between me and my thoughts: Camotes

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

The Unexpected Bakhaw Beach (and others!)

So here's the promised "sequel" of my holiday in Camotes.

Day 2.

I woke up with heavy eyes when the alarm sounded. I did not get much sleep because for one, the place is new to me - and secondly, the fucking bastards next to our room were having drinking session with screaming and goofing around to match that lasted until the wee hours of the morning.

Some people need a lecture on respect... while sitting on a knife on their butt!

Anyhow, let's not talk about those rowdy creatures. This post is not about them so I'm not gonna give them the credit for ruining my sleep.

After a hearty breakfast by the beach we head off to our itinerary. We rented a motorcycle for Php500 for the whole day tour.

First stop : Lake Danao in its glorious figure 8 when you see it on the map. You can rent a kayak or a duck boat and paddle your way into the vastness.

the legend that explains how Lake Danao came into existence

meet crocky. our friendly crocodile ride while exploring the lake.

a fellow tourist with the kayak

Just me lounging on the floating cottage

The park has amenities such as swimming pool and restaurant. It's ideal for families who love to go on pick-nicks.

After our 30-minute boat ride, I asked our driver / tour guide to take us to Timubo Cave but he suggested that he'll take us first to a public beach nearby. It was not on our itinerary. And since it was still early, I knew better than to protest.

We passed the quiet road of Brgy. Esperanza, took a left turn and trudged on a bumpy road. Few minutes later, we set foot on what seemed to me the most natural yet so enchanting beach I've ever seen in that island. Sure Santiago Bay has this next-Boracay thing, Bakhaw Beach is simply raw, unspoiled - my kind of beach.

Trivia: I always do jump shots in all my travels. And I usually do it on the place where I thought to be amazing. And Bakhaw Beach is gotta be it!

photo from Gnetch

And because this is a public beach there's not much maintenance when it comes to cleaning off the seaweeds :) But take my word for it --- this is one hella place that one must not miss when visiting Camotes.

I'm pretty sure I got my sunburn here. I did not mind the scorching heat as long as I enjoyed the cool and clear water! Definitely on my next trip to Camotes I'm gonna stay here!!!

Just before lunch we went up to Timubo Cave.

There are man-made stairs and lighted pathways leading you down. The part where you can take a dip is not too far from the cave's entrance. Plus, you are treated to limestone, crystals and rock formation on your way down.

And because my camera had lost it's capture-images-even-on-the-dark capability, I didn't bother taking photos. Besides, I've been to a lot of caves in my previous travels.

a small crevice leading to the cave's "pool" where one will enjoy swimming and dipping into the refreshing cold water.

I just stayed in the shallow area. What with my indisputable talent in swimming haha! At high tide the water can go 6 feet high. Not bad if you're a swimmer.

And before I knew it my stomach growled for lunch! We went to the baywalk to grab some bite and scoured the nearby market for some errrrr alcohol. Okay, don't judge. Girls just wanna have fun (Hey Cyndi Lauper I'm a fan) on our last night.

Then we swung by Boho Rock and Mangodlong Rock Resort. By their names, I'm sure you get the picture.

Boho Resort is famous for cliff diving

the scenic floating cottage

Mangodlong Resort

a view from one of Mangodlong Resort's cottage

Mangodlong Resort

They were not called ROCK resorts for nothing!

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Life's a Beach and then what?

A beach bum who doesn't know how to swim... That phrase perfectly describes me.

About two weeks ago, Yahoo PH posted an article about the top 7 must-visit beaches in the Philippines. The beach lover in me couldn't just sit there and stare at the article. I hurriedly clicked the link, browsed at each entry, and prided myself for getting 5 out of 7.

Quite a feat as most of my friends would say. I nearly planned to get 6 out of 7 before the year ends. So when the opportunity of spending summer in one of the islands in Cebu came knocking at my doorstep, I didn't know I was truly in for a big surprise.

Well thanks to my blog friend Gnetch (ahemmm!) for bitching me out to Camotes Island hahaha!

The truth is, I've been to most islands in Cebu but never to Camotes. Blame it on the crazy "big waves" stories I've heard. This time there's no turning back. I gotta check out myself why so many people are raving about the "sweet potato" island.

We took the ferry on a Sunday and spent the next two hours on not so comfortable seats. Actually, I am used to travel in far more inconvenient mode, but a group of prattlers and a lady who doesn't know how to keep her voice low made the situation so inconvenient. Good thing I have a bunch of Wooga games on my phone or I would have thrown them a bone.

So after a few rounds of Diamond dash and attempts to solve the 4 pics 1 word puzzle, we arrived at the port of Consuelo. The turquoise water, the laid-back vibe and friendly people greeted us as we disembarked from the boat.

approaching the port of Consuelo

melancholic

kids enjoying their time diving

We're supposed to stay at Santiago Bay Garden and Resort but they're fully booked so we just stayed at a nearby resort. We had lunch at Pito's Sutukil and had a taste of their famous SUTUKIL at very affordable price. (Sutukil is a moniker for Sugba (Grill), Tuwa (fish stew) & Kilaw / Kilawin (raw fish drenched in vinegar). The rest of the afternoon was spent whiling around and swimming.

Infinity pool at Santiago Bay Gardens

White Beach --- just like Boracay it has a wide shallow area. You have to walk farther before you get chest-deep. But Boracay sands are still the finest (in my opinion).