We tell you about the best vacation in the Philippines with paradise landscapes. the purest sea, tranquility and solitude. Everything about Bantayan Island: a detailed guide and tips.
Exchange rate: 1 Philippine Peso (PHP) ≈ 1.5 RUB.
Why go to Bantayan
Tired of the noisy and dirty Manila and Cebu City, we decided to settle on some paradise island, which the Philippines is famous for, for two weeks. The question arose where it is better to live and relax in the Philippines. We have been collecting information about various islands for a long time and chose the best one for living according to the following criteria:
- excellent beaches;
- peace and quiet;
- lack of crowds of tourists;
- inexpensive accommodation;
- inexpensive food;
- safety.
Comparison with other islands... Boracay, Panglao, Palawan, Malapascua and Bantayan claimed the title of the best island in the Philippines. We immediately threw the South of the Philippines because of the terrorists - just recently tourists were kidnapped from the Samala resort, and we didn't want to risk it. Boracay did not suit us because of the high prices and the congestion of tourists, Palawan - remoteness, high cost and lack of constant power supply (El Nido), the once paradise Malapascua, judging by the reviews, has not yet fully recovered from the destructive typhoon, and reviews about Panglao were not the very best, as we ourselves were convinced by visiting the island at the very end of our trip to the Philippines. Bantayan remained: good reviews, beautiful photos, proximity to Cebu. And we went there.
The atmosphere on the island... Having lived for two weeks on an island in the resort of Santa Fe, we can say that this is the place where you want to return. In Santa Fe, an atmosphere of thoughtful idleness reigns: during the day there is practically no one on the streets, only European expats sip beer in bars, and in the evening tourists crawl out to restaurants. There is always a siesta here, and the scenery is almost like from a Bounty advertisement. Bantayan can rightfully be called one of the best islands in the Philippines for recreation and life.
Feel free to choose Bantayan Island for your vacation - it has not yet been spoiled by tourists. Read this review - our tips will help you organize your vacation easily.
How to get to Bantayan from Cebu City
Bantayan Island is located northwest of Cebu Island. There are no ferries from Cebu City to Bantayan, you need to sail from Hagnaya Port. You can get to the port by bus that departs from the North Terminal - you can get there by taxi, tricycle or jeepney (from the city center there is route 01K and several others). Buses from the Northern Bus Station run frequently, about every half hour, from 4 am to 5 pm. Travel time is approximately 4 hours. The ticket costs 170 pesos.
There are several types of buses, we advise you to choose the most comfortable ones - they run with a minimum of stops. In addition, there are buses to Santa Fe - they are transported by ferry.
We were on a flight that leaves at 10:30 (it actually leaves at 11). The buses are comfortable, with air conditioning, TV and Wi-Fi. There is one half-hour stop on the way - you can eat and go to the toilet (entrance 2 pesos). In total, we drove for 4 hours, but the way back took a little longer due to traffic jams - about 5 hours.
The bus arrives directly at the port of Hagnaya, upon arrival we purchased tickets for the nearest ferry (180 pesos ticket and 10 pesos port tax). Ferries run from about 6 am to 6 pm hourly. On the way - about 1 hour. Look at the ferry schedule, but it's hard to say how up-to-date it is - this is the Philippines.
Port of Santa Fe is full of tricycles (sidecar motorcycles) that will take you wherever you go. Haggle, the ticket costs 15-25 pesos per person depending on distance.
Where to live in Bantayan: hotels, resorts, guesthouses
The most pleasant place to stay in Bantayan is the resort town of Santa Fe (although it would be a stretch to call it a city). What is it good for? As we wrote above, there is a pleasant atmosphere, deserted beaches, clear sea and beautiful landscapes. The best beaches are in Santa Fe - the rest are not suitable for swimming.
The second major city is Bantayan. There is a large market, many cafes, an old church, and an ATM. Tourists come here only for food and sights.
The third city is Madrid. There is a dilapidated Spanish fort (Kota Park). There are practically no tourists.
We lived in Santa fe, therefore, we give the names and prices of the resort hotels, which we went around on our own, and also give advice.
The most expensive hotels are located on the first line: mostly rooms with a fan cost from 800 pesos, with air conditioning - from 1000 pesos. In guesthouses and small hotels it is cheaper: from 500 pesos for a room with a fan and from 800 pesos for air conditioning.
Hostel Casa Isabel
600 pesos for two for a cage with a disgusting paint smell, toxic green walls, a noisy fan and a shared bathroom. Here we spent our first night in Santa Fe. The beach is quite far away. On the plus side: a friendly hostess who will personally prepare a delicious breakfast.
Nordic Inn
900 pesos for two for a room with their own bathroom. The room is nice but modest, there was no table or chair. Quite expensive, they refused to give a discount for a long stay, although we read a review that someone lived in this guesthouse for 15 thousand pesos a month. Very close to the beach.
Mayet's Beach Resort
Located on the first line, right on the beach, but far from the city center - next to the Ogtong Cave Resort. There are no places to eat nearby. Fan room - 600 pesos, air-conditioned room - 1200 pesos. The furnishings were sparse, there was practically no furniture in the rooms for 600 pesos. In the reviews, they wrote that there are a lot of ants.
