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Crystal clear water
Already from the ferry we spotted those nice fabulous beaches with white sand that we had read about. This was really promising. Even in the port in Santa Fe the water was crystal clear. In fact many of the big resorts are located close to the port.
Bantayan Island is surrounded by many pristine beaches with crystal clear water and white sand
Bantayan Island Nature Park and Resort
Most places were fully booked the day we arrived at Bantayan island. But on the fly we had managed to get a cottage at Bantayan Island Nature Park and Resort. On the map it looked close to Santa Fe and the port. But the reality turned out to be different. The distance was 6-7 km and the road going there was partly very bad.
Happy to have reached the destination or hmm just hungry?
Simple accommodation but nice
When we finally arrived there someone was very hungry. We ordered lunch and ate it in their open air restaurant. The accommodation was simple but nice with private bathroom, AC and fan. I really liked the place because the whole resort was surrounded by lush forest vegetation but with a nice view over the sea.
The food was good but maybe a little bit pricey
Remote location
Due to the remote location of our resort, we were really dependent on our scooter, without it we had been stuck there. But every time when we were going back from town after darkness it was an adventure. Not so much for the traffic more on negotiating bad roads and watching out for stray dogs.
Two beauties posing together
Driving in the darkness was all ways adventurous!
We never ate at Tristan’s despite the nice location by the sea
Food market in Santa Fe
The Food market is an area big as a few quarters where most restaurants and bars are situated. Are you looking for nightlife, then it’s here you should be. Many times we went all the way from our remotely resort in to the Food market for our dinner.
One small part of the Food market
Those kids seemed not mind to be photographed
Cge naah! ( come on! )
Our favorites
One favorite was the French bakery, he had super delicious cheese cakes and baguettes. Another fabulous place was the Tiki bar which had very yummy food, specially their hamburgers which were both big and tasty. Outside the central of Santa Fe we sometimes ate cheap at small eateries and barbecue places.
Did I hear the word food??
The French baker guy made nice cheese cakes accompanied with real strong and good coffee
The reason why we became valued customers at Boulangerie Française
Here they had the delicious Tiki hamburger with egg and bacon
At the local barbecue place
Fresh barbecue sticks for the people!
Digging deep in the pots here
Back to basic, barbecued chicken with rice!
Related links:
To be continued...
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A longer road trip this time
Inspired from our previous road trip to Sipalay we decided to go for an even longer one this time. So why not make it big and go roughly 600 km back and forth, like from Dumaguete to Bantayan island!
The need of travel light
When you are two persons on a regular scooter you need to travel light. There are many considerations you need to think about and one thing is not to bring too much clothes.
Someone really needed to rethink the amount of clothes to bring
Go with the flow
We hadn’t made any detailed plan for our route. Our motto was to be spontaneous and go with the flow. We took the ferry from Tampi over to Bato to Cebu island.
The ferry over to Bato on Cebu island went smoothly
We took our lunch here and witnessed a motorcycle accident. A reminder for us to take it easy. By the way no one was hurt except maybe for the self esteems.
Overnight in Malboal
Our first stretch was not that far. We arrived in Malboal when it started to be dark so we realized we had to stay there for the night. Some consultations among the booking sites and we ended up at the T Breeze Coastal Resort which was nicely located by the sea.
Life could be worse
Breakfast was not included in the price but at least the view was for free
Doing FaceTime with the daughter
Hit the road again
The T Breeze Coastal Resort was really a nice place but we were bound for Bantayan island after all, so we had to hit the road early the next day.
A friendly hotel dog accompanied us at certain moments (when we were eating) at T Breeze
Buko juice
Aside from dogs, buko juice is the man’s best friend when it comes to drinks. Refreshing and healthy at least if it’s fresh and comes without sugar. Strangely enough it’s sometimes hard to find fresh buko juice... despite there are so many coconut trees everywhere here.
Buko means young coconut in Filipino
I have this weird thought that one day someone will chop the hand off while preparing the Buko juice...
The buko stand had many satisfied customers
Gathering energy for the next stretch on the scooter
The last stretch to Bantayan island and our first lunch at the Bantayan Island Nature Park and Resort
Tuburan city
It took longer than expected to drive so we had to stay overnight at Tuburan city. Still around 80 km from where we would take the ferry over to Bantayan island. Tuburan hadn’t much to offer but we found a hotel and a 7/11. That’s all we needed!
Tuburan was a sleepy little town which hadn’t much to offer
We were lucky, we found the only hotel in town just in time. It offered a simple accommodation and a nice sunset from the balcony.
Breakfast was not included in our hotel stay but we had a 7/11 just nearby.
First time ever I had breakfast at a 7/11 and to be honest the sausages are warmly recommended
Tired of driving
The next day we started early after breakfast. This last stretch up to Hagnaya port went fairly smooth. But I started to feel tired of driving so I wanted us to reach the ferry as soon as possible.
