And what I'm about to share below is one of those days. A special weekend getaway yes, but also stressful one.
So here goes...
We love Camotes Island but we hate going there. Weird, right? But if you’ve experienced the awfuly slow, almost-traumatic process of traveling through Danao port, you will understand why my friends and I came to love and hate it.
There are two options to get to Camotes Island from Cebu City. The first is via Oceanjet fastcraft in Pier 1. This would take approximately an hour and a half of sea travel at the price of ₱335. The second, and which is often used by many, is via Jomalia Shipping Lines in Danao Port. The roro takes around two hours of travel time at a regular fare of ₱180.
Being budget-conscious travelers, we chose the latter. But cheaper options do come with with its cons. The volume of passengers were high and the processing was unsystematic. We spent almost a whole day in the port before we finally got to depart from Cebu.
Weeks before the trip, we booked a one-night stay at Cupid’s Cabin Resort, a 1000-square beach house just 10 minutes away from Consuelo Port. The all-in tour package for 12 people was ₱2500.
What we found amusing was the setup of our ride. Unlike the usual tour via jeepney or trike, ours almost looks like a huge golf car or an open 4WD Safari vehicle. It gave an extra touristy vibe which we all enjoyed.
It was already dark when we reached the resort and our guide led us to the very friendly owner. She told us to feel at home and even gamely shared some fun stories of her past guests. After unpacking our things, we prepared our dinner and enjoyed the rest of the night singing karaoke and drinking booze.
Camotes Island Tour
First thing in the morning, we headed to Tulang Diot, a 5-minute-away island located at Brgy. Esperanza, San Francisco. It is aptly called the “Boracay of Camotes” for its powdery white sand beach and crystal clear water. For ₱10 environmental fee and ₱40 boat fare, it’s a worthwhile trip making us forget yesterday’s demise.
The sun was up by this time and the heat was scorching. We didn't bother renting a cottage since our stay was short. We sat beneath the trees for shade instead.
After enjoying the sand and sea, we then continued with our island tour and went to visit some of Camotes’ famous caves. First stop was Heaven Cave. A short stairway led us down where we were welcomed by a crystal clear pool.
The family managing Heaven Cave limits the number of guests to 25 heads for 30 minutes to avoid overcrowding. Luckily, we were one of the early birds that day so we got to explore the area with ease. We crossed the waist-deep water to other side of the cave where the path got narrower. Our guide told us about their pride — the live stalagmites and stalactites. The most prominent of which was their heart-shaped stalactite. From a certain angle, it really looked like a human heart. And what more — it was glowing!
Our next stop was Timubo Cave, a more a popular underground cave located in Brgy. Sonog, San Francisco. We had to go through a longer staircase going down to reach the bottom of the cave. Timubo Cave is bigger than Heaven Cave and can accomodate more guests. It has three main chambers: 1) the shallow pool located nearest to the staircase, 2) the rocky pool which has huge rocks and boulders, and 3) the lagoon area, which is at the farthest end of the cave. The pool here is wider and deeper than the other two.
We spent didn't spend much time in the lagoon since the air there was colder and, truthfully, most of us got scared of the deep water.
Before heading to our next destination, our tour guide took us on a quick sidetrip to the man-made forest. Personally, this spot reminded me of my college university with its tree-lined street.
After taking pictures, we proceeded to Lake Danao where we had our lunch. It is a 650-hectare guitar-shaped freshwater lake — the biggest one in the province of Cebu. Lake Danao offers several activities such as ziplining, kayaking, fish feeding, and more. There are also food stalls and floating resto where guests can choose to eat. Tired from the day tour, we chose to just enjoy the view.
I also just realized today that I didn't take any picture in Lake Danao. Your tita must have been really tired. LOL! 😴
Anyway, back to the story...
Since we wasted a lot of time the day before at port, we had to cut our itinerary short and drop some tourist spots from the list. We only visited two caves and we also did not get to visit their beaches. Good thing we were staying in huge beach house that's near the cliff. We then happily went home to take a dip in the water. Some of the boys tried cliff jumping while us girls were happy enough to get to taste the salty sea.
By late afternoon, we checked out of the resort and headed back to the port. We dreaded riding Jomalia Shipping again due to their inconsistencies. And — again —Jomalia did not disappoint. Not only was the roro late, there was confusion with the passenger lists too. We were told that they will cater those traveling with vehicles first — regardless if they were last in the long queue. The delayed passengers from the trip before us had to be accommodated too. Long story short, we were pushed back and had to wait for a number of hours.
Will we return? YES. But definitely through a different route. Camotes Island has a lot more offer than what we've seen. Here's to chasing caves and beaches next time! 🌞🌊👣
Hello! I'm Maria, a hopeless romantic who travels in pages and places. I hope to share my love for words and the world with you here in HIVE.
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