Bantayan

Bantayan Island is located at the northern tip of Cebu. Its beaches are well known for its fine white sand. It is one of the major tourist destinations in the Philippines and is popular among Europeans.

Aside from tourism, the island, which is composed of three municipalities namely Bantayan, Madridejos & Santa Fe, is also widely known as the Egg Basket in the neighboring regions. Generating over one and a half million eggs a day to supply the growing demand of eggs for mainland Cebu, Negros, Panay and even Leyte.

The island is a mixture of many things. An ideal place for relaxation and self-exploration, enjoying is one thing. A favorite hiding place to those who need a break on the busy and fast changing world. The people is as natural as the place.

Whether snorkeling, windsurfing or playing in the sand, Bantayan has all the ingredients mixed with fun, sun and silicon to be a shining tropical paradise in Asia. Tourists as far as Europe fall in love with its powdery white sand and crystal clear blue waters.

Many of these foreigners even settled down on the island to spend the rest of their lives. They build single-cottage beach houses along the shore but as time went by, build a couple of new cottages instead to accommodate the growing number of tourists who seeks refuge on the magnificent island paradise.

A mixture of cuisine is served on Bantayan island with a mouthful of restaurants serving Filipino, Thai, and Japanese to European menus. A vast array of seafoods fresh from the day's catch is very well served since most of the inhabitants of the island are fishermen that cast their nets on the bountiful Visayan seas. One can even visit the wet market to witness fishermen unpack their precious catch from the sea.

Fresh live fish from groupers to blue marlin's are just two of the many surprises. Shrimps, crabs and lobsters are displayed in abundance in the market. After a full meal one can choose a variety of fresh fruit shakes ranging from mango to choco banana.

Aside from the ambiance of a tropical paradise, the island is fully packed with the latest needs of modern life. Communications is covered by the country's two biggest players in mobile communication. A reliable internet connection is also available with a number of internet cafes sprouting on the town proper. It is not surprising to have beach lovers lugging a laptop while sipping pinacolada.

One of the reason the island is famous is its serenity, the way a resort should be. Unsaturated beauty and a mixture of sweet smiling natives made the island as it is now.

The island is predominantly Christian, aside from the fact that it seats the oldest church in the Visayas and Mindanao, it is also dubbed as the Lenten capital of the Visayas.

Many people from Cebu and as far as Manila go to Bantayan not only for a swim and relaxation but also to witness the holy week procession and to observe the most solemn practice of faith. Due to this, almost all resorts double their rates at this time of year.

On Maunday Thursday and Good Friday, both locals and visitors gather by the thousands at the town center of Bantayan to be part of the Lenten procession of religious icons and images symbolizing the Passion of Christ. Such religiosity only reflects the Bantayanon's unquestioned faith in Christ therefore making the island one of the safest place in the country.

Basic Facts
Population Bantayan - 68,125
Sta. Fe - 22,956
Madridejos - 29,020 (As of May 2000 Survey, NSO)
Religion - Christian (Roman Catholic)
Language Cebuano (Cebu's dialect), Filipino Tagalog. English is widely spoken

Moving around One may ride the trisikad(bicycle with sidecar) for short distance only, costs you around 5.00 to 10.00 Pesos. Same with tricycles(motorbike with sidecar) to get you around town proper and to the cultural spots.

The best way to explore the island is to rent a motorbike(500 pesos/day). Resorts have their own vehicles which you could rent to take you anywhere.

Currency- Philippine Peso although foreign currencies are widely exchanged in resorts and banks. Currently resorts and restaurants do not accept credit cards although negotiations are now ongoing for online payments, so better exhange those few bucks while in Cebu.

Electricity Power supply is 220 volts. Be warned that brownouts are quite often although resorts have their own power generation facilities.

Communications
The island is covered by both Globe Telecom and Smart Communications for mobile voice and data communications. Internet facilities are available in most resorts and internet cafes in the town proper.