A canceled flight. A delayed flight. A missed flight. A rescheduled flight.

It was a logistical nightmare, yet my daughter and I soldiered on.

“Can we just fly back home?”, I remember asking her at Sydney’s Kingsford Smith Airport after finding out we missed our flight to Manila. I also remember being on the verge of tears. I dropped the 40-kilo worth of luggage (10 kilos of which were two boxes of TimTams — which I’ll whinge about separately) I had been running around with on the floor, in resignation.

Luna looked like she’s just been told she can no longer use her iPad for the rest of her life. And that’s enough to tell me that there ain’t no other way it will go.

Two exorbitant flights later, with a pit stop in Cebu — because really, there’s nothing danggit can’t fix, we arrived at Legazpi Airport in a rather rosy mood. The Mayon Volcano, though its peak was hiding behind clouds, looked as majestic as I remember (I first laid eyes on her about a decade ago). The resort’s staff was already waiting for us just outside the baggage claim area (my travel mates who arrived earlier at 6am had to look for the driver at the car park as there was no staff manning the counter yet) who promptly called the driver.

“Kuya, nag-uulan ba buong linggo (Has it been raining the whole week)?”, I asked the driver as I settled in.

“Ngayon lang po ma’m. As in, paglapag na paglapag nyo. (Just now, ma’m. Right when you landed).”

Great. Just great.

In no time, we were whisked out of the airport. And soon were weaving through the town’s light Saturday morn traffic.

Arrival

One thing you should know about Misibis Bay Resort is that they take exclusivity seriously. With that said, this may come as a downside in some aspects. Its relative remoteness inhibits guests from shuttling in and out the property without arranging transfers provided by the resort. Which means, bring everything you think you’d need. Oh, y’know, like a bucket of Jollibee Chicken Joy (somebody else had a craving for it) and a uhm, Kinder Surprise Egg.

I asked the driver to take us to a convenience store and the drive-through, he happily obliged. We were the only passengers aboard so it was easy for him to decide, it woulda been a different case if there were other guests in the van. After loading up on supplies and a tad too many alcohol drinks, we resumed our journey to the resort.

The entire drive, with some parts on zigzagging road (and with views of the Mayon Volcano), eats 50 minutes.

Entering the resort property is like coming home to a private residential village. A guard opened the gates for us. From there, it was still a bit of a drive until we finally reached the reception building. The lobby’s vast, and gave us a taste of what to expect from our room. The interiour’s tastefully decorated and Asian-inspired. The play of hues, between brown and blue, reflects the earth and the ocean.

It was a calming sight. And refreshing, like their welcome drink with a hint of ginger (which Luna almost spewed out).

Check in was a breeze. Especially that we were the lone guests who arrived at the time. Our luggage were transferred from the van to a golf cart. Fanceh. We hopped in right after, with me still holding Luna’s unfinished welcome drink, showing it off on camera which I clutched in the other hand because vlogging is life.

The Rooms

Our Deluxe Pacific View Room was simply stunning. Simply luxe.

The bathtub stood like a centrepiece, not caged by walls (curtains may be drawn for privacy). Which made it appear as though the bath area eats a good half of the room. On the other other half of the space, in one corner, is a swing chair. A statement piece in its own right. On the wall, a 32″ telly was mounted. And as the room name says it, our balcony’s got an ocean view.

The beds felt divine. It was just right for us. Not too hard, not too soft.

In-room amenities include a complimentary coffee counter, safety deposit box, blowdryer, and an iron (yes, some folks iron their resort wear). The mini-bar wasn’t stocked, but we got heaps of drinks anyways which we brought in. Take note, drinks not sold by the resort cannot be consumed in the restaurants. Corkage fee applies.
Misibis Bay Resort offers a handful of other rooms: Standard-Deluxe Garden View, Deluxe Pool View, One Bedroom Pool View, Deluxe Beach Front, One Bedroom Beach Front, One Bedroom Premier Pool View, One Bedroom Premier Pacific View, Beach Front Villa. Refer to this page for the specifics.

The Food

Ahhh. The food.

Spice Market offers a wide range of local and international cuisines. Okay, it’s not verrry wide, but enough to complicate your decision-making. My travel mates and I have tried their Bicolano dishes. The tilmok was a hit (crab, shrimp and coconut flesh wrapped in taro leaves cooked in spicy coconut cream). I had pork sinigang the first night too, the most expensive sinigang I had in my life, but it was worth it. The pork was so tender, the broth really tasty.

The buffet breakfast’s got a pretty impressive spread as well. While my little one gobbled waffles (cooked per request), I stuffed me face with all the local goods: daing, dried squid, tapa. The local desserts, also worth the mention.

The Facilities

Misibis Bay Resort offers world-class facilities both for relaxation and recreation. Guests won’t run out of things to do. There are two pools (plus a shallow one for kids) in the property: the lagoon and the infinity pool (not exactly what I consider an infinity pool, it’s nice nonetheless). It was never crowded while we were there.

There’s an activity center, a fitness center, and a kids room. All of which we didn’t get to experience because of the activities we signed up for. Though we did get to try Essenses Spa. The Essenses Signature Massage is P1,700. Highly recommended. Bookings are essential as there could only be 2 therapists at a time.

Activities

So our motley crew, notorious for our laziness (y’know, ever since everyone hit past mid-30s), actually agreed to do something other than drinking wine by the pool. Because why the heck not if you’re promised a private barbecue picnic on the beach?! Yep, day two lunch was at Pinaghulugan Beach, where we were served a barbecue “boodle” lunch. We rode 15 minutes on a speedboat to get there.

There ain’t much to do at Pinaghulugan besides picnicking and perhaps a bit of swimming (caution: marine stingers may be present), and well, that’s the whole point of the place. It really is a hideaway to space out. But back at the resort’s main beach, there are a number of activities offered: kayaking, paddle surfing, wind surfing and jetskiing (they even offer introductory diving!). None of which we got to do. Not even the ATV tour that was to take us up to Five Views — a small space of clearing by the road which offers a panoramic vista of Mayon Volcano.

We did get to Five Views alright, only by van. Cocktails at Five Views sealed that day perfectly.

Misibis Bay Resort
Cagraray Island, Albay,
Bicol Region, Philippines
reservations@misibisbay.com