Bantayan Island in Pictures
I will just go ahead and post the gallery of my Bantayan Island pictures for now. This is my first trip to Bantayan Island. We still have a LOT of the Island I have not seen. Jessie saw bit more of it than I did. That’s okay, I got more rest than she did. 
There is an old church there that I hope to visit this month. There are some old homes. I’m a little unclear on that, I thought Jessie said they were built during the Spanish colony years. The church too, I think. We didn’t have time to visit this time.
I may be doing some wind surfing next time I go, if I get to go this month. I really don’t know if I’m up to wind surfing. I’m afraid I’ll hurt myself. Give myself a hernia for one thing. I’ll have to check with the guy is willing to teach me how to wind surf.
His girlfriend is going to be sky diving next month and doing it from Bantayan Island. Am I getting ideas? Yes, of course. LOL Jessie said she would do it. That’s hard for me to believe.
I hope you like the pictures, if you have any question please leave a comment. I love to hear from everyone. I continue to enjoy living in Cebu, Philippines.
Tagged with: Bantayan Island • Pictures of Cebu
Filed under: Pictures of Cebu
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Rusty, the scenery are great and your pictures showcased it. I’m thinking of going to Bantayan Island/Santa Fe on my vaction this coming april. Can you please provide me your contact nuber/person where you stayed. I’m interested to know the rates per room or per person. I’d appreciate it a lot.
Thanks,
Racquel
Nancy is the owner. Phone number is 032-4380-9041 Mobile number is 0919-537-1536. I can put you in touch with a couple of guides too.
You’re not Filipino are you? English is very good.
Better than mine. 
Hi Rusty. We can only hope that there will be good wind this 22nd.
Adrian, glad you posted. I’d love to have you visit often.
Yea, I should keep you laughing when we see each other from my falling. It will be good for me either way. I’ll be mostly just trying to stand up, moving in the wind will just be a bonus for me. LOL
You know, I read the other day that it is no longer to write “LOL” Oh well, whatever I do is cool.
I do it, therefor it is cool.
Hi Rusty, My list of places to visit on my next trip is getting longer and longer thanks to all you great writers and photographers. Bantayan Island here I come! Thanks.
nice pics! i’ve never been this part of cebu before. the water looks clean and warm!
Rusty, I am a Filipina and a Cebuana (fromConsolacion town) to be precise. I’ve been to Bantayan Island eon of years ago when I was a kid. Your pictures made me so homesick that I’m counting the days for my vacation. I know Bantayan Island/Santa Fe is beautiful, but you know when I was a kid did not really appreciate the beauty there. It was just white beaches and ordinary life there. Now that I lived away from home/Philippines for a long time, I’m seeing my island/Cebu in different perspective, that of a foreigner and I’m rediscovering/appreciating the beauty and what it has to offer to a tired, weary overworked person.
I’m very familiar with Santa Fe town and Bantayan proper since a long long !!!!! time ago my uncle was the parish priest there. Unfortunately he is not with us anymore. I’m pretty sure he loved that island, the simple, bucolic lifestyle there. I know Bantayan Island only get crowded(very-by local standard) on Holy Week and I bet it is worse now due to the island more famous now than before.
Anyways thanks for the info and I hope to meet you in person on my visit, that is if you do not mind meeting a stranger. I could give you a call to arrange a date and time if you wish. Just give me any info/tel# on my personal e-mail which I provided when I signed up to join your site.
Thanks,
Racquel
Racquel,
Of course I want to meet you. I’m a bit tired right now but if I don’t send you my phone number within 24 hours yell at me.
It is rare indeed that as a child we appreciate what we come to miss the most. I was often so bored at my grand parents house. Now, my founded memories of childhood are about visiting there. I had no idea how special the cooking my grandmother did. Or how kind and gentle my grandfather was. Just awesome people, not perfect but awesome. I wish I had realized how wonderful they were. I did start figuring it out as a teen.
Its not just here, that place was beautiful too. Pure and almost untouched.
I’m hoping to visit Bantayan’s parish church building on my next trip. I hope that next trip will be this month. I’m planning on going on the 22nd for some wind surfing. I think I’ll probably go the day before actually. I want to stay to nights this time. Just haave to see how things go.
John,
I’ve seen some mighty nice pictures of Austria.
I am in the process of trying to buy a camera. I ordered one today but I’m expecting them to decline the order because I used a Philippine IP address. If they do, I’ll buy a dang VPN account so I can have a freaking American IP.
Its not the fancy dancy Cannon D-SLR I really want but it will be a huge step up for what I have now. For one, it can go under water. Down to 30 feet!
