Bantayan Island Cebu

Ogtong Beach Bantayan Island

My friends and I left of our trip to Bantayan Island from the Cebu City North Bus Terminal early in the morning. Once our group was assembled we were off for the 2.5 hour ride to Hagha. The trip was a bit bumpy and hot since the bus was packed and there was no air conditioning.

From Hagha we hired tricycles for the five-minute ride to the boat docks, where we were able to find the ferry that took us to Bantayan Island. The pleasant one-hour ferry ride was more fun than the bus and gave us a chance to take a couple of pictures.

Upon our arrival in Bantayan, we quickly located another tricycle for a short, five minute trip to the Sugar Beach Resort. The whole trip from Cebu City to our destination at the Sugar Beach Resort was around four hours.

Two different resorts on Bantayan Island were recommended to us – the Ortong Cave Resort and the Sugar Beach Resort. We decided to stay at the Sugar Beach Resort because it has a fantastic, white-sand beach. While we were there, the employees of the resort worked continuously to keep the beautiful grounds around the resort looking as clean and neat as possible. Too bad they could not have spent some of their time cleaning the resort’s guest rooms clean and neat. The rooms were quite basic and very dirty. Several of the cheapest rooms did not even have locks on extremely flimsy doors. This would seem to be a very serious security problem, but I guess some people don’t mind or feel safe travelling in large groups. The budget rooms, that cost P700, also did not have TV, air conditioning, phone, hot water, soap or towels. If you want soap, towel, and a blanket, you can rent them for an extra charge of course.:-)

The budget rooms were quite sparse, but afforded great views of the ocean. The rooms with air conditioning cost about P1,200 but are located around the back of the resort and do not have nice views. We did not have a look at these rooms, so I don’t know if they have hot water, soap, towels, and a blanket.

Sugar Beach, Bantayan

The Sugar Beach Resort does not have a restaurant. When you get hungry, the first step is to make a trip to the local market – about five minutes by tricycle. There you can buy fish, chicken, pork, rice, and some veggies. With your shopping complete, you return to the resort’s kitchen where they will cook your dinner for P40 per item and bring your food to your room.

Just next to our resort is the Ogtong Cave Resort. This place looks more like a resort hotel. They have a restaurant and rooms that include air conditioning, TV, hot water, soap, etc. – starting at P1,600. Aircon villas start at P3,500 a night and the Honeymoon Suite is P18,000. While the Ogtong Cave Resort offers much better amenities, it does not have the same expansive, beautiful beach that we found at the Sugar Beach Resort. I guess you could stay at the Ogtong Cave Resort and use the beach of the Sugar Beach Resort for a small P35 entrance fee.

Virgin Island

Virging Island

As far as the activities while we were on Bantayan Island, we had an opportunity to do some island-hopping. Our group rented a pump boat with driver for P1,200 that gave us about a four hour cruise to visit Virgin Island and the surrounding area. The trip to Virgin Island took about an hour. Once there we enjoyed swimming, snorkeling and generally frolicking on the beautiful beach.

The highlight of our trip to Bantayan Island was the beautiful beach. To be honest, there was not much else to do there or reason to make the trip. The two options we had for accommodations were either extremely poor but cheap, or modest but expensive for what you get. I would say the Sugar Beach Resort is fine for backpackers who bring their own towels and soap. The accommodations at the Ogtong Case Resort looked much better, but at prices that could not be justified in our minds. Given the hot and dusty trip that took a half-day each way from Cebu City, I don’t plan to return to Bantayan Island any time soon.

Waikiki Hawaii

I’ve always wanted to go Hawaii. I guess my first impressions about Hawaii, stemmed from my favorite TV show - Hawaii Five 0. I waited a long time for my dream to visit Hawaii to come true.

My journey to Hawaii starts with Delta Airline. It was my first time to travel with Delta. I was pleased to find they have very good customer service - unlike PAL. There were no problems with our flight and we were able to leave on time, also unlike PAL (Plan Always Late).

