Wednesday, May 6, 2009

The Hoyohoy Villas in Bantayan Island



If one of those suspected A(H1N1) cases in Cebu turns positive I’m heading to the hospital for testing. Hahahha.. now you know where I went.. yes I went to the Queen City of the South, Cebu. Despite the flu scare and the bad weather .. yup I still went, packed my bags and flew with my girl buds to Cebu. (tigas ng ulo..)

Our first destination was Bantayan Island. Bantayan is a 2-3 hour drive from the airport. You can take the public transportation or rent a cab to Hagnaya pier. For the bus ride, go to the North Terminal and look for the Ceres bus liner, it’s yellow and look for the Hagnaya destination. It takes around 3 hours if you take the bus. The girls and I, hired a cab from the airport to Hagnaya pier. It only took 2 hours to get to our destination. The cab fare cost us P1800 but I got a driver who could drive anybody for P1500 only.

When in Hagnaya, ride the shuttle, this is how they call their ferry boat in those part. The shuttle ride is about 1hour to Sta Fe, Bantayan Island. The resort owner promised that somebody would pick us up at the Sta Fe pier. I was surprised that pedicabs were it. Yes, pedicabs are the major transport provider in Sta Fe, cool :D We got to the resort in less than 5 minutes (lapit lang pala hahha..) we could have walked. We were greeted by the gentle sea breeze and a refreshing buko juice. There’s only one description for the HOYOHOY Villas resort, LOVELY.



I found out that the resort owner, Inday Rimaz, is an interior decorator. This explains the careful attention to every detail of all sorts of things, the kalesa, old jars etc. All the villas are elevated, ideal to keep the water out in case of big waves. There are only 6 villas in Hoyohoy and at the center of the resort is a swimming pool with a charming mini bridge and falls. The restaurant is also facing the pool. The rooms are spacious. Ours has one queen sized bed and 1 single bed. All rooms are equipped with a mini bar and a satellite tv. Actually the amenities are just a plus. The nice thing about the room is how the natural light illuminates it. It’s so relaxing perfect for that stress-alleviating moment. I think all this is due to the curtains. They’re made of light material (am not sure if it’s abacca). They’re kept in place by these handsome shells hanging loosely.



The bathroom has a big tub, good for soaking your aching back and legs. The shower area is situated outside the bathroom. Honestly, this is my favorite part of the villa. The walls of the shower area are made of Japanese bamboo that encourages voyeurism hehehe.. The sky makes up for the ceiling, reminding me of how were bathrooms before in the provinces. This brought taking a bath into a new level. Imagine bathing in warm water from the shower and at the same time cool fresh water pours from the rains. Some kind of experience di ba. Even the floor is a marvel. It has scattered stones composed of white (buhay na bato) and gray rocks. Grouped in a flowery like formation - that promotes good blood circulation for you while bathing.



The staffs are all courteous and accommodating. We requested for so many things during breakfast and I thought they’re gonna charge us extra for that. Btw, card payment is available.

Did I mention that Hoyohoy means breeze..

Here's a 360 degree view of Hoyohoy..

9 comments:

Unknown said...

Hi! Do you have more pics of the villas? Can I ask for a copy or maybe you could do a post about it? We're going to Bantayan this October and are currently looking for a place to stay.
How was the beach?

Itzypies said...

Hi Rico, sorry for the late reply..
I posted some of my other pix in Bantayan at my multiply acct..

Hoyohoy is the most expensive resort in Bantayan but you'll get your money's worth..

it's near to the pier so most people shy away from this place..
if you want exclusivity this is the resort for you

but, if you want a more happennin' place and more sandy white beaches I suggest Sugar Beach and Budyong Beach

there's also the virgin island for more island hopping..

Anonymous said...

would you have the number of the cab driver? i just called hoyohoy and they said they can arrange for a car from the airport to hagnaya pier but it will cost me 2500 one way. i was hoping for something cheaper. i can definitely go for 1500 one way.

Itzypies said...

Hi, thanks for dropping by..
the cab driver's mobile number is 09186619621 the name is mang ceasar

just tell him that he was referred by a previous customer

Itzypies said...

btw, in Hoyohoy pwede ka rin tumawad :D just tell them you're a local tourist..

Anonymous said...

thanks so much!

cagayan de oro resorts said...

You practically said everything that there is to say about the resort. I loved the place when I went there, reading your blog made me miss it already. The first time I went there made me think to move-in the island right away.

The Glamarazzi said...

I love it there!! It is the most expensive though I heard from the locals. It is worth it! :)

Kristine
InstyleCebu
Hoyohoy Villas

Itzypies said...

Hi Kristine,

Thanks for dropping by.. there is no resort in Bantayan at par with Hoyohoy.