WEEKEND ESCAPE. Crimson Resort and Spa Mactan. Punto Team photos
CEBU CITY – As travel and tourism start to pick up where we left off, the Queen City of the South continues to recover from the adverse effects of Covid-19 and that of Typhoon Odette, traces of the devastation it wrought still visible in the surroundings.
The Punto team hit the road and took off safe and worry-free from the Clark International Airport New Terminal to Cebu Mactan International Airport via Philippine Airlines, following the trails that open Cebu to travelers anew.
From destinations to accommodations, we sought the great outdoors where nature-based explorations and sightseeing have become the inspiration to sustainability and responsible tourism emerging from post-Covid leisure trips and backpacking.
With the inevitable return to travel, Cebu presents itself as an ideal destination by having the best of both worlds in its beautiful beaches and luscious green mountains. A road trip to the other side of Cebu known as Highlands, lets you uncover wonderful finds. A feast for the eyes of sprawling mountain view and great alfresco dining of many artisanal cafes and instagrammable restos.
HIGHLANDS TOUR
Buwakan ni Alejandra Garden
Almost 45-minute drive from downtown Cebu to Highlands meant driving through zigzag as we ascended up to our destination and the view and weather got better on the way up. When we finally got there, we were rewarded with the breathtaking sight of Buwakan ni Alejandra Garden in the town of Balamban.
It was a love at first sight, we were instantly enamored with the vibrancy and beauty of the landscaped flower garden.
The 200 varieties of locally grown plants and flowers in its 700-square-meter garden add color to the greenery of the mountainside. Staff photographers are well trained to usher guests around and easily do the photo shoot. Indeed, this is a beautiful place to remember.
Adlawon Vacation Farm
We drove to our next destination for lunch at Adlawon Vacation Farm. Here, you not only drink in the sights, sounds and sceneries but also open yourself to boundless discoveries of sustainable and tourism farming.
A 15-hectare lush plantation that offers farm tours, staycation, venue for events, and recreational outdoor activities featuring a fruit orchard, mini mahogany forest, garden with varieties of plants and flowers owned by Atty. Danilo Ortiz and Dra. Melinda Ortiz.
The farm promotes best sustainable practices and employs residents from the local community. So much appreciation and amazement as we explore the place. It has seedling nursery or Plantasia and woodwork station where they recycle the wooden chips and smatter them on the floor of pigpens.
Teambuilding or company outing becomes more enjoyable at the campsite with bonfire pit, basketball/multi-purpose court, picnic area, a mountain bike trail and the “Payag” cottage with toilet and bath.
The kids will definitely love the outdoors while they commune with nature and explore the fishpond, animal pens, aviary and playground. It is ideal as well for retreat as the farm includes a Resurrection Chapel with its own Stations of the Cross. The Lodge, the main structure on the farm, houses the reception area, front desk, two function rooms, a library, lounge and entertainment center, a view deck and three air-conditioned guest rooms with private bath.
A healthy and wholesome lunch at the Kusina Luche restaurant is a sure stop over. Kusina Luche offers organic farm-to-table meals to dine in with the view of the mountainside. Chicken buco soup or Binakol, mixed green salad with a choice of guyabano or mango dressing, calamansi with mint and cucumber cooler, and dragon fruit sorbet are some of their must-try specialties.
Aldawon Farm’s sustainable practices and delicious produce offer a pace and quality of life not only for the local community but for the guests like us, all inspired to come back.
Other places to visit at the Highlands are Temple of Leah and Top of Cebu.
SIDE TRIP
The Chocolate Chamber
To further enhance the Cebu experience, the passion for chocolate brought us back to the city proper.
A “merienda cena” at The Chocolate Chamber gives a taste of chocolate in a different way. The Chocolate Chamber is a well-respected and much sought-after chocolate shop owned by Cebu’s Chocolate Queen, Ms. Raquel T. Choa. It is an oasis for chocolate lovers with their cacao creations from pralines, tableas, and batirol.
Even the shop is kept at a certain room temperature to preserve the delicate chocolates which melt easily because they don’t contain sugar or milk. The Choa family, with their endless pursuit of chocolate distinction, has found their way in establishing their brand through extraordinary art of chocolate making.
BEST STAYCATION AND DINING
Quest Hotel & Conference Center Cebu
If you are a business or transient traveler on the go, this one is for you. Quest Cebu defines cool, clean and comfy stay with 427 delightfully furnished guestrooms and suites and 10 state-of-the-art meeting spaces. With an uncompromising approach to service and a remarkable array of value-for-money facilities, the hotel is an ideal location of choice.
Quest Cebu caters also to MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, events) tourism with excellent full-service hotel amenities and facilities.
One of the highpoints in the hotel is the award-winning breakfast buffet at the Puso Bistro and Bar that offers exceptional food choices from appetizers, salads and pizza to international and local cuisine.
Since the pandemic, Puso Bistro and Bar continues to delight the city’s foodie with its takeaway and home delivery hot boxes, making it easy and convenient to have a pleasant meal at home either on hybrid meeting or work from home. One-of-a-kind onsite catering services with partnerships to different venues in the city is also creating a lot of popularity.
To further promote local tourism, Live, Love, Local tour packages for guests who wish to enjoy and explore Cebu are also available.
Crimson Resort & Spa Mactan Cebu
A sprawling sanctuary bounded by shimmering water and white sandy beach, shaded by tall, rustling palms this Bali-inspired resort, Crimson Resort stretched across six hectares on Cebu’s stunning Mactan Island.
Just a 20-minute drive from the international airport, this resort is designed for romantic getaways, family vacations and guests looking to enjoy laidback tropical elegance. Its villas offer luxurious comfort, outfitted with plunge pools and earth-tined furniture.
Crimson also offers guests rooms that combine modern convenience. The resort offers an infinity pool, four restaurants and bars, a wide range of water activities plus opportunities for leisurely activity, including indulgent treatments at Aum Spa.
When the sun descends, Punto team took in a pre-dinner cocktail at the chic Azure Beach Club before meandering across the resort’s manicured grounds and then a quick plunge in the infinity pool.
The elegant and sumptuous dinner cocktail presented to us by the Crimson Resort in-house executive chef Andrew Simpson as food from Azure and Enye restaurants provided a great color spread on the table to fill up our bellies. Tuna tataki, gambas, pulpo a la Gallega, croquetta de jamón y pollo, naan bread, and the Cebu lechon tacos became an instant favorite from its array of classic dishes.
You may have a hard time deciding where to start at Crimson. But whatever you choose, Crimson Resort & Spa Mactan assures authentic, memorable experiences in a delightfully unique setting.
Sangrias by the beach in a sunset setting at the Crimson Resort and Spa in Mactan sealed the sweet memory to end our day from the highlands to the island.
Department of Tourism Central Visayas
G/F LDM Building, Legaspi St., Cebu City
Tel: +6332.2546650
Email: dot7prodev@gmail.com
QUEST HOTEL & CONFERENCE CENTER CEBU
Archbishop Reyes Ave., Cebu City
6000 Philippines T: +63 32 402 5999
CRIMSON RESORT & SPA MACTAN
Seascapes Resort Town, Mactan Island,
Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu 6015, Philippines
T: +63 32 401 9999 | +63 32 239 3900
