Maayo San Remigio: Chasing summer on a stormy day

Hello, Hive!

Yes, you read that title right. My friends and I were once crazy enough to chase summer on a stormy day. IG memories reminded me that this trip is exactly three years old today. How time flies... Now, most of us are following our own separate paths. One is starting anew in Dubai, two are happily married and residing in Australia, and one is living her best life in New Zealand. The rest are still in Cebu yet are busy with everything adulting.

Anyway, I think it's nice to look back on those carefree days every now and then. It takes our mind off from the stresses and worries of the world.

So here goes a snippet of our summer trip.

The unexpected detour to Maayo San Remigio

Here's a funny backstory: We were supposed to go on a weekend getaway to Camotes island. We already paid our reservation, packed our bags, and happily headed to Danao port. All was well until things took a sudden turn due to Typhoon Bising which continued to intensify over the Philippine Sea. Camotes was placed under tropical cyclone wind signal number 1 and all trips to the island were cancelled. We had no backup plan. It was thanks to Renson and his connections, my friends and I were able to get a last-minute hotel booking for nine people.

Nestled in the northern part of Cebu, Maayo San Remigio is an up-and-coming hotel resort that offers a refreshing escape from the bustling city. The resort has different accommodation rates during weekdays and weekends, and guests can choose from family villas to modular rooms. As for our group, we took the latter because it’s way cheaper. No regrets since the buildings have colorful summer vibe, the rooms are big, and their vanity mirror is a crowd favorite!

From Danao City, we traveled via bus and arrived at Maayo by 2 PM. Guests’ access to the beach closes at 5 PM so we only had a few hours to make the most of it. After changing to our swimming attires, the boys went ahead to tour the area while the girls… well, girls will be girls. We took our time being vain, taking hundreds of photos only to post two or three on social media. HAHA!

After what seemed like forever, we rejoined the boys who were chilling by the sunloungers. Meanwhile, out there in the vast sea, the wind and waves were raging and wild. Right then, we understood why our unexpected detour was a blessing in disguise. It would have cost our lives had we sailed.

With the gloomy weather, most guests opted to swim in the pool. But sea was just too tempting for us to ignore.

My friends and I headed down to the beachfront and started playing like little kids. We actually enjoyed being hit by the waves. Anticipating the rush of water crashing over our bodies, feeling the force of the ocean, with its push and pull leaving us briefly disoriented. Of course, as a precaution, we made sure to never go far and stay near the shore.

As people noticed the fun we were having, some of them followed suit. We took turn taking solo and group pictures. Once, content (and visibly tired from all the fighting against the waves), we decided to transfer to their infinity pool.

Maayo San Remigio has an infinity pool bar where you can order some refreshments and snacks. Since we still had plans for dinner, we only got ourselves some fruit shakes and fries.

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Dusk slowly rolled in and we watched the sunset cast its rays through the gray clouds. A perfect spot to cap the day.

The rest of our second day was spent exploring the 2.7-hectare resort.

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We spent most of our time at the viewdeck by cliff. It reminded me of the film “Titanic” with surface shaped like the bow of a ship. Here, you can remake Jack and Rose’s iconic “I’m Flying” scene without the need of technical props. This spot offers a panoramic view of the sea with unobstructed natural lighting and summer breeze.

Overall, what this trip taught us is that no matter what plot twist we face, there is always an opportunity to have some fun. Some bad luck are actually blessings in disguise.

Until next time! 😁

_{Maria is a hopeless romantic who travels in pages and places. She is an INFP who loves sunrises and moonlight nights and reading books in between. On weekdays, she works for a self-publishing company as a copywriter. On weekends, she lives her life as a poet or hiker. She hopes to share her love for words and the world with you here on HIVE.}

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