There was never a dull a moment with the people that I was with for the whole 3 days and 2 nights of my Bantayan Island escapade. So before I proceed with my part II, let me introduce the wanderers who made this vacation extra special.
The Driver 🚗
Jhuven – the driver and the literal clown. He jokes around a lot and I would either end up with tears in my eyes from too much laughter or have a red face because he annoys the heck out of me. I love him to bits though. A very reliable companion. A trip without him is a little boring.
The Lovers 😍
Fairy & Junrey – well, they bicker most of the time but they would make up a minute after. I will never understand their setup but they work it out. They are high school lovers and I don’t know when are they tying the knot. I think they are match made in heaven with a bit spice of hell. Cute couple, I guess? 😂
The Angel 👼
Anabel – she’s the most patient and kind person I know. I have not seen her lose her cool all throughout our friendship. You will not know if she’s annoyed because she would only laugh. She’s pretty cool as a friend. Very reliable.
The Gen Z 😎
Wella – she’s the youngest among all of us. She is the cousin of Fairy who decided to join us because she is tired with school works. She also gets the most admirers because of her beauty and height. She could be a model.
The Ate (Older Sister) 🙎
Ate Mai-Mai – She’s absolutely the mother of our group. She is also the cousin of Fairy. In-charge of doing the grocery list and cooking. Oh boy, she cooks pretty damn well. We would be in shambles without her. Can you guess her age? She’s older than she looks. We all love her!
Then there’s me.
Now that you know every one of us, let’s continue shall we?
I have mentioned in my previous post that we rented a vehicle called Tuk-Tuk. With the help of Google Maps, we were able to navigate the sightseeing destinations of Bantayan Island. From our apartment, the first place you’ll get to see is the Oboob Eco Park that I have mentioned already. Then going straight, just a few minutes away, we spotted this not-so-hidden place in the island on our way to “The Ruins”.
It's a beautiful spot. I wish my camera could capture the beauty that this place has to offer. The vastness of the ocean is both enticing and captivating. It shouts serenity and freedom. We lingered here for a while since the scenery was breathtaking.
Just a few walks from here, you can already reach The Ruins. I had to search up the internet to find out the reason why it is a tourist spot when you visit the island. According to this article published by Island Travel Tours, “it is an abandoned and uncompleted structure meant as a fort during the Spanish period.” The vandals on the wall also made the place unique.
Unfortunately, we did not get to enjoy the place much. The place has a foul smell, which I don’t know why. We still did get to take tons of pictures in this area. Due to the massive number of tourists, we also decided to move forward to the next location. Although there are a few of the locals who were jumping off the cliff.
We were supposed to visit Ogtong Cave, but upon arrival we realized that we cannot afford their entrance fee for day-use only. I mean, we are broke wanderers in the island and we want to spend our limited budget on things we can enjoy, the cave was not a part of it. We had to skip it, then proceeded to go on a road trip then headed to the beachfront to go for a swim.
En route to the beach side, we passed by this line of coconut trees. It is like a mini version of the coconut road in Siargao.
When we arrived at the beach, we looked for a shady spot to escape the scorching sun. We stayed there for quiet some time. We had different conversations. Mostly, we were talking about our other friends who were not with us and imagined how the trip would go if they were with us. Basically, we were talking behind their back in a good kind and slightly bad kind of way.
Around 3 in the afternoon, we went to Bantayan Public Market to buy fresh scallops that Ate Mai-Mai will cook for dinner. We then hurriedly went home to catch the sunset in Madridejos. We were literally chasing the sunset, as in literally. From our accommodation, the ride going to Kota Park, which according to research has the best view of the sunset, was almost 30 minutes.
The funny thing was that we actually pinned the wrong location and ended up in a boardwalk in Madridejos. Still, we wanted to witness the sunset in Bantay Baywalk (Kota Park) so we told Jhuven (the driver) to drive fast, but of course with caution still. Guess what? We successfully made it just in time for the best color of the sunset.
I have seen sunsets before, but this might be the best one so far. Someone told me that the sunset in Boracay is also one of the best, and I cannot wait to visit the place.
We lingered until the sunset is no longer visible.
We could have stayed a little longer, but we were all starving and wet. So hurried our way back home. The first thing we did was wash up and cooked dinner right afterwards.
After dinner, we all agreed to go back to Sante Fe because there was party by the beach hosted by a telecommunications company. The music was not that good so we stayed outside the venue, also there were lots of people. Our night ended with a fireworks display and two bottles of gin.
We got up early the next morning (thank goodness, with no hangover). Ate Mai-Mai, a motherly figure, had already cooked us breakfast. We had to hurry because the checkout time was 10 a.m. The caretaker of the house was such a warm person, she even ordered her niece to take a picture of us in front of the house.
Before going to the port, we stopped quickly at the historic church of Bantayan Island. This one of the oldest churches in the Visayas and Mindanao. Sadly, we did not get to go inside because there was an ongoing mass and we were not dressed appropriately. We did pay our respects in front of the entrance.
After 3 days and 2 nights, we left Bantayan Island with empty wallets but hearts full of excitement, memories, and satisfaction. It was indeed a fulfilling weekend getaway for us.
Whether you are happy or broken-hearted. Whether you just got promoted or quit your job. Whether you are rich or broke like us. This island is the place to be. So what are you waiting for? Go and plan that vacation you badly need.
Thank you so much for reading my blog. See you on the next one. Stay awesome! 💛
Cover photo edited through Canva.