When Juan showed me the aerial view of Mangodlong Paradise Beach Resort in Camotes Island, Cebu, my heart skipped a beat in excitement. It was gorgeous.
Imagine my disappointment when we arrived at the main entrance of the resort, after an almost 90 minutes of riding the habal-habal (motorbike), with my hair smelling like the sun and pointing at different directions, muscles aching from hours of traveling (van from Tacloban to Leyte, ferry from Leyte to Camotes Island, and habal-habal from port to the resort), and eyes weary from lack of sleep, and saw a simple and meager reception area and lobby. The first question that came to mind was, “where is the @#$%&* pool???” Fortunately, all that changed when we were ushered into our room, with welcome drinks to boot, and I opened the sliding glass door at the back of our abode and saw the grass, the coconut trees, hear the waves, and ultimately saw the pool. I have to be honest that pools do not excite me, but the aerial view of the resort had a pool in the center of it, of course, I had to look for it. 🙂
My disappointment turned into bliss when Juan and I wandered around the property. The main entrance of Mangodlong Paradise Beach Resort is illusory because what lies behind that simple and meager space is a jewel nestled in the cocoon of the loving arms of Mother Nature.
The property is spacious enough to have 28 rooms with Asian and Modern inspired suites right beside the private beach of Mangodlong Paradise Beach Resort. Each room has the view of the beach, the pool or the well-manicured lawn. Moreover, it has the first and only infinity pool in Camotes Islands. The infinity pool is surrounded by white beach umbrellas that shelter white lounge chairs for those who want to sunbathe. It is next to the Pool Bar where guests can order cocktail drinks. It is a few meters away from Bamboo Café where guests can have light snacks after swimming.
There are also at least four cabanas where guests can relax, have their drinks or have a massage while staring into the horizon or the clear waters. Next to the back entrance of the main building, there is a volleyball net set up in the middle of fine white sand.
Kayaks are also available for rent, P50.00 (US $1.00) for 30 minutes.
The only negative thing about Mangodlong Paradise Beach Resort is the weak signal for Globe and the lack of Wi-Fi in each room. Wi-Fi is available only in Bamboo Café, which opens at 6am and closes at 10pm, and it is shared by all the guests. Imagine how slow it is.
For related entries, please read Bamboo Café, Lake Danao Park and In and Around Camotes Islands, Cebu.
Mangodlong Paradise Beach Resort Accomodations and Rates:
| Accommodation | Daily Rate |
| Paradise Suite | P7,200.00 (US $144.00) |
| Two-Bedroom Suite | P7,200.00 (US $144.00) |
| Two-Bedroom Cabana | P6,600.00 (US $132.00) |
| Cabana B | P3,840.00 (US $76.80) |
| Cabana A | P4,200.00 (US $84.00) |
| Beach Front Room | P3,600.00 (US $72.00) |
| Deluxe Room | P3,360.00 (US $67.20) |
| Standard Room | P3,000.00 (US $60.00) |
Published rates include buffet breakfast for two persons. The breakfast we had for two days were really good. I must have gained five pounds in those two meals alone.
On-call Massage:
Juan and I availed of the on-call hilot wellness massage on our last night in Camotes Islands. We had two options, have the massage in our room or in one of the cabanas in front of the beach. Of course, Juan chose the cabanas because he wanted to have a hilot under the stars while he listened to the waves. I booked the massage at the front desk the night before (because we were out the whole day the following day). The receptionist told me that Ate Helen was the best masseuse, so I chose her and a random masseuse for Juan. 😊 A 60-minute hilot costs P350.00 (US $7.00). Do not forget to tip the masseuses generously. They usually get one customer per day and have to travel one hour one way to get to the resort.
Mangodlong Paradise Beach Resort’s Pick-Up and Drop-Off Service:
Free pick-up and drop off are applicable if guests take crafts by Jomalia Shipping Corporation via Danao or Mactan Port only. Every arrival of Jomalia Shipping in Camotes Consuelo Port, Mangodlong Paradise Beach Resort’s free pick-up service (white/yellow cab) waits for the guests with a signboard with the guests’ names on it. From the port, travel time to the resort is 5 to 10 minutes.
Mangodlong Paradise Beach Resort does not provide pick-up service from Camotes Poro port (1 hour away by habal-habal) or from Jagutapay (1.5 hours away by habal-habal) to the resort. Guests need to rent a multicab or motorbike to take them to the resort.
Juan and I rented a habal-habal to get from Bocog to Mangodlong Paradise Beach Resort. The cost was P500.00 (US $10.00). However, we were able to avail of the free drop-off service to Consuelo Port, and the open-air cab is comfortable. Only 6 guests and the driver were on the vehicle. The receptionist also booked our tickets for the 11am boat going to Mactan Port.
Mangodlong Paradise Beach Resort Address:
Mangodlong, Heminsulan, San Francisco, Camotes, Cebu
Mangodlong Paradise Beach Resort Contact Details:
Telephone Number: (032) 328-0500
Mobile Number: +63 939 921 6835
Email Address: mangodlongparadiseresort@gmail.com
For more details, please visit their website at www.paradisemangodlongbeachresort.com.
Here are some of the photos taken in Mangodlong Paradise Beach Resort in Camotes Island, Cebu:
This chair and its complementary table became the home of my bags and clothes for two days. The closet was just too far from my bed. Hehehe.
I moved these wooden table and chairs closer to the edge of the concrete floor so I could connect to the Wi-Fi of Bamboo Café without actually going in there. 🙂
One of the four cabanas located on the shore. Juan and I had hilot at 9pm in one of these cabanas on our last night in Camotes Island. While the masseuses kneaded our muscles, we listened to the waves and basked on the moonlight. I have to admit that lying on these beds while looking at the starless sky for two nights was a good way to spend the evening. The conversation was not bad either. 🙂
The coveted cabana where we wanted to have our hilot, but we ended up in one closer to our room. Photo by Juan
Mangodlong Paradise Beach Resort’s Bamboo Café offers buffet breakfast with local and international dishes. I loved everything about it, from the Cebuano chorizo to the tablea chocolate drink.