Mactan Island Resorts - Save Money and Time

Mactan Island Resorts - Shangri - la, White Sands, Maribago Blue Water, BE Resorts, Tambuli East, Tambuli West, Costabella, Hilton, Plantation Bay, Imperial Palace. All of these resorts offer a great and wonderful vacation experience. Each one with their own appeal and offers in which you can find what will fit your wants and budget best...

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g667507-Mactan_Island_Cebu_Visayas-Hotels.html


WARNING ::: WARNING ::: Living here and being around the resorts for over 8 years now, please listen to this advice. The resorts are nice, and i am not against them. But they are certain things I believe you should know, that you will not be told and will be hidden from you.

The resorts will try very hard to " TRAP YOU INSIDE" . What i mean to say is this, they will make it very difficult, and even advise you against going out of the resort. They will tell you they are no meter taxi available, they will have you to walk to the main gate for a taxi. They will give other business you have reservations booked with a hard time in getting you. They do this in the hopes you will say its too much trouble and I will just stay inside the resort.

TAXI - Ok, here's how this one will work. The resorts and hotels all have their own taxi or transport. It costs you about twice as much as the normal meter taxi from outside. Most of them will or do not allow meter taxi on their property. So if you ask for a meter taxi, they will tell you you have to walk to the main gate, or if you protest enough, some will call you one. But they will make the process very slow and aggravating, so you will not want to do it the next time. Some of the resorts the gate is far from the main building, and sometimes they will not even supply you a transport to the gate. Again if you protest, they will get one, but they will make it very aggravating and time consuming.

HOW TO FIX THIS - Most all other restaurants, tours, places to go, things to do on Mactan Island offer free hotel pick up and drop off. Remember to ask if you decide to go out to a restaurant or activity ask them if they have free hotel pick up and drop off. If they do not, then ask and demand for a meter taxi early. Give your self about 30 minutes before you want to leave so they can time their normal slow time in getting you a taxi. Or you can also walk yourself to the main gate and ask the guard to call you a taxi. Don't let them tell you one is not available. That is not TRUE. They know where the taxi's are and how to get them..

NOTHING TO DO OUTSIDE THE RESORTS - This is a absolute LIE. Mactan Island holds a great wealth of things to do and see outside the resorts. This is a common practice used by the resorts to discourage you from going out. They want you to spend all your money inside, at lot more expensive prices. Don't expect any staffing or guards to tell you anything. They are trained and also have penalty or even termination if they recommend or tell anything outside the resort to do. Most of the resorts were located in out of the way areas, I believe just for the fact that it would make it harder to get out and find things to do. Most resorts and hotels here will not allow flyer's, or other establishment to put any kind of tourist information about Mactan Island inside their resorts. You will also hear that its not safe, and you should not travel outside the resort. THAT IS LIE. I will agree that they are places that are not safe, but those places hold no interest to a traveler and would not be in those areas walking around anyway. All of the places of interest and restaurants , activities on Mactan Island is very, very safe.

WAY TO FIX THIS - Research and The Internet. Get on the Internet and find things close to your resort. Search for things to do on Mactan Island. Find a business owned by a foreigner from your country, or any foreigner and you can feel comfortable with the advice he will give you. I will agree that listening to the locals, they usually have a hidden agenda in their recommendations. Not all, but most.. Get the Free hotel pick and drop off options from the other establishments. REMEMBER - The resorts will still give those persons a hard time picking you up sometimes. So its up to you to tell the front desk, you are being picked up by ????????? and you expect they will be no trouble with that. As a customer of the resort you have to stand up and say, This is my decision and my transport from ??????. As your guest i suggest you should not cause any delay or any issue with this.

ALL INCLUSIVE OPTIONS - BEWARE of this. Most of the higher end resorts will always try to include with the rooms a inclusive dinner packages. I will agree that you should always take the breakfast package, because breakfast outside is very hard to find on Mactan Island. But be very careful of the inclusions for dinner and lunch packages. Once you do it, its done. If you don't like it, or its not great quality, NO REFUNDS. Plus they do this also again, to keep you inside the resort. Another main thing, is that some of the inclusive packages they will include contain shows of different styles. Hawaiian, Filipino Cultural, and many others. You will find many travelers who will tell you, these shows are very short and of poor quality. You pay a large expensive price for them, but they are not very good with poor performers. Read here what some travelers have said about this issue:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g667507-d1483128-Reviews-The_Jungle_Restaurant-Mactan_Island_Cebu_Visayas.html


HOW TO FIX THIS - Of course, you should not accept the inclusive deals, unless you know for sure and have experienced them before. You should make your decisions as you go. So not to lock yourself into something , that you end up waisting your time and money for.

So for all in all i can end up with telling you this. If you like to stay in the resorts and not travel out much. You for sure can find good foods, and some nice things to do inside the resorts. I by no means am telling you the resorts are not good. Actually most of them are very nice, and very comfortable. I am just writing this to let you know, if you want to go outside the resorts on Mactan Island, they are lots of great choices, and cheaper places, with good quality also. I am telling you this because they will not tell you....

THINGS TO DO ON MACTAN ISLAND - CLOSE TO ALL THE MACTAN ISLAND RESORTS
1. Mactan Island Aquarium
2. The Jungle Filipino Cultural Center - Restaurant and Cultural Shows
3. Maribago Grill - Restaurant
4. Fun, Sun, Dive Inc. - Dive, Island Hopping, Jet Skis, Para Sailing, Snorkeling.
5. Mr. Hamms - Resto Bar - Daily Acoustic Music Lounge
6. Datag Filipino Public Market
7. Soong Lapu Lapu Sports Complex - Cock Fights every Weekend
8. Won Spa

Places and activities very close to ALL MACTAN ISLAND RESORTS
1. Mactan Shrine
2. Amazing Show - All gay performers
3. Gusiano Grand Mall and many restaurants 2 locations
4. Red CoCo - Shows
5. Sea Walker - Underwater Sea Walk
6. Mactan Shrine Native Shell Arts and Crafts
7. Algre Guitar Factory - Handmade Guitars
8. Shooting Range

Plus the hundreds of fine restaurants, nightlife, islands, historical sites. These are all famous and established places that tourist at the resorts are not told about. There is a great wealth of things to do. Lot of public beaches, that are never spoken of. Lot of local life to experience. Lot of high end places to experience also.....