It was a damp Friday afternoon when we left the traffic-jammed Makati business district to catch our 7:30 p.m. flight. We arrived safely at the Mactan Airport at around 9:15 in spite of our having to deal with some air turbulence and a 45-minute delay. After spending the night at a friend’s house in the city, we left early the next day to go back to the airport and pick up one more friend who was joining our escapade, and then we were off on a two-hour ride to Hagnaya Port, 110 kilometers away on the northwestern side of mainland Cebu. The drive was smooth and refreshing. With our van windows open, the invigorating scent of sea air filled our senses.

When we arrived at Hagnaya Port, where we would start our one-and-a-half-hour ferry ride, we left our van at a nearby pay parking area. We actually had a choice of taking the van with us on the RoRo (roll-on/roll-off) ferryboat, but we wanted to experience the tricycle rides and simple walks in Bantayan Island.

Perfect Vacation

“This will be a perfect vacation,” I told myself the moment the ferry reached the port of Sta. Fe late in the morning to start our Bantayan Island experience. A service van from the Kota Beach Resort, where we had booked reservations, was waiting to bring us to the resort. Warm smiles and greetings from the resort staff, complete with shell necklaces for each member of our group, welcomed us.

After checking in and inspecting our cottages, refreshments waited for us at the cafeteria. We strolled along the powdery, white-sand beach while enjoying our mango shakes. We then took a dip in the calm and clear waters, enjoying the snorkeling and just being kissed by the sun. When it was time for lunch, we knew we would not be disappointed in our craving for a seafood feast. Bantayan Island is the main supplier of prawns, crabs, and other seafood in mainland Cebu. Although, Kota Beach’s cafeteria offers a wide variety of cuisines to choose from—American, Mediterranean, and Asian—we chose to feast on seafood, the house specialty.

A Treat and Retreat

Bantayan Island, aside from its pristine beaches, is known for its caves. After a quick nap, we took off for the nearby Tami-ao caves. It was a bumpy one-hour tricycle ride to Tami-ao, but the travel was worth it. We relished the experience of taking a dip in the cool and crystal clear waters of the caves and discovering their therapeutic effects. After the swim, we felt totally relaxed and noticed our skin was smoother.

In the evening, there were no bars or bands to entertain us. Instead, we spent it under the stars along the shore, a retreat we had all been longing for. Before the sea breeze got too chilly, we walked back to our homey air-conditioned cottages for a good night’s rest. The Kota Beach Resort has two beachfront suites and 22 deluxe cottages. The cottages, some air-conditioned and some equipped with electric fans, feature nipa roofs, wooden walls, and capiz windows. Economy rooms, on the other hand, are housed in a separate three-story building.

According to Lailani, the receptionist of Kota Beach Resort, they have 41 cottages and rooms, aside from conference halls. Be it peak or off-peak season, they can accommodate large groups. Foreign tourists usually visit during the October–June peak season, while local tourists come during the off-peak season of July–September.
Kota Beach Resort is at the heart of Sta. Fe. It boasts of a curved shoreline and perfect scenery. Security is no problem because aside from the resort’s own guards, the resort is just a few meters away from the town’s police station. The town’s parish church is just at the end of the street where the resort is situated. Aside from the basic services offered by Kota Beach Resort, such as free pick-up from Sta. Fe Port, one can make arrangements for boating and kayaking, as well as massage or reflexology services. Credit cards are accepted. Established in 1986, the resort is well-maintained and undergoes renovation every year.

Communing with Nature

We planned to watch the sunrise the following day. Half awake at 5:00 a.m., we sat on the beach under the midnight blue sky and watched closely as a tinge of orange broke the horizon. It was a beautiful sight—I had never seen anything like it before.

From the resort, we could sight two smaller islands—Silion and Hilantagaan 1. After Sunday mass and another meal of the freshest seafood, we arranged for a small boat to take us to Silion, the so-called “Virgin Island.” It took 30 minutes to reach the island. Instead of swimming, we ended up digging for kay-kay—small, white live shells—on the island’s beach. Fortunately, we were able to dig up a bag of kay-kay, which was enough for our dinner soup.

After a couple of hours, we headed back to the resort to catch the sunset. It too was a picturesque moment that com-plemented the sunrise we saw in the morning. It looked like an Impressionist paradise from one of Claude Monet’s masterpieces. It made me wonder why there weren’t more tourists around to appreciate this spectacle with us. At the same time, I was also pleased that there weren’t too many people while we were there to ruin the tranquility of the place and our appreciation of the sounds of nature—the crashing of the waves and the call of the birds.

I have no regrets giving in to my friends’ invitation to escape to Bantayan Island. For beach lovers and nature enthusiasts, it is certainly a must-see paradise.

For further information on Kota Beach Resort, call (032) 438-9042 or (032) 419-6135, or e-mail kota@cebu.i-next.net