When I got to Hawaii the first thing I noticed is the smell of the air. It certainly smells good and fresh, with just a hint of the many flowers which abound. Like the air, the water in Hawaii is crystal clear. They are so many fit people jogging along the beach while others are surfing, biking and engaged in many other forms of athletic endeavor. At night there are Hawaiian cultural shows that you can watch, not to mention mimes, portrait artists, and various other entertainers. We like to go out in the evening just to see the beautifully lighted landscapes; water falls various night decorations and varied architectures on the streets of Waikiki.

The next day we took a tour to Pearl Harbor to see the famous “bookends” of the U.S.S. Arizona and U.S.S. Missouri. Before boarding a small boat to the Arizona Memorial, our tour group watched a 15-minute show about the battle that took place at Pearl Harbor on the morning of December 7, 1941. After watching the very interesting history of the seek attack on America’s fleet at Pearl Harbor, I noticed that many of the tourists got teary eyes - including me. It was very interested to learn why so many people sailors became trapped when the U.S.S Arizona exploded and sunk. I didn’t know that they were sleeping during the attack because their ship’s band won second place in the battle of the bands that took place on Saturday night the 6th of December. As their prize, all of the Arizona’s men allowed to sleep until ten the next morning. Thus, the men were asleep in their bunks when the air attack began.

After seeing the U.S.S Arizona Memorial, the tour bus took us to the U.S.S. Missouri or “Big MO” as it is also called. I was so amazed how big she is - it’s gigantic! It was very interesting to see the inside of U.S.S Missouri and learn about the history of the 63rd and final battleship built in America. The tour lasted about hours and included a tour around Honolulu as well as Pearl Harbor.

I loved my trip in Hawaii. It was a “dream come true” for me. They are so many things and places to see in Hawaii, I only wish I could have stayed longer. It was so beautiful and I wish I can do it again.

Imperial Palace

Imperial Palace
Waterpark Cebu
Phone No. 32 494-5100
Website: www.imperialpalace-cebu.com

We had to do more to welcome the New Year than you trip to Sumilon Island, so we decided to check out the new resort and water park that opened on Mactan Island. There has been a great deal of hype about the first water park in Cebu, but I was not initially too interested because I assumed the water park would just be a couple of sides that kids could use instead of diving into a swimming pool. Well, I have to tell you, the Imperial Palace is really fantastic.

The uniquely themed water park, the first in Cebu, is designed by Dream Park International, experts in water parks, themed-parks, and family entertainment. The water park features five different themed pools: Amazon River Pool- a flowing river pool that you can enjoy best in an inflatable tube; the Wave Rider- an artificial tide pool; Captain Hook’s Pool – featuring a pirate ship and slides; Beach Pool and Toddler Pool. It also features three exciting slides including the thrilling Space Bowl.

The one-day pass for Imperial Palace costs P2,000 on weekends and holidays and P1,500 ++ – and it’s a bargain. From the moment you enter this place, you are treated like the most important person in the world. The customer service is absolutely outstanding in every way. There is a comfortable and clean place to change into your beach wear. Next, you pick up your beach towel and you’re off to visit the many theme pools and ocean. If you’re energetic, they even offer aerobics classes that you take while standing in one of the pools. From time to time, the Imperial Palace offers dance troops who entertain you with various family-friendly dances and small skits. If you have any questions about what to do at the Imperial Palace, you can ask any of the friendly and helpful staff who seemed to be everywhere just waiting to help you.

We noticed a wide range of adults and children from many countries, although there seemed to be a quite large contingent of Korean guests. Everyone seemed to have a great time. We were a bit concerned there would be gangs of screaming, out-of-control kids, but there was only lots of laughter as hundreds of people from all over the world enjoyed themselves. Sure, a few of the pools had a preponderance of kids, but there were also quiet, peaceful places where you could relax and rest.

