I ended up going to Cebu for the day.. I had a bit of business mixed in with my itinerary but.. if you think about it, take the business part and the airfare out, your budget should easily be Php 3,500 - Php4,000 and experience this:
Spend an entire day at Shangrila Mactan Resort and Spa where you can expect to see warm, accommodating staff ready to cater to your needs.
Inclusive of Lunch Buffet at Tides.
Awesome seafood and pork.. not much to say about the lamb and beef though. I believe the buffet starts at 10am and ends at 2:30pm. Hello breakfast and lunch!
Use of facilities which I believe also includes using their gym.
The pool has a basketball ring and a ball anyone could play with. Table tennis sets and Billiard tables are available to use, so are the boxing equipment. You are also lent Bath towels.
and using parasols by the beach with white sand and clear waters.
*FYI - those floaters are free to use too! not sure about the kayaks though.
They also have snorkeling equipment and Jetskis for rent :)
The best thing about this beach: NO VENDORS COMING UP TO YOU EVERY 5 MINUTES!
...just the waiter who will come to your parasol to see if you wanna order something from the bar.
The drinks are quite pricey though ranging from Php150-1000. after that, youre free to sleep, relax and enjoy nature as you please. No worries about leaving your stuff at your parasol, its pretty safe. But still, I suggest you keep your valuables in the bag just to be sure. :)
Now four thousand bucks plus airfare isnt easy to pick up especially if youre on a minimum wage salary. But if you planned ahead and okay.. did a little saving.. then you could get a cheaper airfare.. I got mine a week before the trip and it cost me Php 3,000.. so im sure you could save more by planning ahead.
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Trip tips:
1. from exiting the airport, you will see an airport taxi service that costs Php370. Just behind that booth is a metered taxi that starts at Php70. BUT if you are facing those two booths, look to your left and you will see stairs on the other side of the street that will lead you to metered taxis that start at Php30!
2. Dont let taxi drivers milk you with taxi fare.. at the airport, we were already told to report abusive taxi drivers to them. So if you come across one like we did, you can give them the option to 1. put the meter on and you will pay them the amount on the meter or 2. you will pay them their non metered amount but you will report them when you get to the airport.
3. If you cant hack just staying at cebu for one day, you can check Hotel Pier Cuatro. its in mandaue city, about 15mins away from the airport. An overnight stay would only cost less than Php1100. Inclusive of breakfast :)
4. Pack Light. No need to bring a towel. Just Change of clothes, toiletry kit, your wallet, swim wear, sunblock and your camera, you'll be good to go! Can you imagine yourself lugging a HUGE maleta at the beach? come on! hahaha! :p
5. If youre heading to the airport after coming from Shangrila, I suggest you head to the front desk sooner than planned to get a taxi. Very few taxis come to shangrila so its best that you be in line for one so you dont miss your flight.
Costs:
Airport Fee (2) Php400
Shangrila Day Pass Php2500
Taxi Ride to shangrila Php200
Taxi Ride to airport Php200
Total: Php 3,300
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So lets say you were to spend Php6,500 on this trip.. im telling you, this is a trip that will relax every bit of you and even if it was just for one measly day, it is SO WORTH IT!
Cheers!
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