Cebu, Philippines

Has it really been over a MONTH since I've posted!?? My goodness!

One of the perks of living in Hong Kong is the TRAVEL. Hong Kong is the home for Cathay Pacific Airlines. It's also a hop-skip-and-a-jump from many different cultures, climates, and getaways.

You can travel for 2 hours and be worlds away from your day-to-day life.

Not to mention - this is the SLICKEST airport boogie I've ever seen. Taxi to the MALL in Central. Get out. Check in. Check bags. Shop or eat or go to the movie theater (if you want). Take a super-speedy-bullet-train to the real actual airport. At the actual airport? I could happily while away hours easily with all of that people watching and shopping and eating!!! Beautiful and clean.

2 hours on a plane with individualized screens? CAKE WALK. Mommy and Daddy even got some time in for a digital (play-another-patron) game!

So off to the Philippines we went after Christmas! Tropical vaca in winter - here we come!

view from our room

Now, I can't truly write this post without the full disclosure that we actually didn't see much of the Philippines. We didn't even see much of Cebu. In fact - we left the airport on a "shuttle" (aka: well-loved mini van) and 15 minutes later arrived at the Shangri-La Hotel where we stayed. put. (For the record: Shangri-La is EVERY.SINGLE.BiT as good as it sounds.)

this friend of ABear's just happened to be on the same flight out of HK, staying at the same hotel. Beach playdate!

We played on the beach, swam in the various pools (too busy swimming to photograph, sorry!), ate ice cream, mini-golfed, lay in hammocks, played volleyball, listened to live music, mom-got-a-massage, dad-snorkled, and we played indoors during the typhoon (that was CRAZY).

making discoveries

random

watching hermit crabs

grainy sand - but full of life and coral bits

warm towels and drinks with umbrellas at your service

BunnyCakes had it figured out pretty quick. By day2 - she was trying to use room service to order her warm milk.

hermit crab olympics

They offered in-house babysitting for roughly $7 USD per hour - um yes please! So Jasper and I had two date nights. in a row. alone. drinks-music-food-conversation. seriously spoiled, folks.

chocolate for breakfast. Never seen so many sweets for bfast in my life! talk about a sugar-crash by 8 am.

Did I mention the FOOD!?

toddlers & kids :: serve yourself height. Lots of candy and sweets intermixed here.

who can resist a ferris wheel of chocolate muffins?? and a giant tube of marshmallows?

mom couldn't stay away from the donuts

All in all - a GREAT place for a family. Easy to get to. Easy to be there. Fun. Relaxing. Amazingly friendly and super-helpful staff. Best customer service I've seen in my life. Luxury without feeling awkward. Delish food.

I see why every family in HK has been to the Shangri-La in Cebu.