A blissful escape

Feeling like you want to escape the hustle, bustle, and heavy traffic of city life?

Can you just imagine yourself winding down at a world-class luxury island resort, where you can spend your day enjoying the peaceful bliss of lounging next to the pool, reading a book, overlooking the endless blue of the Philippine Sea?

Or capping off your day watching a breathtaking sunset while sipping a glass of wine, before heading inside for a finely prepared dinner?

If this sounds like a dream, you’re only a short 1.5-hour flight from Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport away from making it a reality.

I arrived in Manila at the beginning of October to join the pre-season of a professional sports team. A month later, we were ready to take advantage of a holiday break. So we packed a bag and headed off for our first adventure in the Philippines

Cebu was stop No. 1.

The Arterra at Discovery Bay Hotel and Resort, located on the northern tip of the Lapu-Lapu island peninsula, was just a short drive away from Cebu’s airport.

We arrived late in the evening, and were picked up by the hotel’s shuttle service and whisked away to the resort, where we were immediately blown away by the grand elegance of this modern, sophisticated property. Not to mention the friendly, welcoming staff ready to greet us with a freshly squeezed fruit juice as we completed our check-in.

Escorted up to the 14th floor, we were off to our clean and stylish adjoining rooms to shower up and catch some Z’s in Arterra’s cloud-like beds.

After a nice, long sleep, waking up with a view is definitely a great way to start your first day of vacation, and we sure weren’t disappointed with the stunning morning glory of Arterra’s.

A quick cup of coffee was made, and it was straight out to the room’s private balcony to take in a deep breath of the fresh sea air and glance around at the sun-kissed property. A perfect, relaxing day it was going to be, I could already feel it.

Swim-suited up, and regretfully without sun screen in hand (oops!), we headed out to the patio area, where several pools, lounge chairs, and wicker seated table areas awaited.

The kind staff readily took our order for a late brunch, and we hit our spots on the loungers overlooking the bright blue sea. Listening to the waves while soaking up some Vitamin D, and perhaps enjoying a fruity hand-crafted cocktail or two served by the poolside, was the perfect way to spend the day.

After watching the sun set, and send the sky into a mix of pink clouds dancing along the blue sky, it was time to get some dinner. We decided to venture into Cebu City and hit a local restaurant, which took about an hour to get to by Uber.

We enjoyed the following days at Arterra, while we also utilized some of its top notch amenities like the fitness center and dance studio—we are athletes, after all, and there is no such thing as a work-out free vacay. Fellow guests meanwhile enjoyed a game of basketball in the full-sized court next to us.

With our first trip to Asia, and thanks to a magnificent stay at the Arterra’s 5-star worthy luxury resort, it was easy to conclude that it really is more fun in The Philippines!