578branm
Google
From start to finish the service and food here was perfect. The girls at the front desk organised an air conditioned mini van to pick us up at the port and drop us off when we left today. They also booked our ferry seat and the driver got us our tickets and dropped us off at the front of the queue. The full VIP treatment. ||The rooms were clean and spacious. It came with a fridge, Kettle, safe and tv but the channels weren't that great, or I didn't get it all working right. We didn't use it anyway. A smart tv would have been nice to cast to. So bring chrome cast if you have it. The bathroom was clean and modern and everything was well kept. We also had a patio outside so we could sit out and have breakfast or dinner outside our room if we wished. ||The pool was lovely and so were the 2 little beaches. A lifeguard was on all day so the kids are in safe hands. The grounds men keep the place looking immaculate. All debris is cleaned up on the grass and beach every morning. They are meticulous on how the property presents and they are a real credit to the Mangodlong Paradise Beach Resort. ||We had our breakfast there most mornings where we were usually met by Jasie and Clifford, who were our waiters. Loren was usually on the till in the morning and she was very welcoming. Carlo was our man for the cocktails and other drinks, for a lot of the afternoon and he was great at his job. ||We normally came down for dinner, between 6pm and 8pm, where the evening staff were always in great spirits. Goevannie and Judy were the main male waiters for the evening shift and they were extremely helpful with advice on trips and things to do. While Khea and Jun Mae brought a great atmosphere to the restaurant and always greeted us with huge smiles. Joesibel was on the till while Kurt took over most evenings on the bar. All of them were extremely friendly and their service was flawless. Happy hour is from 4 to 7 so make the most of it. A 10% to 15% tip goes a long way for the staff, so don't be shy. ||There is a place across from the front door that does laundry. I saw that while waiting for the taxi to go home. The staff can organise a car to rent if you want it for around 2200 pesos per day. 500 pesos fuel will do at a time. There are no real taxis on the island. There are plenty of small open backed vans that are used for tours or for larger groups. But the tricycles are probably the best mode of transport unless it's raining a lot, you will get wet. We hired them on a couple of occasions to visit her family and they waited for us for a few hours. Costing around 1500, including tip, for maybe 2 to 3 hours. And 1800, including tip for a 4 to 5 hour tour of the island, to the caves, lake Danao and a small island off the North west corner. ||I got stopped at a checkpoint in the rental car at one point and the police officer was looking for the owners papers, which we had none. She advised us to not hire from individuals in the future and only use legitimate companies. ||So if you plan on touring around a lot, it might be worth hiring a car for the 2 weeks from an official company in Cebu, especially if you see air conditioning as a top priority. It is hot and humid out on Camotes island, so if you're from Ireland, like me, or a similar climate, and you plan on going driving everyday, then get a vehicle. ||You can hire scooters too, from right outside the hotel and many other places, but it's concrete roads and it rains a lot, making it slippy. There are also a lot of bad parts to the roads. The driving there can be a bit chaotic and you're not going to find any racing leathers. So a helmet, shorts an t-shirt is what you see most wearing. I've had my share of bike crashes, so I wasn't too keen on getting on a scooter. Driving the 6 seater Suzuki minivan was no hassle at all, just keep an eye on the mirrors because they'll overtake you in bad spots all the time. When I go again, I'll be hiring a vehicle for the whole holiday.
