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One popular resort on Mactan
island in Cebu is the Plantation Bay Resort
and Spa, which is spread around a huge
artificial lagoon (upper photo).
Bohol, a short trip from Cebu, is
known for the tiny and rare tarsier, for its Chocolate Hills
which turn green in the rainy season (lower photo)
– and
more recently for some very up-market resorts.
Hotel bookings and travel
advice
about the Philippines
Bohol: Chocolate
hills, tarsiers and now up-market resorts
By Andrea Larssen
Bohol, a mid-sized (95 kilometers wide) island off the coast of
Cebu in the southern Philippines, has long been known mainly for its
Chocolate Hills (well, they’re chocolate-colored in the dry rainless months
– but then vivid green in the wet season); for its tiny tarsier creatures;
for scuba diving off white sand beaches; eco-tourism in the Loboc river
valley jungle; and a generally off-the-beaten track ethos with mainly
smallish resorts.
That’s changing quickly. Bohol is now home to some of the nicest resorts in
the Philippines. The ferry trips across the strait from nearby Cebu City
have become faster, more frequent and more reliable – as have the flights
from Cebu and Manila to Tagbilaran City, Bohol’s capital.
Tourists used to head straight to the island’s popular Alona Beach and the
surrounds with their clusters of relatively modest resorts, dive shops and
the like, some of them run by foreigners who arrived long ago, loved the
place and the people, and stayed on.
Quite suddenly, however, Bohol’s resort options have grown much wider and
they include some up-market places. Travelers with bigger budgets and more
demanding tastes should look at Amarela Resort (from about US180 a night),
Eskaya Beach Resort and Spa, Ananyana Beach Resort ($210), Amorita Resort
and Flushing Meadows Resort.
Highly rated accommodation in Bohol
Following are the 20 highest rated resorts, hotels and and inns in
Bohol. These are ranked in order, based upon reviews by travelers who have
stayed there (travelers of various types with varying preferences and
budgets). They're listed in the popularity index of
TripAdvisor, myPH's
partner in exploring the Philippines:
1.
Amarela Resort (average price $180)
2.
Amorita Resort
3.
Vest Pension House (average price $35)
4.
Eskaya Beach Resort & Spa (average $1,436)
5.
La Estrella Beach Resort (average price $93)
6.
Nuts Huts Resort (average price $4)
7.
Oasis Resort
8.
Paragayo Resort (average price $22)
9.
Isis Bungalows (average price $50)
10. Alona Tropical Beach Resort
11. Flower Garden Resort (average price $21)
12. Dumaluan Beach Resort 2
13. Dapdap Beach Resort
14. Bohol Beach Club (average price $75)
15. Metrocentre Hotel
16. Olman's View Resort (average price $42)
17. FloWer-Beach Resort (average price $63)
18. Isla Hayahay (average price $29)
19. Wregent Plaza Hotel
20. Bohol Tropics Resort
Much of the visitor action in Bohol is focused around the beaches and sea –
scuba enthusiasts flock there, the beaches are also safe for snorkelers,
sunbathers and young families. Dolphin-watching outings are on offer in the
season. The nightlife is pretty much make-your-own. Prices are low by Cebu
and Manila standards.
For a break from the beach, many visitors head inland, for shopping around
mid-sized Tagbilaran City, then on to the Loboc River and surrounding
jungle, a look across the spectacular Chocolate Hills, and the must-see tiny
and unique tarsier, a shy, nocturnal creature that is now a strongly
protected species.
Good happenings are barbecued lunch on a raft along the Loboc River, and a
stop at Nuts Huts Resort, a cheap eco-lodge located upriver from Loboc City.
You can stay the night in a modest hut for a few dollars or rent a dormitory
bed for even less. The surrounds are stunning and the local food is tasty
even for foreign palates.
In between there are is the old Baclayan Church dating back to the Spanish
rule years, the Hinagdanan Cave with its icy underground pools, a “longest
python in captivity” farm, the site of the “Blood Compact” signed Juan
Miguel Lopez de Legaspi from Spain and the local chief Datu Sikatuna.
Shopping for semi-antiques is also good in Bohol. The area has a lot of
history with fine old houses, churches and public buildings dating back to
the Spanish years – and some of their contents find their way into shops
selling old furniture, decoration and homeware. Bargains are still around
for the discerning who venture into Tagbilaran’s side-streets. But there’s
also a fair bit of rubbish in between the real stuff, so be careful and
don’t pay too much.
For mallers, or somewhere to interest the youngsters, there are the Bohol
Quality, Alturas and Island City department stores and malls. For souvenir
collectors, Bohol has the inevitable tarsier and Chocolate Hills keyholders
(50 US cents to a dollar), T-shirts ($2 to $3), bags ($7 to $15) and lots of
wooden carvings for a dollar or less.
For stuff to take back home as “pasalubong” gifts – especially for Filipino
friends and family back in the city – a Bohol specialty is “kisses”
confectionary made of peanuts in distinctive red wrappers. These cost 100
pesos for a dozen and a half pieces in most shops and stalls. The native
“Calamay” (Malagkit rice sweetened with Mascuvado sugar) costs 30 pesos when
it comes in a disposable canister and a bit more packed into a coconut
shell.
