East of Cebu Island, north of Bohol, and southwest of Leyte are the locations of the Camotes group of Islands. Many tourist love to visit this place because of its exceptional natural beauty.
Traveling to breathtaking places is one of life's most exciting experiences. Everyone likes to indulge once in a while, especially those who have devoted their entire life to their vocation. This time, we went on a trip with my family to attend our nephew's first birthday party. Even though it was an unplanned trip, we had a great time during our stay.
How Do We Get There?
Our Home for 2 days
We boarded a bus bound for Danao Port from our hometown, Northern Cebu, the location of the port where Roro Passengers traveling to Camotes can board. Jomalia Shipping is a renowned shipping company that is heading for Camotes Island. You can purchase a ticket at the ticketing office behind Sands Gateway Mall in Danao, Cebu, or book one online. At Jomalia Roro Passenger, we boarded a ship for a trip to Camotes Island. My kids were excited about their travel and had so much fun since it was their first travel with the whole family.
We rode a "tourist island tour jeepney" from the port to Santiago Bay Garden and Resort, where we stated for two days of vacation. One can also choose to ride the so-called "Habal2x" or motorcycle. Going to the resort from Consuelo takes more or less 20 minutes.
Santiago Bay Garden and Resort is the oldest resort in Santiago. It's known for lengthy shoreline, fine sand, lush vegetation, and palm trees surrounding the bay. The accommodations are ideal for a family, group of friends, or a couple. They have eateries that serve highly wholesome, delectable, and inexpensive cuisines. Additionally, their staff is accessible whenever you have a need. During our visit, we felt secure, safe, and at ease
Meet Our Common Friends
My unexpected vacation to Camotes Island surprised my friends. When they learned that we had arrived in Camotes, they were delighted. They wanted to meet us, so I invited them to my nephew's first birthday party and had dinner with them. So, they went to my sisters' place without thinking twice and brought some food and fruits for us. They were incredibly giving. We had fun there while dining, chatting, and organizing the schedule for our tour.
Places We Visited
Camotes National High School
My friends are from Camotes National High Schools, so we took a quick visit to check out their facilities to see what best practices they had implemented. We went to their schools, workshop, and vegetable garden, as well as their Sugbusog area. They introduced innovative strategies for organizing and decorating classrooms. Wisdom from friends with wonderful hearts filled our day. Our visit to their school was fruitful. Grateful beyond words to them. Their warmth certainly catches our hearts. These people must remain your true friends.
Baywalk, San Francisco, Camotes
We took a detour to Baywalk in San Francisco after visiting Camotes National High School to meet and greet our friends. Many people wish to visit the place to relax and unwind. The Bermuda grass planted on the passage’s way gives a fabulous attraction to all visitors and travelers. So, we took a shot for a while before proceeding to our next journey.
My Bukilat Cave
The largest and most well-known cave in Tudela, Camotes, is called Bukilat Cave. Due to its peculiar and distinctive natural formation, many tourists adore visiting this location. Both the stalactites and stalagmites are intricate but are not permitted to touch these. You must turn off the flash on your camera when taking images inside. It contains a sizable pond that will be filled with water during high tide and below knee-deep during low tide. The water was so inviting and refreshing that we briefly took a bath there. We may think to ourselves when we are inside that we are in a calm and peaceful place. Lastly, this cave was one of the scenes where Kathryn Bernardo and Daniel Padilla's movie, Can't Help Falling in Love, was shot.
Buho Rock Beach
In Poro, Camotes lies the Buho Rock Beach Resort. Due to its naturally occurring boat-shaped rock formation, white sand, and crystal-clear seawater that you love to dive into by leaping over a cliff. It is one of the most well-known wonders of the Camotes. It is considered a landmark of Poro, Camotes, because of its unique and remarkable rock formation. But hold on, if you want to experience diving the cliff, traverse a twisting staircase to reach the ship-like structure to reach the top. Take note that going downstairs is easy compared to going upstairs. You need to hold your breath and prepare yourselves since you must exert more effort to climb than downstairs.
Lake Danao
One of the largest lakes in the Visayas and possibly even the Philippines, Lake Danao in San Francisco, is another well-known attraction on Camotes Island. Lake hopping, kayaking, ziplining, and horseback riding were just a few of the outdoor and water sports available there. While exploring the lake, my kids like to paddle their kayaks. For kids who enjoy seeing different animal types, there is a little zoo available. My kids said they had a great time at Lake Danao.
Tulang Diot
An attractive and natural islet found in San Francisco Camotes' barrio Esperanza is Tulang Diot. The islet is known for having the longest beach and the purest white sand. Many visitors want to go to the islet, enjoy island hopping, and swim in the magnificent, clear water. The finest place to stay for meals and drinks while taking in the sea breeze is in one of the native nipa cottages that resemble mushrooms. When you are swimming and need to unwind to regain strength, the floating bamboo raft is ideal for you to use while looking for nearby divers.
Mangodlong Rock Beach
Our final stop was Mangodlong Rock Beach, which is a part of the community of Mangodlong Heminsulan, San Francisco, Camotes Island, Cebu. The beach's distinctive rock formation distinguishes it from other beaches and connects it to the sand bar, where you can get delicious meals and beverages were prices that meet your budget. The white, fine sand makes it a pleasant area to dive in and hop alongside the shore. My kids enjoyed swimming and diving with the octopus slide. The kids once more enjoyed a little swimming on this beach.
We take another detour to the well-known road where a tree's branches and twigs meet over the middle of the road, giving it strange and unusual beauty, before returning home. We are grateful to our friends on Camotes Island for traveling with us. Only a selected few could withstand the incredible compassion they exhibited to us.
That's it for this blog. Thank you for taking the time to read.