ABADVENTURES #2: Strengthening The Family Bond At Estaca Bay Garden Resort

”In family life, love is the oil that eases the friction, the cement that binds closer together, and the music that brings harmony.”-Friedrich Nietzsche

Bonjour! To everyone who both writes and reads out of passion in this life-changing Hive community, I wish you all the best. I hope everyone’s doing well in their lives. How’s the first month of this year going? Are you guys enjoying the vibe of January?

Well, for me, so far, I have been productive and happy. I especially know for sure that this year will be great. That’s why, for today’s blog, I’m writing about my recent venture with the fambam. Finally, I got to write about my second adventure, and I was worried I could only share one part of it.

"Do you guys think that a family problem can be at ease after a sugar-sweet family adventure?"

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As you guys learned from my previous ABADVENTURES blog, my uncle is always the initiator. Just like what happened on the 5th of January, my uncle made a spontaneous decision during our dinner. He said that we should prepare ourselves for a special day, which is the day after.

01-06-24 D-day!

My uncle and auntie went to the market in Mandaue, near the Colonnade, to buy some seafood and meat to grill. They came home by 5:00 a.m. and started to get ready for the departure. Our goal was to witness the sunrise, yet it was gloomy, and even a rain shower occurred in the early morning. Amidst the rain shower, we continued preparing the food. Me and my sister helped by putting the meat into sticks for the barbecue.

After a while, everyone has settled, and my younger sister has started to arrange the things at the back of the car for us to get in already and depart from the house. Our car is now filled, and it’s time to step on the gas!

We travelled for about 20 minutes only, since my grandparents house is just located in Liloan, Cebu. Now, here we are!

The Estaca Bay Garden Resort, Compostela Cebu

This is the entrance to the resort. A two-way road for all the visitors, which is efficient for the vehicles to pass through the roads without inconvenience. We stopped by the guard house to settle the payments and parked in the spacious lot. Everyone gathered the necessities, foods, and things from the car to put them inside our cottage.

My two uncles then started to grill the barbecue for us to finally eat. This is their grill station, which is not so huge yet enough for the people to enjoy grilling. There’s also a handwashing area across the station.

When it was time to have our meal, we prayed together, savoured the flavorful meal served in front of us, and enjoyed every single moment with the solace view around us.

We took a moment of rest after our fun meal for our games to commence! Yes, we had games! Also, the prizes were great!

The Games

The first game was "pinoy-henyo." This is a Filipino game where a gamer guesses the word he or she is given, and with the help of his or her pair, he or she must guess the word. Each family member had a pair and played the game together.

The second game was "pass-the-ball." There were two groups,and one group had a ring. My grandfather was actually the host of this game and decided to give a prize of 500 pesos to the winning group. Everyone got so competitive, and in the final round, we won! Our group won and received the prize.

THE SOLACE VIEW

While the adults were having their chats, me and my siblings were off to explore the place and take some pictures, of course!

Upon taking a walk, we came across the resort’s reception, which is located near the pool area. They have sophisticated interiors and neat furniture around the place. Not only does it give off an expensive vibe, but it's also cozy.

Look at this alleyway with the palm trees on the side; it’s definitely screaming “nature!" We took many pictures here, including our Japanese-poodle dog, "Miles."

Then, we did proceed beside the palm trees. This is the resort’s house. Visitors can choose to stay and find comfort here at the resort. They have many rooms, and the lobby at every corner is way too neat. The vibe here can be compared to that in the reception hall.

Our feet continued to walk, leading us to this green field with the sea in front of us. This place isn’t too crowded, since I think this is a remote area of the resort. Actually, this is the end of the resort’s property, so maybe that’s the reason. Also, this area looks like it’s not yet developed. Nonetheless, everything here looked so gorgeous and beautifully made.

Now, who would miss the swimming area at this time of the day? My siblings and cousins were so ready to swim! Everyone, including me, wore their swimming attire and entered the pool area.

They have a huge pool with a jacuzzi and a kids pool, as well as a water slide! We had a great time at the pool area; we even did slide towards the pool countless times and played the “Marshmallows Game” at the jacuzzi. Every moment my body enters the water, peace definitely embraces me. I’m sure everyone felt that way; that’s why we had so many genuine smiles and a feeling of contentment during our time there at the swimming pool.

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If you guys are searching for a place of solace, save a budget for this place. Estaca Bay Garden Resort is located here in Compostela, Cebu. This resort isn't located remotely; it’s located beside the National Highway, also a 30-minute drive from the city.

FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THIS RESORT

📌The Transportation
Everyone can:

• Ride a jeepney. The fare would be 20–45 pesos or 1-3 USD (depending on your location).
• Ride a bus. The fare would be a minimum of 30 pesos or 2 USD.
• Use a private vehicle.

📌The Fees
Entrance Fee:
50 pesos or 29.62 USD per adult
30 pesos or 1.78 USD per child (ages 4 to 9).

Cottage Fee:
1,500 pesos or 88.86 USD per cottage
300 pesos or 17.77 USD for the table

Swimming Pool Area Fee: 100 pesos or 5.92 USD
The Rooms: The price depends on the room size. The minimum would be 1,500 pesos or 88.86 USD.

📌Pool Area Rules and Regulations:

• Swimming attire is a must. No cotton allowed.
• No Jumping.
• No Diving.
• The kids must have a guardian.

It’s a wrap! Now, everyone can heal, enjoy, have fun, and embark on a new story in this place. Maybe with your friends and family, or even with your significant other. Who knows? You guys might be able to create momentum that’s worth the books of your life.

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On this adventure, I just lived. You know that feeling where you know exactly where you are; you’re not lost. All the family problems can’t be eased with just a family adventure. Thinking about that, I won’t have to worry. It’s a family problem, so I won’t need to deal with it alone, right? I knew I belonged in this family, and I know everything will work out because we’re in this together. The world I live in isn’t just full of rainbows, yet I live and strive for the rainbow moments that I’m bound to create.

After thinking about all that, I took a moment to solidify my gratitude in front the ocean before going home. It’s so nice to be alive!

That’s all for this blog, everyone. If you’ve reached this far, thank you so much for reading and taking the time to hear my story. “Don't waver; keep going; keep looking for a rainbow ending.” I love you guys! from rainebow0407:)