With all honesty and respect, I say the resort really looks old. It seems to be well maintained though. Maybe its the Filipino theme that makes it feel old. It reminded me of the environment in Pearl Farm, Davao. I still loved it though. Its peaceful and scenic nature was perfect for a laid back getaway.
By observing the surroundings, you'd think you're not in the Philippines. Not because of the facilities and amenities, but because of the Korean tourists everywhere. The ratio between Filipino and Korean guests is probably around 1:10.
The saltwater lagoons are huge and there's three of them so you don't have to worry about bumping into other guest while you're swimming. There are lots of beach chairs and gazebos for you to chill in or leave your things. You can also catch a ride with one of the free shuttles that go around the resort if you're too lazy to walk. Its a huge resort and for someone like me who's not a fan of walking, this is a great feature. The freshwater pool is probably my favorite because of the jacuzzis located at every corner. There's nothing special about the beach though. Its a small stretch of kinda-white sand and a lot of sharp rocks by the shore.
The package didn't include any meals, just welcome drinks. There's a corkage fee if you bring any food but they don't really check your bags. We were able to sneak in a few snacks but that was it. I wish we brought more because the food and drinks here are really expensive. A liter of distilled water costs Php100 and a can of soft drinks costs Php150. I didn't even consider drinking fruit shakes or beer. There are 4 different restaurants in the resort and we got to try 3 of them. All of them offer expensive and plain menus. It wasn't bad, it just wasn't that great either. We paid an average of Php500 per person per meal. That doesn't include drinks and dessert. They have a strict "no tipping" policy. They come after you if you leave even a single peso on the table. For real.
The Kilimanjaro Kafe is like the main restaurant of the resort. Its right at the center by the freshwater pool. It looks like a modern version of the Parola in Pearl Farm, Davao. Its open 24 hours and serves "international" cuisine. Their not-very-appealing breakfast buffet costs Php750 per head, there's also an a la carte breakfast menu that's around 300 to 500 per meal. They also serve lunch and dinner buffets with the same price. Not very appeal as well. Some of the items in the menu are good for sharing.
The Fiji Restaurant by the beach has fairly good food. They serve seafood and asian cuisine for lunch and dinner. The ambiance is great for a quiet dinner date.
The Savannah Grill is beside a small freshwater pool in the far corner of the resort. Its actually perfect for families with kids but I can't say the same for couples like us. This restaurant has the most limited choices among the three restaurants that we've tried. The menu consists of burgers, hotdogs and barbecue.
There are lots of (expensive) activities available in the resort. Of course, there's the spa that we didn't try. There's a tennis court, wall climbing and firing range on one side. And on the other side, there are diving and island hopping packages that are just great and expensive! The more popular choice among the guests is the kayak within one of the swimming lagoons. For simple, laid back and cheap people like us, swimming and hanging out by the pool was enough to spend an entire vacation in Plantation Bay.
Plantation Bay Resort and Spa
Marigondon, Mactan Island, Cebu, Philippines
http://plantationbay.com/Marigondon, Mactan Island, Cebu, Philippines
