A Glimpse of Cebu’s Jpark Island Resort & Waterpark

Despite the strong, cold gusts of Super Typhoon Egay (Doksuri) ravaging the whole country, the cold weather didn’t stop vacationers from enjoying countless dips and dives at the Jpark Island Resort and Waterpark in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu. When we stepped into this luxury family destination, I was eager to see what this 5-star hotel and resort offered to what seemed like an unending drive of tourists (mostly Koreans).

Thanks to the newly built CCLEX, the travel time from mainland Cebu to Mactan Island has been dramatically reduced. And, of course, having the chance to see the bridge and cross it for the first time was bewildering. 

After all, it had been four years since my last visit to Cebu City. Thus, this had to be a trip of many firsts for me, especially now that we have a two-year-old in tow. The first thing I saw in the main lobby was the famous Pororo Park, an indoor theme park based on the Korean 3D animation “Pororo: the Little Penguin.” My inner child was screaming and feeling giddy, but unfortunately, we had to check in first. We had to wait quite some time for the reception to finalize our bookings, but the concierge was quick to assist us with our luggage. 

However, due to the high volume of guests coming in (mind you, it was a Monday), it took forever to settle into our rooms one by one. By the time everything was done, dusk was fast approaching. Fortunately, we still had some time to chill and relax before going out for dinner at a fancy restaurant called Parola (I’ll be making a separate blog about this thrilling dinner on a stormy night) in Cordova.

Typhoon Egay had just turned into a super typhoon that same day, and it was too cold to dip in one of their pools. We had no choice but to call it a night and hope for better weather the next day. I can’t really complain because the bedrooms were cozy and very comfortable. It’s a haven for a home buddy like me who enjoys being cooped up warm in a comforter either reading a book or writing something in a quiet, ambient atmosphere. We stayed in a suite with two bedrooms that shared a lounge and a minibar. The balcony offered a fantastic view of the resort and the horizon, perfect for early birds enjoying coffee.

After a good night’s sleep, it was time to embrace another day of exciting possibilities. I had to say that waking up to a bright, sunny morning and in front of a fantastic view was refreshing.

And the next best thing? Breakfast buffet!

During our stay, I noticed that Asian tourists dominated the entire resort. And since the majority of the guests were Korean (Jpark was initially called the Imperial Palace, which was founded and built by Mr. Yong Jun Park in 2009 before it was rebranded and now owned by Cebuano businessman Justin Uy in 2014), you’ll have to expect a mix of Korean cuisine alongside continental and Filipino dishes displayed on one side of the Maru Korean Restaurant.

If you wish to explore other dining areas, you can find different restaurants and bars, such as The Abalone and Coral Seafood Restaurant, in other parts of the nearly 17-hectare resort. The food was great and I enjoyed it a lot! And since I’m also a fan of Korean dishes, I was delighted to see heaps of Kimchi rice, Japchae, Kimbap and other dishes that I wished I could’ve secretly smuggled all the way back to the room (and become a Sharonian. Haha!)

After the lavish breakfast, it was time to explore the waterpark and enjoy the different amenities. Jpark has 6 themed pools, giant waterslides and beach activities for water enthusiasts. The resort also has many kiddie pools decorated with colorful attractions, fun slides and fountains that kids would definitely enjoy.

It was just regrettable that Typhoon Egay impeded our short stay. Even though the super typhoon continued north, the gusts and rough seas made it impossible to do water-based activities such as wakeboarding, jet skiing, scuba diving and banana boat rides.

But the show must go on and plenty of other activities can still be enjoyed at Jpark. While we enjoyed splashing in the kiddie pool with our toddler, the others went Go Kart racing at the mini course. A giant chess set could also found in the middle of the race track.

It was a fun-filled morning but we had to return to our rooms to pack our things for checkout. Fortunately, since we had a late check-in, we were also granted the privilege to check out late, so we continued our water activities at the big tub before lazing in the comfortable Queen-sized bed until it was past noon.

Although it was pretty disappointing that we never had the time to explore Pororo Park, I guess there might be another opportunity in the future when we could come back and enjoy a more extended stay at this splendid family destination. It was a short-lived stay, but nevertheless, it was a memorable and delightful experience.

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