I had these factors to consider in choosing a beach resort:
- STA. FE AREA – It had a long stretch of fine, powdery sand beach. It is near enough to the pier where the ferry docks. This requires a balance – not too near the pier so as not to be disturbed by the boat traffic but not too far either that time is needed to travel to it for an early trip.
- BUDGET – I aim for mid-range prices when planning my trips. I do not stay in rooms for the whole day, as I want to explore the towns or enjoy its attractions, therefore paying premium for a room I might only be using for sleeping and changing clothes was not my priority. What is important is that it is safe, secure and clean.
- SEASON – Rains may be visiting and where the winds blow will affect beach activities. I had to consider either the amihan or the habagat depending on the month and weather. I had been warned that in particular areas around the island, the wind was already pushing strong waves and haphazardly flinging seaweed and sand onto the beaches and the dwellings on it.
- ACCESSIBILITY – Goal: exploring other municipalities and eating places. Choosing a place where shopping for supplies and eating places would be easy to get to by walking, especially if one is not sure about other modes of available transportation or if renting a vehicle was expensive.
After quickly scouring the internet, Anika Island Resort was an option, the other was Beach Placid. Both resorts are practically one step away from each other.
Beach Placid was cheaper than Anika and had room vacancy when I tried to book on the same weekend we would arrive. That was the clincher.
I was delighted to get an additional discount from booking.com even at such short notice. I had a moment of confusion looking at the resort’s pictures and the captions, but I finally chose Beach View cottage which was of course lesser in price than a Beach Front cottage.
Beach Placid seems to have the cheapest beach-front cottage price in comparison to other resorts lined up on the same stretch of beach.
On the other hand, Anika may have modern and updated facilities and has a new and more posh look. It has a different target market and is also more expensive. Note to self – Try this out next time when I have more time for booking.
Beach Placid has a rustic approach to its facilities, but it also has cottages that are made of sturdier material than the bahay kubo version where we stayed at. This is geared for the laid-back and budget-conscious visitor. It really depends on what your priorities are if you make the decision as to where to stay, and there are other resorts on the same beach.
The Beach View Cottage
PROS:
Located behind the first row of Beach Front category cottages, it has a partial view of the sand and sea. It was a compromise between having the beach at the doorstep and a place to stay that was quieter – beach front meant more people outside your door so consider foot traffic.
The beach front was wide and had enough open cottages to share with other visitors. Noted the open huts, wooden swing and the open cabana (though the dogs seemed to beat me to the finish line in occupying one every time I passed by). The loungers seemed few in number.
CONS:
1. Power outlets – There were none found inside the cottage except for where the air-con and water heater were plugged.
Use the power outlets located at the balcony area. This might be canny of the resort management, but inconvenient as you could not leave your gadgets outside while they are being charged. We found a workaround by snaking the long cables underneath the door. Of the two power outlets outside, only one seemed to be safe to use so we scheduled when to charge all our phones and camera batteries.
SUGGESTION TO RESORT: These days, most travelers have a cellphone they need power for. If power outlets must be located outside, management ought to ensure they are working and safe to use.
2. Shower water pressure – Slow, with a capital S. I am not sure if the water came from another source, because the faucet below gushed enthusiastically every time we used it. Or maybe it was the shower head which impeded the water’s passage?
Water temperature – Even at the lowest setting of the water heater, the temperature was very hot. Uncomfortably so. Combining both issues, means when you try to have a hot shower, you just cannot stand it for more than a few seconds then you’d have to revert back to cold water (which defeats the purpose of your hot shower).
As a workaround, I used the water scoop to mix the shower’s hot water, with the colder water from the faucet. It took me a longer than usual to finish my bath. Since reception was closed at the time when we took baths at night, we couldn’t address it in a timely way. Morning showers usually meant cold or room temperature water, and so we forgot to raise it to the resort staff when we went out.
SUGGESTION TO RESORT: If management cannot fix or control this, the provision of a pail in the toilet is a solution. One can store/gather water from the faucet supply instead of relying on a shower which does not provide the safe water temperature nor the rate of water spray needed.
- Wi-Fi connection – None at cottage areas. Reception said they had the connection only at their restaurant. Rely on having your own mobile connection when visiting this beach resort or Bantayan as of this writing.
TIP: Cleaning is not automatically done for the cottage you stay at. Probably use the room sign to indicate to the staff to do so. We threw some banana peels at the outside trash receptacle but it wasn’t cleaned, so had a lot of insects investigating said container. Ask them to spray the room, as mosquitoes and other insects may be lurking inside.
TOTAL PRICE – After the promo and discount points I applied, the final price of PHP 644.54 / USD 12.05 per day per person for the room, meant that I would have to be prepared for some adjustments in my expectations while staying here.
BIKE RENTAL – The reception helped us rent a scooter (It was PHP 300 per day/ USD 5.61 at the time of the stay). They answered questions we had for either the bus an ferry back to Cebu and transportation to get to a restaurant.
TIP: There are no ATM machines nearby nor in the resort. Prepare to bring cash for all your needs. Book your hotel via sites such as Agoda or Booking so you can pay via your credit card instead of using your cash. The bike rental is also paid in cash.
SECURITY – Guards and security measures were existing – they close their gates but the security guard is there even if you come back past 10:00 P.M.
RESORT RESTAURANT/FOOD – As we did not try their restaurant and our booking didn’t include any breakfast, I cannot give an opinion.
Beach Placid’s location meant there were tricycles usually available outside the resort’s main gate.
If you do not mind walking on a road which may be dusty sometimes when other vehicles pass, walk southwards and in about 20 to 30 minutes, you will hit a cluster of restaurants and cafes. We tried this at night as we were very full after a heavy dinner and it seemed safe enough to at least get back to the resort in one piece.
Just follow the same street southwards and you can check out burritos, margaritas, pizzas, pastas and even MJ Square which had other restaurants offering crabs, grilled food and there is a 24-hour tapa place there too.
RECOMMENDATION:
Beach Placid is value for money and a find for backpackers or those who might be willing to spend a bit higher but not for 5-star resorts level. The facilities may not be brand new but the location is appealing, for its proximity to the Sta. Fe pier, eating places and for the fine sand it is sitting on.
It was mostly low tide during the times we were at the resort, but low tide offers some interesting finds which might make you linger on the beach – stranded starfishes, scuttling hermit crabs, dogs chasing each other and the sea urchins to watch out for (Ouch!). Even if you stay at Beach Placid, this does not restrict you from exploring the beach nor the sea which are in front of the swankier resorts.
If you take a walk on the beach whether going north or south you may come across fellow beach bums, sellers of pearls who hail from the southern archipelago (Badjao as we call them), privately-owned cottages and properties, local fishermen with their children and a multitude of bancas used for fishing and island hopping.
There are tons of opportunities for those who wish to take photographs of the beach or the sunrise or who just want to laze around, swim, beach-comb or tan themselves to a cool coffee shade on the loungers.
I recommend this resort to those who are budget conscious, who are not going to go ballistic at probable issues in the resort facilities if it is not up to the standard they expect. If a relaxed, island-life vibe is up your alley, then you would be type of visitor in Sta. Fe to appreciate whatever life or the sea throws up on the beach and see what Beach Placid has in store for you.
Note – may be updated later for pictures of what we saw on the beach after the lowest tide on our last day here.
Visited: August 2018.
All images © 2018 Catherine Herrera.
been a while since I was bantayan island!
It would be nice to visit just before Holy Week, there’s a lot of food and the procession of carrozas are always colorful and bonggacious.