For my birthday celebration this year, we decided to go resort-hopping in Medellin and Daanbantayan. Ikigai was our first stop, and of course, the significant factors for choosing this resort are its beach and pet-friendly policy.

Our Accommodation
This was our airconditioned Family Standard Premier Room at Php 3,800 per night. Note that they have designated pet-friendly rooms, so I was not surprised to be assigned to the cornermost section of the building.

The bed was big enough, but the mattress was too thin.

The room had its own toilet and bath, which was spacious enough.

I could tell the room was not well-maintained, though. The drawer had a broken handle, and the closet needed repainting. The shower also broke on my first night, though they fixed it promptly.

Outside our room were more rooms, but we were the only guests during our stay, so we had the whole place to ourselves.

The nicer house would be the one nearest to the beach, which could be rented for exclusive use.

Day 1
A typhoon just passed Cebu days before my stay, so it was still cloudy. Still, the sun was already visible from the horizon.

Because we were tired from an almost 4-hour travel from the city, we decided to have an early dinner. I ordered Crab with Butter and Garlic (Php 380) and Baked Scallops with Butter (Php 280).

Both were good, especially the scallops. These would have been perfect with soft drinks, but they were out of stock. Even the fresh juices I wanted were unavailable.

Day 2
I woke up early and headed to the beach for sunrise, but it was too cloudy.

On my way back to my room, I chanced on this view from the parking area.

For breakfast, I had luncheon meat and dried fish in tomato sauce. Both were good.

After breakfast, I returned to my room to nap, the rain lulling me to sleep.

Initially, the caretaker and I agreed to serve my lunch in the main dining hall, so I was surprised when they suddenly knocked on my door to deliver my food 30 minutes early. They said I would have to eat in my room because the owner arrived. Huh?! I didn’t mind; I just didn’t like how they disturbed my sleep.

And yes, I didn’t like how they messed up my order. I told them I would have Crispy Pata Punch (Php 580) for lunch and Monggo (Mung Bean Soup, Php Php 180) for dinner, but they served them together.

So, I had this humongous soup and a whole pata to myself for lunch.

The Monggo was good, but the Crispy Pata was a little burnt, though the inside was not, as if they cooked it too fast in hot oil. They also forgot to serve its condiments, and when I asked even for ketchup, I was told it was unavailable.

Early in the afternoon, the weather cleared, so I went to the beach, and by now, the sky was bluer.

The sunset was also more beautiful on this day.

For dinner, I had Shrimp with Butter (Php 380) and Grilled Talong (Eggplant) with Tomato Salsa (Php 180).

The shrimps were good, but the eggplant had to be my worst dish in this resort. I just didn’t like the combination. It had corn kernels and was salty-sweet and buttery.

Day 3
I knew sunrise was on the other side, but I still went to the beach because often, even without the sun, the beach would have a beautiful skyline, and I wasn’t wrong.

The clouds looked pretty, and I love the soft look of this photo.

On my way back to my room, the sun appeared.

For today’s breakfast, I had Porkchop, which later caused some delay when I settled my bill because this was not part of the complimentary breakfast, but they didn’t tell me when I ordered (more details below).

The weather was the sunniest on this day, so it was a good day to go around for a photoshoot.

My stay here was acceptable, but it could have been better.

Points for improvement
The staff badly needed training. While friendly, they were not efficient, which could be frustrating. To cite some examples,

1. Each time they delivered my food, they always forgot something. It could be cutlery, a glass, or condiments.
2. They mixed up my order or would serve it later or earlier than what we agreed on.
3. Upon check-out, I was told my room on the second day did not include breakfast. I asked how that could be when the room rate per night was the same. At the least, they could have told me when I paid my balance (they required a 50% deposit upon reservation) when I checked in. They eventually agreed that breakfast was included in my rate.
4. They made me choose my breakfast and later told me pork chop was not included in what was complimentary. I didn’t mind paying, but I should have been told upon ordering.

Except for the fresh seafood, the food needed improvement, too.

My greatest pet peeve for this stay was that I was not told upon booking that construction was ongoing. The noise was irritating, and the workers themselves were loud.

Caveat
While the beach was lovely during high tide, it was not as pretty during low tide, which was early to mid-morning.

This was taken on our second day.

And this was taken on our third and last day.

And if you are bringing a pet, there are strays in the area.

During my stay, they were adding more rooms and a pool, so this may have a more crowded feel in the future.

Ikigai Beach House is located in Sitio Mohon (Kilometer 0128), Barangay Kawit, Medellin. Visit their official Facebook page or contact them via +63917-320-9587.