I’ve got some short video’s I did with my phone that I need to get on the site.
Thanks for the kind words, hope you’ll come by often.
My English professor is rolling over in his doctorate, me a good writer. LOL
Hi Rusty,
This is my first time visiting your site… I’ve been reading your column through LiP… (I’m avid readers on LiP, since I’m from Mindanao)
Wow! Beautiful white sand beach… I’ve been away from Pinas for more than a decade; Now that I am older I appreciate the beauty of my country more. I can’t wait to live there one day.
Thank you for sharing your picture’s and experiences… This is an eye opener for me; I never knew that beautiful places, like Bantayan Island thought never existed.
Bantayan is on my next plan trip.
Wow! Beautiful place…
Your reminiscence brought back memories of my lovely Grandmother too. I’ve always loved visiting Tabogon back when they didn’t have electricity. The winding road from Cebu with the views of the sea down on the cliff remained fresh on my mind. I didn’t recognize the road at all when I visited last year. Yeah, we always take things for granted until it is gone.
I never had to go quite that far back, we did always have electricity even at my grand mothers. I do remember an out house though.
Okey Rusty, I will bookmark this page so I can visit this often. Yes, if it is your first time windsurfing, you are expected to fall often. But in no time, you’d be moving and you’ll be very happy.
Interestingly, it was in Bantayan Island where I got confident in moving to the sea and back to the beach. Beware! Falling is not an option because of the sea urchins a.k.a. “tuyom”! That should speed up your learning.
It did with me.
What? Something going to sting me?…
First you say I’m going to fall often then you say its not an option. LOL
I probably need to be in deeper water so I don’t splash all the water out of the ocean and hit sand! LOL
I guess every so often, the pole bops someone on the head? Probably only wise to do in pairs for that very reason.
I ordered a camera yesterday, underwater camera. I wish it would get here in time but I don’t think it will. I hope my money holds out. Got invited to disco last night and everyone ran out of money but me. Gotta see how much damage that did but I plan on being there. Not that expensive, especially if I stay at Tristan’s again. I want to try Marlin this time. That way, I can better justify it as a business trip. I can review a new hotel on my website.
Hey Ann, Glad you’re here. You’re very beautiful too.
Hello again Ann, I almost missed this second post. I remember you from LIP.
I’m always looking to meet Filipino, hopefully you will let us know when your coming and Jessie and I will get a chance to see you.
I hope I can find some more cool places to go before too long.
Thank you my friend. I’m looking forward to meet you & Jess as well.
I haven’t had time to browse at the Bantayan photos again. Maybe I’m doing something wrong. I might get my son to sit with me while I look at them next time. He is the computer expert.
hi,Rusty!
I’m back…. How are you? I love Bantayan…. I visited Santa Fe nine years ago with my X… he’s from Bogo, got married now… well, he’s not really meant for me LOL…. I’ve got someone better than him and i would suggest t to have our honeymoon in Bantayan by July… I’m getting excited… LOL…
anyway, I missed posting on this site… I think you’ve got now many viewers/readers on this site… I’m so proud of you….
Keep it up….nice expat…!!!
Hi Vivian,
Glad you are back too. Bantayan is quite a private beach but it sure feels like it while you’re there. Everyone has lots off space. Not a lot of westerners there but a few. Really nice place. I should have another article about my stay up today.
I keep wondering were Nell went. You out there nell?
Queenie? You’ve gone quite on me too.
re: sea urchin!
Rusty, the sea urchin does not sting, it’s like a bunch of nails waiting for an innocent foot to stomp it. In the local dialect, we call it “tuyom”.
And yes, you’ll fall often but you will still be nearer to the beach. If you will be able to sail farther, there will be tuyoms and by then, falling is not anymore an option. Or if you want to forget it, just sail in high tide. lol
Yes, the review on food is a good idea and I was enjoying your Tristan review. Is there a corkage fee if we buy food outside and grill at the beach?
your pictures are always so good. My wife and I always enjoy the fact that you take so many and post them. I think she has put on two pounds looking at all the photos of the great food you have been eating. best of health to you and yours, don
Adrian, I don’t know if there is a corkage fee but if you do too much grilling there, you’ll be under water.
About half the time there is no beach, just water. I don’t know though, I wondered about that.
I’m pretty sure there are beaches that don’t have any development on them. There is a beach that says private property but not right on the beach so you could always go there I suppose and I don’t think it goes completely under water. I couldn’t stay out there all day though, the sun would fry my immune system.
That I risk it all is amazing. Can’t live like a freaking mushroom for the rest of my life. 