Yooneek Beach Resort and Yooneek Inn
There are bungalows on the beach (Resort) and across the street (Inn). Prices are high there, and there: for a room with a fan 1100 and 990 pesos, respectively, with air conditioning - 1700 and 1300 pesos. Was pushed away by the large number of Europeans vacationing and high prices. At the reception it was written that there was a discount for longsters.
Budyong Beach Resort
Not a bad resort. Bungalow on the third line with fan and bathroom - 800 pesos. Outside there is a table and chairs, in the room there is a TV and a wardrobe. Discounts up to 700 pesos for long stays. Wi-Fi signal is weak on 3 lines.
Kota Beach (next to Budyong Beach Resort)
Beautiful resort on the first line. The cheapest room costs 900 pesos (with fan) - cool, cozy, furnished and with its own bathroom. Outside, on the terrace, there is a table and chairs. Air-conditioned room - from 1400 pesos. A significant disadvantage is Wi-Fi only in the public area.
There is also the Kota Beach Resort next to the port, we were not there - we are talking about the one next to the Budyong Beach Resort.
Sophia Resort
Rooms with a fan - 800 pesos, air-conditioned - 1000 pesos, 1500 are good bungalows. Rooms for 800 pesos are modest, there is a bathroom, but there is no closet. There are sockets on the street, a table and chairs, but the room smells unpleasant. Far from the center of the resort.
Seven star
Bungalows with a fan for 700, with air conditioning - 800. The beach is 3 minutes walk. Long stay discount - 100 pesos. The bungalows are not bad, but the yard looks bad from the outside - construction debris is lying around.
Amihan Beach Cabanas
Very nice and cozy resort with bungalows, hammocks and gazebos on the beach. Expensive: bungalows with a fan - 2500 pesos, air-conditioned - 3000. But there are all the amenities, even a refrigerator and hot water, which is a rarity in the Philippines.
RR Lodging House
After looking through a bunch of hotels, we stopped at this guesthouse. The room is very bright and cozy, quite spacious, there is a shower and toilet, a table, a wardrobe, a TV, and also an air conditioner - we paid 650 pesos per day for it (without a discount it costs 800). Room with fan and no bathroom - 450 pesos. There is a terrace with table and chairs. The owner - his name is Raoul - brings a thermos of hot water every morning. Washing - 50 per kilogram.
Of the minuses: a lot of insects (ants and large cockroaches!); only a cold shower; there was no cleaning in 2 weeks at all (1 change of linen); the owner's child cried constantly during the day. From the pros: a good room, to the beach - 1 minute. How to find: A. Batobalonos street, after HR Music Bar and opposite Casa Blanca.
Advice:
- If you arrive late in the evening, it is better to book an inexpensive hotel for one night, and in the morning go around the city in search of suitable accommodation - Santa Fe is very small and easy to get around on foot.
- We recommend not to book accommodation for a long period at once, but to visit hotels and choose the best option, since often the picture on the site does not correspond to reality: there may be a dark and musty room, poor Wi-Fi signal or thin walls, etc. If you are going to stay for more than two weeks, you can ask for a discount for a long stay.
- There is a large selection of houses on the island - you just need to walk around and look for appropriate signs and announcements (House for rent) or contact the locals.
How else can you look for housing in Santa Fe? Search for hostels, apartments and hotels on the search engine Roomguru, he will select the most profitable options from a variety of booking systems.
Prices for food and products in Bantayan (Santa Fe)
Filipino food is not very diverse: it is mainly rice with additives, grilled meats and soup. All this is inexpensive if you find a place for the locals. There are few of these in Santa Fe - most cafes and restaurants are heavily overpriced.
There is a small restaurant in the city center where you can eat tasty and inexpensive food - we went there very often. This is an inconspicuous eatery, but the food is delicious. Address: on the right side of A. Batobalonos street, following it from the beach. There are two churches in the neighborhood (they are opposite each other), next to the Burger Junction fast food, a little further away is the Casa Isabel hostel.
Prices in the institution for locals:
- a plate of unleavened rice - 10 pesos;
- a plate of fried rice with garlic (garlic rice - delicious!) - 25 pesos;
- grilled pork (3 kebabs) - 20 pesos;
- grilled chicken leg - 45-50 pesos;
- grilled chicken breast - 45 pesos;
- a plate of vegetables - 20 pesos;
- seafood - 40-50 per plate (serve);
- instant coffee - 15 pesos;
- tea - 15 pesos;
- a glass of water - 2 pesos.
You can also eat inexpensively at the food court, which is located on the same street, approximately opposite Cafe del Mare - there you can relatively inexpensively, but prices are higher than in the previous establishment, almost one and a half to two times.
The cost of meals at the food court:
- soup (small portion - 35 pesos, large portion - 70);
- pork barbecue (1 shish kebab) - 12 pesos;
- chicken wing - 40 pesos;
- chicken liver - 20 pesos;
- chicken with rice - 85 pesos;
- grilled squid - 85 pesos;
- grilled shrimp - 35 pesos;
- grilled bangus fillet - 85 pesos;
- drinks - 15 pesos;
- beer - 40 pesos.
