Cebu, Philippines

Whether youre a diver, historian, archaeologist, or a nomadic traveler, Cebu will both captivate and enthrall you. Cebu can be quite a confusing term as it is associated with the island, its capital, and a province within. To avoid losing ones grip here, many stay within the confines of Cebu City, where many of the islands cultural centers have evidently sprouted over the years. Straying from this metropolis should be in the cards for your trip, however. Driving from province to province will give you an all-encompassing sense of the island, but furthermore an unequalled perspective of its people; the people who make Cebu, Cebu. Inhabitation of the island has occurred for hundreds, even thousands of years, and today it holds a diversity that could only have been achieved through occurrences of the islands past. In fact, here it is where Magellan had fallen with his comrades in a quest to spread Christianity through the region, bringing along the Spanish Conquistadores. Though tradition languages still linger here the locals speak Cebuano youll also hear a prevalence of English, however broken it may be. Modernism surely has swept through many of the islands cities, but events held throughout the year would tell you that the past still lives on. Magellan is remembered by a few, but the overarching hero of Cebus past was Datu Lapu-lapu, who succeeded in repelling the invading forces. All of these aspects make for fascinating discoveries, and there are many, many more surprises left to uncover, so make your way to Cebu today!

When to go

There is never a bad time to visit Cebu. Sure, it can get crowded at certain points of the year, but temperatures fluctuate little, and rainfall runs a steady upward climb as the months pass, lowest during spring. Given these facts, its easy to discern that spring and summer receive the brunt of the years travelers. Normally, we tend to enjoy avoiding climatic shifts as much as possible, and we would not hesitate to follow the backpackers and all to Cebu at its high-season. But the island can be quite magical, whether the suns shining or passersby fight for sidewalk space for them and their umbrellas. After a good sprinkling the island literally shimmers, and the atmosphere has a refreshed feel that makes a trip during autumn or winter completely worth it. We cant forget the spectacular rainbows that emerge over the landscape either!

Getting there and around

Cebu shares an international airport with the neighboring island of Mactan, and unfortunately travelers to the former will dislike the fact that the terminal sits on Mactan land. Most of the flights arriving at airport originate from locations in the Philippines, but North American, European and Australian connections are available.

Travel

to Cebu City is quite easy and youll be unpacking at your hotel in an hours time.

Taxis are the ideal way of getting around the islands cities, but it may prove difficult to keep up with the expensive of a private driver. Instead, many travelers opt for a bit of adventure aboard one of the many jeepneys available. Fares are cheap, they travel to nearly all parts of the island, and you get the chance to commiserate with locals and travelers en route to the specified destination.

Attractions

A great place to interact with history in Cebu is at Fort San Pedro, documented to be the smallest and oldest fort in the country. Built nearly five centuries ago, the fort was one of the first building blocks for Spanish settlement in the region. There is and admission fee to the Fort and it is open for much of the day.

Cebu City is home to the renowned Colon Street, a straightaway said to be the oldest established road in the Philippines. Today is it lined with shops and restaurants, but locals always keep this part of the city bustling and moving to lure travelers in for a brush with the past.