Hmm, I don’t think I like urchins. I have a picture in my mind what they are, brown colored spikes. I was thinking more of the fleshy tings you see in salt water aquariums that have tentacles that kind of dance in the current.
I’m gonna go google them then answer the other comment.
Thanks Don, many people are missing the pictures, they keep telling me i have limited pictures of Bogo. True I’ve been posting more on http://rustyferguson.com but nearly everything here is of Bogo.
And there are several hundred pictures.
Those pictures at Tristan’s really made me hungry when I posted them. LOL
Re: sea urchins – Yes, these are the thorny things but usually the resort has already cleaned up those up to around 50 meters from the shore. After that, we’re on our own.
The fleshy thing you mentioned are the jellyfishes. Most of them are harmless. There are times of the Philippine season though that they are most abundant and that is after summer when the southwest monsoon is about to start (usually July to September). It is best to stay out of the ocean during these times.
I actually chronicled my windsurfing progress in my multiply account and some of them are in Bantayan. Here’s the link: http://www.phi47.multiply.com/
Adrian,
I got them mixed up with another critter. Soft fleshy animal. Looks more like a plant.
The urchin and I are not going to get along at all.
There is a buoy a bit out from the resorts. The boats travel outside of that area. But I noticed a bit of dark blue water before you get to the buoy. I noticed the guy that was surfing there seemed to be avoiding the blue water which was just before the buoy.
Now I see Filipino walking way out from Bogo but the water is low. Lot of claim fishermen I guess.
Anyway, I hope I don’t get introduced too urchins they don’t look like a fun thing.
Thank you for sharing your picture’s and experiences… I wish I would be able to visit these beautiful beaches in the Philippines. I came from other places like Baguio, Subic, Batangas and I want to experience others place that gives you a very warm and memorable. Even I don’t know how to swim.
I want to know if the Rustan’s Resort is affordable?
Baguio and Subic bay are two Cities that I hope to visit. Might even move there one of the days. The temperatures in Baguio and the hand carving that is done in the area are something I would very much like to experience.
I just looked at those pictures again and I’m not happy with them, not happy at all.. Oh well, work wtih what I have. Part of my camera fell off today. LOL
hi Rusty.would like to know more about skydiving in cebu.maybe i could get any ideas from you.please help me..would like to try it in April this year.
thank you,
charm
Hi Charm,
I had hopped to find out more myself. The skydive set for this past weekend didn’t go through. The instructor fell down some stairs and was injured so they had to cancel the jump. There should be more than one instructor! I’ll see what can fnd out.
I think the pictures MAY be okay. Not sure, are people seeing them too bright? i bough a new monitor and it is a very bright monitor. I like bright but they were processed on Jessie’s monitor which is older.
Tha may be what caused me to see them too bright here and not lke what I saw. I dimmed my monitor and they look better now.
I could really use some feed back from others on how the pictures look on your monitor and if you think your monitor itself is set to bright. Need to know what the pictures look like for others. They look much better on Jessie’s monitor than mine by I have a better monitor.
Got lucky, Found a display unit, a Samsung 19″ wide screen for $150.00 which is a very good price in the Philippines. Computer parts are generally more expensive her than in the US.
Hi Rus, any idea how much it would cost to print pictures to A3′s? or even larger and where?. I’ve got some gorgeous shots from last year’s visit. Would really love to plaster my bedroom wall with scenes from PI, but it’s too costly to print them to A3′s even.
No, I’ve never used any such service and I don’t print my pictures very often either. As you noted, very expensive to do on a regular basis. Really sucks up the ink and ink is very expensive unless you start using refills which I did start doing myself. I bought a hundred dollars worth of ink but left it in nthe US. I thought I would be able to return more often than it turns out that I can.
I will look into that. I should join some firms affliate program, it might help me earn a few bucks.
Pls. would you? otherwise, it would cost AU$20.00 for every A3, but I want probably at least 5. My printer doesn’t take A3′s. We have a large printer at work that takes A3s but we only get supplied with black ink.
I’m working on it. Should have something for you soon.
Hi Christine,
I’ll try to find out later today how much it will cost to print A3 size here.
Thanks Jess, I’ll keep an eye on this website. It will be good if someone in Bogo can do them. I don’t want to go through the horrendous traffic in Mandaue if I can help it!
Christine, Jessie didn’t make it out yesterday. She’s got a bit of a cold. Man, I hope she keeps it to herself.
She went to Cebu City on Sunday. I guess those buses would be a great way to spread disease!
Still, if you’ve ever been in the Philippines and not taken a bus you’ve missed an interesting experience!
