Resorts such as these are used by holiday makers to give them an easy and regular holiday destination year in year out. Not really my thing; I like the variety of going to lots of different resorts for a variety of experiences, but I can see why those who don’t view travelling as such of a hobby may choose this option.

One of the most affordable resorts in the country I could find on TripAdvisor was Thresher Cove Dive Resort, with sale prices starting at just £13. Lets see what you can get for this enticing price.

A lot of the rooms are beach cabanas, sitting right on the beach, with the sea just a few dozen feet away to lap against the shore as you fall asleep. The affordable price does get you shared shower services as opposed to private ones, but the toilet services are separate and the staff keep the facilities clean and tidy. A few ignorant guests spoiled it a bit by leaving a mess, but the staff got to it very promptly, so credit to them.

The rooms themselves were cool and quiet, with comfy beds , shared shower and just a short walk to the restaurant. The food available is nothing fancy, but it is tasty and affordable and coupled with regular happy hours, we could hardly complain.

The big pull of the resort is definitely the diving. The thresher shark expereince is not to be missed, but book early as it can get crowded. Gato is great, lovely tunnel/cave with white tipped reef sharks, seahorses and ghost pipe fish. Excursions to Kallangamman give you a stunning wall dive, but the little island itself is not worth the extra money. I get they want to make money, but for that price I would expect the place to be cleaner.
Overall, for the beginning price and variety you get on a surprisingly small resort, I would definitely go again.

Timeshare Issues

Timeshares do come with their own set of problems though. The resort can be as nice as you like, but that’s no good if you’re being charged way too much or you can’t get out of the contract. Although there are a lot of legitimate timeshare companies, a few unscrupulous ones won’t be acting in your best interest, so many services are available to help you with timeshare release but I would recommend consulting with someone in the know before you even enter into the contract. Better safe than sorry!

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Happy travels everybody!

For the latest travel promotions, sales and more, bookmark this site or subscribe to my feeds. By doing this, posts will arrive straight in your inbox.

Those with a Cebu Pacific Credit Card from Citibank can gain further benefit. Just by spending using your card, you earn points towards gaining free miles. Once you get enough, exchange your points for e-vouchers and you’ll jetting off to your dream destination in no time!

We had so much fun during our overnight stay in this small but well-maintained resort, making best use of the air-conditioned rooms, the seas facing dining area as well as the infinity pool and a hot tub.

The two days were spent eating a lot of delicious, home-cooked meals, served in a buffet, followed by snorkeling, visits to the beaches, swimming in the infinity pool, karaoke and drinks in the evening and just simply relaxing and watching the days go by.

The staff there were great, really making us feel pampered all throughout our stay, with everything from extra towels, extra bathroom tissues to fresh fruits and ice-cold drinks. I also personally loved the gardens on the resort, with palm and fruit trees, some orchids and a of assorted tropical plants.

I’d be happy to visit Vista Aplaya again. I can’t give you the room rates, and they obviously change the room rates seasonally, but they were quite affordable, similar to the prices at Palm Beach Resort and Virgin Beach Resort which we have also used for office outings.

It’s also bigger than places we’ve been before, but where it’s tucked behind the local mountain range, it still feels more private, and arguably more relaxed than the other resorts one the Laiya beach strip just over the hills.

Because it such a large resort, the resort staff kindly provided a regular shuttle service to take use through the resort to where we were staying and to other things like the restaurant and the spa. It was only a 10-second ride, but it was still a nice touch, particularly after a long journey. We were there way earlier than our check-in time, so they let us commandeer two of their parasols on one of the patios to sit down with our bags, the perfect time to soak in all the beauty around us.

We also had time to have a quick walk around, and I found two of the infinity pools down the road, and a beach with lovely clear water.

I read before getting there that the beach was not easily swimm-able due to rocks and corals just off the beach. Although they are there, if you keep in close to the shore you’ll still be on sand, and if you get out into deeper water to swim you’ll be fine. It’d still bring some aqua shoes with you, or rent them from the resort.