Giants of the deep bring
life to once rustic Donsol
By Jim Gomez
Cocooned in rural seclusion, placid little Donsol town long kept
a big but unintended secret: In the first half of the year, the sea swarms
with the world's largest fish. Whale sharks – some as big as a bus
– put on
an annual show for local folks for generations, roaming close to shore and
seemingly unafraid of humans.
Then in 1997, a group of visitors got wind of the creatures, known locally
as "butanding". The visitors were enthralled by the sharks' gentleness,
swimming like gigantic dolphins. Word got round, helped by the internet, and
before long tourists began descending on laid-back Donsol, tucked amid
coconut groves and hills away from the main road in Sorsogon province, about
580 kilometers south-east of Manila.
The American ambassador in the Philippines at the time, Francis Ricciardone,
and a few other diplomats visited last year. President Gloria Arroyo dropped
by in April and left ecstatic after a 20-minute encounter with a mammoth
whale shark.
"The whale sharks brought us to the limelight," says Donsol mayor Salve
Ocaya. "We're trying to cope with the arrival of so many visitors, many of
them from as far as Europe. But we don't have enough resorts," Mr Ocaya
said. “These are national treasures that need to be protected.”
"And have you seen our bridge?" he adds, referring to a long, narrow span
that can handle only one car at a time crossing a mangrove-lined river to
the village of Dancalan, the staging area for boat trips to watch the whale
sharks.
Donsol is among the latest to organize in-water viewing of the big fish
– a
sometimes nerve-racking attraction offered in a few places like Australia's Ningaloo Reef, Belize in the Caribbean, Mexico and the Seychelles.
Whale sharks, which can grow as long as 18 meters and weigh up to 34 tonnes
are an eye-popping sight up close. But they don't eat meat, surviving by
sucking seawater into their gaping mouths and sieving plankton and tiny
crustaceans on their gill rakers.
Little is known about the nature of whale sharks, which roam warm tropical
seas. They congregate in Donsol's murky waters from January to June,
probably because of the abundance of plankton, says the local branch of the
conservation group World Wildlife Fund.
For the Philippines, which is struggling to lure foreign tourists amid
law-and-order problems, Donsol has become a surprise draw. Just 900 tourists
visited the town in 1998, the year after word of the sharks got out. Last
year saw 7,600 visitors - a third of them foreigners, calculates Donsol's
tourism officer, Salvador Adrao Junior.
On a recent day, SUVs rumbled down a muddy hillside road in palm-lined
Dancalan and disgorged dozens of tourists at the small, government-run
visitor center, which collects boat rental and guide fees and arranges
day-long expeditions. Villagers rented snorkels and rubber fins and peddle
souvenirs. Police armed with M-16 rifles watched over the early morning
bustle.
A motorboat set out with five tourists laden with life vests, snorkels, dive
masks and fins, a whale shark spotter perched atop a pole, shading his eyes
from the sun. After about an hour, he yelled, "There! There!" pointing to
what looked like a small, grey submarine just under the waves.
The boat erupted in sudden commotion as the boat maneuvered close to the
whale shark. Carlos Pendor, a stocky, sunburned guide, cajoled two jittery
tourists to jump off the boat. He dragged them to the side, yelling "Look
down!" A seven-meter whale shark, its grey-green back dotted with faint
lines and pale-white spots, swam tranquilly by, its flat head and body
gently swaying.
At close range, the whale shark was so huge it was hard to see in its
entirety. But by the time the tourists grabbed a breath of air, it was gone.
Twenty-three other boats bobbed in the waters off Donsol that morning. Most
sputtered back to shore by lunch, each encountering 5 to 10 whale sharks on
the way.
"It was sort of scary because out of nowhere came this huge, square face,"
recalled Eliot Bikales, a housewife from Hamden, Connecticut. "It was like
Jaws," her 10-year-old daughter, Maral, butted in. But she said that after
her fears eased. "It was okay. It felt like they were my friends."
Sid Lucero, a young Filipino actor, said facing such a huge creature nearly
moved him to tears. "It hit me straight in the heart," he said. "Looking at
this huge creature reminded me that there is a higher being."
Thanks to the new tourism, the sharks have created about 1 000 seasonal jobs
in Donsol, a poor farming and fishing town of about 40 000 people once said
to have been a communist rebel stronghold.
On what used to be a barren beach stand five small inns. But their 50 rooms
are inadequate for the hundreds of tourists who flock in the peak months of
March and April, prompting plans for construction of a hotel, along with a
concrete road to Dancalan. There is even talk of a small airport.
Donsol, however, is wary about damaging the pristine conditions that lure
the sharks. Projects like a pier have been junked. Only 25 dive boats - down
from nearly 50 - are now allowed at sea at one time, the mayor said.
The town is also waging war against poachers, helped by the World Wildlife
Fund and USAID. Poachers hunt the sharks for lucrative Asian markets like
Taiwan, where there is a strong demand for pricey shark fin soup.
Although Donsol has been designated a sanctuary, whale sharks face danger
when they slip beyond its waters. Villagers say they have seen sharks with
spear wounds and slashed fins or tails. One – dubbed "Lucky" – swims by with
a long nylon rope dangling from its tail, indicating it may have escaped
from poachers.
