Kota Beach Resort aka Camp Sawi: Where Broken Hearts Go?

Located at the southeastern side of Bantayan Island, Kota Beach Resort is one of the famed shooting locations of the local movie Camp Sawi. According to the filmmakers, they chose the scenic island and the resort because of the need to have a beautiful setting for their story. 

We would have to agree that a beautiful and peaceful beach experience is one of the few that the sawi or the broken-hearted needs to get away from all the pain and have some quiet time for reflection.

But does Kota Beach Resort live up to this screen name and provide a perfect destination for the hurting? Read through to find out.

Location
Kota Beach Resort's location is one of its main advantages. It is nestled on the southeastern point of Bantayan Island which is blessed with a long stretches of white powdery sand and pristine blue waters.

Kota is blessed with white powdery sand
and pristine blue waters

The entrance to the resort is situated at the very end of F. Duarte Street in Sta. Fe giving it a bit of a secluded and quiet ambiance. 

It is a 25-minute walk and a 10-minute drive from the Sta. Fe Port. It is only a few meters from the municipal police station and two blocks from Batobalonos Street which is lined up with a number of restaurants geared toward both local and foreign tourists. 

Kota Beach Resort offers free round trip transfers from the port to the resort. The resort confirmed on the morning of our arrival that we just have to send them an SMS for the schedule of our ferry service so they can pick us up. Sadly, they called off at the last minute advising that their driver went on half-day. They told us to just take a tricycle to the resort for PHP20 and they'll reimburse it but they forgot as soon as we arrived at the resort - just like how your years of love have been forgotten.

Reservation
Kota Beach Resort has its own website for reservation of rooms. The rates published on its website are the following:

Room Type	Published Rate Per Night (in PHP)
Standard Non-Aircon Room	1,000
Standard Aircon Room	1,600
Deluxe Cottage 3rd-4th Row	2,100
Deluxe Cottage 2nd Row	2,800
Beachfront Cottage	3,600
Beachfront Suite	4,000

The hotel is also listed in online travel agencies Agoda.com, Hotels.com, and Booking.com. Since the rooms are offered at lower rates plus a credit card discount through BPI cards, we decided to book through Agoda.com. For a Deluxe Cottage in the 2nd row, we paid PHP1,781.44 nett per night.

Moving on may come at a very high price but not the rooms at Camp Sawi.

Check-in
After a long 6-hour bus and ferry ride to Sta. Fe, we arrived at the resort at around 4:00PM. The resort's Front Desk is located towards the right side upon entering the gates of the resort. It is seen after passing through the Camp Sawi signage. 

Check-in was a breeze as our cottage was ready. But it was not the warm and memorable experience the broken-hearted would like it to be.

Resort Layout
The resort is blessed with its own private beachfront and beautiful white sandy beach. Its shoreline changes form on a daily basis due to the winds and tides. The beach front offers generous sundecks for hours of relaxation under the sun as well as beachfront pavilions where guests can lounge with a book, simply take in the fresh sea breeze, or to let things go. A good number of coconut trees also dot the property providing partial shade from the hot Philippine sun and preventing the sawi from adding sunburns to their pain. 

The beautiful beachfront

The pavilions, perfect for relaxation and reflection

The pavilions, perfect for enjoying the views
and taking in the fresh sea breeze 

The resort's cottages are arranged in rows. The 1st row cottages come with unobstructed views of the blue waters of the Visayan Sea while the 2nd row cottages come with porches that allow guests to still enjoy the ocean breeze and semi views of the beach. The 3rd and 4th row cottages also have private porches but no longer have views of the sea. At the back of the resort is a multi-story building where the Standard Rooms are located.

Coconut trees dot the property

At the right side of the resort is the open-air Kadlawon Restaurant and the adjacent bar. As it is just a few steps from the rooms, it is a good spot to shamelessly get drunk.

