Guide to Cebu (Plus Transport & Accommodation info)

If Cebu is not one of your main destination spots.. and you only arrive there in order to move on to another place such as Bohol (link below), or if you only have 1 day in Cebu..

Then keep reading :

Guide to Cebu
(Plus Transport & Accommodation info)

I had a limited time in the Philippines and Panglao, Bohol was my main point of focus.

However, because my flight landed at about 1pm and my friend was in town, I decided to stay until the next morning and spend the day in Cebu City.

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Read : Getting from Cebu to Panglao, Bohol, Philippines

Read : 3 Days in Panglao, Bohol (Plus Pamilacan Island)

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Arriving in Cebu

You have two options:

1 – Go into the city and stay there for a night (or longer).
2 – Head straight to the pier and grab a ferry to Bohol (in this case, you can go straight to the links above).

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Taxi Bay, Mactan –Cebu International Airport

Getting to the City (or Pier by taxi)

Taxi

Taxis are pretty cheap in the Philippines, so you might find this option to be the best one.

When you come out of the arrivals, go right and keep going until you pass a few food stands and get to the taxi bay.

There are a few companies to choose from, I would recommend the official white taxi.
Make sure to insist on using the meter, otherwise you will most probably get well overcharged.

It cost me about PHP 180/200 to get to my accommodation (Tropical Hostel).
The distance to the pier is pretty much the same, therefore shouldn’t be much of a difference in price.

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Shuttle Bus

There is a new shuttle bus going to SM City Mall (North Open Parking 2), it’s approx 10 mins walk from the Tropical Hostel and only costs PHP 25. It runs roughly every 30 mins, from 7am to 9pm.

From SM City Mall to the airpot – 6am to 8pm.
NOTE – To go to the airport, for some strange reason you must purchase a ‘membership card’ which costs PHP 200 plus the fare (that’s when you might as well get a taxi). Apparently, that’s not the case the other way round.

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Get Around Cebu

Jeepney

Good for getting around the city, look at them in the same way as buses –  different colour (usually) means a specific route. It’s the locals public transport and all of the journeys have a set price.

Motorbike

Hop on a bike and get dropped off wherever you wish. Make sure you haggle the price first.

Taxi

Pretty easy, cheap and convenient as long as you use the meter. The taxis are everywhere. Literally.

Uber App

Great for when you want to be extra careful (night times) and don’t have a lot of cash on you.

Grab Car App

Again, good for being extra careful, but with this app you pay the driver with cash.

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Accommodation

I stayed in two hostels. One on the first night and the second one was literally just an overnight stay right before my flight out of Cebu city.

I booked very last minute, so I didn’t have many options as most of the hostels were already taken.

My main focus was on a place not too far from the centre, clean(ish), safe(ish) and cheap.

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Credit : Agoda

Tropical Hostel 

1 night – PHP 380 (£6) for a dorm.

Simple, clean, convenient location, helpful staff.
There is no common room area, however there’s a pretty sweet terrace which can be used to chill and meet other travellers.

There is a square close by with a convenience store, local restaurants and other useful shops, great especially when you are only there for a short stay.

Book here

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Credit : Agoda

Tr3ats Guest House

1 night – PHP 380 (£6) for a dorm.

Literally stayed there for about 6 hours so can’t really comment much.
It is about 15 minutes walk from Robinsons Fuente mall, so quite a decent location.

It’s clean, air conditioned rooms and completely fine for the time I was there. No hostel vibe, but that’s understandable as it is called a guesthouse.

Book here

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What to do in Cebu

( As mentioned previously, I was only in Cebu for an evening, so here is what we did )

Tops Lookout Point

I’m a sucker for sunsets and this is THE perfect spot.

Make sure to get there slightly earlier (we nearly missed it). The sunset was UNREAL, and it made my visit to Cebu a memorable one.

There are also really cute places to eat and grab a drink at the very top, with an awesome atmosphere. There are even little open air ‘rooms/areas’ where people had their own private party.

All in all, it’s a great place for some reggae tunes, barbeque & chilling while admiring the sunset over the city and sea!

Mango Square Nightlife

If you fancy a drink or two (or more) – Mango Square is your go to.

Quickly catching up with Manilas nightlife, head to the square on Friday or Saturday and you won’t be disappointed.

However, we went on a Sunday and it was the complete opposite! Super chilled and not busy at all – but great for a drink, a chat and people watching (for example).

PS. Just so you don’t get a bit of a shocker – this location (and downtown Cebu in general) is known as the spot for the Filipina woman (or girls) who offer sex in exchange for some cash, they are known as the ‘street freelancers’.

Now, when I say girls – I mean girls.. it did leave me in a bit of a shock, which is why I’m warning you now. Ha.

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Get Out of Cebu City

I haven’t had much time on the island of Cebu, but there is SO much to do once you get out of the city!
The main things that caught my eye :

Moalboal

Known as the ‘backpackers’ area which looks super chilled and has some great snorkelling.

Canyoneering

At the Kawasan waterfalls. Looks insane.

Ziplining

Because who doesn’t love a bit of ziplining.

Oslob

Where you ‘can’ visit and swim with the whale sharks..
I do not recommend this.

People are led to believe that it’s completely fine and maybe even helping their conservation – No, no no.
(Please) Read more here.

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My Philippines vlog :

If you are heading to Panglao or Bohol in general, you can click on the links below where I’ve done detailed guides for you all!

Hope you enjoyed my :
Guide to Cebu (Plus Transport & Accommodation info)

If you found this little guide helpful – I’d love it if you could share around <3

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