Dancalan's seaside visitor center has become a conservation outpost. "The
whale shark has only one natural enemy – your appetite for shark fin soup,"
a sign says. Tourists are required to watch a video about whale shark
protection before going out to sea.
The whale sharks, however, seem to be their own best ambassadors. Many
visitors return to shore transformed into advocates. "They are national
treasures that need to be protected," said Mrs Bikales, the Connecticut
housewife.
• For good deals in Bohol and Donsol, plus price comparisons
and reviews by other travelers, check out TripAdvisor.
|
Exploring downtown and
out of town around Cebu
By Vijay Verghese & Philippa
Young,
Smart Travel
Asia
Flying into Cebu, depending on which side of the aircraft
you're seated, two things become quickly evident as you swoop over the
brilliant azure seas. Firstly, there's a beautiful mountain spine running
the north-south length of this long, narrow island.
Secondly, as far as the eye can see, there are no beaches. What? As the
plane descends, you'll spot the traffic-choked smudge of Cebu City, then
the factories and concrete of Mandaue (pronounced "maan-daa-weh") City,
followed by the flat, barren landscape of the adjoining Mactan island,
where the airport is located. As the plane banks over the derelict hulk of
Philippine Dream, a rusting cruise ship whose casinos, discos and karaoke
bars were once the toast of the town, you might wonder what on Earth
you're doing here. Oh dear.
Relax. Things will be just fine. As with most things in the Philippines,
don't let first impressions fool you. Swing round the airport cinderblock
and dive straight into the color and kitsch of Cebu. Get to know the place
and you'll discover why business travelers and families come back again
and again.
To begin with, as the large sign at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport
assures all visitors, "Cebu is foot-and-mouth disease free." Now that's a
start. Step bravely forward.
The only tourist who had a serious problem with this advice landed in
1521, without a passport or visa, trying to bag the place for Spain.
Ferdinand Magellan's round-the-world cruise was rudely ended by local
Mactan chieftain Lapu-Lapu whose men ensured the place would have at least
two memorable tourist sites – Magellan's Cross outside the wonderful
Basilica del Santo Nino (which is said to contain pieces of the original
cross he erected in Cebu), and Magellan's Marker on Mactan (where you'll
also find a statue of the strapping Lapu Lapu). Lapu Lapu City occupies
the north of Mactan island from where the bridges soar up and over the
channel to Mandaue City.
Travelers will whiz through the airport in record time – just two minutes
with hand luggage and a firm stride. From here, metered taxi transfers to
most Mactan resorts will be in the region of 100-150 pesos, which will not
pinch unduly. Several hotels operate shuttle bus services too. The
international departure tax at the airport is 550 pesos and the domestic
departure tax 200 pesos. Departure, like arrival, is friendly, hassle
free, and devoid of the lines and chaos of Manila.
Transport, as elsewhere in the Philippines is a carnival. Brightly painted
jeepneys, tricycles and buses, all in gaudy, hallucinogenic hues, looking
like battle trucks straight out of Mad Max, careen across the roads
seemingly unaware of pedestrians, chickens, dogs and pigs. In some areas
of Cebu City you'll also spot gaily caparisoned calesas (horse-drawn
carriages) and hubel-hubels (motorcycles that carry pillion passengers).
Machismo is ubiquitous. Even the tiny motorized tricycles painted bright
green, yellow or purple are bedecked with a menacing array of fog lights.
We counted 30 on one. Taxis are metered (flag-down fare is 30 pesos and
then 2.50 pesos per kilometer) although some regular routes like
Cebu-Mactan will tend to operate on fixed rates (300 pesos).
Hiring a car with driver through Avis at the airport costs around 825
pesos for three hours and then 225 pesos for every hour thereafter. Self
drive will set you back 2,700 pesos per day including insurance. The
car-with-driver option is mightily recommended as Cebu's chaotic streets
and one-ways are not for the faint-hearted. An Avis car with driver is
more expensive at a resort but your driver will be fairly knowledgeable
and conversant in English. At the Shangri-La on Mactan the rate is 1,197
pesos for the first three hours and then 422 pesos per hour. If carting a
larger family around, a Nova costs 1,726 pesos for the first three hours
and 585 pesos per hour. For drives to remoter spots on the island rates
are higher. Friends Rent-A-Car is a cheaper option.
Cebuanos (as the residents are termed) are a terrific lot. Laid back,
friendly, accommodating, chatty and hospitable, they will charm and
entertain you relentlessly. Everyone has time - lots of it.
Forget Manila's grit and rough edges, here in the Philippine south, even
airport immigration is a pleasant affair and if you're caught in traffic,
simply jump out and tuck into some baboy lechon (grilled pork) especially
around Talisay City, adjoining Cebu City to the south, or chicharon
(chicken or pork skin crisps). Some of the best chicharon is in the town
of Carcar, two hours south in the foothills.
