We haven't had a family holiday (and by this I mean a holiday with just the four of us) since we had Mia. The last time we went on a beach holiday was in October 2008 when I was heavily pregnant. We finally decided to take a short break at the Shangrila Resort in Cebu in March. Now if you have kids, this is an ideal place for a holiday. They have so many activities to keep the little ones occupied including two swimming pools, a kids club, adventure zone and of course lots of water sports.
We spent the entire four days alternating between lying by the pool and on the beach. Thank goodness Ryan is such an outdoor child, and after this trip, it looks like Mia's going to be a beach baby too although she still has a phobia about grass. Absolutely refuses to walk on it or even go close to anything green!
The beach at the Shangrila wasn't fantastic, no powder fine sand but the colourful sea life close to shore more than makes up for it. Just a few steps into the ocean and you're surrounded by loads of fish. For us it was exactly what we were looking for, the perfect learning ground for a first time snorkeler. Each time Ryan got into the water he was so entranced by the hundreds of fishes swimming around him, with many coming so close that he could almost touch them.
Day 1 - Our flight from Hong Kong left at 9am and we were relaxing on the beach by 1pm. Another reason why anyone with little kids will appreciate this place.
A great start to the holiday. Ice cream on the beach! A first for Mia :)
Free rider
Child labour - no guesses as to why the kayak was in the same spot for the longest time!
Glamorous baby model in training
Up close with the vain model
She knows she's cute too!
Horsing around in the pool
View from our room
Day 2 - A day by the pool.
Ryan's fusion breakfast - fruit, sushi and a donut
Morning stroll to work off our brekkie
Pep talk from Mama to help Mia overcome her fear of the lawn
Maybe holding Koh-koh's hand will help
Nope, didn't help and we haven't even reached the grass!
A favourite with all the kids
Practising for the real thing
The all important underwater sign - captured perfectly by the photographer Master Ngam
Hungry and ready for lunch after her morning nap
Deep fried chicken wings - a must when eating by the pool!
Enjoying the cool water on a warm evening
Yoga position number 237
Still a little unsteady on her feet
But loving this new found freedom
Dinner that night was out by the pool terrace where they were having a Philippino cultural buffet. The food was pretty good and we got to taste a selection of local dishes which were pretty interesting. Surprisingly though, adobo which to me is synonymous with Philippino food did not feature on the menu that night. The whole suckling pig (lechon) was delicious and so were the many different types of cassava desserts.
Dancing their way to dinner
Not too sure about the local cuisine that Mama's piled onto his plate
Fire dancers
Mesmerised by the flames
Day 3 - Beach bums for the day. We spent the entire day on the beach, immediately after breakfast until dusk. I think this was Ryan's favourite day because he not only got to play in the sand and sea all day, he also got to "drive" a jet ski which he had been asking to do since he saw them on the beach the first day we arrived.
Early morning cuddles
All ready for our morning swim with the fishies
While we swam, sleeping beauty had a lovely nap on the beach
One very tired little snorkeler being towed into shore
The highlight of this little boy's trip
Father and son enjoying a high speed ride
Mama's turn after a quick lesson from the mini "expert"
Shad and I were amazed at how well Ryan did at snorkeling. The minute his head went under the water, he was so enthralled by all the hundreds of fish swimming around him that any apprehension he may have felt was quickly forgotten.
Junior snorkeler
So close you could almost touch them
Another discovery, a beautiful bright blue starfish
Can we take it home please...?
You can just see what's going through that little mind - to eat or not to eat!
Beached baby
One for the family album
Displaying her shoe fettish yet again
These two kids are happiest when they're out playing on the beach
Caught in the act - we're currently going through the "put everything into the mouth" stage
This little girl can't sit still for long - time to go explore on shaky legs
Still needs more practice - Koh-koh unleashing some words on wisdom (instead of helping her get up!)
I can't feel my body, literally!
After two pregnancies, I think if my head wasn't screwed on, I'd have forgotten and left it behind a long time ago. Oh wait I did, let me go pick it up!
Such a small head for a big butt!
Day 4 - Our last day... :(
Some serious early morning plotting going on here
Mama and baby
Mama and babies
A quick photo before breakfast
All ready for a round of Muay Thai - No, actually this was just to get into the ball pit!
KO! - one little 4.5 year old is no match for hundreds of multi-coloured balls!
Another first for Ryan - a ride on the hobiecat
Skipper and his first mate
Enjoying the serenity out at sea
Cruisin' into the sunset
Safety first, comfort second - much to the baby's annoyance!
Ah... mango juice does the trick every time. See, no more tears :)
One last snack by the pool before our flight home
Fat cheeks = mouth full of chips!
