See You in Cebu

In "South Pacific," Bloody Mary sings of "your own special island." Well, my Bali Hai is a place called Cebu in the Philippines. More precisely, it's called Mactan Island and the hotel-resort where I stay is appropriately named the Shangri-La.

Never mind that the great explorer Ferdinand Magellan met a bloody end there in 1521 (something to do with a trade war between rival rajahs), today's shores are highly hospitable to business and leisure travelers.

Cebu is famous for its natural beaches, sweet mangoes, rattan and buri furniture, guitars and costume jewelry. I can attest to the high quality of the craftsmanship.

Just 15 minutes from Mactan-Cebu International Airport--my direct flight from Hong Kong takes less than three hours--the Shangri-La provides the perfect antidote to a week of hard bargaining in the "Fragrant Harbour." 

The amenities abound here: five restaurants to choose from, including Italian, Chinese and International. Banana boat rides, scuba diving, and parasailing are offered, and of course, there's plenty of pampering at one of Asia's most luxurious spas.

Fresh orchids bloom in the rooms, patios overlook the blue-green Visayan Sea, home to the world's largest concentration of marine life. Several outdoor pools beckon, and lots of open spaces for relaxation.

At the poolside bar, lovely ladies dressed in saris ask for your order in mellifluous Filipino English. 

I've found my little corner of paradise. Where's  yours?

2 Members’ Opinions

February 10, 2009 11:03 AM
nachista said...

That thing is like a furby gone horribly wrong.

February 10, 2009 11:07 AM
nachista said...

How can we possibly pick a favorite exotic getaway when we haven't tried them all!  Or maybe that's just me.  My favorite place is the one where the photo of it and thought of running away to it, gets me through another long/drab winter or boring meeting.  I think my adventure exploring days are over and that makes me kind of sad, but there is still pleasure to be had in armchair travel.