Friday, May 4, 2018

Jpark Island Resort and Waterpark

Five-star resort in Mactan, Cebu!



After our luxe stay at bai Hotel, we checked out and headed to our next destination - Jpark Resort and Waterpark. To be honest, everything about the trip was pretty much a surprise to me. I wasn't sure of our itineraries or where we'd be staying the following day.

All they really told me was that we'd be checking out from bai and transferring to a new hotel, so I was really surprised when we arrived at Jpark. It's extremely huge and there's so much to do! Staying a night just isn't enough!

Initially, I didn't know it was a waterpark since it was the first I've heard of it (I haven't been to Cebu in YEARS). But it is a five-star resort that features 5 swimming pools, 3 water slides, and a private beach! They also have a bunch of activities you can do - Go Kart, Giant Chess, Mini Golf, and other games at J Activity Zone! Aside from that, they have a total of 8 restaurants inside the property, so there's really no reason to go elsewhere during your stay!

There are seven types of rooms to choose from here at Jpark, but the best one are the villas!

VILLA




Some of the villas have private jacuzzis while some have their own pools. Which one would you go for?

We, however, stayed at their Cebu Suite, which is a two-bedroom suite that's good for 4 adults and 2 kids. It comes with a king and twin beds, a living room, balcony, a mini pantry, televisions in the bedroom and living room, a fully-stocked mini bar and refrigerator, microwave, electric kettle, a hair dryer, and safety deposit box.

CEBU SUITE



The best thing about our suite? THIS AMAZING VIEW!!



After leaving our stuff in our rooms, we headed out to grab merienda at Pyramid (which I DO NOT RECOMMEND). It's hella far, so I really suggest staying at Jpark or finding closer spots to visit. I'll link my article on Where To Go in Cebu once it's up.

Anyway, by the time we got back to Jpark, it was already time for dinner. We ate at Olive, which is their Asian-Mediterranean restaurant, but most, if not all, of the dishes we had are Filipino comfort food (a.k.a. their bestsellers!)

OLIVE










After dinner, we decided to cap off our night with some wine at Coral Seaside. Since Jpark is a really big property, they have resort carts to take you around. But that evening, we decided to walk, enjoy the cool breeze, and snap some photos along the way.

DAY 2
For day 2, Jen and I woke up really early to explore Jpark while everyone was still asleep. We were already out by 6:30am and so I thought it would also be a good time to take photos of the pools, since they can get really crowded during the day. 
We walked all the way to the beach and took a bunch of photos for the 'gram!
I swear, Jen is the only person who can make me pose for photos like this. She's just super encouraging and helps me with the poses and I love her for it! She's also the one who took my photos at bai Hotel. Thanks, Jen!! ♥
Once we were done taking photos, we headed back to the hotel to join our friends for breakfast at The Abalone.

THE ABALONE
The Abalone is Jpark's buffet restaurant that offers a wide array of international cuisine with four live stations - Japanese, Western, Oriental, and dessert station. Unfortunately, I had this weird stomach bug that weekend so I didn't feel like eating much. All I had was cereal (Koko Krunch and Froot Loops) and a piece of bread.

And since I'm not one to stay cooped up in a room on vacations (sick or not), we headed back to the beach soon after and enjoyed the rest of the morning outdoors.


Lounging area under the trees


Havana by the Sea

There's lots to do on the beach too!

On our way back to our rooms to freshen up, we passed by this area (right below the lobby) where some of Cebu's local products are being sold. According to Jpark's PR and Marketing Communications Manager Alex, it's their way of helping out the local community; they don't charge for rent and all proceeds go to the concessionaires. 
I also found my favorite dried mangoes there! As it turns out, the folks behind this brand are the same people who own Jpark! Pretty cool, right? Glad I got to have my dried mango fix while in Cebu! 

Squeezing in some more photos from the top:



And yes, they also have dried mangoes in the rooms!! Didn't eat it until much later though since I wanted to save room for our lunch at Ching Hai.

CHING HAI
Here, you can find a sumptuous variety of classic and contemporary Chinese dishes prepared with only the freshest ingredients in an open showcase kitchen.
Since it was our only full day at Jpark, we decided to spend the afternoon swimming and lounging by the beach. My favorite spot is at Havana by the Sea. Love, love the vibe there!

HAVANA BY THE SEA
Day or night, it is definitely the place to be. You can't visit Jpark and not spend some time here!!
It was also where our final night was spent, listening to live music and enjoying good food from Coral Seaside! 
Pan Navajo
spicy tomato, Calabria salami

Grouper Ceviche
red onion, calamansi, coconut milk

Carbonara
homemade tagliolini, uni, nori powder

Langostinos
pico de gallo

Bavette
chimichurri, cherry tomatoes, charred spring onion

S'more
milk ice cream, smoky marshmallow, graham, ube coulis

And of course, some red wine to top it all off!

Huge thanks to Jpark Island Resort and Waterpark for making my first-time-in-a-long-time in Cebu a memorable experience! Book your Cebu vacation with Jpark today - I swear, you won't regret it! Visit https://www.jparkislandresort.com or contact rsvn@jparkislandresort.com for more details :) 
-
For more adventures, like and follow Life in Technicolor on Facebook and Instagram!