In a cave, I bathed in a lagoon With waters cool even at noon Off a cliff, I jumped today And landed in paradise, I’d say In quiet white sand beaches there On to the sunset I sat and stared Leaving the rush of city life behind Finding peace in heart and mind Camotes Island, have you heard There you can find respite Where time slows down as you enjoy The rustic charms of island life A castaway’s reverie Camotes Island Camotes Island, Cebu © Isla Snapshots thickening mangrove roots feeding fish feeding roots: Nature gives and takes. Perfect spot for tranquility Bakhaw beach is ideal for travelers who © Gonzalo Ang wish to have a taste of the island’s beach without having to worry for distractions since waves and breeze are the only prominent sound present in this place. Couple’s bliss One of the main attractions on the island, Danao © Isla Snapshots Imagination is the only limit Buho rock is also famous for its © Gonzalo Ang A child’s heart Buho Rock is a cliff-diving spot from different © Allan Geraldez Lake, is also known as Lover’s Lake. True to its name, it offers landmark ship-shaped coral rock that looks like it is docked to a cliff heights. Unleashing the child in oneself, an adrenaline junkie may cliff breath-taking scenery and a romantic panorama. at Poblacion port dive and feel a good space of nothing but fresh air before touching the clear waters of Camotes sea. 26 PwC Philippines VisMin’s Philippine Gems 27 Tulang Diot Camotes Island, Cebu, Visayas Camotes N Geography and people Timubo Cave Camotes Islands is a group of Lake Danao islands located in the Camotes Sea of the Philippines. Camotes group San Poro Island is composed of four islands namely: Bernardino Pacijan (San Franciso Town), Poro (Poro and Strait Tudela Towns), Ponsor (Pilar Town) and Tulang Pacijan (an island of San Francisco). It is part of the Island province of Cebu and lies 34 nautical miles (63 Mangodlong Morning walk Santiago Bay houses the majority of the island’s resorts. © Isla Snapshots km.) from the mainland. Buho Rock Tourists are welcomed with its wide stretch of fine white sand with clear Land area: 263.4km2 waters. Dialect: Cebuano, Porohonan Cebu Points of interest Camotes Santiago • Lake Danao Park (San Francisco) • Santiago Bay Beach (San Francisco) • Borromeo Beach Resort • Buho Rock Resort (Poro) What to bring • Mangodlong Rock Beach Resort (San Accomodation Francisco) Cash is a must, because there are • Bukilat Cave (Poro) only few Banks/ATMs in the island. • Holy Crystal Cave (San Francisco) Credit cards are accepted by a few • Paraiso Cave (San Francisco) merchants. Food choices • Timubo Cave • Busay Falls (Poro) Don’t miss Plunge worthy A number of caves in Camotes islands are waiting to be © Gonzalo Ang • Tulang Diot Island explored. The popular ones, Paraiso, Bukilat and Timubo caves, invite its • Alta Vista Peak (Poro) Transportation visitors not to stay dry as they offer refreshing nature’s pools to them. • Cliff diving in Buho Beach Resort Taking the journey • Swimming inside the underground water of Timobo and See how we rate it on page 81. 1. Plane Daily flights from Paraiso Caves Manila to Cebu are available • Eat at San Francisco Baywalk (1 hour and 15 minutes) Building better Camotes Island 2. Ferry It can be reached from Explore further • More options in terms of different ports in mainland Cebu. One may transportation. also board a ferry at Danao port located Bantayan Island, Kalanggaman • Better cellular reception. an hour land travel from Cebu City. Island, Malapascua Island and Oslob are other go-to sites you can Best time to visit visit in Cebu Province. Contacts During summer (April to May). It is best to start Cebu Provincial Tourism Office, www.cebu. the tour early in the morning to appreciate gov.ph sunrise. Nail it the local way Habal-habal (motorbike) is the primary transportation © Isla Snapshots Discover a secluded islet Tulang Diot offers © Isla Snapshots of the locals. Touring the place through this way will add to the unique white beach and crytal clear waters. experience. 28 PwC Philippines VisMin’s Philippine Gems 29 .