The Imperial Palace is beautiful, fun, and has one of the best luncheon buffets in the Philippines. My friends and I were hard-pressed to decide if we enjoyed the great food or water slides the most. All-in-all this place is about the best recreational value you can find in Cebu. If you haven’t yet been to the Imperial Palace – you should go.

Imperial Palace's Updated Day Adventure Packages

Water Wonder – P 1,900.00 net inclusive of Lunch or Dinner and free use of Waterpark.

Water Fun – P 2,400.00 net inclusive of Lunch or Dinner, free use of Waterpark and a Banana Boat Ride (one time only).

Water Thrill – P 2,900.00 inclusive of Lunch or Dinner, free use of Waterpark and a 15 minute Jet Ski ride.

Water Escapade – P 3,400.00 inclusive of Lunch or Dinner, free use of Waterpark, banana Boat Ride (one time only) and 5 minute Jet Ski ride.

Cabana Package – P 3,400.00 inclusive of Lunch or Dinner, free use of Waterpark,-hour use of Cabana with snacks and drinks.

*Rates include free towel and a changing room*.

Rates quoted above are for Local Residents only. Foreigners living in the country need to present proof of residency to avail the local rate. Applicable P500.00 surcharge will be added for Non-Locals. Children 12 years old & below can avail of a P600.00 discount. Children 4 years old and below accompanied by at least one paying adult is free of charge (maximum of 2 children). A choice of Lunch at Familia Buffet Restaurant OR Ala Carte at Familia, Aqus Pool Bar Aqus Island Bar for PhP 1,000.00nett with inclusive of one round of standard drinks (chilled juices, iced tea, sodas or local beers). 50% discount on succeeding beverages orders if ordered together with the inclusive Day Adventure Package meal.

Food and beverages items from outside sources MAY NOT be brought and consumed in the Hotel.

Day Adventure coupons are available at the Day Use Counter from 9AM to 3PM only. Additional Php 300nett for all Day Adventure Packages on Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays. For further inquiries, please feel fre to contact our Day Use Counter at 494-5222.

Verde Island

My friend is taking some courses about environmental subjects. She and her classmates invited me to visit Verde Island as part of a field trip for one of their classes. We left Ortigas at 6.am to begin our trip to Verde Island in Batangas. Traffic was fairly light, so it only took us about three hours to arrive at Liya beach in Batangas. From there we took a motor boat to Verde Island, the center of a marine sanctuary in Batangas. Like us, most of the people on the boat were planning to explore the island’s marine life by scuba or snorkeling.

The water was so clear and there were so many different types of fish, it was like being inside one of those National Geographic programs. This was the first time I’ve witnessed coral “in the fresh” so to speak and it was even better than I imagined. Coral are like flowers made of stone. The colors seemed to be intensified by the crystal clear water and beautiful fish of every variety. I’m not an underwater expert, but I heard many people on the boat going back to Liya beach boast that the diving around Verde Island is the best in the Philippines.

This is my second trip to Batangas this year and I have to admit it has some important advantages over Cebu. First, Batangas is simply more beautiful than anything I’ve witnessed in Cebu – and I lived on Cebu Island and/or the surrounding area for more than twenty years. Then there’s the convenience if you’re travelling from outside the Philippines. For the vast majority of foreigners, the port of entry into the Philippines is Manila.

Batangas Beach

May 2010

www.puntomiguel.com

Last weekend my friends and I had a great adventure going to Batangas. We visited some wonderful beaches and resorts, but the real adventure was getting there and back through the political rallies and parades. We had a carefully constructed map to guide us to and from our destination, but our plans had to be abandoned because of the many detours caused by roadblocks, barricades, and roads that more closely resembled parking lots. Normal traveling time from Ortigas, Manila to Laiya, Batangas should be approximately three hours, but our trip required more than six hours. The primary roads to Laiya were fairly good, but the secondary roads we have to take because of the many detours were quite bumpy.

