We flew by Silkair as it was the only airline that had direct flight back even though we needed to transfer at Kalibo (Boracay) on the flight there. The tickets cost us approximately S$407 per adult and S$320 per child.
Due to the stopover, we only arrived at Cebu Mactan International Airport at 3.25pm, even though we left Singapore at 10am (there is no time difference between Cebu and Singapore).
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| Mabuhay, welcome to Cebu! |
After we had crossed immigration, we were greeted by a Shangri-La staff, who ushered us to our airport transfer. Have to appreciate them for their awesome service after being kind of worn out from a relatively long flight =)
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| Our airport transfer |
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| View of the roads of Mactan and spotted a Jeepney, the most common form of transportation in the Philippines |
Despite a slight traffic jam caused by parents trying to pick up their kids from school, we arrived at Shangri-La's Mactan Resort and Spa after just 15 minutes. Mactan is an island located next to the main island of Cebu and is part of the Cebu Province.
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| Shangri-La's Mactan Resort & Spa, Cebu Philippines |
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| Look at the awesome resort and extra large pool! There are two large pools in the resort for your swimming pleasure! Awesome! =) |
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| At their very posh lobby and trying to enjoy ourselves despite still nursing a fever and flu from the week before (sob) |
There are two wings in the resort, namely, the Main Wing and Ocean Wing. The Main Wing is right in the heart of all the action while the Ocean Wing faces the ocean. The choice of which wing to stay in really comes down to what kind of view you want (the Ocean or the pool; both just as good in my opinion).
As we would be staying in the Main Wing Deluxe Family Room, we were brought to the Main Wing.
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| Main Wing |
We were greeted immediately by a basket of fresh fruits and gifts from the hotel. Their usual greeting card was also signed personally by their Big Boss (sorry, I forgot his official designation!). We were joking that he might have trained some intern to sign it for him because we highly doubted if he could sign the cards everyday for all 500 plus rooms in the resort (wouldn't his hand break? *laughs*)!
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| Warm welcome from the hospitable folks at Shangri-La Mactan Resort and Spa |
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| The attached living area for family chats and laughter |
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| The cushions are very soft and comfy. I fell asleep on this couch a few times because it was so comfortable! |
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| Complimentary cofffe and tea |
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| These were not on the price list so I assume they should be complimentary too =) |
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| The second TV facing the beds (we don't have to fight over which channel to watch) |
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| Twin Queen beds! More than enough space to accommodate 4 adults! |
We also loved the balcony, although we didn't spend a lot of time there because the weather was too hot!
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| Enjoying the breeze and the view |
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| Each room has its own balcony |
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| View of the awesome pool from our room |
The toilet was also very luxurious, with a full size bath tub and adequate amenities.
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| Toilet |
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| Left: The lovely bath tub where I take my usual hot baths!; Right: The corridor that leads to the toilet |
Even though I wasn't feeling too well, the lovely accommodation really helped to relax me! I was starting to feel better already =)
I almost did not want to leave our room but we did not travel all this way just to confine ourselves to the room! Hence, with great reluctance, we went off to explore the rest of the resort.
Shangri-la Mactan Resort and Spa is so big that they have their own water purifying system, security, K-9 unit (German Shepherds lah), playground, entertainment centre, fruit trees, marine sanctuary, shops and many more! Cassandra, the Director of Communications, joked with us that if there was a zombie invasion and they needed to be quarantined, everyone in the resort would probably survive *laughs*. All they are lacking is a grocery/ convenience store and they are good to go!
Shangri-la Mactan Resort and Spa is so big that they have their own water purifying system, security, K-9 unit (German Shepherds lah), playground, entertainment centre, fruit trees, marine sanctuary, shops and many more! Cassandra, the Director of Communications, joked with us that if there was a zombie invasion and they needed to be quarantined, everyone in the resort would probably survive *laughs*. All they are lacking is a grocery/ convenience store and they are good to go!
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| One of the many lovely gardens on the premise. Many opportunities for Instagram-worthy photos! =) |
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| One of the shops |
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| Clockwise from left: E-zone, an entertainment centre with pool tables and arcade machines; Mass dance/ aerobics for anyone who wanted a fun workout; Super-size chess set! |
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| Swings for the young and old! |
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| There are lots of these hammocks located all around the resort for you to bask in the sun if you wanted to. Hardly anyone uses it though; there is simply too many things to do here that there's no time to lie around and do nothing! *laughs* |
The highlight of the resort, at least to me, had to be their very own Shangri-La Marine Sanctuary! You never need to go very far to see the corals and the fish; it's right there at your doorstep!
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| Guests snorkelling in the Shangri-La Marine Sanctuary |
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| Others admiring the lovely sunset. Beautiful! |
I really hope that I recover enough to go snorkelling tomorrow! Can't wait!
There are a lot of restaurants in the resort but do note that they are not exactly cheap (similar to Singapore pricing). However, you do get what you pay for as the food was delicious. We had our dinner at Tea of Spring, a Cantonese restaurant located at the Main Wing.
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| Tea of Spring |
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| We enjoyed our favourites, including a bowl of porridge, which is comfort food when you're sick! |
After our stomachs have been sufficiently satisfied, we returned to our room to enjoy the latest episode of Master Chef (which impressed the girl so much that she asked for cooking lessons. I told her to go learn from her Chef Grandma).
I took some medication my mum gave me (thank God for a nurse mother) and went to bed early. Thank God for hot baths, comfy beds and squishy pillows!
Continue to >> Cebu Day 2: Swimming & Snorkeling at Shangri-La Marine Sanctuary
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Disclosure: Complimentary 4D3N accommodation was received from Shangri-La Mactan Resort & Spa for the purposes of this review. No monetary compensation was received; all opinions are my own.
