Weekend Bonding

November 3, 2021

 I may have mentioned in one of my articles – I just forgot which one – that I was being gifted of a Shangri-la Hotel voucher for Christmas last year. This was a gift from my brother who formerly worked in Shangri-la Mactan, Cebu.

Since the voucher was only for one room good for two persons, I bought another voucher which was on sale at that time for another room. That’s a total of two rooms for four persons. Since we are six in the family, I just thought that we will just pay for extra person to make three persons in one room. This way it is much cheaper than getting a third room.

I planned on using the voucher when my hubby arrives from his stint abroad. But it didn’t push through right away as there was a need for each of us to be swabbed. I inquired from the hotel regarding my voucher’s validity and was told that it was going to expire by the end of December 2021.

Since then we made constant checking as to when the requirement for swab is lifted.

The new plan now was to use the voucher the weekend before my birthday. It will be an early celebration but then my hubby has been called to go back to work. His company has been calling him almost every day to check on his requirements completion. So instead of booking it in November, we booked it for October 30 and 31.

Soon the day arrived and here I am, giving you a glimpse of our weekend family bonding. Be ready to be bombarded with plenty of pictures.

Day 1.

Welcome to Shangri-la’s Mactan Resort and Spa, Cebu.

We started our travel from home past one in the afternoon. Check in time was at two. As our place is just a few minutes away from the hotel, there is no need to leave early and also we want to have our lunch first at the house to save on having lunch at the hotel.

Upon arriving at the entrance, we were told to get thru the health check survey using QR codes and our phones. There was no problem with the internet connection as their internet is open for all, no passwords needed, so we were able to connect right away.

We were then told to proceed to the lobby where the receptionists were located. It was a fast check-in as there where several staff entertaining the incoming guests. We were also told that we can avail of late check out the following day. Instead of twelve noon, we can do our check out at six in the evening. Isn’t that great? It was really a welcome news.

Soon we were in our room and checking it out. We have two queen beds, but another small one was added later in the day for the third extra person.

The rooms were located at the seventh floor at the back portion of the hotel. The ocean wing was quite expensive so we make do with this location. At the back of the room was a terrace and all we can see are the lush trees that looks like a forest below that housed the parking spaces and the sea further behind.

The hotel is located in a one-hectare property and is surrounded with trees and lots of greens.

When everyone was ready, we started to explore the grounds. We first went to the beach.

It was low tide by the time we arrived at the seashore so what the kids do was just to stroll along the shoreline. While me and hubby went to the open resto for some snacks. Which later on, the kids joined us then.

We ordered burgers, fries and chicken wings.

It took us a while to finish the food as they were huge. Had I known that it will be this big, I would have ordered one of each kind instead of two. They weren’t even able to finish off the fries. After an hour of just lazing around, we have the fries covered and brought it with us to the pool, our next stop.

There are two pools in the hotel but this one above is the biggest one. This is near the children’s water park too.

Got several pictures in the pool though not very clear as the phone was placed inside a plastic protector so that it won’t get wet.

The pool will be closed by six in the evening so the kids had their fill up to a few minutes before six.

Hubby and I availed of the hotel’s spa. We booked it ahead so that a slot will be reserved for us. Our scheduled time at the spa was at seven in the evening. We still have plenty of time to change and get ready for our appointment.

It was a one-hour massage and facial spa for us, while the kids brought with them some face masks and did facial masks themselves in the room.

After our spa we were supposed to go to a restaurant outside the hotel for dinner but we all got lazy. So the kids suggested for a drive thru. They volunteered to go to a nearby Jollibee as they also plan to buy some chips.

We had our dinner in our room that night and slept tight after that.

Day 2.

Hubby and I woke up early. I wanted to go to the beach early so that there won’t be much people around. I want to do a photo shoot with my handmade beach top. I am a bit shy… hahaha… not really!

Well, people or not, I’ll still have my photoshoot. Don’t mind the several folds (of fats) though.

The room reservation comes with a free breakfast. It was an eat-all-you-can breakfast but a managed one. You have to ask the staff behind the buffet table which ones you like to be placed in your plate.

I would have loved to go back for more but my tummy is asking me to stop. She said that she has no more room for more. Oh my, I super loved that croissant with fillings on top.

After breakfast it was again back to the pool for the kids while I went back to sleep.

Lunch time came and we planned to take it out of the hotel. It is way cheaper that way. So we sent to the nearby Shrine of Lapu-lapu in Mactan.  The picture below was taken at the second floor of the resto where we had our lunch. We just zoomed it in.

There are lots of eatery there which they called STK – meaning Sugba, Tuwa, Kilaw. You get to choose fresh seafood and you get to choose how you want them cooked. We choose one big fish and have it cooked in three different ways. We also get octopus to be cooked as calamari and shrimp for butter garlic. We also have seaweeds and of course, the grilled pork belly won’t be left behind.

After the sumptuous lunch, we went back to the hotel for another round of swimming at the pool. While the kids were having fun at the pool, hubby and I went back to the resto near the beach and had some ice cold café latte.

When we went back to the pool, only my son was there. He said that his sisters went back to the room as they want to try the bath tub. True enough, when I went to their room, the bath tub was almost full of bubbles and they were inside the tub soaking in the bubbles.

At almost five in the afternoon, I told them to start packing up as we are going to check out already.

At the car going home, the kids said their thanks for the memorable weekend they have.  That just melts my heart.

Thank you for spending the weekend with me. Be safe everyone.

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 That’s all for now folks.

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