Exploring Visayas Part 1: Cebu

Thomas, creator of Paveway Explorer Holidays, is an avid traveler and is always on the hunt for undiscovered destinations.  Here he shares his latest trip to Cebu and Bohol.

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Here I am looking forward to Cebu and Bohol only to be told at the airline check in counter at Changi Airport that I won’t be able to board the flight without a return ticket as the Cebu immigration requires confirmation of your return flight. Problem was, as a travel planner, I’m always changing my itinerary so I planned to book a budget one way ticket home when the time was right. So, to cut a long story short, I bought an expensive one way airline ticket to return to Singapore one week later because all other flights earlier were full. Well that was not in my plans but what to do.

So I arrive in Cebu all smug and happy knowing no way I would be stopped from returning home as I now have a ticket. I present my passport and awaited for the officer to demand for my return flight ticket. He smiled and said “welcome to the Philippines”, chopped my passport and waved me through. Now I’m flabbergasted as I just blew a few hundred bucks on my ticket and he didn’t even want to see it.

What cheered me up was mangoes, Cebu has lots of it, everywhere, dried, fresh, in ice creams in cakes, in drinks , its like in your system before long. But that’s not all about Cebu, it’s the festival capital of the Phillipines, it’s a historic town, second oldest in the Philliipines, with the second oldest church. Drive through town and you will see and feel a city steeped in history, with monuments, old but beautiful houses, a historic fort and narrow streets. But modernity is creeping in, with shopping malls and enclaves of watering holes and restaurants. Don’t expect a long street of shops, pubs, restaurants, not yet anyway but that’s why you have to go before they proliferate a city growing in importance and a favored tourist destination.

Then there are the beaches and resorts, all located on Mactan island, just 30 mins from Cebu city. It’s like going to Sentosa. Here are resorts with their little coves of sand and sea. Yes, coves, Cebu is not Boracay with its long stretch of beaches, Cebu’s Mactan island beaches are in coves or in small stretches of beach and on the lovely islands easily accessible from Mactan Island. They are cosy and intimate , not brash and glitzy.


What did I eat? Lots of” Lechon”, Cebu’s version of Singapore’s roast suckling pig and boy was it good. Its grilled, roasted , fried, whatever but it all tastes good. In fact there must be something about the pork in Cebu, even the bacon tastes like crispy German pork knuckle. For dinner, go up into the hills where there is a “chateau” that serves Pinoy and western fare. But it’s not the food that will enthrall you, it’s the view of cebu city at night, twinkling lights, clear night skies and cool mountain air.


(To Be Continued..)