Bantigue Sandbar -- A Golden Wonder in Isla de GigantesCarles, Iloilo
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Among the 3 sandbars I've been to, Bantigue is the longest and the thinnest. If you walk the entire stretch, it will take you about 3-5 minutes to reach the other end. They say that the sandbar can stretch even farther to form an S-shape during low tide, as well as expand wider. We were there at 4:00 PM and high tide is at 4:30 PM so we were a bit too late to witness the sandbar's true form. 
Bantigue's long and slender sandbar
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The sandbar is located south of Cabugao Gamay and east of Cabugao Dako or Cabugao Grande. From Antonia Beach, you can actually see the sandbar from afar. And even at that distance, you will appreciate its grandiose form. |
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Unlike other islands in Isla de Gigantes, Bantigue sandbar has a brownish color which turns into somewhat of a golden hue during sunset. The locals said it used to be very white before typhoon Yolanda happened. The color of the sand has not gone back to its original whitish color until during our visit in 2015. |
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Based on my observation, the right side of the sandbar has fine powdery sand so it's comfortable to sit down and laze your legs on the shore. However, it's quite difficult to swim in as it suddenly becomes deep not far from the shore. The sand on the left side is filled with rocks, seashells and dead corals and might not be very comfortable to sit on. But it's a better side to swim in. Guess you can't have both together. |
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Some locals live in the island. Several houses and a store can be seen from the sandbar. You can explore the island if you have time. It's not big anyway. When we were there, we did nothing but lounge and swim. Guess we were too tired to walk around since this was our last stop. |
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In the afternoon, kids from the nearby community come out to play by the sandbar. They swam and played with us. Although we could not understand a thing they were saying, they enjoyed being photographed. Before we left, my friend gave them goodies which they thankfully accepted. In a matter of seconds, they huddled up on the sand and shared the goodies with their friends. Touching. |
Read more about other islands included in the trip:
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