Hey, you! ❤️
After checking out of Plantation Bay, we proceeded to go to the international airport because it was sadly time to say goodbye to my youngest sister-in-law and her family. They had to catch their flight back to Canada. 😢
Saying goodbye is such a bitch! I keep telling myself that it's not really goodbye, but it still hurts nonetheless. Anyways, I will miss them terribly, especially Baby M.
We took a taxi to our next destination and realized that it was back to just the three of us again.
For our last night in Cebu, we checked-in Savoy Hotel Mactan Newtown, which is a relatively new hotel in Mactan. It is located in The Mactan Newtown, a community home to retail shops, offices, restaurants, condominiums, and there's even a school. It's not so far from the beach too!
I don't exactly remember how I found out about Savoy Hotel, but I do remember that I was highly impressed by what I had seen online. I felt like they go out of their way to give their guests a true Filipino experience, which is what I was yearning for.
It isn't a resort like what we're used to with Shangri-la Mactan or Plantation Bay, but we had a wonderful time! So much so that we intend to invest in Mactan Newtown someday! 🤞
Check-in was pretty much what you would expect from any hotel. We were given our keys and at this point, we were feeling really ill so a nap was much-needed to recharge our batteries before dinner.
We had a Deluxe Premier Room which came with an extra bed for S. Our view was not particularly wow, but that was okay. We were also able to request for late check-out the next day - so instead of 12pm, we left at around 6pm in exchange for a reasonable fee.
After our nap, we decided to go out and explore what Mactan Newtown had to offer. It has a similar feel to IT Park in Cebu City. It is essentially a small town in a city. What's great is that you have access to whatever you might need within walking distance.
Our first stop was at Watson's, which is must stop in the Philippines. It is equivalent to what we call 'une parapharmacie' in France, which is also a must stop in my opinion.
At Watson's, I grabbed my staples - Efficascent Oil, Aceite de Manzanilla, Vicks Inhaler, Omega, White Flower, Tiger Balm, and a cool Hand Alcohol keychain. I also got some over-the-counter medications for our cough. I was glad to get off one thing from my things to do / buy list.
Next stop was the groceries, because yes there is even a grocery store in Mactan Newtown. On our way there, I noticed that there was a Starbucks, a Civet Coffee Shop, Bubble Tea, and lots and lots of food stalls and restaurants.
At Robinson's Supermarket, I got the food gifts we wanted to give our friends back in France. Dried Mangoes, Rosquillos, Chicharon, just to name a few. I even got Safeguard body soap because the scent reminds me so much of my childhood. I regret not getting shampoo and conditioner and I just want to hit myself for that. My hair does not agree with shampoos in France. It is extremely dull. After my first shower in the Philipines, my hair was shiny and bouncy and I was so happy! Hahaha. I know I should have gotten that shampoo and conditioner! Boo.
After shopping, it was time for some food and we were pleasantly surprised to see that there was a night food market with acoustic music. Our original plan included visiting a food market and listening to music, so we were glad to know that we would be able to do it after all. This meant a lot to the Husband and I because our dating years was basically that - food and music - and we would get to introduce that to our daughter.
It was a wonderful moment. I didn't even notice that further down the street is actually a food court. But no regrets. I only have one stomach and it belonged to the night food market that night. I had my last plate of Lechon Baboy for the trip - I hope it won't be too long before the next!
S had the time of her life, singing along the musicians. It was one of the best night of our trip!
My favorite ice cream flavor is Rocky Road (there's just something about mini marshmallows and peanuts in chocolate ice cream that I love so much!) and I didn't want to end the trip without having some. Thankfully, there are two 7-eleven stores so we grabbed a pint before ending our night. It was sooooo good.
The next day, we woke up super early to have breakfast at the hotel. As I mentioned in the post yesterday (click here for the post), I am a huge hotel breakfast buffet fan!
We very much envoyed the breakfast buffet at Savoy Hotel Mactan. It was what I was looking for and more. It's not huge but it had everything I like - Pork Tocino, Breakfast Sausage, Breaded Fish, and Stir Fry Vegetables.
There was also Bolinao Buwad (dried fish), an egg station, and a bread station. The cherry on top were the fresh juices - I loved their mixed citrus juice! It was so refreshingly delicious!
This is the kind of breakfast that I had expected at Plantation Bay and why I was so disappointed when it wasn't!
After breakfast, the Husband and S walked to the beach. There is a free shuttle from the hotel available every two hours. Otherwise it is a 10-minute walk. I decided to stay at the hotel room while I packed our things. I couldn't believe we were almost leaving already!
When they came back from the beach, we headed together to the hotel pool which is on the 3rd or 5th floor (I don't remember exactly). I was surprised to see that the swimming pool was smaller than I thought, but it was fine. The Husband and I had a lot of fun! Thirty minutes under the sun and my skin was burnt. I can stay 3 hours under the sun in France and I don't tan at all!
As I mentioned earlier, we paid for late check-out (6pm) and so we decided to have some fastfood before leaving. We had McDonald's delivered using the app, Grab, so I could make a reels on Instagram. Please make sure to check it out. Just check out in general our Instagram account if you want to see more videos and photos of our trip!
Before we knew it, it was time to check-out. A complimentary drink taken at the bar downstairs and a few songs later, we were ready to go to the airport where ....
Our friends were waiting for us! But more about that tomorrow!
Do you prefer the beach or swimming pool?