May 17, 2011

Camotes Island Resorts CEBU

When you have gone tired wielding on the bustles in Cebu City and now looking for a tranquil mood shift with nature, go and explore the white sand beaches of Camotes Island beach resorts.
Camotes Island has naively kept a lot of wonders that will surely get your attention and make you plan ahead your next visit at once.  It has by far the best blue water and white sand beaches that will provide you the best nature experience you will surely love.  If you enjoyed the shores of Boracay, you will surely find Camotes Island even more pleasurable.

Getting there:
Camotes Island is located in the northern part of Cebu Province.  It is a 2 hr ferry boat ride from Danao wharf to San Francisco wharf.  Going to Danao from the City has two ways, you could either take a bus or take a jeepney ride.  If you prefer a bus ride, you will have to go to the North Bus terminal and take any bus enroute to Hagnaya or Bantayan and get off at Danao Wharf.  If you wish to take a jeepney ride, which is practically cheaper and will get you to Danao faster, you will have to take either a jeepney or a taxi ride from Cebu City to Mandaue City Highway across A.S. Fortuna St. and take jeepney no. 27 enroute to Danao.

Fare prices:
Mandaue City to Danao   -   PHP 30
Ferry boat ticket from Danao wharf to San Francisco wharf (aircon seats)   -   PHP 200
Ferry boat ticket from Danao wharf to San Francisco wharf (non-aircon seats)   -   PHP 180

Ferry boat schedules are as follows:
8:00 a.m.
10:00 a.m.
12:00 p.m.
2:00 p.m.
4:00 p.m.

Note that you will need to be in the wharf 1 hour before the departure time of the ferry boat.  Spending 2 hrs in the boat would not at all be bad.  An on board video and a mini bar can keep you thrilled plus if you are lucky, dolphins will come out everywhere jumping from the water and swim along with you.

Getting off the island:
Once you get off, A lot of locals will welcome you and offer you a package tour of the island.  An island tour is one of the major treats Camotes Island has to offer.  Your Camotes trip would not be complete without it.  To do this, you will have to hire one of the locals that offer island tours on a for hire basis using their mini vans and multi cab vehicles.  They will take you to different places of interest in the island  on a package price.  Normally, the best practice upon arrival is to go and check in to one of the many beach resorts in the island prior to the tour.  This will allow you to load up and secure your luggages and other valuable things in the room so you will not have to carry them all through out.  For that matter, Santiago Bay Resort is the perfect choice for you.  It is probably the best resort in the island thus far to spend the rest of the day and the night after the tour.  It is equipped with pleasant ammenities and above satisfactory accomodations including a swimming pool, beach front villas, stunning gardens and landscapes, restaurants and a lot more fronting a lovely stretch of white sand shores and crystal clear waters. 

You can arrange with your chosen tour personnel to take you to Santiago Bay Resort first to check in all your stuff in the room, which you could reserve prior to your arrival, before proceeding to the island tour.  Upon arrival, you may settle your prefered time to start your tour, you could either tell your driver to wait until you settle your stuff and then go directly to the tour or tell them to get back to you in a matter of time to give you a moment to explore the resort for a while.

Package tour and fare prices:

From wharf to Santiago Bay  -  PHP 50/head

Island Package tour  -  PHP 1,500
Good for all of these destinations
        Mangodlong Rock Resort
        Lake Danao Park
        Timubo Cave
        Borromeo Beach Resort
Room Rates at Santiago Bay:

Standard room (non-aircon)   -   PHP 1,000
Standard room (aircon)   -   PHP 1,500
Deluxe room   -   PHP 2,000
Superior room   -   PHP 2,600
Deluxe family room   -   PHP 2,600
Bay view room   -   PHP 2,800
Villa standard   -   PHP 2,500
 Bungalow   -   PHP 3,000
Villa family   -   PHP 6,000

Take a peak.  Below are shots of Santiago Bay Resort from several different spots.

Clear waters
White sand
Beach front rooms
Fascinating views
Experience nature as its best at Santiago Bay, enjoy swimming, beach volleyball, wakeboarding, snorkling, scuba diving, boating and a lot more.

On to the tour:
It is best to go to the tour on your swimming attire straight away to avoid the hustles.  You might want to leave your valuables and wallet just bring some bills to pay for entrance fees.  You will spend the whole afternoon for the tour so it is also best to load up the food basket and bring along some beverages with you. 

Destination 1: Mangodlong Rock Resort
Entrance fee   -   PHP 15/head
Experience an exquisite venture at the rock cottages and white sand shores of Mangodlong Rock Resort.  They do charge for an entrance fee of PHP 15 but if you are checked in at Santiago Bay Resort, the entrance fee is waived.

Rock Cottage
White sand

Destination 2: Lake Danao Park
Entrance fee   -   PHP 10/head
Unpack your food basket and take a snack by the lake at Lake Danao Park

Lake Danao Entrance
View of the Lake


Destination 3: Timubo Cave
Entrance fee   -   PHP 15/head
Enjoy an earthly adventure and go for a dip in the cold waters of Timubo Cave.

Cave entrance
Clear cold waters of the cave


Destination 4: Borromeo Resort
Entrance fee   -   PHP 5/head
Get fascinated with the shore's superb rock formation while enjoying a dramatic moment watching the sunset at Borromeo Resort.

Rock formation
Enjoying the day's end
After the last stop, the tour personnel will take you back to Santiago Bay Resort to wrap up the tour.  You may also arrange your next day departure in advance and ask them to pick you up and take you to San Francisco wharf on the way back to Danao at your prefered ferry boat departure time.  You will have to pay a separate PHP 50/head fare for this one of course.