Mactan is where most of the gleaming four and five-star resorts are to be
found, some of them with manicured artificial white-sand beaches that
wouldn't look out of place in Hawaii. There are good restaurants, casinos
for high rollers and music galore. Everything, from malls to restaurants,
is incredibly child-friendly. The island is noted more for its prized
"Mactan stone" that is used in surrounding dwellings, than beach. The
island is pancake flat with a pebbly coast.
The Alegre guitar factory (which also makes and sells mandolins and a
local ukulele that uses a coconut shell for the sound box) is an
interesting stop. Keep your eyes peeled for Bigfoot film production and
television studios, a large orange square, out of which trickle homegrown
(and a few imported) celebrities.
Mactan prowlers can also head to a shooting range and squeeze off 20
rounds on an AK-47 or equivalent for around 2,000 pesos. No kidnappings
allowed, though. The shooting range is not in a tough part of town. It's
rather accessible, being conveniently located smack inside the
family-friendly Tambuli resort. Grab a gun and have some fun. "You haven't
paid your bill sir." "Whaddya mean punk? Callin' me a yaller bellied
liar…?"
Elsewhere on Mactan (and indeed around Cebu) you'll find signs of the
growing Korean influx - Korean grocery stores and Korean discos and KTVs.
Koreans have in fact replaced the Japanese as the business mainstay of the
island and you'll invariably find kimchi (spicy, pickled cabbage) on the
menu, even for breakfast. Now that's a real breakfast. Forget namby-pamby
Continental mush.
Small wonder then that karaoke parlors everywhere have prominent signs
posted for GROs or guest relations officers. These nubile and nimble
ladies can have quite an impact on your wallet if you don't watch out. If
you are looking for more of a testosterone thrill, lazy Sunday afternoons
in Cebu are given over to cockfights. Pay from 20 to 200 pesos for entry.
Fights start around lunchtime and continue till around midnight. Ask your
concierge for details of your nearest cockfight to add some real Filipino
flavor to your visit – not one for the kids, or vegetarians.
Most savvy holidaymakers come to Cebu for the reefs and coral, not all
destroyed by dynamite fishing. The Cebu region is known to offer some of
the best dives in this part of Asia. The action is underwater. Serious
divers will head to the balmy white-sand shores of two picturesque islands
off the far north coast of Cebu, Malapascua and Bantayan. Malapascua,
known for its thresher sharks, has a reasonable selection of resorts and
eateries. The islands are a three-hour drive north from Cebu City and a
short ferry ride. Ferries from Maya to Malapascua take around 30 minutes
while boats from Hagnaya to Bantayan take around an hour. For something
quicker, the waters around Olango island (which is visible from Mactan),
in particular the protected Marine Sanctuary off Gilutongan island, offer
coral and fish closer at hand. Or, for an upscale dive holiday with some
spa pampering, consider the Badian Island Resort & Spa which is reviewed
later in this article.
The Imperial Palace Waterpark Resort and Spa adds more weight to the
Mactan hotel line-up with 557 rooms and a water park. The pick of the
bigger resorts on Mactan is Shangri-La's Mactan Resort and Spa. Set
discretely in generous grassy acres with coconut trees, flowering plants
and jogging trails, this is the getaway that put Cebu on the map when it
opened in 1993. It's easy to see why. The spacious 547-room resort has two
pools, putting greens, tennis, a private white-sand cove and more
watersports than you can shake a stick at – snorkel the house reef, dive,
jet-ski, fish, windsurf, parasail or head out to view coral in a
glass-bottomed boat.
Scotty's Dive Center (email dive@divescotty.com, website
www.divescotty.com) handles underwater adventures starting at US$50 for
beginners. For pinstripers on the go there are ample meeting facilities, a
business center, and high-speed in-room internet access.
A US$8 million renovation brought fresh spring to the Shangri-La’s step
some years back and the upgrades continue with a hi-tech Mactan Ballroom
as the newest addition. Ocean Wing enjoys sea views but can get a little
noisy when the pool is in action. The bright and airy rooms, each with a
balcony, are modern with Filipino touches like the woven sea-grass
headboard. There are coffee and tea-making facilities, an iron and ironing
board, a good range of toiletries and, civilly, a separate bar of soap in
the shower cubicle so there's no last-minute scramble for suds.
The in-room safe, alas, is not big enough to store a laptop but will
handle a camera and video with ease. The Shangri-La offers a wide range of
restaurants; the favorite and worth a visit even if staying elsewhere, is
Cowrie Cove, now with a roof by popular demand. Superb children's
facilities include a three-level Adventure Zone, a Toddler Zone and an
E-Zone with enough arcade games to make you forget about that shining sun
and warm water, almost. If none of this grabs you, switch on the TV and
croon along to the karaoke channel.
Another feather in its cap is the CHI Spa Village with six luxurious
135sq.m. villas and several treatment pavilions that is still the top
option for Cebu spas in Mactan. Try out the "aromatherapy salt rubdown" or
the "cooling cucumber slush" but don’t leave without enjoying the Filipino
Hilot massage, complimented by CHI’s tanglad (Filipino lemongrass) scent
and oil. A water garden features hydro tubs, herbal steam rooms and
body-scrub salas. Shangri-La is the sort of place you could easily spend a
weekend in without needing to go out at all.