The whole place was quiet during our visit, and because it is so spacious, you’d have thought we were the only group there; the only time we thought differently was when we went to one of the dining areas and saw three (or four?) other groups. This was perfect for a bigger group like ours, so we didn’t feel like we were imposing on other peoples holidays.

Our group was billeted for an overnight stay in the resort’s Casa Alexandra. Built like a 3-storey house with four bedrooms (a home away from home!), the first floor had living spaces, a small kitchen and storage space, with the rest of the house holding the bedrooms. The whole casa can hold up to 16 persons, and even though ee were only 15, I don’t feel like a higher number would leave the place feeling cramped. The whole place is spacious and cozy and with every room decked out with double beds, air-con, fridge, TV with cable and an en-suite, you’re not left wanting.

i didn’t get to see much of the other accommodation, but they all looked similar. The whole place felt a bit more alive at night, as the lights under the trees and around the plants which made the place feel more romantic and lively.

While we enjoyed the food at Virgin Beach Resort more, the eating options here were still good, with the dining pavilion that most people went to also boasting free wifi, very useful considering the lack of the phone signal around the resort.

We left the place at around 1 p.m, later than they recommend, but for our larger group they were very understanding and didn’t charge us  for the extended check-out time. To say thank you for the great service we had throughout our trip, my boss left them a very generous tip.

If the chance to go back to Palm Beach Resort in the future come about, I’d definitely grab it! Combining a lovely setting with great service will always bring me back to a place. 

We were greeted by pine tress and lush greenery upon entering the gate, very different to what you see across the rest of the island. As we drove through, several understated houses complete with manicured lawns greeted us. I’ve never been to Switzerland, but as an imitation, I think they’re doing a good job!

My extended family were lucky enough to know someone who let us use their condo unit for an overnight stay. Although 24 of the rooms are up for general like in any other hotel program, the rest of the units are owned outright for when ever a group/family wants to use them, and this was the case for my SIL’s friend.

Included within the per night rate for two people, you also get a buffet breakfast and use of the amenities throughput the resort. It’s definitely on the expensive side of things, but for the uniqueness of the setting alone, if you can afford it, take your family there and you won’t regret it. Although there’s no view from any of the rooms of nearby Taal Lake, the abundant lush greenery and the serenity makes up for it. It certainly left me feeling rejuvenated.

There’s not much in regards to excursions or fancy amenities, but we entertained ourselves with swimming in some of the pools, checking out the Christmas village and taking walks through some of the resorts tracks to smell the pine trees (there are thousands of them scattered all over the place!). The stand-alone houses are also worth a walk around to take in, you don’t see anything else like this in the Phillipines.

The pool area is a short drive away from where we were staying, so we had to use our car to go there. It was a bit inconvenient, particularly with damp clothing and towels on the way back, but what was there was good. We were greeted by two average-sized pools, one for adults and one for kids, a hall with tables and chairs for those who weren’t swimming, as well as changing rooms and a bank of showers for those getting changed.

There’s a convenience store called Finds inside the complex for those who don’t want to travel further afield, with it being just a short walk from the towers. The prices were also far cheaper than places like 7-Eleven’s were we live, so we appreciated that! If you want it to be even more convenient,  the reception also carries a large number of leaflets for local takeouts, and most places locally will deliver right up to your villa. We took full advantage of this, with a delicious Chinese, courtesy of local favourite Chowking that.

I would definitely recommend Cross Winds Swiss Luxury Resort for families, couples and just about anyone who would like to experience serenity and rejuvenation even just for a weekend. It’s a unique escape from the hustles and bustles of the city, yet it still feels like a home away from home.

To get there, we had to use the Tagaytay-Nasugbu Road instead of following the normal Star Tollway-Lipa route. The entire La Cocina de Tita Moning staff, along with our respective families, had a fun day touring through there.

Upon arrival, I took a quick look around, and it was very clear it wasn’t the best Batangas resort I’d ever been to. Virgin Beach Resort is far better. But, i won’t write this place off entirely. It has it’s own charm though; the main lobby for example, is huge and displays mostly Filipino ornaments and handicrafts.

