September 13, 2022
Summer is about to end and Autumn is coming. I have told myself that I would visit the beaches here in Hong Kong to feature in my travel blogs. However, when the holidays arrive, all my body wants to do is relax at home, and my feet appear to be too lazy to travel. Aside from the fact that Summer here is too freaking hot and it's not advisable to stay outdoors for too long, my travel buddy is always not available, so it's kind of boring to go on a trip alone.
While rummaging through the gallery of my past travels in the Philippines, I stumbled upon this folder of mine containing our island hopping photos in Cebu. This province is undeniably packed with beautiful tourist destinations, white beaches, clear waters, stunning mountains, and more places for any kind of adventure. I guess we have a lot of Cebuano here enjoying the beauty of nature in Cebu Philippines.
I recently joined a writing contest wherein the topic is about the best and worst holidays. In my entry, I featured my best holiday in Cebu and that's when I remembered to share it here in Pinmapple community as well. I hope you don't mind. So this travel blog is about...
The Virgin Island Of Cebu (Memories in 2013)
Image edited in Canva
It was 2013 when I was assigned to work in Cebu and I was happy to know that I'd be staying on the beautiful island of Bantayan for my whole training period. One holiday came that gave us a chance to spend the whole day resting and enjoying ourselves. My co-workers and I opted to go island hopping and we chose Virgin Island, which is only about 20–30 minutes away from Bantayan Island.
At Sta. Fe Bantayan Island where we booked the boat
We rented a boat where all of us could be accommodated, which by that time cost PHP700, or $12.33. I am certain that it has already increased by now. The whole journey was just full of chitchat about random stuff while being fascinated by the calming ocean and quite a cold breeze touching our bare skins.
WELCOME TO VIRGIN ISLAND
A stunning view of white soft sand, clear waters, and an island that seemed to be untouched greeted us upon getting off the boat. My excitement and happiness were uncontrollable when I saw this amazing natural beauty for the first time, as it was my first time at this type of island resort.
When I heard of its name, I was curious about why it was called Virgin Island. Was it for virgins? Lol. Of course, it wasn't. As stated above, it was named because of its pure sand, clear waters, and a place that hasn't been touched by modern technology, unlike other resorts and beaches.
In fact, the resort still lacked facilities by that time. For sure, there are better facilities now. The toilet was still under construction and there was no clean water, so only seawater was used in flushing the waste. There were a limited number of parasol umbrellas along the beach and some native cottages on the sides.
The cottages were quite limited and a bit costly, so we opted to get the bamboo table underneath a huge tree at the far end of the beach. That was more private for just us, and we enjoyed the tranquility of the place. Besides, the rent for the table was cheaper compared to the bigger cottages. We were after the view, not the cottage.
Anyone was free to use the parasol umbrella shades. That was the good part for those who wanted to lie down on their back and bask under the sun with an umbrella on, lol.
The weather was so perfect for going for a swim, but one must apply sunblock before hopping out of the shade. Anyone can also go snorkeling, and that was included in our payment. Although the materials were free to use, I was hesitant to place the mouthpiece in my mouth due to concerns about its hygiene and the previous user 🙈.
Some staff are willing to guide and teach anyone who wants to learn the proper usage of the materials and how to breathe under water. I did try once, but I couldn't do it well, so I gave up. I just ended up taking photos of the girls enjoying the clear waters.
But, of course, I enjoyed walking on the white sand with my bare feet more. And we can't just leave the place without group photos. The boys didn't want to join though.
It was already afternoon when we reached the island, so we didn't stay for long, more like three hours only. Before heading out, we wandered around some spots on the island and there we saw more cottages and there were some concrete villas, probably for those who want to stay overnight. We also came across this beach couch with a pretty mosquito net, and we enjoyed taking photos of it.
It was worth it island hopping and basking under the sun for a few hours. Although we weren't able to visit all spots of the island, like the cliff jumping part and the small hill at the back, we were satisfied with the scenic view of the beach, the tranquility of the place, the clear waters, and the white soft sand. In the end, I got sunburnt on my back after this getaway 🤣.
While reminiscing on these memories on this island, I felt a twinge of regret for not having taken more photos. Mind me, photography wasn't my forte back then, so I only had limited photos and sometimes just let my friend take photos and I'll ask those later. The resolution of some photos isn't good as well, as I used an old model phone in capturing them, while others were sent by my friend. If this happens nowadays, for sure, my album will be full of different photos, lol.
It was an unforgettable adventure and if I'll be given a chance to visit this place again, I'll make sure to roam around the whole island and take more photos.
Thanks for stopping by, and I'll see you in my next travel blog.
(Photos are mine)
