The Shangri Las

Shangri-La's Mactan offers dive and spa packages

SHANGRI-LA’S Mactan Resort and Spa, Cebu now offers four new dive and spa packages to cater to the varying needs of dive and spa enthusiasts. Guests can discover the beauty of Cebu’s marine sanctuaries coupled with the luxury of space and timelessness at Chi, The Spa by booking any of the dive and spa packages carefully tailored by diving and spa professionals.

"Into The Blue" is a basic diving package for lovers of the ocean who wish to test their level of interest before committing to a diving certification course by engaging in either an introductory or exploratory dive. The package includes one dive and a one-hour full body relaxation massage at Chi. The "Into The Blue" dive and spa package is offered at P4,700 net per person.

"Buoyancy Balance" is designed for divers who wish to perfect the skill of neutral buoyancy. Included in the package is a session on how to remain motionless in the ocean’s deep blue calm. The buoyancy exercise evokes a heightened underwater experience, as the diver will now be able to control his or her degree of motion while under the water, allowing a more stable view of the marine life. Two dives in Cebu’s marine sanctuaries follow the learning session. Post-dive, guests can relax tense muscles with a signature Chi Balance Massage and bring back the body’s natural state of equilibrium. The "Buoyancy Balance" dive and spa package is offered at P10,527 net per person.

"Nitrox Recovery" is tailored for divers who either wish to stay longer in the water for maximum underwater photography opportunities or those with a packed itinerary, with a need for shorter post-dive recovery time. Using tanks filled with air that has a higher percentage of oxygen, the diver’s level of nitrogen in the body is kept at a lower level, enabling the diver to spend longer time in the water. The "Nitrox Recovery" package includes one beach dive and one boat dive and a Chi signature journey of choice. The Chi signature journey lasts two hours and 30 minutes and includes an aroma bath or steam shower, a massage and a choice of rub, facial or detoxifying algae treatment. The "Nitrox Recovery" dive and spa package is offered at P15,064 net per person.

"Dawn To Dusk" is created for thrill-seekers who wish to experience a unique underwater encounter with marine life, carefully observing the sea creatures as they tenderly awaken to the rays of the sun. The "Dawn To Dusk" dive and spa package is offered at P6,734 net per person and includes an early morning dive capped with a Chi hilot massage.

Reserve Shangri-La Hotel, Paris Paris at Tablet Hotels

Paris is one city that’s certainly not lacking for home-grown high-gloss luxury hotels. Of course there’s always room for another good one, and the Shangri-La group has spent decades honing its expertise in the major markets of the Far East, which has to be good preparation for Paris’s notoriously exacting clientele. And when it comes to hotel interiors designed by Pierre-Yves Rochon, the more the better.

In fact the only thing Far Eastern about the place is the name; though it’s a recent restoration, the Shangri-La plays the part of grande dame to a tee. The building was formerly the residence of one Roland Bonaparte, whose surname provides all the biography you need — from there the choice of 19th-century Paris as a stylistic inspiration was an entirely natural one.