Kadlawon Restaurant

The bar with pool table

Our Cottage

We booked and stayed in a Deluxe Cottage in the 2nd row. The cottages are bahay-kubo inspired units where almost all materials are made of wood and light materials. 

The cottage lacked the modernities of a TV, phone, or Wi-Fi connection. But it has a homey feel and a nice bed. It's perfect for finding your own quiet place.

The Deluxe Cottage c/o Kota Beach Website

Service and Experience
Although already popular, service at Kota Beach Resort leaves so much to be desired. Aside from the staff missing to provide their "promised" free round trip transfers, they lacked friendliness and warmth throughout our stay. Certainly not rude but service was really stodgy. All interactions with the staff were mere transactional moments and there were no attempts to personalize and provide a touch experience. Sawi, parang ex mo lang.

Overall, we generally have mixed feelings about Kota Beach Resort. We loved the beauty of the place and we still had reasons to enjoy. We just hope they could be inspired to work on improving their service so the resort can live up to its Camp Sawi name and be a perfect destination for travelers, broken-hearted or not.

For more information about the resort, visit their website here. You may also contact +63 32 438 9042 or +63 956 276 4410.

Read about our other Cebu posts:

Bantayan Island: A Good Source of Vitamin Sea

Self-Guided Tour: Experiencing Cebu City in a Few Hours for Under PHP150

Self-Guided Tour: Experiencing Cebu City in a Few Hours for Under Php150

Half a day in Cebu City is nowhere near enough, but if it's all that you have, here’s an itinerary that we’ve put together to help you make the most of your remaining few hours in the queen city of the south.

Since Cebu has a rich historical heritage, this itinerary includes:

• Cebu Provincial Capitol
• Fuente Osmeña
• Basilica Minore del Santo Niño
• Magellan’s Cross
• Malacañan sa Sugbo
• Fort San Pedro

Stop #1: Cebu Provincial Capitol
An iconic building in Cebu City, the Capitol is among the most beautiful buildings in all of Cebu. Built in 1937, this neoclassical/art deco building, designed by Juan Arellano, was inspired by the US Capitol Building. It is dramatically positioned at the province’s kilometer zero and at the end of Osmeña Boulevard. 

The Cebu Provincial Capitol

The building’s façade is distinctly characterized by a central concave pavilion crowned by a dome. The concave side is inscribed with one of the main principles of our democratic government: The authority of the government emanates from the people. It has been declared as a National Historical Landmark by the National Historical Institute. 

Inscription: The authority of the government emanates from the people

Historical marker

Map of Cebu

Lapu-Lapu sculpture in the capitol grounds

Since we stayed in a hotel located in Capitol Site, we just walked over to the Cebu Provincial Capitol and got there in less than five minutes.

Stop #2: Fuente Osmeña

Fuente Osmeña or Osmeña Fountain is an important landmark in Cebu City. It stands in the middle of a park and a roundabout also known as Fuente Osmeña Circle. 

Osmeña Park

Built in honor of President Sergio Osmeña, the area plays host to important events in the city like the Sinulog, and other cultural shows, social gatherings and political events. During regular days it serves as a perfect place for picnics or for walking and jogging.

The fountain

The Crown Regency Towers at the background

Trivia: The original master plan of Cebu was to have the circle serve as a city center where everything radiated outward from the rotunda similar to Paris' Arc de Triomphe. Unfortunately, the plan has not been fully realized.

Fuente Osmeña is one kilometer away from the Capitol, so we just took a twelve-minute walk to the park.

Stop #3: Basilica Minore del Santo Niño

From the Fuente Osmeña circle, we exited onto the side of B. Rodriguez St. There, we hopped on a 06B jeepney to Basilica Minor del Santo Niño which is located along Osmeña Boulevard. We just asked the driver to drop us off at the church. It was a quick fifteen-minute ride to the place.

