Priding itself as the crown jewel of the south, Cebu City is probably only second to Manila in terms of development and infrastructure. Its metropolitan streets are bustling with life and when you get tired of the noise of the city, the beaches and resorts are but a drive away.

How to Get There

Cebu City is just an hour’s plane ride away from Manila. Cebu has a modern airport that accommodates international flights so other foreign carriers may already have direct flights to Cebu.

• Philippine Airlines has flights to Cebu for P1,600.00++
• Cebu Pacific has flights for 1,500.00++
• If you’re not in a rush then you can also opt to take a ferry to Cebu. Being an important trade port in Visayas, Cebu is accessible via water route from many islands of the country. Superferry has trips from Manila to Cebu for around P1,700++ for a stateroom.

Where to Stay

Being the crown city of Visayas, Metro Cebu has hotels equipped with the most modern accommodations you could want. Take your pick of the best hotels in the city, with the best amenities and service as well as the highest rates per day. You can visit the Shangri la Resort and Spa in Mactan, the Waterfront Hotel , the Marco Polo Cebu, the Hilton , the Parklane International Hotel and a number of other upscale establishments. But if you’re on a budget then there are a lot of smaller hotels and inns which cater to travelers of all budgets.

What to Eat

One of the things you should know about Cebu is that Cebuanos (people from Cebu) love food, and among the most famous dishes in Cebu is the lechon, a whole pig roasted over coals for hours on end. Yes you can find lechon in Manila and other parts of the Philippines and around the world but Cebu Lechon is still the best I’ve ever tried.

Restaurants and food places in Cebu There are literally hundreds of casual dining restaurants in the Metropolis, all serving different cuisines from around the world. When I was there for business, the days would be spent working but once the sun went down, we would go to a different restaurant every night. Two restaurants really stood out in my head. The first is where we ate the first day, Golden Cowrie restaurant in the Lahug, it served native Filipino cuisine and it gave me my first taste of authentic Cebu lechon and nobody forgets their first time.

A few days passed in a daze of work, but I remember one evening we ate at this quaint Italian restaurant with Italian place called La Tegola. The place featured alfresco dining, freshly baked bread and delicious pasta, the service is a bit slow but once the food gets there you’ll forget your complaints. Their home made pizzas and pasta can really satisfy anyone’s craving for Italian cuisine.

If you’d want more choices for food then I suggest going to the Ayala Mall in Cebu City, its got all the best food places in town as well as some comfort/fast food restaurants. The mall offers al fresco dining overlooking a park with a fountain. Ideal for a quiet dinner and drinks.

Cebu NightLife

Cebu’s nightlife is also exciting, with bars and clubs to be found around most of the city to just hang-out with friends. There’s Club Vudu, supposed to be one of the happening places in the city. I’ve never really gone there but when I passed by there were a lot of people so you may want to check it out. There is also club Formo, a restaurant and bar in the day time and early evening which transforms into an awesome party venue at night. There are also KTV places to sing and drink and quiet bars or pubs where you can drink and peace and enjoy the live bands.

Local Tours

You can also take a tour of the city and visit places like Magellan’s cross planted by Ferdinand Megellan when he landed on the shores of Cebu.

Market and Shopping

If you’re looking to go shopping, you can visit carbon market to get your fix of imitation stuff, shirts, pants, bags shoes etc, you name it and you’ll find it there, usually at a lower price if you’re willing to haggle. For foodstuff such as dried fish and souvenirs you can visit Taboan Market. There is also an Ayala Mall in the City, its huge and probably has everything you need.

Getting Around

Getting around in Cebu is basically like getting around in Metro Manila, through taxis and jeepneys, unfortunately the still does not have its own railway transit system but I understand something maybe in the works soon. Regardless of its beauty and splendor, just keep in mind that Cebu is still a city so watch out for rush hour traffic in the mornings, around 7-9am and the evening from 5-7pm.

Safety Tips

The city is also not without its dangers so keep your cash and valuables stored away, preferably in your hotel’s safety deposit box, and try not to display too much money or jewelry when traveling around. Here’s the contact number for the police stations if you need them.