Nordic Inn

I booked Nordic Inn just 1 day prior arrival as i was not sure which island i wanted to visit among the choices of Bantayan Island , Camotes Island & Malapascua... I stayed near Gaisano Grand Mall & there was a Fastcraft to/fro Camotes Island, from Jomalia Shipping nearby at the Mactan Marina Wharf, somewhere near the rear of Island Central Mactan.. The fastcraft was not full & somehow i was not convinced abiut Camotes for this trip.. besides the lesser accomodation options available for a last minute traveller... After some conversations with locals at the public markets & malls , the overwhelming budget choice was Bantayan Island.. Reviews online indicated inconsistent service at Nordic Inn but also that it was steps away from a beautiful sandy beach... I went with my gut feeling & selected Nordic Inn from amongat the little options available. Took an early Grabcar to the Cebu North Bus Terminal after getting verified info from my guesthouse's staff as well as some shop staff i met at Colonnade Mall, that there is a 630am air-con CERES bus departure... My grabcar driver was lovely & delivered me just 5 metres away from the Cebu North=》 Hagnaya CERES Bus & i simply rounded the fare to 300 pesos.. It was 175 pesos for the air-con CERES bus & it was very comfortable.. The scenery enroute was awesome & bus only stopped at the major towns & there was lots of empty seats throughout the journey.. The roro ride was uneventful though the boat was in a badly maintained state , quite unlike some of the Lite Ferries roro i see often within Visayas... Upon arrival at Santa Fe Port , i had a restful light meal at the carenderia located on the right as you exit the Port building , at the side of the road leading to the town area.. This family owned carenderia is 1 of the friendliest i've met throughout my Philippines travel...they were curious about me & my travels & extremely helpful throughout my days on Bantayan.. Nordic Inn turned out to be exactly how i envisioned it to be.. A slightly grumpy manager with bored staff. I was not able to get to my room as the previous stayers had kept the room keys though they had checked out.. The grumpy but apologetic manager offered to let me store my luggage in the Storage room while i enjoyed the beach... The unbeatable sunny weather & powdery sandy beach just 20 metres on right side of Nordic Inn , had left me in a very super duper high moood & i readily replied that i will enjoy the meal whilst awaiting the room keys.. A private room with air-con , no TV , private but cold shower with a little terrace with worn-out wooden table & benches @ less than 800 pesos was alright for me.. Anyone who normally stays in 3* ~ 5* resorts , should never even consider this place meant for budget travellers. Interactions with the elderly manager & staff gradually became more cordial probably becos i did not fault them about my disastrous 1st few hours without a room & that i was in a undefeatable smiley state all the time. The beach was truly like an extremely quiet & laidback version of Boracay's White Beach . It's even quieter & more relaxed than my favourite Dumaluan Beach on Bohol... Nordic Inn was 5 minutes walk away from the town area where most of the shops , restaurants & bars were located but the place was very quiet even during the day... The Nordic Inn manager & staff were pretty nasty towards some rude travellers staying at the inn.. However , there were pretty nice & informative towards me & a friendly Cebu City-based Chinese family.. I will stay at Nordic Inn again in the near future unless i can secure rooms at Kota Beach Resort or the resorts on either side of them. The sand was extremely powdery at Kota Beach Resort & unforgettable for me.. Excellent Stay..