ADVENTURESOFMYBLOG: TRAVEL

ESCAPE ROUTE: SHARING THE SECRETS OF BANTAYAN

Beach Front — Jelly's Beach Resort

Bantayan Island has been my home outside the city for the past 15 years. My family, being natives of the island, have direct access to the wonders that it can offer. I have been coming back and forth in this very special place for a long time which made me decide that I had to share the beauty of my hometown to the people who I hold consider close to my heart. My family gave me the chance to invite a few of my closest friends to join us at our escapade as we, once more, went to the island this year. In this blogpost, I'll be sharing some of our experiences through our escapade in the island.

This blogpost in in collaboration with Rallion Marc Cabiltes of justrthings.blogspot.com

Low tide beaches at Sta. Fe, Bantayan, Cebu

Our first day was one of a kind. My friends got to sleep at our home for easy access towards our journey. We woke up at 3 AM, got ready, and left the house. Our transport going to the Hagnaya Port in San Remegio was through riding a bus (Ceres Tours). The trip lasted for 3 and a half hours but that would depend on the circumstances that would matter on the season you're travelling with. The golden rays of sunshine striked upon our skins as we arrived at Hagnaya, 8 AM. Going to the island would require boarding on a ferry boat at the port. There are 2 shipping lines available; Island Shipping Inc. & Super Shuttle Ferry offering the same prices for their fares. We arrived at the main port of the island in the municipality of Sta. Fe an hour after. The journey wasn't easy and so, when we came home to our humble island abode in Pooc, Sta. Fe, Bantayan Is. we decided to give ourselves a rest from the exhausting hours of travel and transport.

Sts. Peter & Paul Parish, Bantayan Is.

I am no alien to the island yet waking up to the sound of birds as the shore slowly ascended gave me a mixed feeling of astonishment and nostalgia. We got to enjoy the rest of the place by renting korean bikes and touring ourselves around. Food was not really much of a problem since the prices there are really not that different with the food prices in the city (maybe even cheaper though if you know how to look for good food). For the rest of our trip, we got ourselves to the Municipality of Bantayan which showcased the untouched religious culture brought upon to us during the spanish era.

Just outside the church was the plaza which was quite of a picturesque area which made us decide to grab the chance in taking instagrammable photos.

| All photos taken using Nikon P500 | Post-processed using Adobe Lightroom |

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, by Aethan Brix Fernandez

TRAVEL

ESCAPE ROUTE: CAPTIVATING SHORES OF TABUELAN

Maravilla, Tabuelan, Cebu

With another addition to the #ADVENTURESOFMYSUMMER Series, it is now time to discover another of Cebu's finest. Join me as we uncover the secrets of the glistening shores of Tabuelan.

Maravilla, Tabuelan is known for its amazing beaches located right next to their local building. It is of my great honor to have witnessed and experienced, up-close & personal, this magnificent paradise hidden beyond the vast roads of the Cebu Province. In Maravilla, they have these beach huts facing the waters of Tabuelan which are actually quite convenient since the shore is not really that far from the sea. Upon your stay in Maravilla, you can immediately feel calm and relaxed from all the city's ruckus since it is literally in the province 103 kilometers away from Cebu City. Now this is approximately a 2 hour and 45 minute drive on the road so be sure to pack a lot of snacks. Well, of course, there are a lot of stalls located near the beaches but you always need be sure and bring your own stuff. Who knows? Your food might actually be better. If you'd wish to stay a little longer and decide to have you adventure done overnight, they also have neighboring resorts to stay in and relax yourself at.

Maravilla Barangay Hall

Costa Blanca Bed & Breakfast

Beach Front

We spent our night over in Costa Blanca Bed & Breakfast which is just a few steps away from Maravilla's Public Beach.With a price range of 2000 to 2500 pesos per night with air-conditioned rooms equipped with a queen-sized bed and one single-type bed, it takes you into a whole new level of excitement knowing that with that amount of money spent you get to have great facilities, great staff, & over-all great service. You can even conceptualize and rearrange the beds to add airbeds or foams in case you might want to bring friends over and spend a little less expense on the rooms. We got to enjoy the feeling of privacy within the exclusive premises of the resort which made it an amazing stay for us in Tabuelan. The location might not be easily found so make sure to take a stop and have time to ask the locals for directions. I don't really remember what specific time there is for their check-out but we left the place, with utmost joy of course, probably 1 or 2 in the afternoon.

A day has passed and it's time return back home and close this chapter to prepare for another adventure. Before we left we made sure to visit the town's terminal and plaza to take full advantage of the picturesque views in the area. Tabuelan was very welcoming to its visitors and through great sceneries, wanderers like me get to enjoy and satisfy our love for photography and the art coming with it.

We may leave to return to our regular and mainstream lives, it's still our job to transform life and look at it as a new adventure for each and every day.

This has been ADVENTURESOFMYBLOG, and this is the Adventure of My Summer.

