Published November 2016 | Updated: October 2018
Budget travel is an amazing way to explore around without spending a fortune. Imagine if you could go to distant places to discover, unwind, and have fun without stressing your wallet.
A few weeks ago, we went on a budget travel to Camotes Islands, particularly in Santiago Bay Beach. I was amazed at how this little paradise is blessed with beautiful long shoreline, gorgeous fine sand, and crystal clear waters. Not to mention, it’s a public beach! 🙂
I took a video of the place but we’ll get to that in a bit.
But if you don’t want to read more words and can’t wait to watch, then go ahead and scroll down to jump to the video.
Where to Stay: Santiago Bay Garden and Resort
The night before our trip, we made our last-minute booking through Traveloka and got a really huge discount. It was the best deal I found online since we were able to book Santiago Bay Garden and Resort’s Ocean View Family Room for half the price (Php 1,476 instead of Php 2,800). Our room had 2 Queen-size beds and it offered a great view of the bay and the ocean. Plus, the resort boasts two lovely infinity pools! 🙂
Come lunch time, we immediately wandered to Santiago beach where we found a number of restos that offered good food at an affordable price.
Look! My favorite… Grilled Squid!!!
There are various water activities you can enjoy, such as jet skiing, banana boat riding, and scuba diving. You can also rent a motorcycle to wander around, and even explore some caves! But we skipped all of that and opted to make this trip simply a relaxing one by just enjoying the beach to ourselves!
How to Get to Camotes Islands
From Cebu North Bus Terminal, you can take a bus or van (V-hire) going to Danao port. Van fare costs Php 70/pax and will get you to Danao in 40-50 mins. Once in Danao, take a 2-hour ferry ride going to Consuelo Port in Camotes. Each ticket costs Php 200 (air-conditioned) / Php 180 (economy) for RoRo; and Php220 (air-conditioned)/ Php 200 (economy) for Express.
Upon arrival in Consuelo Port, you can hire a habal-habal (motorcycle) to take you to your destination. We paid Php50/pax going to our resort, which is 15-20 mins away from the port. You may contact sir John Alvin Senior, who is a local driver and tour guide.
Check out this short video I posted on Mommy Wanders Facebook Page to catch a glimpse of the place:
But just like every journey, it has to end. We needed to snap back to reality and bid farewell to the majestic island the next day.
On that note, I’m leaving you with some budget travel tips.
5 Budget Travel Tips For Your Next Adventure
1. RESEARCH and plan ahead. It is vital that you know a thing or two about the place you are visiting. Read online reviews and travel blogs. Find out what fun activities you can enjoy once there. You don’t want to spend most of your time just figuring out what to do or where to go, right?
2. Know your BUDGET – List down all your possible expenses like accommodation, transportation, food, activities, and souvenirs. I recommend that you book a hotel or resort accommodation in advance. From experience, it is always cheaper when you book ahead online.
3. Bring EXTRA CASH. Though you already have a good budget planned out, it’s still important to bring some extra cash. Not all hotels and resorts accept credit cards, and not every place has an ATM ready to dispense cash, in times when you really need some change.
4. Talk to locals, ASK RECOMMENDATIONS. Whether you need help with directions, want to know their specialty food, or have to haggle over some items, don’t be afraid to ask locals. After all, they know the place best.
5. Live in the moment. HAVE FUN! Forget about work, deadlines, laundry, and everything else. Turn off your mobile phones and gadgets for a while and just completely savor the moment. Get loose! 🙂
17 Comments
Wow ka nice ate. Clear kaayo ang tubig. Tsss I might go there soon, ipon sah. Hehe 🙂
November 13, 2016 at 2:11 pmAs in, Lou! Nice kaayo didto.. Gora na! hehe 🙂
November 13, 2016 at 7:45 pmWohooo! Nice post. We haven’t been to Camotes yet. We’ll use your tips to plan our trip there. 🙂
November 15, 2016 at 3:06 amThank you Gian! I’m sure #teamSweetie will enjoy it there! 😉
November 15, 2016 at 3:49 amWaaaah! I wanna go! How’s the ferry ride from Danao to Camotes? dili ra baluron?
November 15, 2016 at 12:51 pmGo na! hehe 🙂 the ferry ride was totally fine, wala jud bawd. Or at least I didn’t notice coz I actually slept the whole time. heheWe took the early morning trip, ang first trip jud around 4.30am. 🙂
November 15, 2016 at 1:21 pmGanahan ko mubalik dire dah! The last time I went there kay 2012 pa 🙂
November 15, 2016 at 3:20 pmDugay najud. Balik na and bring Zayne next time. 🙂
November 16, 2016 at 6:08 amIt’s been years since I’ve last stepped foot on Camotes! I’ve been to this exact beach too. This post makes me miss this beautiful island so much. 🙂
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November 16, 2016 at 1:52 amI wonder if there’s a huge difference from years ago.. coz it seems that the people were able to keep it as a gorgeous gem.
November 16, 2016 at 6:13 amOMG Rose! I soooo envy your Camotes trip! I’ve never been to this Island and was planning for it several time na but no luck. hahaha. Hopefully next year ma.achieve na nako siya. Thanks for this! 😀
November 24, 2016 at 10:41 amGo na Christy! Schedule na for next year dapat, I’m sure you’ll love it there! 🙂
December 6, 2016 at 3:27 amhi. are the food their affordable? like how much? just give an example plssss…thank you
by the way, i love your photos.
May 8, 2017 at 7:28 pmHello travelkid! Yes, the food at the beach (not the resort) were affordable. I might be wrong but I think the grilled squid (photo above) was probably around Php110-150 (good for 2 pax). We mostly ate at Pito’s Sutokil and their dishes range from Php70 – 200+. Some are even good for 3-4 persons. Hope that answers your question. 🙂
Thanks for dropping by!
May 9, 2017 at 1:51 amYeah I know, too bad for me. LOL 😛
May 18, 2017 at 12:10 amHAHAHA go, get back to work! lol
May 18, 2017 at 12:14 am[…] let’s just call him THE BOSS. (See the guy wearing red on the cover photo of my CAMOTES BUDGET TRAVEL post? That’s him! Haha) Hmm, I think I’ll share more about US in the next post. […]
November 4, 2017 at 2:51 am