WHAT’S IT LIKE? With only 38 villa suites in the 20ha property, you pretty much have the whole place to yourself. It’s your very own private resort island amid a tropical setting that calls to mind the upscale getaways in Phuket and Langkawi.
WHERE IS IT? Cagraray Island is an hour’s bus ride from Legazpi City, the capital of Albay Province in Bicol. However, resort guests are greeted in style on arrival. As part of the package, visitors get a round-trip airport transfer that includes a 30-minute ferry ride across the Sula Channel in a private fastcraft owned by the resort. On a clear day, the best seats are at the back where there is a small alfresco area.
ROOM FACILITIES There are 38 villa suites. Those facing the poolside are classified into four categories: Junior Suite Deluxe, Premier Villa, One-Bedroom Deluxe and One Bedroom Premier. Those with beachfront views are classified into three different categories: Junior Suite Premier, Luxury Villa and One-Bedroom Luxury.
Certified urbanites need not miss the comforts of the city as the rooms are fitted with flatscreen LCD TV with local and international cable channels, DVD and CD player, iPod dock, luxurious bathroom with separate toilet, shower and bathtub, telephone with IDD, Wi-Fi internet access, minibar, refrigerator, hairdryer, safe and many more.
ROOM HIGHLIGHTS All suites have their own living and dining areas and have a private direct access to the pool or the beach. Furthermore, each suite has its own balcony and sun deck partitioned by a wall-to-ceiling glass panel from the rest of the room. Interiors are tastefully done with minimalist décor. The clean white walls are set off by paintings and throw pillows in bright shades give the room a splash of colour.
RESTAURANTS AND BARS There are four. Spice Market specialises in Asian cuisine in a fine-dining setting. DeLaPlaya is a beach grill and tapas bar that is open nightly, specialising in steaks and seafood. Pool Bar is a swim-up bar that serves casual fare, while the Beach Bar provides beverages and cocktails and an all-day dining menu at the boardwalk pavilion.
BUSINESS AND MEETING FACILITIES There is a function room equipped with meetings paraphernalia. It can accommodate groups of up to 350 people.
LEISURE FACILITIES As comfy as the suites are, the whole point of staying in Misibis Bay Raintree is to take your adventurous side out of the closet. There are three swimming pools and one kilometre of white-sand beach for aqua biking, bottom fishing, kayaking, diving, snorkelling and windsurfing. On land, guests can enjoy a nature trek, ATV rides, horseback riding and mountain biking. The resort has its private helicopter available for charter for an aerial tour of Mount Mayon.
For more sedate activities, there is a recreation room for crafts and coconut-hat weaving. There is a health club as well as Spa at Misibis Bay with hot pools and saunas. Guests have a choice of having the treatment indoors or outdoors. There is a children’s activity centre fitted with a movie room with a DVD/CD library and loaded with games galore from traditional board games and billiards to video games on PlayStation and Wii.
PRICE Internet rates for a stay in mid-January started from US$385 per night in a Junior Suite Deluxe, with a maximum occupancy of two people and one child. Rates include daily breakfast and round-trip airport transfers.
VERDICT Ideal for people who put a premium on high-end island experience coupled with exclusivity and privacy.
CONTACT Cagraray Island, Albay, Bicol, Philippines, tel 63 2 683 8222 ext 3306, www.misibisbay.com
Gigi Onag
