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Published: January 21st 2008
Paradise Found!
Virgin Island - Absolutely stunning!Ok… so, where to start…it’s HOT!!! And when I say hot I mean stinky, sweaty, have to wear way too much sunscreen, can’t walk five feet to the ocean without sweating HOT!!! But with that said did I mention we literally only have to walk 5 feet from our room to the ocean so in reality things are fantastic. We arrived in the Philippines a week ago and after two nights in Cebu City (just enough time to adjust to the time change and get our bearings) we headed north to a small island called Bantayan. The bus ride to the port own of Hagnaya where we caught the boat to Bantayan was quite an experience in itself and is right up there on the list of crazy bus rides in foreign countries… needless to say we made it and so did our bags. After a 2 hour ferry crossing we arrived to Bantayan Island… we had randomly booked a small Nipa Hut on White Sand Beach in Santa Fe and when we arrived we were speechless… 79 hours from the time we left my parents house in Victoria and there we were in the Visayan Sea in a small beach
Le Cuisine....
That would be grilled fish, rice and a soya-chilli sauce! (Apparently rice IS a veggie!) hut (with aircon… very important!!!), a soft white sand beach with tropical blue water and the palm trees blowing in the breeze… not to sound too dramatic but it was like walking into a postcard!!! We spent four great days on Bantayan… rented a motorcycle and explored the small villages and towns, took part in the island’s largest annual festival ‘Santo Nino’, ate tons of fresh pineapple, got a sunburn (of course), hired a boat to take us on a day tip to Virgin Island, and even found a small shop that sells fairly cheap white and red wine… can it get any better!!! Yesterday we left Bantayan and made the long 11 hour journey by pedal tricycle, ferry, crowded bus, taxi, super cat ferry then private taxi to Panglao Island which is South of Tagbilaran City just off the coast of the island of Bohol. Panglao is much more ‘touristy’… lots of bars, dive shops, expensive resorts but the beach is still gorgeous. We only plan to stay for a few days and tomorrow we have booked a day trip to the Chocolate Hills. So far the Philippines has been a very interesting and unique experience… it definitely took
Our Nipa Hut
Yes that's our place on the white sand and clear blue water! us a few days to adapt to the heat, the funky S.E Asia smell that comes and goes, the copious amounts of garbage everywhere, the very thin line that some of the small Pilipino villages experience between unemployment and poverty, the stray dogs and the persistence of the street vendors day and night but amidst it all the beauty of the people, their very vibrant culture and their unique country is wonderful… we are very blessed and grateful to be here. Until next time…
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Tiffany
non-member comment
Looks like you found it..
Looks like you did find paradise, quite lovely...Enjoy .....Love to the both of you... smiles from cold cold victoria Tiffany xxoo