A. Batobalonos Street is home to many popular establishments of various cuisines: German, Italian, Portuguese, etc., as well as a small market, which in the morning is overgrown with additional tents in front of the entrance. Opposite the market, not far from the exchanger, there is also a fruit shop where you can buy fruit a little cheaper.
Fruit prices:
- mango - 90-100 pesos per kg;
- pomelo - 80 pesos apiece on the market and 40 pesos per kg in a tent (however, they are dry there, it is better to take them in the market);
- papaya - about 50 per kg;
- bananas - about 40 pesos;
- sour cream apple - 60 per kg;
- langsat - 90-100 per kg;
- coconut - 20-30 apiece;
- tangerines - 5 pesos apiece.
Alcohol prices in stores are overpriced, for example, San Miguel beer - 37-50 pesos, depending on the type, a little more expensive - in bars.
In Bantayan City, the market for fruit is almost the same as in Santa Fe; food at food courts is slightly cheaper.
Also on our website you can read about the cost of housing, food and transportation in the Philippines in general.
Rent a bike and bike in Bantayan
Renting a bike or bicycle on the island is not a problem at all. In Santa Fe, every second bike owner will take you to the rental point, and on the street you will only hear "motorbike, ma'am" and "rent e motorbike, sir." Cost per day: from 200 pesos for a scooter, from 250 for a semiautomatic device and 300 for a full-fledged motorcycle. The bikes are not bad, one might say, in excellent condition, but the roads are not, so you won't particularly ride around the island. The asphalt is uneven, in potholes and patches, in some places it is simply not there - either concrete slabs or a dirt road.
Bicycle rentals are less common and can be found in the supermarket area of the Corner Inn.
What to see in Bantayan
Bantayan is not rich in attractions. The road also does not bring pleasure due to the brokenness. The whole island can be easily traveled around in one day. What to see on the island? Here are some of the attractions that we liked, the cost of entry and tips on how to get there.
Paradise Beach
Anyone who has always dreamed of visiting a paradise beach should definitely visit this place. Finding the beach is difficult, but possible. We found it only the third time.
Instruction: you need to drive through Ogtong Cave Resort, then along the coast to the small village of Moalboal. Having passed it, on the left, look for an inconspicuous path, as if leading into thickets of bushes and trees. There are no pointers. You turn there - the road over stones and frozen corals is unpleasant and exhausting. At the fork you need to turn right - run into the fence. Behind it is Paradise Beach with a well-groomed area and a couple of gazebos. The place is not touristy, during our visit for 2 hours there was not a single tourist. Very nice, quiet and secluded. Entrance fee is 50 pesos. If you get lost, ask in the village - we were led by a local resident.
St Peter and Paul Church in Bantayan
The old church makes a good impression. Beautiful stained-glass windows and interior decoration as a whole - without pretentiousness and vulgarity.
Kota Park in Madrid
An old Spanish fort, a footbridge and a lighthouse in the very north of the island. Couples in love come to the bridge to meet the sunset, and local children run along the coral exposed at low tide. To get to the fort, you need to arrive early.
Ogtong Cave
Located on the territory of the resort of the same name. For 120 pesos, you can look at an underground cave with crystal clear blue water. someone writes that you can swim in it, and someone denies it. We decided not to visit it, as there is a similar one in Bohol.
Omagieca Mangrove Garden (Obo-Ob)
For those interested in mangroves. You can see turtles, fish, starfish, shrimp, birds. We saw only fish and birds. Quiet and peaceful. Entrance 50 pesos.
What else can you visit in Bantayan: Tiyaba Cave, Sunrise Beach, Dalton Pass Shrine. You can go to the neighboring Virgin Island - about 700 pesos per person round trip.
Cons of Bantayan
And the paradise island of Bantayan has its drawbacks, alas:
- bad roads;
- poorly developed infrastructure;
- there are power outages;
- the selection of fruits and inexpensive food is small;
- the food is monotonous;
- hotel prices are higher than we expected;
- few attractions;
- to extend your visa, you will have to go to another island - for example, Cebu;
- pesky pearl traders and children begging for money;
- the sea is shallow, it is not always convenient to swim - at low tide it can go 15-20 meters;
- corals are close, so there is a risk of stepping on a sea urchin, a star, a snake or even worse - you need to carefully watch where you are stepping and do not enter the sea if it is muddy and there are waves. We met all of the above, and Lyosha was also stung by a jellyfish - so just in case, get insurance before the trip. But here is great diving and snorkeling!
However, all these shortcomings are inherent either to the country as a whole, or you can close your eyes to them. As a result, Bantayan is one of the best places in the Philippines to go to for anyone looking for a relaxing holiday on the shores of the beautiful sea.
To get to know the country better, read our extensive material on independent travel to the Philippines - it contains all the useful information that a tourist may need on a trip, and our tips and tricks based on personal experience.
