't a lot of people. If you want a private place for you and your friends it's a place you should definitely visit.
Then we went to Camp Sawi, and as someone who have visited the place before, I wasn't really that excited, but Jong was. Camp Sawi is basically a Mangrove Plantation, people come here for the Camp Sawi and Camp Wagi sign, which was made popular by the movie Camp Sawi.
Our last stop was supposed to be at a lagoon however due to some weather constraints, the driver told us not to go there, so we just ended our trip midday.
We had lunch at Bantayan Burrito Company, a Mexican restaurant where we had Tacos and Quesadillas. Then of course, took photos for the gram.
We spent most of the afternoon at Kota Beach, took another set of photos and of course, went smimming. Jong read a book while we were there while I was busy editing my pictures lol.
In the evening we had dinner at Chef Panyang's Restaurant, which was really nostalgic for me since it's the restaurant where my best friend and I had dinner back in 2019. We had seafood, squid and scallops.
On our last day we decided to spend it at Jelly's Haven Resort, but before we went there we had a mini stop at Kota Beach to take some photos. We then had our breakfast at the resort, then ofcourse, took some photos.
We really had an amazing time. Three days in an Island was definitely what we needed after all the stress of the city. Bantayan will always be close to my heart and the memories I had will forever be something I'll hold on to. I went back a month after with my friends which I'll post on my next blog since this is pretty lengthy already.
And there you have it, I hope you enjoyed this travel blog. I hope you read it as if you were with me. Sometimes we get too fed up with our responsibilities at home and at work that we forget to take a break. It's not necessary to go outside your city for a vacation, it could be as simple as eating your comfort food, or meeting your friends through coffee, and a million other little things. The important thing is you take your mind off of what stresses you out, so once you find your calm, you can go back strong and motivated as ever. Thank you so much for reading today's blog, til my next travel! 🤍✨
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