Here we took a short break
Hey I just want a small ice cream... cege nahh...??
Finally at Hagnaya port where we took the ferry
Someone was seasick again
Finally Bantayan island in sight!
Related links:
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Review of Mooon Cafe in Cebu
The tasteful Mooon Cafe
I like Mexican food so I am always looking out for Mex restaurants. In Ayala Mall you have the Mooon Cafe. I guess there are many branches of the Mooon Cafe scattered all over, you have for example two branches in Dumaguete where I have been before. This particular branch of Moon Cafe is located at the second level of the Terraces in Ayala Mall. They all share the same design style regarding the decor. The colors are warm and inviting, giving the place a pleasant, welcoming atmosphere.
The restaurant is is located at level 2 The Terraces, Ayala Center.
The interior consists of imaginative ornaments and is painted with warm, beautiful colors.
Nacho Supreme
My favorite dish in Moon Cafe is the Nacho Supreme which is a huge portion of corn tortilla chips, jalapeños, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, minced meat bolognese with melted cheese on top. They also have more regular dishes as well, beef, pork, chicken, soups, salads etc. Everyone will find something for their tastebuds except maybe for the vegetarians and vegans. There are only few vegetarian options, basically some of the salads, deep fried onion rings and pumpkin soup. As always the staff were friendly and helpful. No waiting time for the food and a good working WiFi for those who want to share their food experience on Internet.
The section of the menu for the Mexican dishes.
A huge portion of the Nacho Supreme.
Rating: 1-5 where 1 is terrible and 5 is excellent
4 Food
4 Service
4 Value
5 Atmosphere
The Moon Cafe
Level 2 The Terraces, Ayala Center, Business Park
Cebu City, Cebu, Philippines
Phone: +63 32 417 1701
Related links:
Review of Mooon Cafe in Dumaguete
Review of Siam Thai Cuisine Restaurant in Cebu
Review of Harbour City Restaurant in Cebu
Review of Seafood Island in Ayala mall, Cebu
Review of The Center Suites Hotel in Cebu
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Review of Siam Thai Cuisine Restaurant in Cebu
Siam Thai Cuisine
Cebu city has lot to offer when it comes to restaurants and nightlife. So where to eat in Cebu? A safe card is always to be in Ayala mall for eating and shopping. On the 1:th level of Ayala terrace you can find Siam Thai Cuisine. They serve traditional Thai dishes in a nice environment. My expectations was high since they claim "Authentic Thai cuisine redefined to sophistication".
No khao neeo (sticky rice)
I was looking for the classical Thai green papaya salad (som tam) and together with that I wanted Thai sticky rice (khao neeo). I asked if they had sticky rice and yes they had. But it turned out to be the sweet sticky rice version with coco nut milk (khao neeo mamuang) which you eat like a delicious dessert. But of course not suitable to the green papaya salad. Sorry to say, every Thai restaurant which doesn't have sticky rice (khao neeo) is not considered in my humble opinion as authentic by me.
Spiciness was only moderate
So instead I ordered another classical dish, Thai basil chicken. (pad kra pao gai) I like it spicy so consequently I asked for spicy. I had to wait an unusual long time before I got my food. Other guests who came after me got their food before me. Yes and I asked for spicy, but the spiciness was only moderate. Otherwise the taste was ok but I was not really satisfied overall. The WiFi was good and the CR was clean, at least something to be happy for.
Rating: 1-5 where 1 is terrible and 5 is excellent
3 Food
3 Service
4 Value
5 Atmosphere
I was here in December 2016
3 Food
3 Service
4 Value
5 Atmosphere
I was here in December 2016
Siam Thai Cuisine
1:th Level, Ayala Terrace
Bohol Avenue, Cebu City, 6000
Cebu, Philippines
Phone: +63 32 417 1318
1:th Level, Ayala Terrace
Bohol Avenue, Cebu City, 6000
Cebu, Philippines
Phone: +63 32 417 1318
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Review of Seafood Island in Ayala mall, Cebu city
It's a very nice ambience here, airy with plenty of space.
Seafood in Ayala
Where to eat in Cebu? There are many options in this bustling city, the second largest city in the Philippines. You will find many excellent restaurants in Ayala mall and so also you will find Seafood Island on the 4:th floor of the mall. The ambience is nice and airy and one side of the restaurant comes with a view over Cebu Business Park through big windows.
Nice view over Cebu Business Park. But the dark clouds are coming...
Yes, as promised two minutes later the rain was falling heavily.
Lots of yummy stuff
Seafood Island offer a variety of seafood, fish and meat. It took me a while to decide for the Binalot Boracay, a platter with lots of yummy stuff. Grilled shrimps, fish, squids and vegetables served with special rice with shrimp paste. This portion is good for at least two persons but since my appetite is comparable with two normal persons it was good for me.
