Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
BANTAYAN AND YOLANDA
Few buildings on Bantayan escaped damage during Yolanda, and egg production, one of the
mainstays of the local economy, came to a complete standstill. At the time of writing boat
services to the island were limited and many hotels were still closed or only partially open.
Partial electricity returned to the island in February 2014, but check
W
facebook.com
/choosebantayan for the latest situation.
The Back to Sea Project
(
W
backtoseaproject.com)
is a great initiative offering visitors the chance to help out financially and physically with the
reparation projects, including helping to build boats and to make fishing implements (P3500
per project).
6
INFORMATION
Tourist information
Though closed at the time of
writing, the small tourist
o
ce in Santa Fe should be up
and running by the time you read this, and has simple
photocopied island maps (P5) and a few hotel brochures.
For information about Bantayan before your trip
W
wow
bantayan.com is a good resource.
Services
Next to the tourist office in Santa Fe there's a
health centre and a police station. The Marque Internet
Café in Santa Fe market has web access for P20/hr.
There's a post office and an Allied Bank with ATM in
Bantayan Town, but it's best to bring enough cash to
last your stay. Currency can be changed at some of
the resorts and at an exchange office next to Palawan
Pawnshop in Santa Fe.
ACCOMMODATION
★
Budyong Beach Resort
A short ride west of Santa
Fe by pedicab
T
0921 314 5275.
A good selection of fan
and a/c (P1560) cottages set in a coconut grove on one of
the island's nicest stretches of beach within easy walking
distance
of the
town centre. There's a simple restaurant
here too.
P800
Hoyohoy Village Resort
Just west of Santa Fe pier
T
032 438 9223,
W
hoyohoy-villas.com.
Set in pleasant
gardens with a small central pool,
Hoyohoy
's spacious and
solid villas-on-stilts contain some of Bantayan's best
rooms, all of which have a/c, cable TV and fridge. The rooms
and grounds are sprinkled with antiques, and there's free
wi-fi. The only downside to this pla
ce is tha
t this stretch of
beach is very close to the ferry pier.
P3500
Kota Beach Resort
A short ride west of Santa Fe by
tricycle
T
032 438 9042,
W
kotabeach-bantayan.com.
Next door to
Budyong
, Kota has a range of different rooms
and cottages set in attractive gardens on a lovely stretch of
beach. The superior cottages (P1300) are right on the sand,
and for those on a budget, t
he ec
onomy and fan rooms at
the back offer decent value.
P770
Ogtong Cave Resort
About 15min west of the Santa Fe
pier by tricycle
T
032 438 9129,
W
ogtongcave.com.
On a
headland looking out over Sugar Beach, and set in pleasant
gardens with a spring-fed swimming cave and pool, this is
Bantayan's best hotel. The vast range of rooms on offer
includes a budget option with fan, regular a/c rooms (P3200),
deluxe (P3500), sea-view villas (also P3500) and exclusive
suites with access to a separate private pool (P16,000). A short
walk takes you down to the beach, where you can arrange
fishing expeditions with the locals and bri
ng your
catch back
to the
Ogtong
chef to be cooked. Free wi-fi.
P1600
St Bernard's Resort
North of Santa Fe Beach Club on
Alice Beach, and 5min by tricycle from the pier
T
0917
963 6162,
W
bantayan.dk.
Quaint little circular cottages
set in narrow gardens leading down to a very local patch of
beach. There's a small
l resta
urant where you can get a good
meal for P150-200.
P950
EATING AND DRINKING
Dining in Bantayan has a way to go before it becomes a culinary destination, but there are a few places to try after a hard
day at the beach. A great cheap breakfast option is just to buy banana bread from the bakery by the main junction in Santa
Fe and some fresh mangoes from the market across the road.
Balikbayan
Santa Fe
T
0921 505 5189.
Friendly
restaurant in the backstreets of Santa Fe with cosy pergolas
dotted around a pretty garden. Great breakfasts, good
pasta and the house coconut shake is as good as you'll find
anywhere.
Daily 7.30am-11pm.
Blue Ice
On the main strip in Santa Fe.
This popular
Swedish-owned place has music and dancing in the
evenings. Sides include “Nick the Greek” salad, and there's
an extensive selection of mains including steaks, seafood
and pizza (P200).
Daily 8am-late.
D'Jungle
Santa Fe.
On the main strip, foreign-owned
D'Jungle
offers excellent buffets and Mongolian barbecue,
plus there's good old shepherd's pie (P95) and fish and
chips (P165), as well as delicious chilli crab. Backpacker
rooms are available to rent for a bargain P200-250
. Daily
7am-midnight.
