#cebu 2025

[hinumdom]

the ruins, ogtong cave, house of lechon bantayan island, cebu

it's our third and last day.

we watched the sunrise and ate breakfast by the beach at our accommodation. their food is really good, especially the tapa, daing, salpicao, and waffles. 10/10 would recommend. after eating breakfast, we went to the ruins by the cliff and ogtong cave. if you hate swimming under the sun, ogtong cave is the place to go. it's a small cave, away from direct sunlight, water is super cool and clear. fortunately, there weren't many people when we went there so we still got to swim for a while.

after lunch, we packed our things and checked out. we rode the bus and the ferry going back to cebu proper. our flight was late in the evening, so we stopped by at house of lechon for dinner and bought souvenirs such as dried mangos, otap, banana chips, piaya, etc.

[hinumdom]

island hopping + paraw sailing bantayan island, cebu

finally, the beach experience. living in the city made me forget the beauty of the sea.

island hopping was so much fun than i thought. we went to three different islands, did some snorkeling, fed some fish, ate delicious food, and just basked in nature. paraw sailing, in particular, was such a special experience. apart from the beautiful sunset, i get to feel the calm. being in the middle of the ocean, far from the buzzing of civilization, there's nothing but silence. it was deafening at first but as i got used to it, i remembered just how simple it was to breathe and appreciate the life that i have now. it's as if i was given the luxury of time to actually feel and reflect. i lay there, gazed at the sky and let the water carry my weight anywhere it wished. at that moment, i just let my thoughts drift away.

[hinumdom]

church, mangrove ecopark, dinner by the beach bantayan island, cebu

for our first day, we visited st. peter and paul church also known as bantayan church. it’s one, if not the only, oldest churches in cebu. the outside wouldn’t usually attract my attention but when i went inside, i was greeted with a mesmerizing murals on its ceiling. i loved how vibrant the painting was in contrast to its ivory walls.

then our next stop was the omagieca obo-ob mangrove ecopark. for only 75php, we went into one of the most scenic adventure of our lives. i had fun walking on the bamboo docks. it looks shaky but when i walked on it, it’s actually pretty sturdy. with the awareness that i’m literally walking on wood, i walked slowly than usual which gave me more time to appreciate the numerous specie of mangroves around me. the walk was longer than i expected but the journey itself was calming.

after all the walking, we went to have dinner at amihan beach cabanas. the overall vibe is pretty chill with dimmed neon lights and beach bar counter. there were a lot of people when we got there. fortunately, a group left so we didn’t wait that long. i heard this place is being hyped by influencers but for whatever reason, i don’t know. apart from the seaside location, their food didn’t really meet my expectations. i don’t know about their drinks because i didn't try it.

anyway, we went to another store to get some refreshments. i got myself a matchu pitchu juice—a combination of cucumber, mint and calamansi—from twisted ice cream & cafe, which is near amihan.

[hinumdom]

santa fe beach club bantayan island, cebu

for three days and two nights, we stayed here at santa fe beach club which has a stunning view of the ocean, delicious food, and it's got to be one of the most peaceful places on earth.

going to bantayan would warrant a ferry ride from hagnaya port to santa fe port. the good thing about this place is that it's near the port. just five minutes away, you will find this beautiful oasis. their food is great and affordable too. i loved everything we ate here which includes baked scallops, fried pork belly, and shanghai lumpia. they also have coffee drinks, fruit juice and shakes, and halo-halo.

in front is a long stretch of fine white sand and stunning, ocean view. living here would be such a dream.