It took me some time to decide what I wanted to have
I ordered the Binalot Boracay
The food was served on a banana leaf.
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The food was served on a banana leaf but the look of what was on the leaf and what was in the menu was perhaps not exactly. But the food was tasty and the staff was nice and helpful. The restaurant had an excellent WiFi. The big plus with Seafood Island was the airy ambience and the nice view. The food was good but it's a fierce competition among restaurants in this area so next time I will probably try another place.
Summary
Rating: 1-5 where 1 is terrible and 5 is excellent
4 Food
4 Service
4 Value
5 Atmosphere
I was here late December 2016
Seafood Island
Ayala Center 4 th level, Cebu, Cebu Business Park
Cebu City, 6000 Cebu, Philippines
Related links:
Review of Mooon Cafe in Cebu
Review of Siam Thai Cuisine Restaurant in Cebu
Review of Harbour City Restaurant in Cebu
Review of The Center Suites Hotel in Cebu
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A Chinese in Ayala Mall, Cebu
I admit, I am a beginner on Dim sum. For those who are unfamiliar with it, Dim sum is a style of Chinese cuisine prepared as small bite-sized portions of food served in small steamer baskets or on small plates. So when I got the menu I really didn't know what to choose. When I finally had made my choices the food came served in steam table trolleys stacked high with bamboo baskets. The trolleys got pushed around the restaurant from table to table and you could also order just by pointing at the dishes you wanted.
Harbour City, an excellent choice for Dim Sum
I ordered stuffed shrimps, shrimp toast, quail's egg Shaomai and garlic vegetables. All this of course together with plain rice and green tea. Despite it was at lunch time and the restaurant was full of guests, I didn't have to wait long until I got my food. The food was tasty and enough for me. Dim sum definitely appealed to my taste buds and Harbour City restaurant is an excellent choice if you like to explore this type of Chinese cuisine.
There were many dishes to choose among
Garlic vegetables and shrimp toast.
Quail's egg Shaomai
The stuffed shrimps became my favorite!
The food was accompanied with spicy sauces
Rating: 1-5 where 1 is terrible and 5 is excellent
4 Food
4 Service
4 Value
4 Atmosphere
I was here late December 2016
Harbour City Restaurant
Ayala Center Cebu, Cebu Business Park
Cebu City, 6000 Cebu, Filippinerna
Phone: +63 32 231 2284
Related links:
Review of Mooon Cafe in Cebu
Review of Siam Thai Cuisine Restaurant in Cebu
Review of Seafood Island in Ayala mall, Cebu
Review of The Center Suites Hotel in Cebu
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Good location near The Ayala Mall
I have stayed at The Center Suites two times and the last time was in December 2016. It has good location near The Ayala Mall, just walking distance 10 minutes. But the neighborhood just close to the hotel is a little bit rough. When you are walking from Ayala to the hotel, there is an unfinished construction site just close to the hotel at N Escario St and Gonzales Compound which you must pass. That construction site looks exactly the same as when I was there the first time in December 2015! When passing that area at night time it feels not safe, it's dark and shabby.
The Bistro, where you have your complimentary breakfast of your choice.
Traditional Filipino breakfast, this is for the braves, Dangit. Crispy and delicious!
Offer much for the money
The Center Suites offer much for the money. Clean rooms with good working AC. Some of the rooms have "the silent and not too cold" type of AC. Breakfast is included and the staff is very nice and service minded. Free WiFi but the signal varies from excellent to less good depending on which room you have. The Center Suites is a nice hotel, very affordable and gives value for your money.
Nice and clean rooms, this one without window but with the new AC
This room came with a window
But had the old type of AC, although it worked ok
Entertainment for breakfast in the Bistro. (6 seconds video clip)
Rating: 1-5 where 1 is terrible and 5 is excellent
4 Location
5 Sleep Quality
4 Rooms
5 Service
5 Value for the money
4 Cleanliness
I stayed here December 2015 and 2016.
The Center Suites
N. Gonzales Compound, Barangay Camputhaw,
Escario St., Cebu City, Cebu 6000,
Philippines
Mobile no. +63 917 137 6262 , +63 943 546 0924
Related links:
Review of Mooon Cafe in Cebu
Review of Siam Thai Cuisine Restaurant in Cebu
Review of Harbour City Restaurant in Cebu
Review of Seafood Island in Ayala mall, Cebu
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Osmeña Peak
The rooftop of Cebu Island. Osmeña Peak, rises 1,013 meters above sea level and is nestled between the southern towns of Dalaguete and Badian.
Casaroro Falls in Valencia, Dumaguete.
Balinsasayao Twin Lakes
A nice little lake on the way the Balinsasayao Twin Lakes. Located in Sibulan, Negros Oriental.