Considered as the oldest church in the Philippines in terms of founding date, the Basilica Minor del Santo Niño or the Minor Basilica of the Holy Child was established in 1565 by Miguel Lopez de Legaspi and Fr. Andres Urdaneta. It was built on the site where supposedly the unscathed Santo Niño was found among the debris of burnt houses in the local village. This was believed to be the original image given by Ferdinand Magellan to Rajah Humabon and Hara Amihan during their baptism in 1521. Since then the Santo Niño has been venerated as miraculous and is used as the centerpiece of the annual Sinulog Festival. 

The beautiful church facade

Church interiors

Devotees flock the church for blessings

The church complex also houses a museum with exhibits relating to the history of Christianity in Cebu. Antique relics, century-old furnitures, and various Santo Nino vestments are displayed in the museum.

Church courtyard

Church fountain

Painting depicting the Christianization of Cebu

Painting depicting the Christianization of Cebu

Painting depicting the Christianization of Cebu

Stop #4: Magellan’s Cross

After our brief visit to Santo Niño, we made our way to the south side of the basilica complex where Magellan's Cross can be found. 

The octagonal chapel

The huge cross, housed inside an octagon-shaped chapel, is Magellan's legacy to the Philippines. However, the one displayed here is a mere replica of the original cross. The sign below the replica states that the original is encased inside it. This was done to protect the original cross from being chipped away for souvenir or in the belief that it possessed miraculous powers. 

The cross replica

While in the chapel, we offered candles in varying colors. Each color symbolized a particular intention: pink for happiness and thanksgiving, green for prosperity, blue for career success, yellow for health and peace, and red for love. We bought ten candles for Php10 each which include a Sinug prayer. It's a dance prayer done with two steps forward and one step backward while waving candles and chanting intentions. One half of the candles were piled up before the cross while the other half were lighted outside the church walls. 

Candle offerings

Stop #5: Malacañan sa Sugbo

From Magellan's Cross, we walked east along Magallanes St. till we reached Plaza Independencia two blocks away. Then we went to the south side of the plaza where Malacañan sa Sugbo is located. 

Malacañan sa Sugbo is the official residence of the President of the Philippines in the Visayas. It was the city's Bureau of Customs Office before it was converted to its current use.

A powerful house

It can be identified with its all-white facade and landscaped grounds. The front side of this century-old building is inscribed with the name Malacañan sa Sugbo. And just like its counterpart in Manila, the structure is situated next to a body of water for immediate evacuation in cases of emergency.

Visayas' own Malacañan

The building is currently inaccessible to the public after portions of it were damaged during the 2013 Visayas earthquake. But it's in the news that the building has been reopened for inspection and repairs. It is targeted for conversion to a museum and to serve as the office of the Presidential Assistant to the Visayas. For now, only photos of the exterior can be taken.

Barbed wire laden barriers

Stop #6: Fort San Pedro
On the east side of Plaza Independencia is another historical structure known as Fort San Pedro. 

Fort San Pedro marker

Fort San Pedro is a military defense structure that was built during the early times of the Spanish era. It dates back to the 17th century and is the oldest triangular bastion fort in the country. 

Fort San Pedro is a well preserved stone fort

The fort has served various purposes such as a fortification, a military barracks, an emergency hospital, a school, and even as a zoo. These days, part of the fort is a museum which houses well preserved Spanish artifacts, documents, paintings and sculptures. Statues of Miguel Lopez de Legazpi and Antonio Pigafetta can also be seen outside the fort walls. 

Welcome marker

Paintings displayed such as the Blood Compact, portraits of Pigafetta and Rajah Humabon

Various photos exhibited inside the Viviende del Teniente

Landscaped interiors of the fort

Walled garden

Walled garden

Since Fort San Pedro is a quiet, walled garden, we purposely chose it as our last stop and spent half an hour inside to rest before we decided return to our hotel. After all, it was a tiring four-hour tour of the city's most important historical landmarks. 