Our destination in Laiya was the Punto Miguel Laiya. One of our group is friends with this resort’s owner, so I was expecting good service but was uncertain about the beauty of the property. Overall, this resort was clean and comfortable, with really great service.

Our room included a large patio where we enjoyed meals cooked for us by the resort’s staff. If you want to bring your own cooked food, that works fine at this resort. You know, many resorts in this area do not allow you to bring any cooked foods or snacks. At the Punto Miguel Resort, you can bring your owned cooked food or purchase some fresh fish and veggies found throughout the area and ask the resort staff to prepare your meals.

As for the activities and sports available at this resort, we found volleyball on the beach, jet skis, equipment for snorkeling, and banana boat riding. And, of course, there are clean beaches for swimming and sunbathing.

Mike and Carolyn, the owners of Punto Miguel, also took us on a tour of another resort they own in Laiya, by name Paraiso de Miguel resort. This is a bit more upscale, so there are several great resort options in this area to meet your budget. We really appreciated Mike and Carolyn’s hospitality during our trip to Laiya.

Apo Island Dumaguete

Apo Island Beach Resort
Website: www.apoislandbeachresort.com

Thalatta Resort
Maluay, Zamboanguita, Negros Oriental
Phone Nos.: 35 426-1039; 35 426-1039
Website: www.thalattaresort.com

Dumaguete is the largest city in Negros Oriental. Although you may not find everything you would like compared to Cebu City, Dumaguete is growing rapidly and now boasts about having shopping malls. The last time my friends and I went there, Dumaguete started building a huge Robinsons Mall. Dumaguete is known for the home of smiling people. Based on our experience there, it is the cleanest and organize city that I have seen in the Central Visayas region. Part of the reasons for this is the popularity of motor bikes and the lack of buses and jeepneys.

If you are just travelers like us, you won’t have a problem looking for a place to stay. There are several nice hotels around in the city and neighboring towns like Dauin and Sambuangeta. If you want to stay by the beach in Dumaguete stay at Santa Monica Hotel which is still very close to the city. If you are on a tight budget there are lots of pension houses around the city. These may be fancy enough for you but most do not have coffee bars and restaurants. Most do have air conditioning and have cable TV. Anyway the city has many places where you can get coffee, drinks and food. For my self I prefer to stay at Thalatta Resort in Sambuangeta. This hotel is particularly handy if you want to make a trip to Apo Island the next morning.

Our trip to Apo Island was really great. We had so much fun, but became very tired because there was so much to do. It takes almost an hour bangka ride to Apo island from Malatapay Sambuangueta.

Negros Sandbar

There are three different ways to reach Dumaguete, the nearest town to my destination of Aroma Beach Resort in the little town of Manjuyod. The fastest way is to take the thirty minute flight from Cebu City – but that is kind of expensive. The second option is to take a fast craft that will whisk you from Cebu City to Dumaguete in four hours for about P800. For most people, I think the fast craft is the way to go for a couple of reasons. Unless the seas are rough, the boat ride is fun, the scenery is pleasant, and the boat has restroom facilities. Why should I mention the restroom facilities you wonder? Because my friends and I took the third option to Dumaguete and learned the hard way that the bus drivers do not like to stop on the six-hour drive to Dumaguete. Sure we saved P500 pesos each, but the lack of access to a comfort room was very uncomfortable. I have no idea why the bus driver refused to stop, but you should strongly consider taking the boat and not the bus to Dumaguete.

I was surprised by how much Dumaguete has changed since my last visit there about a year ago. Those who love fast food will be happy to learn KFC and Mickie D’s has joined Jollie Bee as competitors with the many local purveyors of tasty snacks and goodies.

After fortifying ourselves with fast food, and using their restroom facilities, we were off by tricycle to find a bus for our ninety minute ride to the little town of Manjuyod. Once there, we found several tricycle drivers for short jaunt to the Aroma Beach Resort.