While the Island has overfilled your eyes with nature's fascinating beauty,  It won't leave your stomach behind.  The entire stretch of Santiago Bay shore has a line of native "sutukil" eateries with a vast selection of fresh sea foods cooked directly from the sea down to your plate on very affordable prices.  "Sutukil" is a native shortened term for "Sugba" which means grilled, "Tuwa" which means simmered, and "Kilaw" which means freshly blended in vinegar and other spices.
Overall:
Camotes Island will give you an exquisite nature experience you will surely love without spending too much money.  Another alternative to cure monotony during your stay in Cebu.  You can't afford not to pay a visit.

Contacts:
For room reservations at Santiago Bay Resort
  • +63323458599
  • +63323446899
Recommended tour personnel/guide
  • +639129254348  look for Ramil
Need a place to stay in Cebu?

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

My wife and I are planning to go to Camotes island and this article is quite informative for us. Thanks

admin_TOL said...

Hi there,
Thank you. I'm sure you will love the place. Good day

Anonymous said...

ds s very helpful 2 me. thanx for the info...

Anonymous said...

Is the Island Package tour still valid now? How many persons is included with this package?

admin_TOL said...

Hi Anonymous,

Yes it is always available, just contact the tour personnel mentioned above. The package tour is offered on a fixed charge, not per person but the vehicle has limited seats. It is likely that you would have to take 2 vans and pay for 2 package tours if you are more than 10 in the group. Good day

Anonymous said...

Would you happen to know if the Room Rates of Santiago Bay Resort already include breakfast?

Anonymous said...

If in case a tourist prefers not to get a tour package, are the transportation services readily available?

admin_TOL said...

Reply to "Would you happen to know if the Room Rates of Santiago Bay Resort already include breakfast?"

No, breakfast is not included. I recommend you prepare and take a food basket with you or you could grab something to eat at the resort resto.

Reply to "If in case a tourist prefers not to get a tour package, are the transportation services readily available?"

Yes they are available waiting for you at the port exit. Just tell them to take you to your destination and just negotiate for the price.

Von said...

Hi, can you bring your own food inside the resort? thanks

Anonymous said...

Hi can ask the room rates for Borromeo resort good for 3? thankyou.:-)

Ronald said...

hi!!How much is the entrance in Lake danao?Is there a pool and beach in that place or just a tourist spots only?

admin_TOL said...

Hi Ronald,

Entrance fee in Lake Danao is 10 PHP/head. There is no pool or beach to enjoy swimming but a boat ride is available on a fee per ride basis if you want to explore the stretch of the lake. Basically it is just a lake for viewing, picnic, and pictures. Good day

admin_TOL said...

Hi Anonymous;

Unfortunately I haven't tried checking in at Boromeo resort during my visit but I am sure you can expect that the room rates are cheaper than in Santiago bay. Thanks

admin_TOL said...

Hi Von,

Yes you can. Good day

Anonymous said...

I love Mangudlong rock resort in camotes it's soooo clear and clean with white sand.

Unknown said...

HI there. This blog is so helpful. We are planning the trip on aug 21-22. there will only be 2 of us me and my partner. We will value any recommendations you may have. We are looking into an affordable trip. Would it be best to book on tour packages or take advantage on those offers from several tour guides when we get there? We are taking SAntiago bay resort. We look forward for your valuable response. Thank you

-042609-

Unknown said...

Hi. this is a ff up inquiry if you dont mind :) How much are expenses all in all. I would like to have an estimate good for 2pax thats already including food, amenities and the tour. Thank you!

admin_TOL said...

Hello Zai,

Good day. I would recommend booking a room at Santiago bay prior to your trip and just take a package tour around the island from the locals at San Francisco wharf in Camotes when you get there. This is cheaper than booking a tour package upfront, a lot cheaper if you are a group though since the rate is on a per trip basis not per head. Don't be afraid to negotiate, the locals are friendly, but be reasonable. You can request the tour guide to take you to Santiago bay resort first to check in so you can leave your valuables then proceed immediately or take a 10 min. rest. I don't recommend bringing mobile phones during your trip but if you have to, take them with you together with your camera. Get on a ready swimming attire underneath your clothes to avoid the hassles. Take a food basket as well if you want to take snacks at Lake Danao.

Getting to the port, I recommend taking jeepney 27 at Mandaue instead of taking Ceres bus if you want to get there quickly. Eating inside Santiago bay resort will be pricey so take your lunch and dinner at the shore eateries, the prices of food are affordable so you don't have to worry about spending too much to fill your tummies.

With regards to expenses, I think you might need to prepare 5k for that trip, but don't quote me on this, as the amount you will spend will depend on you. This amount can cover land transpo, ferry, package tour, room, food and entrance fees for both of you. It could be less or more than that. It is safe to bring enough money but you can expect to spend just close that figure:)

I'm not sure if these are enough tips but I hope you can find these useful, but if there's anything more you would like to know that i failed to mention, feel free to respond to this comment, i'll be glad to be of help.:)

Unknown said...

hi there! I'm impressed with the speedy response. Thank you for the tips. this will surely help us. and basing on further research and with the support of your blog, i agree with you that we can save more in taking the package tour offered by the locals than booking a tour package.

No worries, your tips will be very useful. We truly appreciate it. More power! d=)

http://royalediting.com/academic-editing said...

It is great that we can enjoy the beauty of this island. I am confident that the travelers will enjoy the local nature and the beaches. It will be an unforgettable holiday.

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