The place looks and feels a bit rustic but is still very functional. The staff during our visit were also very warm and accommodating, and things like that can really make the difference at a resort.

As we were arriving at an odd time, we organised some packed meals for our breakfast to be provided once we got there, another welcome touch of good service. For our buffet lunch, they also set up tables under the trees outside. The food was decent but not exceptional, but the setting was nice.

Our day tour included the buffet lunch as well as the use of their cottages to relax and store our stuff in, as well as access to the swimming pool and the beach. The pool area felt a bit unnecessarily, strict at the pool area, with only proper swimsuits allowed, and if you were wearing something like a tshirt, it must be white.

We first hit the beach and then the pool. The beach was long with crystal clear water and lovely bright sand. There were also  bamboo rafts moored off the shore, which were able to be rented out to eat on. Although we did’t use them this time, they certainly looked like a lovely way to spend an afternoon.

This was one of the few private resorts on the long Matabungkay beach strip, and with that comes a monopoly on customers, meaning that the place could feel crowded around busy times of day.

All in all, we enjoyed our day tour at Matabungkay Beach Hotel. Not a stellar place, and I’m not sure I’d want to spend a whole holiday there, but for the price its pretty good. 

Getting to this Virgin Beach Resort is easy, even easier if you have a service vehicle. Drive through SLEX, then Star Tollway and take an exit at Ibaan. Travel time is about 3 hours from Manila; on the long side, but bearable enough.

Our experience started early in the morning, when we arrived at the beach resort and we relaxed at one of their dining parasols on the beach. Check in didn’t start until 11:00 a.m., so we killed time by busying ourselves with picture-taking and soaking in the beautiful coast side view. By the time we could check into our rooms, which were two cabanas made of bamboo, accommodating six people each, we didn’t want to waste any more time and got straight down to the beach.

The beach and the vastness of the property are definitely the strongest points of this resort. The stretch of coast the resort has access to is massive and although the place was booked up, you won’t feel that the place is crowded at all!

You could only bring in external food at this resort if you’re just there for the day, and even then you have to be renting out one of the dining parasols. For overnight packages like ours, they recommend their dining options, with us opting for regular packages so we could eat when we wanted. These included one lunch, one dinner and one breakfast a day. If it’s peak season, a buffet setup is the most common, but in the off season, set meals are available.

Our two bamboo cabanas had two double beds with two extra mattresses each for any further guests, good for up to six people, complete with fans. They also had private comfort rooms for those looking for a bit of seclusion. Blankets, towels and toiletries were also well-provided and replaced daily if we wanted. There were electric fans to cool us and small wardrobes to store our things, complete with a secure looking safe.

Overall, for the price, I would thoroughly recommend this place for a short stay.

You have a choice of either a day tour, or for an overnight package with full use of the amenities. If your in the market for some R and R, I would definitely recommend a room for an overnight stay.

When we got chatting with one of the lifeguards, he was telling us that Tanza Oasis Hotel and Resort had some major renovations last year to better serve its growing client list. We visited on a national holiday, getting there at around 2:00 in the afternoon, and the place was jam-packed with people that had turned up without a booking and couldn’t get into a cottage.

If you wish to get a cottage to spend the day in, I would thoroughly recommend turning up earlier than we did. However, parking wasn’t an issue, with the ample car park more than covering the number of arrivals.

The resort is a quintessential summer getaway. A nice, big hotel with decent rooms as well as a lounge area, souvenir shop, restaurant, swimming pool and beach. There was also more unusual facilities, such as a basketball court and botanical gardens dotted throughout the resort.

While the beach was a bit disappointing, with gray sand and brown-colored water, kids could enjoy the swimming pool, complete with slides. There’s also a separate kiddie swimming pool for smaller kids as well.

Since this place is on the affordable side of things and so near our home, its perfect for a quick getaway and we’ll certainly be visiting again!