We chose this particular resort because their brochure made the place look absolutely fantastic. The brochure featured white sandy beaches, a picturesque restaurant that served a variety of delicious foods and cottages on stilts out into the water. In reality, we found just a little more than one out three to be true. Let me explain.

To say the rooms are flimsy is an understatement. I’m sure they have to rebuild the rooms after every major storm. We were quite concerned with the lack of security at this place. There were no security guards anywhere and just about anyone could open the cheap doors of the native rooms. To be honest, I’m sure I could hack through the room walls with a sharp bolo. We tried to improve the security of our room by moving the furniture around to place several large objects in front of the door to block anyone who might try to come in at night. The rooms were really spooky at night because there were no TVs, radios, or anything that could at least make a little noise or provide some entertainment at night. They don’t even have a towel or bar of soap. To say the accommodations were minimalistic is an understatement.

We enjoyed the white sandy beach, but it was only visible between sunrise and about 7:00 AM. After that, the rising tide covered the sand completely.

Then there was the food – if you can call it that. In all of my travels, my friends and I found the food at the Aroma Beach Resort to be the most unappealing. To compound matters, there were very few other near-by dining options.

When we inquired about the table tennis, badminton and other recreational options we saw on their website, we were told they were all being repaired or replaced. Frankly, I would start by replacing their cook.

Frankly, we felt more like we were staying at a farm than a beach resort. We continuously heard from the many goats, and chickens that lived nearby.

But our two-day stay at the Aroma Beach Resort was not a total disaster. We totally enjoyed hiring a motor launch and cruising around for the day. For P 4,500, our group was ferried around the immediate area, were taken to a beautiful sandbar out in the ocean that included the use of a large cottage, and taken on a guided search for dolphins. We feared the dolphins might be as elusive as Aroma’s fining dining and recreational offerings, but our motor launch’s captain was able to find a group of dolphins who put on quite a show for us. After the dolphins watching, we were returned to the sandbar for swimming and enjoying the ocean. After a rest at our cottage, we were returned to the Aroma Beach Resort. The day’s adventure was fun but the P4,500 charge for the day seemed a bit excessive – particularly in light of the fact that no meals or even snacks were provided. It was good fortune that we happened to bring a couple bags of chips and snacks along with us.

You know, the funny thing about the Aroma Beach Resort experience was the fact the people working there didn’t seem to think there was nothing wrong with the fact they did not keep their placing looking anything like the pictures on their website. They didn’t seem to think there was any problem shopping at the local sari-sari store to buy the ingredients for the food the prepared for their guests. The food was terrible, the place was dirty, the sounds and smells made you feel you were visiting a farm. All of these problems and none of the employees seemed think there was anything they should be doing for their customers. In fact, they couldn’t even smile when we arrived or anytime during our stay. Well, maybe there was a little grin when we paid our bill on the way out.

The same criticism could be made about the boat excursion to the sandbar and dolphin search. Didn’t those people think we might get thirsty and hungry? They should have brought along some drinks and snacks for us, or at least advised us to bring these items. In retrospect, perhaps the reason they said nothing was part of their strategy to have us return as quickly as possible so they could minimize the time they spent driving us around in their boat, burning their gasoline.

If you want to visit Dumaguete and you are leaving from Cebu, take the fast craft – not the bus. Dumaguete is a clean place where you can find modestly-price lodging and a variety of food options. If you want to visit a beach resort near Dumaguete, don’t rely on what you find on the websites of resorts. Check out some blogs and discussions forums before to go.

Camotes Island

Mangodlong Rock Resort
Heminsulan, San Francisco, Camotes
Phone No: 420-3385
Website: www.camotesresorts.com.ph

Santiago Bay Resort
Santiago, San Francisco, Camotes

Going to Camotes:

The boat leaves the Danao port in northern Cebu at 6:20 AM and arrives at Camotes Island, at the Consuelo port a little more than four hours later at 11:00 am. The boat from Danao port is small and we got little bit wet because of the big waves slapping both sides of the boat. But once got to Camotes it was all worth a somewhat uncomfortable journey because the place was wonderful. The beaches were clean and the sand was like white sugar. The people we met were warm and friendly.

