Bantayan is a small, 10 km wide and 16 km long island north-west of a much larger Cebu Island in the Philippines. Geographically, Bantayan Island is in the centre of the Philippines. Bantayan Island is surrounded by several small, mainly uninhabited islands.
Until not so long ago, Bantayan Island was completely unknown to foreigners. In the last few years however the news about this small, relaxed tropical island has spread among international travellers with lightning speed. Today, tourist industry on Bantayan Island is growing fast. It does not mean that Bantayan Island is becoming the new Boracay. It never will. White Beach on Boracay is simply unbeatable and cannot be compared with any other beach in the Philippines, in Asia, perhaps even in the world. Beaches on Bantayan Island are smaller, humbler, not as pretty as Boracay's White Beach, but still way nicer than any crowded beach in the Mediterranean.
Bantayan is a sleepy island without any international hotels. There are a few resorts near Santa Fe, which is connected by ferries to Hagnaya on Cebu Island. Most accommodation on Bantayan Island is in a form of bungalows of various categories and prices. There are no shopping malls on Bantayan Island, no cinemas and no 'real' discos. There are a handful of restaurants and bars in Santa Fe and some resorts have live music on Friday and Saturday evenings. There are a few karaoke bars – ask the locals. That's about it when it comes to entertainment on Bantayan Island. If you are looking for boisterous nightlife, go to Boracay, Bantayan Island is not for you. Bantayan Island is the place for those looking for peace and tranquillity away from it all. It does not mean though that when on Bantayan, all you can do is lie on the beach.
Bantayan Island by motorbike
You can rent a motorbike in Santa Fe and explore the island. Renting a motorbike on Bantayan is easy. Most probably they will not even ask you for a driving licence and identification, as they say that no one has escaped from Bantayan Island so far. On the other hand, many have stayed forever. Bantayan Island is small enough to explore by motorbike in a day. A paved road at the south of the island running east-west connects Santa Fe and Bantayan Town, the capital of Bantayan Island. Bantayan Town is a lively place with an interesting central market, an old church made of stone and a pleasant park in front of it. From Bantayan Town, you can continue north all the way to Madridejos at the northern tip of the island. If you are more adventurous, take unpaved coastal roads instead of the main, paved road. Costal roads will lead you to deserted beaches and small fishing villages where kids still greet tourists as the biggest attraction they have ever seen. It is quite an experience riding a motorbike through these villages and seeing how locals live.
Virgin Island boat trips
Bantayan Island is surrounded by several smaller islands which you can visit by boat. A full day boat rental prices hover around 900 pesos (15 €). A popular day trip is to Virgin Island, which is privately owned, thus you need to pay an entrance fee of 300 pesos (5 €) per boat. Virgin Island has a small but pretty beach and several grills where meals are prepared by the boatmen. There is a very small shop on Virgin Island where you can buy soft drinks and lukewarm beer (no fridges around when we visited).
The locals claim that it is worth hiring snorkeling equipment for the trip to Virgin Island as there is rich marine life in the waters around it. We did so and discovered that corals around the island are mostly dead and there are hardly any fish. Marine life around Virgin Island cannot be compared to marine life at some Malaysian or other Filipino islands . You are better off soaking yourself in the sea without a snorkel.
Bantayan Island electricity
Electricity supply on Bantayan Island has improved a lot over the years but blackouts (or brownouts, as they call them in the Philippines) are still common, especially in the evenings when the network gets overloaded by everyone turning on their lights and air-conditioners. Brownouts on Bantayan Island normally don't last longer than an hour, but it is essential to have a good torchlight. If you experience a brownout while you are sitting in a restaurant, worry not – the staff will provide candles so you can enjoy an impromptu romantic dinner. However, if the electricity goes out while you are walking to town, you need a torch. Bantayan roads without public lighting are eerily dark.