Summer is here. While that may not be good news for us here as it meant welcoming back the scorching UAE heat, in the Philippines, summer is all things amazing. If there’s anything every Fillipino expat miss about the months of March to May back home, it’s definitely the islands, the beaches, and the golden sun setting in the rolling hills.
True enough, there are a number of emerging virgin islands that promise unspoilt beauty by the beach with its clear waters away from the hustle and bustle of urban life and nightlife. But in these places, backpacking skills are needed and perhaps a little rough camping is required.
For those who would like to go somewhere tried and tested and well-preserved, where people wouldn’t worry about mosquitoes or toilets and where travellers could just relax by the beach and in the real comforts of a true vacation—consider a quick Cebu getaway.
Especially with the recently launched Emirates flights to Cebu, planning a trip to Mactan Island has never been so easy. Allow me to walk you through a recent Cebu trip and suggest an itinerary for a five-day soul searching. Forget the snow or the foreign birds somewhere far, far away. There surely is no place like home.
Cebu is home to both nature and culture. A beach trip to the islands of the province does wonders to your stressed out brains and tired body, while heritage and the religious sites of the city would refresh your spirituality. And perhaps one of the best parts of the Cebuano culture is food. Cebu lechon, anyone?
DAY 1 – Sit back and relax; start easy.
02:55am Experience Emirates’ new direct route from Dubai to Cebu
3:00pm (PH time): Arrival at Cebu International Airport
4:00pm Check in at your preferred hotel, but I would highly recommend Shangri-La Mactan
5:00pm Have dinner at Cebu City and watch the beautiful sunset.
Keep your Day 1 cool and easy, you don’t want to be doing a lot after a long-haul flight. Just savor the good food and beautiful sunset.
DAY 2 – Wake up early and be a culturati for a day.
Start early and stroll around the city, and drop by the oldests and firsts of the Philippines. Walk along the oldest street in the Phillipines, Visit the First Fort and the oldest churches and hear about the history of Spanish colonization in the Philippines.
07:00am Leave Shangri-La Hotel going to Cebu City
08:30am Heritage Tour (Magellan’s Cross, Basilica Minor del Santo Nino, Jesuits’ house, Colon Street, Fort San Pedro, Plaza Independencia and Chinese Heritage Museum)
12:00pm: Look for a native restaurant, be one with the Cebuanos.
1:30pm: Buy some souvenir items and don’t forget to grab some dried mangoes and otap for your friends back in Dubai.
4:00pm: Go back to your hotel, you still have 3 days left. Sit by the beach, and just relax.
Shangr-La Mactan has its own beach and Marine Sanctuary. Try snorkelling or just read a book as you listen to the rolling waves.
DAY 3 – Be one with nature. Rediscover the island treasures that are all our own.
Wake up early the next day and try to catch the sunrise just beside the pool and the beach side. Order your breakfast and enjoy the view.
Continue your day with a quick boat ride to the beautiful islands nearby.
07:00am Breakfast at the pool beside the beach
08:30am Depart for Island Hopping
– Snorkel at Gilutugan Island.
– Swim and enjoy the shallow beach of Nilusuan Island.
12:00pm Lunch in middle of the sea and enjoy the sea breeze
2:00pm Visit Caohagan Island for another snorkelling activity and head back to your hotel.
Spend another afternoon by the beach, enjoy the warm sun, sand between your toes and those crystal clear waters. Try to order some Coconut Juice and they will serve it to you fresh.
DAY 4: Have the best of the good food.
Start your day with a good breakfast buffet and enjoy a little more water activities.
07:00am Breakfast at Tides, Shangri-La Hotel
11:00am Head to Cebu City
12:00pm Have seafood for lunch!
1:30pm Head to downtown Cebu and buy the rest of your pasalubong. Try the new dried green mangoes. Buy your family and friends the famous “I love Cebu” shirts. Looking for cheap pearls? Get them from the sea gypsies in the street.
6:00pm Have the best barbeque dinner at Shangri-La and be entertained by some local dance and fire dancers.
End your night by either going to the city and enjoy their night life at a bar or stay in the hotel’s lobby and be entertained by lovely bossa music.
DAY 5 : Prepare to head back to reality.
As reality draws nearer, treat yourself to some calm. A good massage and spa treatment is the perfect reward for the hard work you’ve been doing the past several months.
Well, you may spend the rest of day just planning your next visit to Cebu. After all, you still have to visit Malapascua and Oslob for the breath-taking scuba diving experience with whale sharks.
Go travel north to Bantayan Island and enjoy its white-sand beaches. Prepare for a longer vacation next, which could afford you a visit to nearby provinces such as Bohol and Negros.
Leave hotel 3 hours before your flight. You don’t want to get stressed out after your wonderful vacation. Leave earlier and just enjoy checking out your photos and relieve the memories with the anticipation of going back to the province of Cebu.
