Camotes Island
by 
#Summer2016 Starter: Camotes Island
Photo by Darlene Santiago
My high school barkada and I went on to continue our annual tradition of group backpacking. This year, we decided to go and re-visit Camotes Islands.
Camotes Islands, known to be the “Lost Horizon of the South”, is a group of islands located at the eastern part of Cebu province. Traveling to Camotes has become more convenient after Oceanjet, a local fast craft company, started plying a daily route from Pier 1 in Cebu City. A roundtrip ticket only costs P760 per person and you can even slash P100 off if you book in advance.
Transportation. Hiring a multicab is the best means to go around the island since key destinations in Camotes are located at quite a distance from each other. We managed to snag a good deal with our driver, Kuya Dodoy, who gave us a bargain price of P3,000 for the entire 3-day tour.
Accommodation. Beach resorts abound in the island but if you prefer a quiet and exclusive nook, I recommend that you stay in Borromeo’s Beach House in Bakhaw, Esperanza (Contact Number: +63999-703-5704). We chose to stay in their K2 House despite it being a bit rustic because we have the whole place to ourselves. For Php 2,500 a night, the house already had two rooms, two toilet and bath, a living area and a kitchen. The white sand beach is also just a few steps away.
Photo by Mark Nituda
Photo by Darlene Santiago
Photo by Darlene Santiago
Food. Pito’s Sutukil in Santiago Bay is a must-try! Reasonably priced and served in a generous helping, Pito’s sugba, tuwa and kinilaw will surely leave you craving for more.
Photo by Kevin Galvez
Activities. There is a long list of things to do in Camotes. Aside from lazing by the beach and swimming in its pristine waters, the island also has other natural attractions to boot like the popular Lake Danao and Santiago Bay as well as a score of underwater cave pools, cliff-jumping and dive sites.
Photo by Darlene Santiago
Photo by Mark Nituda
Photo by Darlene Santiago
Cost. Another good thing about Camotes is that prices are relatively cheaper than most popular out-of-town destinations in Cebu. We were also able to save some of our travel money by cooking our own meals. When on a tour, do bring a handful of cash for the entrance fees.
Overall experience. Camotes is a perfect destination for anyone who wants to take a quick break away from the busy life in the metro. With all that it could offer, I am pretty sure one will have a blast. See our faces? 😉
Happy travels!
Katreena
