The Philippines: CAMOTES IS., Cebu Summer Fun

Cebu is an island in the Central Visayas.  It is dubbed as the "Queen City of the South", being in the southern part of the archipelago.  But why queen? Read for yourself...

Cebu Summer Fun Part 1:  Bantayan Island
Cebu Summer Fun Part 3:  Tabuelan
Cebu Summer Fun Part 4: Barili and Mantayupan Falls
Cebu Summer Fun Part 5: Moalboal

courtesy of philippinemaps.ph

Camotes is an island in the northeastern part of Cebu province.  It is a small island with a bountiful share of natural resources: white sandy beaches, dive spots, lakes, caves... and during our ride from the island back to Danao City in Cebu, we even got a bonus of a couple of dolphins swimming alongside our motorized banca (small boat) ... the kids were so amazed!




While in Camotes, we stayed at Santiago Bay Garden and Resort, a tourist attraction by itself.  The resort is right next to and overlooks a very wide stretch of white fine-sand beach.

This picture is that of the same beach at low and high tides

The wide stretch allows one to wander far off the beach without fear of sudden depth in the sea level.  In addition to swimming and snorkelling, one can do kayaking, skimboarding, and riding an ATV.



Another resort we went to, on a tour, was the Mangodlong Rock Resort. This resort has its equal share of sandy beach and rocky shorelines.  The resort has a smaller beachfront but still enough for adults and kids to frolic and have fun.  There are rock formations and islets lending privacy to those who want it.

 

 

Next we went to Lake Danao.  This 680-hectare lake is all fresh water,and the biggest in Cebu.  The best way to go around the lake is through a "sakanaw" or paddleboat, which can carry around 10-20persons.  The sakanaw costs USD12 good for 10persons and in excess of 10 persons, an additional of USD1.10 per person.

  

On board the "sakanaw"or paddleboat

Birds in their natural habitat

Birds and ducks can be seen around the vicinity.  The place is quiet, serene and the waters tranquil ... the perfect place to spend a lazy afternoon. Though, if you listen beyond the kids' noisy chatter and laughter, it did feel eerie at some parts of the lake, like some thrilling part of a movie...ha ha ha...but nothing scary really actually happened.

Paradise in the center of Lake Danao

We also went to an underground cave, where water is so refreshing and leaves skin soft and smooth, it's like having had a spa.

To end our day tour, we went to My Little Island Hotel, up the hills of Camotes, to watch the sun set and let the kids enjoy the warm pool.

Fun! Rewind!

Sunset at Camotes Island

We had a sumptuous dinner at the poolside under the moon and the stars and music coming from the hotel lobby. What a perfect and romantic (even with all the kids running around and splashing in the pool) way to end the day!



The Camotes trip was one of our unforgettable summers.



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How much does an affordable Camotes Island get-away cost? A two-day vacation (assuming only two persons share the cost of land transfers/hotel/tours) will cost around USD107 per person (assuming no plane fare, land/ferry trips only) BUT if you are a group of not more than 10, you may split items #4 and #7 (now that is a real bargain!).

1. Plane fare to Cebu - depends on place of origin

2. Land transportation to Danao City (USD6 one-way or USD12 round trip) per person

    a.  Taxi from airport to SM (USD5)

    b.  V-hire (van for hire) from SM to Danao (USD1), leaves when the van is 14-pax full or if you want comfort, pay for a seat to be vacant beside you

3. Danao City Cebu to Poro Camotes onboard motorized banca (USD4-USD5 one-way or USD10 round trip) sails starting 530am (boat schedules change without prior notice, it's best to call the shipping lines to confirm schedule)

4. Van for land transfers to and from Poro Camotes to resort/hotel - around USD50 but need to arrange this first with your resort/hotel; make sure you have resort/hotel transfers as the public transportation in Camotes are motorcyles and (very rarely) multicabs

5. Hotel/resort accommodation (aircon) for two - USD45-USD75/night, depending on accommodation

6. Meals - an average meal per person would cost USD7 so a full day's meal will be around USD20

7. Tours within the island -if you arrange this together with your resort/hotel transfers, you will need to add only around USD35.



Another option will be to take the boat from Pier 1 in Cebu City to Consuelo port in Camotes; the whole trip will cost around USD130per person (again assuming only two persons share the cost of land transfers/hotel/tours). Note also that Consuelo port is farther from the resorts than Poro.



Enjoy Camotes!!!