So there are our suggestions on how to make the most of your few hours in Cebu City. Below are the expenses (excluding breakfast and bottled water):

Cebu City DIY Tour	Total in Php
Jeep (Fuente Osmeña - Santo Niño)	7.00
Magellan's Cross Candle Offering	100.00
Fort San Pedro Entrance Fee	30.00
Jeep (Plaza Independencia - Capitol Site)	7.00
Total Per Person	144.00

Bantayan Island: A Good Source of Vitamin Sea

What could make me get out of my warm bed way before the sun comes up? Taking a flight to one beautiful island destination is one of them. Having been to Cebu several times but never out of the city, I figured it was time to explore more of the province. So when Air Asia launched their Red Hot Php0.01 Sale last year, I didn’t even think twice about booking flights to Cebu. 

There’s really so much more to see in Cebu and one of those is Bantayan Island. Located off the northern coast of the province, this island has been voted by CNN Travel as the fifth best island beach in the Philippines. It is described as a place with inviting white sand, aqua-colored waters and red-gold sunsets. 

The beautiful Bantayan Island

As it is five hours away from the city, Bantayan doesn’t crave much attention like Boracay or Mactan. It attracts travelers looking to escape the crowds and the troubles of urban life. 

So if you’re looking for a place where you can just laze on the beach and get a good dose of Vitamin Sea, look no further than Bantayan Island.

Here’s our travel experience with our recommendations.

The night before our departure, we first finalized our Cebu itinerary before we even started packing. We made sure we choreographed the things we want to do into a schedule guide. We then set our alarm at 4:30 AM to allow us to do last minute checking on the essentials. By 5:30 AM we were already on the road to the NAIA Terminal 4 to catch our 7:10 AM flight. Since we did self-check in via the web and printed our boarding passes at the airport kiosks, we had about an hour in the departure area for breakfast. For more information on how to perform web check in for your Air Asia flights, check out the instructions here.

We arrived at the Mactan Cebu International Airport at 8:15 AM then proceeded to the taxi bay located just a few meters walk from the arrival area. We took a regular white taxi and told the driver to drop us off at the Cebu North Bus Terminal in Subangdaku, Mandaue City. Since it was a weekday morning in a bustling metropolis, traffic heading to the terminal was slow. For a 9 km drive, it took us an hour and a Php169.50 fare to get there.

Cebu Airport Terminal

Cebu Airport Terminal

Regular taxi bay outside the arrival area

The North Terminal is the main hub for buses, mini-buses and vans for hire plying routes to the northern part of Cebu including Bantayan Island. It is equipped with pay toilet facilities, food stalls, shops and sitting areas. Note: There is a Php10 entrance fee for taxis entering the terminal.

Cebu North Bus Terminal Waiting Area

To go to Bantayan Island in air-conditioned buses, proceed to the row of yellow Ceres buses on the right side of the terminal building. Look for the overhead sign that says Sta Fe / Bantayan. Alternatively, for ordinary buses, proceed to the left side of the building. Look for the sign that says Hagnaya.

Bus Service to Bantayan Island

We took the air-conditioned bus that left the terminal at 10:00 AM. Fare to Sta. Fe in Bantayan Island was Php200 per person. The trip took four long hours to reach Hagnaya Port but it was a very scenic bus ride offering glimpse of local life in Cebu. The bus also stopped halfway into the trip for a quick lunch and restroom break. 

We arrived at the Hagnaya Port just in time for the 2:30 PM trip of Super Shuttle Ferry to Sta. Fe. We purchased our ferry tickets for Php170 per person, paid the Php10 terminal fee, listed our details in the manifest and boarded the ferry. The ferries are small non air-conditioned ships with multiple floors and seating areas. We made sure we positioned ourselves in the middle of the vessel and grabbed a seat in a shaded but open area for a steady supply of fresh air. 

