For a quick 4-day getaway, R. and I decided to go back to Cebu. This time, he didn't have any client meetings. It was purely vacay.
Top 10 things I love about Shangri-La Mactan:
1. It has everything! 2 pools, beach front, water sports, golf course, a 15-hectare spa village, restaurants and bars.
2. Marine sanctuary - within 3 feet of water, schools of fish are already swimming with you. We went kayaking to feed the fish. It was a great adventure!
4. Seafood buffet at the Cowrie Cove - gigantic lobster, tiger prawns and crabs. Never mind the cholesterol!
5. Great, great, great customer service - all their staff were very attentive, the cleaning guy even left us thank-you notes for giving him tips, discounts given when you answer their customer service survey and good 'ol fashion sincerity and sensitivity to customer needs.
6. Chi Spa - with Tibetan rituals. I loved the massage although R. didn't find it spectacular-spectacular. He still prefers Mandarin. I loved the Tibetan stuff that I bought from there - including the Tibetan drilbu bells, massage oil and relaxing pillow. Mahal nga lang. Our treatment cost a whopping 15k. Thought bubble: hellur, meron bang gintong naka-mix sa massage oil?
8. Timezone - they have Timezone inside! We had so much fun killing the Pinball arcade game. R. and I took turns playing until the wee hours of the night. Actually, I think the Pinball killed us. We felt our fingers got bruised a day after we got back to Manila and HK.
9. No lamok - at all! I swear! There were no mosquitoes in the resort! Ang galing! We didn't have to wear our anti-mosquito patches.
10. Gym - yes. It's really complete. They have a gym large enough to be a commercial one. If water sports and swimming are not enough to burn those extra calories, then pound the treadmill.
I can't believe I fended off Shang Mactan for a long time. Now we can't wait to go back. There's no comparison among Cebu, Boracay and Palawan since the three are in different categories. I'm probably gushing and raving because I didn't expect Shangri-La Mactan to carry the service that Shang is reputed to have globally.
Admittedly, it was a pleasant surprise.
Thank you, R. for the trip.
Aylavet!
My turn for the late V-day getaway. =)