Cebu - Day 4

After our hearty breakfast at Tree Tops Bar and Restaurant, we rode a cab to bring us to Punta Engaño where Kawayan Marine is located. It is between Shangri-La and Hilton Hotel in Mactan which is the jump-off point of Island Banca Cruises. I found Island Banca Cruises by searching contacts for island hopping activities in Cebu. A lot of sisses from GirlTalk said that their services were expensive but after checking out their website and seeing their services and a finding good reviews, I sent them an e-mail for a quote. Anna, their trip specialist promptly replied to my inquiry about what islands where gonna go to, what to do there, where to eat etc. and boy I was happy to get a very detailed reply that I didn't asked any further questions and just booked the trip. For me, this is was the highlight of our entire trip, maybe because I got a little disappointed with Bantayan Island and didn't expected it to be as beautiful as others describe it.

Moving on, we got a Butete Boat which can accommodate 10-15 persons and there were just 3 of us, of course excluding the crew. It has a large deck, bean bags, a little comfort room, iPod dock and supposedly, it should have WiFi but they told us that it was currently unavailable. Beers and sodas were available too as well as fresh towels, life vests and snorkeling masks.

our boat

looks dingy but it was nice

our stewards, Bone-ax, Roque and Dikoy

cozy eh?

The smooth ride to Hilutungan Island took 30 minutes. The sparkling waves were small and our boat was big enough to handle it. Once we arrived at the fish sanctuary, we paid P100 each for the entrance fee and instantly jumped in the waters . I was in awe. It was so beautiful! There were big and small fishes, colorful ones and flat ones too. But they were all kind and just go for the pieces of bread we give them and not our hands and toes. Of all the places we've been to, this is the only trip where I didn't bring an underwater camera (bummer). I totally forgot about bringing one and that gives me another reason to go back. It was the best snorkeling experience for me so far and I think it's better than Palawan and Bohol combined.

that's me and the boss

Janet and Bone-ax

Our stewards were always there to make sure we are in a safe distance and assists us whenever we get on the boat with matching fresh towels which Janet found really sweet. I know it's a part of their job but going the extra mile is something to be proud of. I mean seeing my foreigner friend enjoying the service of  Filipino people, is something. :) So after an hour of snorkeling, we proceeded to the restaurant on stilts for our lunch. Our package is already inclusive of seafood lunch and one round of drinks but we still bought fresh coconuts to complete the lunch-on-a-restaurant feel.

fresh catch of the day - oysters, lobsters, crabs and different kinds of sea shells

amazed at the rock lobster

we were also given a big fish in sweet and sour sauce (not in the picture)

We had a lot of food because the boss ordered a rock lobster which they cooked in a lot of garlic and another round of rice. I was stuffed to the brim and finished 2 coconuts because they were very sweet. The people in the restaurant were all kind to us even if we were bothering them with a lot questions. Another group of tourists arrived and a band played for them in their boat. They were dancing, singing, shouting  and  drinking Red Horse (brand of beer) to their heart's content. The mood was happy, the sun was shining, accommodating people, food was great - what more can you ask for? Yes. Sleep. So we slept our way to Pandanon Island and after another 45 minutes, we arrived.

This is where you bask in the sun and get a tan. This is where you build your sand castle and play the king. This is where you can walk for a mile and the waters are just up to your knees. The island was just breathtakingly beautiful. I'll just let the pictures do the talking.

there's a little barangay on the other end

the owner of the island used to live here in this rest house

the waters were just knee - deep, I promise

We just sat on the water facing the waves and did some meditating. Haha! Kidding aside, we really enjoyed our dip and just letting the waves roll us back and forth without minding the sun at all. It was scorching hot  and the water quenched our thirst for the beach. It was also my first time to see waves coming in from two different directions and making their way to the shore in an X-like manner.

 

the queen :D

<3

It was after 3 o' clock when we decided to go back and call it a day. The waves back to the jump off point were humongous that we opted to just seat on the boat's deck because we will get soaked. The boat captain said that the waves wasn't normally that big especially in the afternoon. We were traversing sideways already and still felt safe because our boat was big and our stewards were assuring us that it was okay. This island hopping experience really was the highlight of our trip. I want to commend our guides because of their enthusiasm towards their work which made us happy guests. So next time you go to Cebu and want to experience island hopping with a cozy boat, good food and awesome guides, you may want to book your trip through Island Banca Cruises and no, this is not a paid blog post. I'm just a happy client. :)

Island Banca Cruises

Mactan Office:
Scuba World
Punta Engaño, Mactan
Cebu 6015

Cebu City Office:
Aldeguer Compound
Nasipit, Talamban
Cebu City 6000
Philippines

Tel.: (+63-917)630-0736
        (+63-32) 236- 4896
        (+63-32) 516- 1903
Mobile: (+63-917) 6300- 736 

E-mail: info@islandsbanca.com

YM Live Chat: islandsbancacruises@ymail.com
http://www.islandsbanca.com