You can take a ferry both or a fast craft from Pier 1 in Cebu City to port poro Camotes but it is much further and will still take four hours to reach to Mangodlong and Santiago Camotes. My friend and I stayed at The Mangodlong Rock resort. We were told it was one of the nicest beach resorts on Camotes Island. The service was good and it is reasonably priced.

We began our tour at Lake Danao which was one the biggest lakes that I ever seen. It was nice but we decided not to change into our swim suits and take a swim. After Lake Danao we proceeded to the place they called Sunog cave. It was huge and we were told the water was very deep. It was very dark and kind of eerie inside that cave so we again decided against going for a swim. Perhaps we will the next time we visit that cave.

The third part of your tour is in Boho Buro. We climbed to the top of the cliff looking down into the deep blue water of the beach below. The beach looked like a wonderful place to relax and enjoy a lazy day playing in the waves. Even though we were getting tired, there was still time to stop by the other cave near by called Bukilat cave. I really don’t know why they use that kind of funny name for a cave. No one gave me a reason for the name when I asked about it. The Bukilat cave is smaller than the Sunog cave and has plenty of light because of several holes in the ceiling that gives direct light from the sun.

My friend and I were really tired by this time so we were not able to continue tour around the island. There was so much to see, you could not explore all of Camotes Island in a single day. We made one stop in our tour before heading back to our hotel. Since we were exhausted, we hung out for a while at Santiago Bay resort. They have a really nice resort with white sand as far as you can see. My first choice is the Mangodlong resort. In my opinion, Camotes is definitely worth a second look.

Plantationbay Resort

Plantation Bay Resort
Marigondon, Lapu-Lapu City
Phone No: 032-5059800
Website: www.plantationbay.com

Plantation Bay is one of my favorite places in Cebu. It has a nice beach that is not much different than the beaches at several nearby resorts. You can rent a jet ski, a kayak, or arrange for a native boat to take you on a brief cruise of the waters around Lapu-Lapu. Of course there is swimming in the ocean and simply resting under one of the many beach umbrellas. But this is just standard fare for most of the nicer beach resorts along the ocean shore in Lapu-Lapu. What makes the Plantation Bay Resort unique and beautiful is what you can find immediately adjacent to the beach area.

Plantation Bay is really all about the fantastic man-made lagoon at the center of the property. The designers did a fantastic job of making the lagoon absolutely beautiful and quite natural looking. The lagoon is absolutely huge, covering more then a hectare with a meandering shoreline of while sand that resembles sugar. Large pumps silently circulate seawater through filters to keep the water pure. The lagoon is constructed of concrete, but cleverly painted to create the impression you are viewing the Blue Lagoon from the movie of the same name. Several areas of the lagoon are roped off for swimming, so most of the lagoon is tropical “eye candy.” There are more than a dozen different hotel buildings based on traditional architectural styles from Asia and Africa. The landscaping is absolutely fantastic. There are many large trees for adequate shade, carefully manicured lawns, and beautiful floras everywhere. You can appreciate the rustling sounds of palm fonts and chirping birds because only electric carts and bicycles are allowed beyond the reception and registration area. I visit to Plantation Bay feels like a journey through time.

I took many pictures of the lagoon and the different hotel structures. It was a pleasure just to walk through the many gardens and white sandy areas. When I became hungry, there were many options from which to choose. One of my favorites was a beautiful casual restaurant that is built on a platform extended out into the lagoon. Build much like a pavilion, the sides are covered by mosquito nets that kept pesky creatures out but still afforded a spectacular view of the lagoon, hotels, and landscaping. They offered a great breakfast buffet or you can order ala carte. The food was good and the prices reasonable for such a beautiful resort. This is a beautiful, relaxing place where you can stay for just a day or much longer.