The Island Explorer

Yup, this is Bantayan now. I started off with the picture to inspire you. Welcome to Ogtong Cave Beach Resort, just beside the Sta. Fe Beach Club in Sta. Fe, Bantayan. Now, when I was here 7 years ago, the island had smaller and mid-class resorts. Now, of course, developments have been imposed on the island, and I think this was a good move. You see, my stand on tourism development is not going against structures and resort building. I am more of responsible development, thus, resorts that adhere to environmental standards, and those that do not destroy the natural beauty and sight of the area. I hate it more when locals try to cash in on increasing tourist arrivals, by making the beach look like a marketplace. Again, the local government is the one to blame. Responsible development is the key. And Ogtong Cave Resort adhered to this principle of mine. They have brought in luxury to even enhance the natural beauty. They have maintained the highlight of the resort, the Ogtong Cave, where...

Continuing on catching up with my travel journals for this year. This entry takes me back to one of first island destinations ever since I was bitten by the travel bug - Bantayan Island in Northern Cebu. Getting here is easy. Take a bus from Cebu City to Hagnaya port in Bogo. The ride is around 3 to 4 hours long. From Hagnaya, there are scheduled ferry services almost every hour to Bantayan Island. Take the first class fast craft, which brings you to Bantayan in only 30 minutes, compared to the 1 to 1.5 hours on a regular ferry. We arrive in Bantayan filled with excitement, as I was with first time visitors. The sight of the white sand beaches on the port area made me quite sentimental. After all, this island was my first adventure experience. Way back in 2002, I was in Cebu, headed for Bantayan without any plan. Now, almost 7 years later, I was eager to know what changed. Since we were there for "work", we had to visit the public market first. We were surprised to see that i...

I went to Bantayan about 2 or 3 years ago, without knowing anything much on it. I went there alone after a meeting in Cebu. I stayed overnight at a simple resort that had nice cottages. It wasn't the peak season, so it seemed that I was the only visitor in the island, sans some foreigners. There were no restaurants where I went, and had to eat in roadside stalls that sold nice chicken inasal at P20 each. I think I ate 3 pieces and 2 cups of rice. Anyway, I couldn't remember much of the trip, so I'm just posting some of the pictures that I took using a point and shoot camera. Bantayan Island is 3 hours North of Cebu City. Bantayan is a popular island getaway especially for Cebuanos. They call it their Boracay (like everyone does with their nice beaches). But it does remind you of Boracay, with powder white sand and a beach that continues on (not straight though like Boracay). The beach goes around the medium sized island. There are a lot of resorts to choose from as well. Yo...