Next door, the pink towers of the Hilton Cebu Resort & Spa are the only
seriously vertical structures you'll find on Mactan. The Hilton certainly
provides a vivid landmark, thrusting up from the flatlands in agitated
pink with a blue roof. Rooms are a little on the small side at 33sq.m. but
the views are superb with extensive seaside facilities to match. Both
hotels are just 15 minutes from the airport.
If you are angling for some serious boutique luxury and a little more
peace and quiet, the best choice in the area is Abaca boutique resort &
restaurant. Nestled in Punta Engano, a peninsula at one corner of Mactan
Island that hosts a few other resorts along one road, Abaca started off as
a restaurant, and grew. Exclusivity reigns with only six suites and three
villas, each with its own personal butler, 47-inch TV, DVD, wired and
wireless internet, iMac, iPod docking and an iPod available to borrow.
Large bathrooms host Abaca’s own plant-based toiletries, rainshower, twin
vanities and separate stone bathtub. Enjoy breakfast on your balcony each
morning and try a private cabana for dining or spa treatments. Dark wood
and stone are stylishly appointed with Filipino antiques sourced from some
of its 7,107 islands. There is a black-tiled infinity pool, indoor-outdoor
spa, gym, as well as the resort’s signature restaurant. Visit, even if you
aren’t staying the night, for stunning ocean views and
Mediterranean-influenced Californian cuisine.
Directly next door, and looming over the nine-room Abaca, is the 160-room
Microtel. A hip, Ikea-style lobby plays about with funky furniture and
lots of white. Rooms are less impressive but clean, with desk, TV, fridge
but no mini-bar, and some rooms have a safe. Microtel covers the more
budget option for accommodation on Mactan but offers a good dining option,
Rice (managed by Abaca).
Midway down Mactan's east coast is the Maribago Bluewater Beach Resort.
This is a pleasant resort with freeform pool, sandy walkways and
thatch-roof cottages on the beach. It also offers an enclosed lagoon for
swimming. The rooms have parquet floors and some offer verandahs. The
renovated Italian restaurant is the newest rejuvenated offering, along
with a few more doubles, or “premium deluxe” rooms. All cottages have two
double beds, which serve just two persons. It’s three persons maximum –
when a third bed is provided. Cebuanos like their stretch space.
Maribago’s rooms are simple and smart with splashes of red to brighten
things up. Bathrooms are large and more spoiling than the room. Spend your
time preening or relaxing in the separate bath. The 36” TV has cable. In
Cebu this can include everything from CNN and BBC to Korean and Indian as
well as the obligatory stations pushing skin-whitening cream. There is no
safe in the room so if you're lugging around the Kashoggi jewels you'll
need to park them at reception. Snorkeling is decent here. Try around
Maribago’s own manmade island. Maribago Bluewater is a child-friendly Cebu
resort.
Around the corner is Tambuli. This is a three-in-one resort strung along
the beach. There's Tambuli East with standard and superior rooms, Tambuli
West, with deluxe rooms, and the Cebu Beach Club with barracks-style
thatch-roof cottages set in gardens. Tambuli East, a mock Intramuros
affair with grey-stone lobby has simple but modern rooms featuring ceramic
tile floors and red corrugated roofs.
The place is friendly but a tad rough around the edges and rooms border on
the tacky with the color scheme spanning everything from yellow and green
to pink. There is no safe. Kids will enjoy the pool. The beach is just
so-so. As a mid-range choice, the complex is fine and functional,
especially if you have small kids. Try a 25 minute "sea walk" in a
pressurized bubble mask with a tube feeding oxygen.
The small and cosy Cebu White Sands at Maribago Beach resort is not far
from here. There are 48 rooms on offer and more in the offing. The place
is quiet, grassy and not overrun by screaming toddlers. The accommodation
is in two-storey white-stucco villas with dark timber balconies. Rooms
feature parquet flooring with wrought-iron chairs and table in the
balcony. Both TV and bathroom are small and nothing to write home about.
The mini-bar serves Coke or San Miguel beer for just 72 pesos. For the
safety box, however, you'll have to head to reception. The focal pool area
is large and nicely developed.
At the far southeastern corner of Mactan, is the much talked about
Plantation Bay Resort and Spa. What sets this place apart from most is the
fact that it's entirely "artificial". So what does that mean? Well, the
lagoon, around which the resort is constructed, is really one vast
concrete mould. Plantation Bay is an enormous sand-lined bathtub ringed by
villas. Outlandish as this may sound, the effect is rather pleasing and
the two-storey villas are attractive both in and out. The public beach
nearby is undistinguished and one can see why the owners went to such
lengths to create this fantasy.
The lagoon is ample and well spread out with a variety of water
experiences from giant slides to pedal-boats. Around the lagoon are
hammocks and meandering cycling/jogging tracks. A Waterside room is just
"5-10 seconds from the water." Fair enough. A Water's Edge room, however,
is just "0-2 seconds from the water." Whoops. SPLASH. And splash indeed,
into any one of four pools – three freshwater and one saltwater. Swim to
the pool-center hammocks for a swing in the sun. You needn’t even wet your
little toe, however, with activities like archery, mini golf, climbing,
karaoke, and a firing range on top of all the usual suspects. Plantation
Bay farms its own prawns and crabs to supply fresh seafood to its four
restaurants. This is a good choice among Cebu family resorts for those
with teenagers in tow and, of course, anyone with Attention Deficit
Disorder.