Super Shuttle Ferry to Sta. Fe Port

Ferry and terminal tickets

The warm temperature and humidity combined with the sounds of the waves and ship's engines made us feel sleepy that lasted most of the one and a half hour boat ride. But we felt a sudden bolt of energy seeing Bantayan on the horizon. So we raced to the side of the ferry to watch as we neared closer to the island's shores. We felt excited and happy as we took in the beautiful panoramic view of the island's white sand beaches, palm trees and greenish-blue waters before us.

Since we booked a room in Sta. Fe, we got off the ferry at Sta. Fe port and walked through the long covered walkway of the terminal to the exit. We were supposed to be picked up via the free transfer services offered by the resort but while on the ferry, the front office staff advised us that their driver went on half day and advised us to just take a tricycle to the resort. We took a tricycle for Php20 per person. We arrived at the resort at around 4:00 PM in the afternoon.

Our resort was blessed with its own private beachfront and was advantageously located as it was only a few minutes walk from the town center, market, and restaurants. It offered generous sundecks for hours of relaxation under the sun as well as beachfront pavilions with a spectacular view of the Visayan Sea, where guests can lounge with a book or simply take in the fresh sea breeze. 

Sand, sea and sky

Deserted beach

Gorgeous beach resort

Beachfront pavilion

Loungers for relaxation

Beachfront cottages

Since we were tired from the long travel, we opted to stay in the resort that afternoon. We lazed in one of the small pavilions and waited for the stunning sunset. Although, it was not what we had in mind for that day, it was nice to just relax and have a simple day lounging by the beach. We also decided to eat dinner at the resort's restaurant. It was an open-air restaurant featuring views of the sea and the adjacent bar. 

Beachfront cottages

Suites

Open-air restaurant

Restaurant

Adjacent bar with a view of the sea

The next morning, we walked around the town center to do a bit of exploring. As we went around we got the feeling that while tourism has made its presence and a lot of foreigners have taken up residence in Bantayan, the place still remains rustic and quiet. It really was a place with a relaxing vacation atmosphere. It lacked the big hotel chains, huge malls, and fashionable clubs found in other beaches. 

A quiet beach

Look of the absence of big hotel chains and fancy clubs

Another notable thing we saw was some tourists were renting bikes or motorcycles to stroll around the island. The island was actually bike-friendly with paved roads and helpful people. So this is one option that can be taken while spending several days in the island.

By 2:00 PM, we needed to catch a ferry back to the mainland Cebu. We took the Island Shipping Ferry to Hagnaya Port. From there, we took a van going back to Cebu City for Php170 per person.

Ferry and terminal tickets

We were a bit disappointed that we allotted only two days in Bantayan, but nonetheless, we felt we had a great time. We would love to come back and visit Bantayan again. Hopefully, the beautiful and peaceful island remains as it is. 

Are you thinking of visiting Bantayan Island? We would highly recommend it! It may not be the easiest place to get to, but it's definitely a source of Vitamin Sea well worth the travel. 

To get more information about the island, please visit their official website here.

For the curious, here's also a summary of our expenses to Bantayan Island (excluding food):

Bantayan Island Particulars	Total in Php
Flight (Manila - Cebu - Manila)	392.81
White Taxi (North Bus Terminal)	84.75
Bus Terminal Fee	5.00
Ceres Bus Fare (Cebu City - Sta. Fe)	200.00
Super Shuttle Ferry Fare (Hagnaya Port - Sta. Fe Port)	170.00
Hagnaya Port Terminal Fee	10.00
Tricycle (Sta. Fe Port - Resort)	20.00
Accommodation (Deluxe Room)	890.72
Tricycle (Batobalonos St. - Sta. Fe Port)	20.00
Island Shipping Ferry Fare (Sta. Fe Port - Hagnaya Port)	170.00
Sta. Fe Port Terminal Fee	15.00
Van (Hagnaya – SM Cebu)	170.00
Total Per Person	2148.28

What do you think of our trip to Bantayan? Please leave your comments in the box below.