Christine try this:
APRIL OFFER – 40 free prints for new Snapfish customer
My Grandma used to take me in one of those buses when she’s had enough of Cebu. That was when most of northern Cebu did not have electricity. I think back then (maybe 70′s?) electricity only went as far as Danao. The buses now are far more grand than the buses we used to catch to go north. But the sea views was fantastic, you don’t feel the heat or the bumpity-bump of the bus while it traverse round the sides of the cliffs. I didn’t recognize the roads last year.
President Arroyo built the National Highway that goes north now. Well s he had it built. I don’t think she was out here building it!
The need additional roads though.
The buses need to slow down.
No electricity past Danao in the 70′s? Wow, Marcos really held back the country!
There are plenty of cliffs still. Beautiful country.
Yep, no electricity then, not even in 1981! I was holidaying with my (was going to be the love of my life)! he couldn’t get over how there was no electricity there. No newspapers, no TV. If not for my Gran’s battery powered radio, we had no news. We didn’t even know the Pope was shot until we got back to the city. But he loved it there too.
I don’t know what happened to that old road? My memory of looking down the cliffs is still vivid because I was worried the bus would plummet down into the sea. I do know that the road was carved on the mountain side and it was dirt road, so it was rough.
Sounds like the 30′s to 50′s in the US. Before my time but they often used radios back in those days. Many battery powered. I thin it was pretty much a luxury at that.
I’ve never been in an area that didn’t have electricity in the states. I remember lots of places that didn’t have running water. they had to get their water from the well. My uncle use to come to my house in the 70′s get bottle up water and take it home! My grandfather tried to dig a well but didn’t find water and didn’t have the equipment to go lower.
No one would have to pay too have witing brought onto your property. I use to dream of building a home way back in the woods. My grandmother had land that was about a mile from the road.
I’m a bit of a hermit I guess.
There are still plenty of cliffs along the new highway. The road is carved into the mountain. That would be on your way to Cebu City. Very pretty country. A bit unnerving the first time through. Did you come and go from Cebu City at night? The road in the mountains is pretty hara to miss. Sometimes you’ll be above the clouds and above the tall coconut trees that start their grow far below the road, in the valley below.
There’s probably more chance a bus will fly off one of those cliffs. There are two things that I really don’t like about the Philippines. One is the way the bus drivers drive. There was a severe crash killing several last weekend. Two bus drivers were racing. I’ve seen them do this myself, while I’m in the bus. There is one bus driver that we avoid, we don’t get on his bus. They drive way to fast when there is just no reason to. If you have to stop in 30 seconds there’s little point in getting there full throttle.
The other thing I don’t like is the way MANY Filipino throw their trash were ever they are standing. Too many times, right into the sea.
Hey, why don’t you buy that area, make a resort and I’ll run it for you for free! Well, minus room and board.
Well big house and I’ll by the board. You supply the monkey cages and jetski. 
In your dreams Rusty!
I would buy the area if I have 1 million dollars!, no, I might not even need that much. I would probably buy it and just give it to the people there for their playground. They only have nature for recreation, why take it away? Maybe some years from now, someone will buy it, and turn it into yet another resort.
There was only a short stretch of road overlooking the cliff, and that was just after we come out of the Municipality. Maybe there is another road now?
We used to catch the bus at midday in the City. There was only one bus company then and it goes all the way to Daanbantayan. I remembered because Gran used to gossip in the bus, and ask the person where they’re heading to and if they are related to people she knew there. The bus were never on time leaving. It was common for them to depart the city at 2p.m. Therefore, by the time we get to Borbon, it was well and truly dark. So those who are alighting in Bogo and Daanbantayan would have been stumbling in the dark! Heading back to Cebu was good though, because you enjoy the views all the way. There was only one bus travelling daily, leaving in the morning and coming back at night. So if you missed out, have to wait till next day.
I’m sure there was no Kano anywhere near the area then.
If you think it’s bad enough you don’t have hot showers, if you’d come then, there was no running water either. It’s the dip and pour system (dip a can in the bucket and pour). So, yes, Phil. has made progress.
My dream includes a sexy dancing school with you as the lead instructor. While I wait for the energy to charge my cameras. LOL
I don’t think its bad here. There are still places with no running water. Jessie didn’t have running water most of the time in Tacloban.
There Kano here even in the 70′s. I have a friend that came here for RnR in the 60′s! he said it is one of the best memories of his life. It did involve a couple of Filipina and no it wasn’t in northern Cebu.
He also ate balot too.
FYI, we have running water in Tacloban, but there is so many consumers and not enough water pressure. Only at night. so we basically stuck up on drinking water and for cooking. Since we have a water pump (manual), we use it for bath and cleaning the premises.
