Albay Province: Downtime at Misibis Bay Resort

It was time. Get some sand on our feet and sun on our shoulders!

We continued our road trip, driving south of Albay to Misibis Bay Resort in the island of Cagraray for 3 days of downtime.

Do read below to know our family’s impression of the resort. Meanwhile, here’s our time in Misibis in pictures…

We’ve established on day 1 that we could not bring ourselves to swim in the private beach of the resort, and it wasn’t that relaxing in the chalet either. But we didn’t give up. We were persistent in finding beauty and relaxation even if it meant going out of the main private beach.

And we found this…

The boys had asked to cut our stay in the resort short (first time that this has happened during a beach holiday) but I said maybe we could just explore the rest of the island.

So on our third day there, we drove to a (steep) hill nearby to check out the Cagraray Eco-Energy Park…

Now, would we recommend Misibis Bay Resort to friends?

I’m very sorry but it has to be a ‘No’.

• Let me compliment the staff first because we felt that they were really trying their best to make our stay better. Also, the food was good, although there was only one restaurant in the resort.
• The beach was disappointing for us.
• The chalet, too. It was spacious and maybe okay when it was new, but during our visit, it needed some upgrade especially the curtains. We did not find it relaxing and my OCD tendencies got triggered at some point.
• The resort also has a hotel nearer the beach, could it have been better there? But we chose the chalet because we wanted a big space.
• We couldn’t understand all the hype about Misibis and positive reviews in the internet. The boys said that it was literally a ‘down’ time for them.
• It was unfair but difficult not to compare with Shangri-la Mactan Resort in Cebu, Philippines, because we were just there a few months earlier for a summer beach holiday and we had a fantastic time. I told the boys that to be fair, they shouldn’t be expecting 5* anyway because Misibis (PHP10-15K per night/SGD420 ) was half the price of Shangri-la.
• The marina was beautiful but a neglected part of the resort. It could easily be the main attraction if they put facilities in place – like lifeguards on a boat like in Shangri-la Mactan, towel counter, a bar where guests could quench their thirst or get a bite.
• There are other activities that the resort offers, maybe these would make the stay there worthwhile. We wanted to rent a boat for a sunset cruise or picnic in another island but we couldn’t because the water was too choppy for these activities. Here’s the link, https://www.misibisbay.com/activities/
• The resort is photogenic, so if it’s pictures you’re after, then you wouldn’t mind staying there. For us it’s the beach, the room/chalet, so no.
• If we have to go again (but I don’t think so), one night or a day trip would be enough. We were there 3 nights and 3 full days. It felt too long. On the fourth day, we drove out right after a very early breakfast, excited to leave and move on to our next adventure.

Here are some pictures of the chalet:

Other snaps:

Other posts on our volcano road trip in the Philippines:

Three Volcanoes and a Road Trip

Mount Mayon: The Majestic Lady and the Rugged ATVs

Mount Mayon: ATV Summit Trail Video – All the Way Up

Albay Province: Hiking on Quitinday Green Hills

Albay Province: Jovellar Underground River and Dry Cave

Albay Province: Sumlang Lake and FarmPlate