Something a little more serious, for businessmen, gamblers, or people who
just love watching planes, there's the slick Waterfront Airport Hotel &
Casino Mactan. It has a Cebu sister property that borders a bit more on
Disneyland.
Highly rated accommodation in Cebu
Following are the 20 highest rated hotels, resorts, and inns in the
Cebu area. These are ranked in order, based upon reviews by travelers who
have stayed there (travelers of various types with varying preferences and
budgets). They're listed in the popularity index of
TripAdvisor, myPH's partner in exploring the Philippines:
1. Shangri-La's Mactan Resort (average price $263)
2. Las Flores
3. Marco Polo Plaza (average price $125)
4. Marriott Cebu City (average price $113)
5. Parklane International Hotel (average price $85)
6. Pulchra
7. Hilton Cebu Resort Spa (average price $183)
8. Alegre Beach Resort (average price $225)
9. Abaca Boutique Resort
10. Alpa City Suites (average price $89)
11. Marcosas Cottages Resort (average price $32)
12. Plantation Bay Resort (average price $198)
13. Maribago Bluewater (average price $110)
14. Hotel Fortuna (average price $85)
15. Maxwell Hotel
16. NS Royal Pensione
17. Crowne Garden Hotel
18. Waterfront Airport Hotel (average price $93)
19. Waterfront Cebu City Hotel (average $101)
19. Cebu White Sands (average price $103)
20. Kasai Village Beach Resort (average price $89)
Out of town from Cebu
A couple of hours drive north from Cebu City, along the east
coast, is the pleasant farming and fishing area of Sogod. The drive takes
you through Danao which has an attractive city square and an old
cathedral. Just after Sogod, about 80 kilometers from Cebu City, is the
fashionable Alegre Beach Resort. It is worth noting that should you be one
of those that enjoys resort-hopping, security all over Cebu is a real
pain. It is difficult to enter most upscale resorts if you are not staying
there. Cebuanos themselves have trouble getting in most times. The
entrance to every compound is manned by guards so be prepared for
car-trunk checks, mirrors to scan the undercarriage, and even sniffer
dogs. Always wear clean underwear.
Alegre is a lovely spot, a true getaway, intimate, green, with walks
through coconut groves, hibiscus and bougainvillea clusters, an extensive
orchid farm and a nice private beach cove. The (real) white sand beach
sets off the inviting blue of the water. A sign here reminds guests that
they should wear "proper attire" at all times. This means "swimsuits for
ladies and swimming trunks for men". The private villas have thatch roofs
and spoiling bathrooms. Grab a Coke, a San Miguel beer, or more. If you’re
truly lazing, try an in-room massage.
Snorkel or dive at the house reef where you might spot turtles and clown
fish, or cruise out to Calangaman island for a picnic on its sugar-white
sandbar. Given the distance from Cebu City, Alegre’s 38 private villas are
for honeymooners and a quieter set. Quick dashes into town for a drink or
bar crawl (or brawl) are out. However, the resort does offer a
complimentary shuttle into Cebu City three days a week, departing 9am and
commencing the return journey at 4.30pm, so you will manage to get some
shopping done. With meetings facilities for small gatherings Alegre scores
with business travelers as a secluded conference hotel but it is a great
away-from-it-all choice for all comers.
An hour's drive south from Cebu City in the San Fernando area, the
Japanese-run Pulchra is a sight for sore eyes, especially after
negotiating the highway roadworks and traffic tail-backs. Everything about
the place is immaculate from its crisp landscaping and minimalist Zen
lobby to the infinity pool and the 37 chic thatch-roof villas and lagoon
suites. Pulchra has drawn much of its design inspiration from the Aman
resorts groupand, like its idol, the accent is on simplicity and
unobtrusive service. Staff is friendly and welcoming. The resort is set
around a natural cove, sanded artificially with the best powder from the
south.
The cottages are split-level with the beds occupying the raised area,
looking over the living room. Floors are marble, pastel furnishings and
fabric has been well chosen and, bravely, there is no in-room TV. Now this
spells class. However, there is a television at the bar so you won't miss
out on the football or the latest Iraq spat. Laundering a shirt costs 40
pesos and a skirt 45 pesos. The safe is small and won't take a laptop and
the instructions are in Japanese. Pulchra also offers four larger
two-bedroom pool villas as well as two spa treatment villas for a relaxing
rubdown. Offshore options include a snorkeling trip to Cabilao island an
hour away (9am-4pm, 3,600 pesos). If your wallet can manage it and you
want something secluded and posh, Pulchra is a must-see.
If a tan – and sand – is all you want, drive across to the island's west
coast to Moalboal's quiet White Sand Beach. Yes, it is white and natural,
as God intended. Moalboal is around a three-hour drive from Mactan through
scenic hill roads with wonderful views of the coastline and the
neighboring island of Negros.