Jessie, my dear awesome Filipina, I know you had running water but it didn’t work most of the time. That’s why I said most of the time. Having running water that doesn’t run is a bit like having a multi-cab without an engine.
Christine, there are several sections of the National Highway running along the edge of the sea. It could be that you were not moving at 80 to 100Km an hour in the old days.
When I visited in 1986, Bogo and towns around it had running water, well sort of. The water only flowed twice a day, early in the morning, and early evening. So you have to scramble and fill up containers for your family’s needs for the day. So showers is still the “dip and pour” system (shower de tabo) unless you’re keen to get up at 5am and have your shower then! Of course Tacloban might have been more advanced than Bogo.
Is there another highway to Bogo? or did Arroyo carved an inland road? I did see a lot of the seaside, well it’s mostly seaside until you get to Consolacion (or was it Compostela?) but not much cliffs anymore. It’s quite possible a child’s memory is exaggerated, i.e. what appears to be kilometers of cliff’s edge might not be so for an adult. I will ask one of my Aunts when I get there.
There are more cliffs closer to Bogo city.
Highway 1 or the National Scenic Highway is the only Highway along the eastern coast of Cebu.
Water pressure in Bogo is still poor. Most homes have water towners that tore a good deal of water and twoer over the home. This is what provides the pressure. I don’t now what the ater would be like without that water tower. Probably pretty poor.
Een Cebu City is having trouble meeting its needs for water. There have been some battles with MacTan (I think it was Mactan) over the issue.
Tacloban is more modern than Bogo City, in fact, Bogo appears to have lost its city hood for good. The town has filed a second motion for reconsideration but it appears the supreme court has ruled against it twice already.
Would it really matter if Bogo lose its city status?
Doug has got a reasonably good water pressure, but I hate the cold showers! Last year I borrowed Aunties’ water heater, the one you dunk on the container. I’d rather have a warm “dip and pour” shower than a cold running water shower! The kids didn’t seem to mind. I’m going to buy my own water heater this year.
I will have to pay better attention to that highway this time….
It matters a LOT. A city gets much more funding from the province. The province sets up a set amount all the cities are going to get. Since Bogo got a part of the funds, there was less money for the other cities so they filed a case in court to reverse it.
You can get a water heater like your talking about for P190 at Gaisona. Even when I warm up a pale of water I still end up using mostly the shower. I just can’t get clean with a bucket.
Well not the large bucker we have. mabe five of them. 
The other day I had the bucker with hot water but barely used it. i realized that I’m become more Filipino every day.
The water that comes from the tap is pretty warm this time of the year but when you convert it to a spray it gets a bit cold. Sometimes I get really sick of it.
You can get a water heater that hangs on the wall and the shower runs through it. They cost P5000 to P13000 plus installation. They work great. If you end up building your own place or just adding on to Doug’s place Ii would consider doing that. I would do it, period!
I had an almost drum size container plus 2 other buckets. Trouble is, it takes along time for the water to heat, so by the time the 2 buckets are warm enough, the large container is just starting to get coolish. That water heater for the wall sounds great. Who sells it and who would install? I might even get Doug to organize this before June.
There are a couple of places in Bogo City that sell them but I don’t know their names. Maybe Jessie remembers and will answer. I could show him where. I don’t know who installs. You need a plumber and an electrician.
They work well, was too hot for Jessie. I suspect they will be too hot for me now. I know, you can stay at my house and install one here. hehe
You can also get them at SM and Ace Hardware in Cebu City.
The little heater we bought heats the water up very quickly.
When you move to Bantayan Island, I’ll stay at your house – make sure those knives are safely tucked away somewhere
Maybe you have the thermostat up too high? You wouldn’t need it too hot there. My Aunt’s heater must be old (well, it looked old!) takes ages to heat just one bucket. I’ll get Dawg to check it out.
Hmmm more motivation to move to Bantayan Island…. Maybe you could just buy something on the beach with a pool? I’ll house sit it for you and wont even charge you a fee. Arn’t I good to you?
I wrote a review of Tickety Booo Beach Resort on my Bantayan Island site.
how are you?
sorry for only visiting you right now….
I’m doing well Vivian, how are you?
I’m doing good here…. are u still living in Bogo?
Yes, I’m still in Bogo.
Great work keep it coming, best blog on earth
Rusty Thanks for all the pics I really enjoy them and the captions you post on them are great. I feel like i get a beter idea of what it’s really like over there with them. I also enjoy all the personal comments you add, it’s like I am getting to know you.
Your welcome and thanks for the nice words.
I’m hoping to get over there next week. Money is always a concern though and now it is Christmas so…. I’m actually hoping to go twice this month.