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We left Makati on a rainy and floody morning of July for
Cebu, wary that our flight might get canceled due to bad weather.
But we were sure that our destination would make our braving
the storm all worth it. After all, we were on our way to Shangri-La’s
Mactan Island Resorts. Fortunately, we were able to fly as
scheduled.
To our pleasant surprise, Cebu greeted us with fine, sunny
weather. Upon our arrival at the hotel, we were also warmly
welcomed by our host, Neil Rumbaoa, the resort’s director
of communications. Over a sumptuous buffet lunch at the Garden
Patio, Neil told us that Mactan Shangri-La is a popular destination
among foreigners, especially the Koreans (23% of the hotel’s
total number of guests), the Japanese (17%) and the Hong Kong
Chinese (11%). Meantime, local residents account for the biggest
chunk (35%) of the hotel’s visitor mix. The hotel also
has a fair share of European, American as well as other Asian
visitors. With its elegant yet relaxing ambience that only
the combined characteristics of a deluxe hotel and a picturesque
resort can give, it is no wonder that Mactan Shangri-La is
a choice destination among local and foreign tourists alike.
Neil stressed that Cebu is a peaceful province and does not
deserve to be dragged into the quicksand of bad publicity
hounding the country. He also told us that Cebu’s weather
sets it apart from other vacation spots. Cebu is blessed with
a wonderful climate most time of the year. Our vacation weekend
was certainly proof of how Cebu remained summer mode while
the rains poured in Manila.
My sister and I stayed at a Deluxe Gardenview Twin Room at
the hotel’s Ocean Wing. Guests staying at the Oceanview
Room have a breath-taking view of the ocean. After settling
in our room, we felt funny that we were in a deluxe hotel
complete with all the amenities while at our doorstep was
rich tropical foliage topped by the vast blue ocean, enabling
nature-tripping in the comforts of first-class accommodation.
Attracted to watching the trees swaying in the thick afternoon
breeze, I loved to sit in our room’s open balcony and
feel the cool wind on my face.
The hotel’s pristine swimming pools are the best! The
bigger swimming pool fronting the main wing has a sunken lounge
on the west-end where you can linger and sunbathe while partially
submerged in water, or while simply relaxing and star-gazing
at night. On the pool’s east-end is a water slide which
is a favorite among children. The smaller pool is referred
to as the infinity pool as it seems to connect to the nearby
ocean especially when you are in it – thus giving you
a pleasurable visual treat as well. Early morning swims really
gave us the relaxing feeling that washed away the stressful
lifestyle that we temporarily left behind in Manila.
If you are not a pool-person, the hotel’s private beach
is just a stone’s throw away from the hotel premises.
There are many activities to do while on the beach, starting
off with swimming and snorkeling. You can also enjoy your
favorite book while you lounge on a covered beach chair which
looks like a halved camping tent. Equipment for motorized
(speedboat rides, jet skiing) and non-motorized water sports/activities
(sea kayaking, wind surfing, scuba diving, and parasailing
to as high as 1,200 feet) are available as well.
Food-tripping is another activity to indulge in while in
Mactan Shangri-La. You can choose from eight restaurants within
the resort complex. Garden Patio is the place to go for continental
breakfast, lunch, and dinner buffet. Great food choices are
aplenty at the Patio. Opposite the Patio is the more private
Asiatica which features Asian cuisine served ala carte on
far-spaced, well lacquered tables of different shapes and
sizes. Asiatica’s exotic piped-in music and soft lighting
also provide a feeling of serenity while feasting on their
big servings of gastronomic delights like crispy pata (Filipino
food) and tuna fish head curry (Singaporean). We also enjoyed
their tropical fruit shakes – a favorite among children.
Other outlets include Shangri-La’s signature restaurant,
the Shang Palace, which serves Cantonese/Chinese cuisine,
Paparazzi which serves home-cooked Italian specialties, open-air
Cowrie Cove Restaurant by the ocean front which serves fresh
seafood specialties, and the Buko Bar and Grill by the poolside
for light fare. The Lobby Lounge and the Coco Loco Night Club
serve cocktail drinks and snacks. Coco Loco lets you dance
to live band music and enjoy karaoke singing and ballroom
dancing.
The expansive 13-hectare resort complex also boasts of a
6-hole golf course, plexi-pave tennis courts, a billiard room,
and a circuitous jogger’s lane. If these would not satisfy
your need for a nice work-out, the hotel’s Health Club
has a gym where you can tone those muscles while enjoying
the scenic view of the sprawling ocean before you. You can
also opt to have a therapeutic massage at the Health Club.
The bustling commercial district of Cebu is accessible from
the resort via regular shuttle services courtesy of the resort.
In fact, during our three-day stay, we were able to shop at
the Ayala Center and SM malls which are each 30 minutes away.
We bought export-quality dried mangoes, native delicacies
like turones and chicharon, as well as souvenir items like
shirts, shells, and beads crafts.
While in the city, we visited some of its famous places:
the guitar-making district where my sister bought a high-quality
guitar at a very affordable price; TOPS, the highest point
of Cebu; and the picture-perfect Taoist Temple. We also visited
Magellan’s Cross which marks the spot where our first
Christians were baptized. We said our prayers at the adjacent
Santo Niño Basilica which houses the image of the Sto.
Niño de Cebu, considered the oldest relic in the country.
We also passed by Fort San Pedro Park and enjoyed a “photo-op”
by the old rusty canons and age-old stone stairway. Capping
our loop-tour, we passed by the Mactan Shrine, the site where
Lapu-Lapu defeated Magellan in the famous Battle of Mactan.
Back at the hotel by evening after an eyeful half-day tour,
we relaxed to the soothing melodies crooned by the featured
singer at the hotel’s Lobby Lounge.
With our wonderful vacation experience at Mactan Shangri-La
nicely tucked in our heart, we knew that we were rejuvenated
to face again the corporate jungle of Manila.
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