Panagsama Beach has small chalets and restaurants though the beach has
been wrecked by breakwaters jutting into the sea. A lovely spot to break
journey here for lunch (or a stay) is Hannah's Place. Hannah's is a
comfortable spot fronting the ocean with a charming open-sided thatch-roof
restaurant that does crępes, pastas and even Indian curries. Dives are
arranged through Sea Quest Dive Center (www.seaquestdivecenter.net) at
around US$30 for one dive (boat plus equipment, including tank with air,
and weight-belt) with boat transfer and divemaster.
Quo Vadis Beach Resort is another comfortable garden option with pool,
kids' facilities and a choice of deluxe rooms (with airconditioning and
bathroom) or cottages (fan and balcony). Try their Arista restaurant for
German/Filipino nosh.
Fifteen minutes south is the town of Badian, the jump-off point for the
wonderfully idyllic Badian Island Resort & Spa. A quick speedboat ride
takes guests across to a small island with an inviting fringe of
powder-white sand. From the moment you step onto the wooden jetty, you are
in another world. Occupying eight hectares of landscaped garden, the
resort spreads up a low hillside with suites, several with balconies and
hammocks, looking over azure seas. Rooms are pleasant with wooden floors
and thatch roofs. The welcome includes generous sprinklings of flower
petals – on the bed, on the table, on the chairs, in the bath, everywhere…
Some of the best views to be had are from the bathtub. Rooms have a CD
player (CDs are available from the library) but no TV (there is one in the
clubhouse). There are coffee and tea-making facilities and a minibar.
Laundering a shirt is a steal. Bring all your laundry along. An attractive
feature here is the Badian Natural SPA with thalasso, offering massages,
facials and other treatments. The one-hour "Island Paradise Massage"
combining Indian Ayurvedic, Chinese and Thai techniques is US$60.
The resort offers a fresh water swimming pool and extensive dive and
watersports facilities. The Badian Dive Center follows PADI standards and
offers a "discover scuba diving program" for US$110. Dives in the area
range from beginner (Coral Gardens) to experienced (Sunken Island between
Cebu and Negros). There are as many as 15 dive locations within a half
hour boat ride from Badian Island Resort. A single outing for a certified
diver, with boat, tank, and weight, is US$42.
Exploring downtown
Cebu City
Driving into Cebu City, as opposed to actually staying there on
business, can be a shock to the system. But once in, there's much to do
and enjoy. The old and more colorful parts of downtown Cebu around
atmospheric Santo Nino and City Hall are fun to browse. Hop on a calesa
and trot off. Colon Street, named after Christopher Columbus who had a bit
of a navigation problem that fortuitously prevented him tangling with Lapu
Lapu, is the oldest street in town and a lively artery of commerce and
entertainment.
Head to Carbon Market for all your Filipino handicrafts, flowers, and
street food amongst what is the lifeblood of Cebu. Once the tourist
souvenirs are out of the way, watch life unfold around the secondhand
clothes, fruit and vegetables, fish and meat in the early morning, and
every useful household product or instrument known to man.
A pleasant vantage point from where to survey the land – or the lights
depending upon your time of visit – is the hilltop Tops (100 pesos
entrance fee). Have a picnic basket made up at delicatessen Tinderbox and
head to this open lookout point from where, with a San Mig beer in hand,
you can survey Cebu City, Bohol and the mountains to the north. Evenings
finds families, lovers, students and tourists sitting atop the encircling
wall enjoying the cool dusk breeze. Here you'll find snacks, drinks and
little stone alcoves arrayed in a semicircle if you wish to have a roof
over your head. There's also an iron bell that, according to lore, is rung
"once for firm partnership, twice for lasting friendship or three times
for never-ending love." Start counting. The winding drive up the hill
takes around 30 minutes from the city. A taxi will charge around 150 pesos
per hour and a motorcycle hubel-hubel upwards of 25 pesos per passenger.
On the way down you might stop at the Italian La Tegola which offers great
views and is open to the breezes. It's a simple, if romantic, pit stop
with decent pasta (around 220 pesos per dish). Slightly lower down is the
Chateau de Busay, a more upmarket villa with a garden (where alfresco
meals may be enjoyed) and equally stunning views. Steaks and other meat
are the order of the day. Also on these slopes is the quirkily-named Mr A
with great views, a pub atmosphere and a younger set. Pop in for a drink.
The most interesting Filipino dining experience is still to be had at the
Golden Cowrie where and you eat on banana leaves under the high timber
rafters of an old house. There's indoor and outdoor seating and the food
is excellent. The owner, Earl Kokseng, knows a thing or two about catering
as he runs a few of the better known eating establishments.
Not too far from here, opposite the Waterfront hotel, is the Walk, a
standalone complex of fast-food eateries and local shops. In town, for
more Italian, try Bona Forchetta on Osmania Boulevard or Giuseppe's, near
the gate of Maria Luisa Subdivision for Sicilian/Italian and the best thin
crust pizzas in town. Gustavian, just a shimmy down the road from
Giuseppe’s, is a great sports bar and diner (owned by Michel Lhuillier,
father of the famous New York fashion designer Michelle Lhuillier who
dresses Hollywood celebs and sells her creations in Harvey Nichols).
