Our Chinese New Year Holidays in Cebu

This little vacation will remain a bright spot in my memory for a long time.  There was something a little bit unexpectedly magical about it that I have not quite been able to figure out yet.  Maybe because I didn't expect it to be epic (like I did for Italy - I had some huge expectations for Tuscany!) and the weather was hot and sunny and the grounds were lush and idyllic and the water was blue and beautiful (unlike our trip to the U.S. over Christmas) and Lola is now at a stage where she is so aware of her surroundings and so communicative that we can really enjoy her enjoying her vacation.  Maybe it's a combination of all of those things?

In any event, I booked this trip in the first week of December, which is very late in the game for Chinese New Year.  I gritted my teeth and paid quite a lot for the airfare.  At that point, the Sunday return flights were already sold out, I couldn't find any departures earlier than Tuesday, and most of the rooms in the hotel were already sold out, but in retrospect I am so glad that I just went ahead and did it.  Hong Kong never gets too cold, but it does go through an intense period of gray, overcast wetness and the contrast of the weather alone makes our little five day stint in Cebu shine brighter in my mind.

Here we are, checking in at the airport.  Lola was content because she had a big ear of sweet corn. 

We stayed at the Shangri-La.  I booked the Ocean Wing, which is the more business-friendly and adult-friendly wing of the hotel, because I read it was newer.  Also, I liked that it had a restaurant and pool that was exclusive to those staying in the Ocean Wing.  With the CNY tourist crush, I figured we would need as much space as possible, and I think this was the right move. We needed vacation mode:

maxing and relaxing as the waves crash

The food was surprisingly good at the resort.  Resort food is usually the worst - bland or uninspired and extremely expensive, but this time I genuinely liked everything I tried for lunch and dinner.  I tried a sour tamarind traditional Filipino soup dish, and the prawns were plump and tender and incredibly fresh.  I even ordered the bibimbap from room service twice!  Our breakfast buffet was included in the package and while I could have used a little more variety in fruit, there was plenty of fresh juice options, along with a huge spread of breads, a full omelet bar and a noodle bar which kept us all pretty happy.

The rooms were classic Shangri-La - nice amenities, good service, but slightly tired with outdated bathrooms.  However, I still found it very comfortable.  The grounds were insanely beautiful - trimmed grass everywhere, perfectly landscaped gardens, fruit trees and fragrant flowering trees everywhere you looked.   The spa took up an indecent amount of space, but it was really nice.  I used my Golden Circle points to redeem for a traditional hilot massage (where they apply hot banana leaves to your skin and then do a pressure point massage with long smooth strokes) which was so relaxing that I fell asleep mid-massage.

The resort is well known in the area primarily for being super family and kid friendly, and after we arrived we understood the appeal.  It really is completely catered to those carting little ones in tow.  There are multiple swimming pools, all very wide and shallow, and there is a whole section with water slides, water sprinklers and little fountains. They also have an adventure zone for toddlers (free) and slightly older kids (available for a small sum), an entire arcade, arts and crafts sessions every afternoon, and on-site babysitting for hire.  For those with older kids, there was also the option to set them up with their own set dinner and entertainment, if parents wanted a little time off for a date night.  I also saw reference to a movie theater for children though I didn't check out how it worked.

Lola in the ball pit

That's not to say there weren't things for adults also - they had an entire activity board with various free and paid water sports and activities.  I wasn't going to go on the snorkeling safari, figuring that there would not be anything worthy of seeing so close to shore, but it turns out the resort has a marine biologist to help them maintain, preserve and restore the reef.  They had beautiful coral formations, lots of fish variety, and I even got to see two new things, a pincushion starfish and two giant clams.  Yes, two giant clams, a vulnerable species that is increasingly rare to see now!  I was very excited.

Lola came to greet me when I emerged from the water.  Seeing her excitement at seeing me has to be one of the best things about motherhood.

 Lola developed a serious love for carbs on this trip - here she is with a bun in each hand. She also explored the snorkeling board, and grass, and just generally tried to get her little hands on fruit wherever she went.  Here she is pictured with a green mango.

 

One of the resort activities was feeding the fish - Lola had pretty mixed feelings about it.  I think she was a bit frightened at how close they swam to her feet and how quickly they jumped over each other to get food.

 

At one point mid-week, while we chilled on bean bags on the grass in the sun, Lola wandered like a little sprite barefoot on the grass and, in a moment I will not soon forget, flung her head back, threw her arms out, and gave a big, gusty sigh of contentment.  We couldn't help laughing at just how precocious of a move it was.  It seemed like an incredibly mature sentiment to come from such a little soul.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is Lola's first picture of me. I must say, she is a pretty good photographer.  On this trip, she figured out the selfie game - she went around holding up the phone above her head saying, "mile" (meaning "smile") while aiming it at herself...

Ah, and just like that, our trip was over and we found ourselves on our way back to the airport - here is one of the rare moments when Lola fell asleep while out and about. 

 This is when we were still allowing her the pacifier.  After our return home, we decided to go cold turkey.  It has been a hard month - nearly a month later and she still cries for it every night before she goes to sleep!  And it takes her a very, very long time to get to bed.  More on this and recent happenings to come.