Fresh from an almost month-long retreat to the Philippines, I have been glaring at the gloomy British weather and reflecting on my time back in the motherland.
The last time I was in the Philippines was over eight years ago for my eighteenth birthday. A lot has changed. For example, I graduated a number of years ago and have found my feet in the working world. There was also an entire global pandemic that prohibited me from hopping on a plane.
Cebu, a province in the country’s Central Visayas region, has also evolved. Comprising of Cebu Island and more than 150 smaller surrounding islands and islets, Cebu boasts sweeping city views and gorgeous beaches teeming with marine life.
Truthfully, after years of being on the grind and chasing career goals, I wasn’t there to island-hop, exerting myself running to make the next boat or climbing up hills. If you know me, you’ll know that I don’t own flats – I had to hop out the van and buy some from a stall on one particular packed day of sightseeing! So, this ‘travel diary’ of sorts is a more of an excuse to share some vacay photos and mull over my experience, especially because this is my second time in the city as a non-baby, sentient human.
We embarked on the 24+ hour flight with Qatar Airways, arriving late in the afternoon local time. I want to take a moment to shoutout Angel at Hamad International Airport’s Al Maha Services who was an absolute delight and looked after us during our transit stop in the airport!
Despite the tiresome length of the flight and the fact that I only managed about fifteen minutes of sleep in between my in-flight Succession rewatch, I have high praise for Qatar Airways. The service and food was just perfection.
We were treated to an extensive a la carte dinner and breakfast menu that was available at any time throughout both the London to Doha and Doha to Cebu legs of the flight.
On the way to Doha, I enjoyed rigatoni with courgette cream stracciatella with oven roasted cherry tomatoes and pine nuts and a berry mousse tart with passion fruit compote for dessert. I kept breakfast light on the way to Cebu with a fruit platter and several cups of hot lemon water.
After arriving in the refurbished Mactan-Cebu International Airport, located on Mactan Island near Lapu-Lapu City, we made the twenty or so minutes drive into Cebu City.
We initially had checked into a suite at the Radisson Blu in the city centre. However, it became clear that staying the city wasn’t going to fit in with the ~rest and relaxation~ vibes that we were going for with this trip.
Cebu is somehow even more bustling than ever before which amplified the forty degree heat that surrounded us throughout much of the trip. In search of sea air and slightly more serene surroundings, we headed back to Mactan.
The first leg of our Cebu stay was spent at the Dusit Thani Mactan, of which I have mixed feelings about as a resort, but completely fell in love with the view.
Situated at the northern tip of the Punta Engaño Peninsula, the Dusit Thani boasts an open-air lobby and lounge, indoor and al fresco dining, and a stunning 100-meter infinity pool with panoramic views of the historic Magellan Bay and Cebu island.
The Boardwalk sits a level below the infinity pool and lobby, offering guests comfortable lounge chairs and coffee tables as well as a small beach area next to a private jetty. There’s also a secluded ‘rainforest pool’ with a waterfall, which served as a nice spot for us to sit and eat mango ice cream from the hotel’s Deli. That being said, remember to bring your bug spray – do not make the mistake that I did or you’ll end up with a million mosquito bites.
The Dusit Thani as a whole doesn’t actually have a ton of mosquitos buzzing around, which was a welcome relief for me, but for some reason they do love that rainforest pool corner in the hotel and I found out the hard way!
I’ll likely dive into our experience in more depth in later posts but it’s an undoubtedly beautiful resort. Housing 272 guest rooms across three hotel buildings, we stayed in a Club Room with a private balcony overlooking the rear of the hotel.
While we didn’t have sea views, we enjoyed the greenery and views of other skyscraper hotels in the region, including the nearby Sheraton resort. I also thoroughly enjoyed waking to the sound of nearby roosters from the surrounding residential properties.
I didn’t take too many photos of the room – rookie wannabe travel blogger mistake, I know! However, it suited the tranquil vacay vibes that we were after. Where the Radisson decor felt overly formal and more suited to a business/airport hotel, the Dusit Thani’s interior was understated but perfect.
The design was warm, inviting and elegant with refined touches such as marble tables and countertops, a kitchenette with a much-needed fridge, an upholstered TV frame and headboard and the prettiest paintings of flowers above the bed – will need to dig out some images for my next post!
Philippine hospitality is often touted as the best in the world and throughout my trip, I did see glimpses of this. At Dusit Thani, service is a bit of a mixed bag, especially when it comes to food!
I have been cursed with a mild seafood allergy and this is one of the biggest stressors for me whenever I’m travelling, particularly in Asia as seafood is in abundance. I adore prawns but sadly, they do not adore me and neither did the menu at the various restaurants housed within the Dusit Thani.
On our first night, I was immediately struck down by some sneaky anchovies in the caesar salad (despite being reassured there was no fish) and I also had to abandon my meal at the hotel’s Korean restraurant after a lengthy battle trying to explain what a seafood allergy means. The staff were very polite, but there’s definitely room for improvement around servicing allergies because a gal can only eat so much pizza.
The beverage offerings at the hotel are great and we highly enjoyed indulging in mango shakes and fruity cocktails. It was a bit of quest to get buko juice but when they finally did get stock, the staff were kind enough to reserve some for us before they all sold out.
I’m not sure if this is due to the hotel’s position at the very tip of the island as its location often seemed to be a pain point for drivers, but the resort often ran out of dishes and items during our stay. Grab is always available but due to the distance, it can arrive cold. It was a hungry first few hours for me as we navigated various food options but at least I got to see the sun!
That being said, the staff on-site at the hotel’s Sunset Sports Bar are lovely and enthusiastic but trying to get a reservation refund from what I presume are the restraunt managers, however, is like pulling teeth and still hasn’t happened. Oh, well, you live and learn.
When we last visited in 2016, we stayed nearer to Gorordo Avenue in the city for convenience so we didn’t spend much time in Mactan. It was nice to experience salt air, palm trees blowing in the wind and take in those poolside views.
The views on offer at the Dusit Thani do make up for the few cons we experienced during our stay. Later in our trip, we moved ten minutes down the road to the Shangri-La because a gal has got to eat but the views at the Dusit Thani were to die for. Next time, I’ll probably visit the Dusit Thani for a day to enjoy the pool and the stunning view. For refuelling and resting my head, it’s the Shangri-La all the way!
We had a packed agenda of family renuions and sightseeing trips in the days ahead so I’ll share some of thoughts on Cebu’s tourist attractions and hotspots in later posts.
After a sleepless night at the Radisson, I welcomed the breezy bliss of the Dusit Thani and the gorgeous scenery that Mactan had to offer. Armed with a trusty mango shake and a portable fan, I watched the sun go down and managed to finally catch some Zs!
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