Cebu shopping options focus on a few large malls – SM City (Shoemart) in
the North Reclamation Area close to the coast, and Ayala Center in Banilad
further inland. SM City is a multi-level modern beast (among the biggest
in the Philippines) with Australian coffee outlets and an array of choice
restaurants. Spice Fusion and Lei Garden come highly recommended. Kipling,
Timberland, Columbia Sportswear, Adidas, Guess, Giordano, Hang Ten, Naf
Naf and Pro Mod are just some of the names SM City has attracted. Check
out its “native” food section for the best dried mangoes and otap (a
sugared cookie delicacy native to Cebu).
Ayala Center is a bit more laid back with smaller, boutique-size shops
which some big names have squeezed into, like Lacoste, Steve Madden and
Levis. Register at the Turista Desk for “perks and discounts” (Level One,
Paseo Marina). The Terraces is a welcome addition to Ayala Center,
bringing a long string of decent restaurants – CYMA is a good choice for
Greek cuisine.
Crossroads Arcade, next door to Tinderbox in Banilad, is another
restaurant complex which livens up each evening with some of the more
high-class Cebu City restaurants. Maya tequila bar and restaurant,
offshoot of abaca, is a Mexican delight with over 90 tequilas shaking
things up for high flyers. Try Vudu Private Lounge for tapas, or Olio for
Italian.
You can try your chances with the many Thai massage parlors dotted around
the city, but if you don’t want to sprain muscles you didn’t know existed,
it’s best to use day spa The Spa. This is a very professional affair,
based in Banilad, with a huge spa menu catering for every taste and
pocket. For most treatments there are rates for “common”, “VIP” and
“couples with steam.”
Back in Mactan, the Marina Mall offers a La Tegola, Magellan's Landing and
the Majestic Chinese Seafood restaurant which, although a little jaded, is
still frequented for its coconut crab, live eel with black pepper sauce
and decent lunchtime buffet at 275 pesos.
High rollers will have plenty of opportunity to flush, or flash, their
cash at the casinos at the two Waterfront hotels in Cebu and near Mactan
airport. Cebu does not offer huge choice when it comes to international
standard business hotels. There is the brisk Cebu City Marriott Hotel, the
palatial and overly grand Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino with
high-roller tour-groups milling about the lobby, and the Cebu Midtown
Hotel. Marriott would be the pick for discerning businessmen, just out of
a total refurbishment of its lobby and rooms.
The plush Waterfront has 562 rooms, 14 restaurants and outlets including
Chinese, Japanese and Italian, and even a disco. And its Cebu
International Convention Center offers 10,000sq.m. of space. The Cebu
Midtown Hotel is really a last, or budget, choice if everything is full.
It does have a good location but is a funny a place, built above the
Robinson Mall as an afterthought with the drive to the hotel entrance
corkscrewing up a dingy car-park ramp that ends up, well, in a car park.
The Cebu Plaza, with a tremendous location up on the hill, has been reborn
as the swank Marco Polo Plaza Cebu. Sited up on scenic Nivel Hills, this
is a Cebu landmark, easy to spot from almost anywhere. The property
encompasses a generous 7.5 hectares of landscaped gardens and waterfalls.
There are 329 smart guestrooms with Broadband (800 pesos per day), 41”
flat screen TV, compact bathroom and a shockingly small sink. The
Continental Club floors (right at the top) offer executive extras like
express check-in, and access to the Continental Club lounge where
cocktails and snacks flow all day. This Cebu business hotel is about 25
minutes from Mactan International Airport.
Nightlife is reasonably lively and things start rocking after 8pm when
most of the bars open for business. The go-go dance places are
concentrated on Mango Avenue (now General Maxilom) with musty red-draped
establishments like Viking, Papillon and the slicker Blackhole. Another
club vying for the sweatiest venue medal is Cassanova Superclub, where you
can party “11am till dawn”. Head to the Reclamation port area for Arena, a
bigger place with more scantily-clad dancers who will come up and enquire,
"May I know yourrr nationaliteeeeee sirrr?"
Should you get involved in further discussions regarding your nationality,
income and wedding prospects, the ladies will likely order tequila rounds
that are a tad more expensive. Not too far from Mango Avenue is the
top-end Jaguar KTV and go-go dance place that is in a plush theater,
rather than bar, set-up.
Music buffs will enjoy hanging out at Jazz and Blues while the more
energetic, or totally plastered, can head to head-banging discos like Pump
(near Ayala Mall) or the Korean-run Sunflower and NASA, close to
Goldfinger which heads the Mandaue clubbing scene. Of course if all this
doesn't appeal or you're simply knackered, head back to your hotel, switch
on the TV and watch a skin-whitening program. I think I'll buy some of
that Herbal P-Gel.
One last tip before you dash home – make time in Mactan Cebu Airport’s
tiny duty-free area to pick up some creamy mango ice cream (Magnolia is a
good brand) which, packed with dry ice, you can check-in with your
luggage.
• For good deals in Cebu, plus price comparisons
and reviews by other travelers, check out TripAdvisor.
• More information, tips and advice about
traveling around the Philippines can be found in the
myPH Explorer Forum.
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