- ADVENTURESOFMYBLOG

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, by Aethan Brix Fernandez

TRAVEL

ESCAPE ROUTE: BANTAYAN ISLAND

Sta. Fe, Bantayan Island, Cebu, Philippines

Bantayan Island.

Land of magic, mystery, and a motherland of beauty contained within people enriched by the gifts of their culture. Through the years, Bantayan Island has been a work in progress with booming economical statuses no one could've ever imagined. It is seen to be a small island with big opportunities, but deep within the heart of this island lies a story that only the island itself could tell. In a span of 3 days, my vacation started from chill to rush in just a matter of hours since I had to make the most out of my 3-day island life escapade and beach bonanza.

In this trip I got to visit MJ Square, which satisfied my food cravings and was surprisingly located in a very accessible area in the island; the famous Flower Wall of the Sta. Fe Beach Club (Ogtong Cave) Resort, the most picturesque place every Instagrammer could dream of; and of course the astonishing stretch of the shoreline perfectly captured during the sunset.

After two consecutive years of not visiting the land of my ancestors, Bantayan Island's beauty still never ceases to amuse me. Even without all the developments done and establishments opened, the Island remains and will continue to remain a gem surpassing all other islands belonging to Cebu.

Sta. Fe Beach Club's Flower Wall

Reception and Booking Area

Beach Front and Cliff

Average Villa near Cave Area

Cave and Pool Access

Restaurant and Lounge

Upon arrival in the Municipal Port of Sta. Fe, transportation can be found very easily as there is an abundance of vehicles to be used from motorcycles to tricycles and even pedicabs. Rest Assured transportation across the island is never a problem. There, you can choose the types of transportation you would like to avail of and instruct them to go to Ogtong Cave in Pooc, Sta. Fe, Bantayan Island. Situated in natural limestone rocks, Ogtong Cave is a growing pioneer resort that is widely known throughout the island. It is an annex to one of the first resorts built on the island, the Sta. Fe Beach Club Resort. Entering the resort would cost you just P100 and if you'd ask me that's actually a pretty good price for a whole day use.

I would definitely recommend going to their cave and its refreshing waters (as it is their trademark). The beach's shoreline might not be as long but it is beautifully equal as the other beaches in the country. Despite the short period of time we had, I could say that a whole day was worth the time we spent just enjoying the sun. Unfortunately, I didn't get the chance to get information with regards to room rates and other stuff but Google's there to help you.

Every summer is worth the wait, it's just up to you how you're going to make it work.

- ADVENTURESOFMYBLOG

- KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR PART 2 ;) -

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, by Aethan Brix Fernandez

TRAVEL

HOW TO: PACK LIGHT

Knowing what and what not to bring is a very important skill and I mean "TALENT-Level" skill. This critical thinking would require you to be vigilant and sensitive as ever. Now you might be asking, how could critical thinking be connected to packing lightly? Well I tell you, it connects a whole lot more than you'll ever expect it to be. Consider understanding the topic more as you continue reading these tips on how to pack light and useful essentials for a whole-day trip.

1. KNOW WHERE YOU'LL BE GOING!

Consider the fact that not all your things are compatible for weather of all sorts and most of them would even be irritating if you'd bring them with you. Make sure that you've already checked if the area you're going to has complete facilities or else you'll be the one bringing your own bathtub.

2. RESEARCH FACTS ABOUT THE AREA YOU'VE CHOSEN

Male sure that it won't be raining by the time you get there or even if it does, at least you've prepared the needed things in case the clouds decide to sob its bum off. If you had come to see that the totality of the weather on the day of travel wouldn't be so enticing, it would be much better if you'd wear clothes that aren't much of a hassle. But anyways, since I'm not the guy who's supposed to be lecturing your fashion statements, I'll be leaving those to the fashion bloggers.

3. SEE IF THE MATERIALS YOU WANT TO BRING WOULD BE USED AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE

If it won't be much of a burden to your feelings, leave as many things as possible. You'll only be separated from your bed for just a day, right? Consider the sensibility of your adventure and bring the stuff that would only be useful throughout the whole trip. In the end, you may feel a little sense of accomplishment once you've realize that you can still live without that many stuffs in your life.

4. KNOW YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES

You're not the boss of nature which means anything could happen while you're on the way. This tip is very important to all travels of all sorts may it be a whole-day or a week-long trip. This won't only be of use in certain situations because it will be an important factor to maintaining good health once you've come to realize its purpose. Knowing your limitations can help you prepare things needed in overcoming or even just aiding your difficulties.

5. BRING YOUR OWN IDEA OF HAPPINESS

Understand yourself and what you're capable of! Nothing would be lost if you would just try to enjoy and be happy, right? Have that sense of excitement and share it to those who are around you. Being filled with joy would make all of you feel like you're still at home while on the go. Always know that no matter what you take with you, nothing is more important than what makes you happy.

Hey! Sorry if I left you all out by not writing for a very long and I mean super long time. I hope that this blog post would make all of you happy for knowing that I'm still here. I promise to make up for the time I've taken up not posting anything here!

Keep on smiling!

- ADVENTURESOFMYBLOG