Eating around Bantayan and Cebu city

How to go to Kota Beach?

During the recent travel to Cebu, I was able to travel to Bantayan Island and Cebu City! And of course the fun in traveling also includes tasting the local food! Where did I satisfy my palate in Bantayan Island and Cebu city? Read below!

Bantayan Island Eats
After explorinng Kota Beach in Bantayan,  we headed inland for some refreshments! We rode the ubiquitous pedicabs to go to some happening restos in the town proper that can fill the gaping hole in our stomachs.

Marisquera O Portuguese

Dinner is the first order of the night after the loooong journey. We asked some local pedicab drivers and they pointed this little Portuguese joint. The atmosphere is very relaxed and very local but the food fare is fusion and has influences of international cuisine.

What's more is apart from dining, the resto features good ole karaoke where we sung our hearts out, sober or otherwise. 

We got no photos of the food since we were too famished to even think of capturing food in their undisturbed state. 

CouCou Restaurant
After much needed splash in the waters, we headed to have brunch in this joint. It was good and affordable! This was where I ate much-wanted seafood fare for an adorable price. Each meal costs around a hundred pesos with drinks.

Cebu City Chows
Upon leaving Bantayan Island, we headed to Cebu City (Ayala) to eat some really really craved for fastfood and coffee.

Coffee Bean Tea Leaf Ayala
Hardly a local eat, but hanging out at a coffeeshop in Cebu is another way to get and feel the local vibe of the city. I was very surprised and amazed at how commercialized and cosmopolitan Cebu City is! Hanging out here feels so much like home. Well-dressed denizens, night owls and yuppies all hanging out, working and drinking their coffee fix is what you can see here.

Larsian
After coffee, and going to Casino Filipino Cebu, we headed to a down and dirty smokey yet absolutely tasty eating expedition at Larsian. Larsian is like a big compound with lots and lots of barbecued meats and seafood. The food is good yet so so cheap! Each barbecues pork costs only 15 pesos. All in all I spent only arounmd 60 pesos including all barbecued meat I can imagine with softdrinks and rice!

puso 

Will be posting stories on some yummy Baguio City restos soon!
More travel stories, cheers!

The Journey to Bantayan

1 hour taxi ride from Sct Borromeo to Terminal 3

1 hour waiting at Terminal 3 before boarding

1 and a half hour plane ride to Cebu from Manila

30 minutes taxi ride from Mactan Airport to North Terminal (near SM Cebu)

Two hours break: Late lunch in SM Cebu, bought tickets for the Ferry Ride.

4 hours Bus Ride from North Cebu Terminal to Hagnaya Port

2 hours ferry ride from Hagnaya Port to Bantayan Island.

10 minutes shuttle ride from Sta Fe wharf to Kota Beach

…All sums up to priceless memories in Paradise.

They say that the journey matters more than the destination. But in this case, both the journey and the destination are worth every single penny, time and effort! 

This journey marks my  first time in the island of Cebu. My stay in the city was short and sweet because I was headed to a paradise that lies up north…Bantayan Island. 

I stayed in Kota Beach, where there is a natural pool separated by a magical sand bar. 

It was a magnificent beachfront view. Natural and if I try to bend the truth, virgin. 

There were endless aquamarine waters. White sand.

While the beach is not remote, my general take on the place, is as if, I was all alone in the island.  Peaceful. Not too much noise, not too quiet either. 

Not too touristy, not too remote.

Maybe because of the lack of too much beach activities like kayaking, surfing, or sailing? That the allure of the place relies on the calm of the sea, the sand and the traveler. You're not forced to do something, because doing something takes you away from all the magic.
Maybe because I’ve seen a few kids who haul their boats and nets for a quick fishing expedition early in the day?

Bantayan is not yet a party island, and it doesn’t quite aspire to. It is a beach that can be enjoyed to socialize and to vegetate in solitude or with your friends.

Priceless.

How to get there:

1. Board a plane from Terminal 3 going to Cebu City if you are coming from Manila.
2. Upon reaching Mactan Airport, you can now take the white taxis (just climb a short flight of stairs and you'll see them). Yellow taxis with more expensive meters are what you will see first though.
3. Go to North Terminal - it's near SM Cebu. The fare from the airport to North Terminal will cost about 100 plus pesos. You will pass by Mandaue city, Lapu lapu city and others before you get to Cebu city.
4. Once you are in the North Terminal, you can board a Ceres bus going to Hagnaya Port. There are choices between air conditioned and non a/c buses. In my case, we took the air con bus. Fare costs about 150 plus. The journey is about three and a half to four hours. Along the way you will pass by various ports goint to Malapascua and Camotes Islands.
5. After hours of bus ride, you will are now in Hagnaya Port. The ferry boat is operated by Island Shipping corp. We took the special (air con) trip that costs around 170 pesos.
6. After about one and a half to two hours, you will now reach the port of Sta Fe in Bantayan Island. Your beach resort will probably have a shuttle that will take you to your resort. I stayed in Kota beach and the resort has a shuttle stationed near the port. If you do not have any accomodation yet, there are trisikad, habal -habal that can take you to various resorts. Travel time is only about 5-10 minutes.