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.