CEBU RESORTS

Your Philippines Holiday experience would not be complete without Visiting Cebu

Cebu City is the regional capital for the Visayas and the second most important city in the Philippines.  Metro Cebu (Cebu City, Mandaue City, and Lapu Lapu City), is considerably cleaner, cheaper and less congested than Metro Manila. Metro Cebu has all the amenities of Manila without the hassels (usually) but with a lot more convenience.

Cebu offers many possibilities for sports and recreation: golf, tennis, cockfighting, watersports like scuba diving, windsurfing, sailing, boating, swimming, snorkeling, waterskiing, jet skiing, shopping, good food and entertainment. For the island-hopper, Cebu is one exciting playground for daring expeditions. Aqua sports top the list of what to do.

For the golfer, Cebu has excellent clubs and facilities that make it the perfect destination for a golfing holiday.

The Cebu Country Club is conveniently located close to the city, in Banilad.

The Alta Vista Golf and County Club is a few kilometres south of the CBD in Pardo.

The Club Filipino Golf Course is out of town in Danao City 33 kilometers drive to the north from Cebu city.

There are other golf clubs in regional areas including near Bogo in Daanbantayan and also in the south of the island and on nearby islands. Green Fees are very reasonable and often include a caddy and an Umbrella Girl to keep you out of the sun.

Cebu Hotels and Resorts

Alegre Beach Resort
Badian Island Resort
Casa Del Mar
Cebu Beach Club
Cebu Grand Hotel
Cebu Marine Beach Resort
Cebu Midtown Hotel
Cebu White Sands
Cordova Reef Village Resort
Costabella Tropical Beach Resort
Days Hotel Cebu
Eddie’s Hotel
Garwood Park Hotel
Golden Peak Hotel
Holiday Plaza Hotel
Hotel de Mercedes
Island & Sun Beach Resort
Mango Park Hotel
Maribago Bluewater Beach Resort
Marriott Hotel
Metropolis Court Hotel
Montebello Villa Hotel
Plantation Bay Mactan
Princeville Executive Villas
Pulchra Beach Resort
Quantum Cebu Resort
Richmond Plaza Hotel
Sarrosa International Hotel
Shangri-la’s Mactan Island Resort
Tambuli Beach Club East Wing
Tambuli Beach Club West Wing
Waterfront Hotel Cebu
Waterfront Hotel Mactan

Staying at a Resort on Mactan Island

The resorts tend to be self contained and most include entertainment during evening dining, but both the menu and the entertainment are generally only good for a few nites before most of us will want some variety. The restaurant choice on Mactan Island is somewhat limited and traveling to mainland Cebu each nite for a new dining experience and entrainment can become too much of an effort. Few people think of visiting the other resorts on the island that offer alternative first class cuisine. Here is a selection of what is avaialbe:

Plantation Bay Resort – Seafood – The Fiji Restaurant is a small restaurant built out over a small cliff overlooking the sea, has a very rustic and Mediterranean feel to it. They serve a mixture of seafood, and also some Japanese choices such as sashimi and sushi.

Maribago Bluwater – Seafood – Considered by many as the best Seafood restaurant on Mactan. As with all the other seafood restaurants this one is also built out into the sea. The menu is relatively limited, with few appetizer options but the seafood is top notch and well prepared.

Shangri-La – Seafood – Known as The Cowries is a beautiful restaurant is a must when in Cebu no matter where you are staying. Built out on a cliff overlooking the sea below Cowries offers you a perfect venue for a romantic fresh seafood dinner. The set menu is 1,500 Pesos which includes a variety of choices. The restaurant is open from 6pm – 10pm and the bar which is adjacent opens from around 10pm – 1am. Reservations are highly recommended.

Shangri-La – Chinese – One of only a few Chinese restaurants on Mactan. Open lunch and dinner from 12am-2:30 pm and 6-10:30 pm respectively. Only a la carte is served.

White Sands – General – The lunch buffet for 299 Pesos is very good value and highly recommended. The buffet comprises of some Japanese sashimi, sushi and also some local dishes. The reason we recommend this restaurant is it is right on the beach and hence one of the few beach side restaurants we could find. Travelling so far and not eating in a beach side restaurant would be a terrible shame. Presently only open for lunch but they may even for dinner which would be great, but more as we hear of it.

Plantation Bay Resort – General – Kilmanjaro is built out into the middle of the lagoon which gives it an unusual look and feel. The food served is Asian and International. They even have netting all around the restaurant so as to keep any unwanted insects out. This is open 24 hours a day.

Shangri-La – Italian – A large Italian restaurant with an open air design and “fun” Italian style to it is definitely worth a visit. They have an open fire wood oven, and the chef is Italian. The restaurant is normally only open in the evenings from 6 to around 10:30 pm. Prices are not too bad with an appetizer ranging from 350/400 Pesos and a Calzone Pizza 440 Pesos.

Plantation Bay Resort – Italian – Considered by many as the best Italian on Mactan, this indoor Italian restaurant has an intimate fine dining feel to it. The prices are good with appetizers around 220/300 Pesos, a Pasta dish 340 Pesos and a and a bottle of the house wine 690 Pesos. The restaurant is only open in the evening and from 7 – 11 pm and reservations are recommended.

Cebu  offers great live entertainment and dance clubs

Live Singers and bands

They say that real talent is hard to find but not in Cebu where practically everybody can sing and play music instruments.

Cebu has produced world class talents including Divas like Dulce, Dessa, Vina Morales, Verni Varga, Ana Fegi, Sheryn Regis and the latest singing sensation, Rochelle “Raki” Vega. Tagged as the “Ultimate Born Diva”, which she won in the prestigious nationwide singing competition by ABS-CBN – “Born Diva”.

Cebu is full of entertainment venues that cater for every taste

Cebu is also a great place to visit if you really do not want to do much at all. There are plenty of white Sandy Beaches with crystal clear waters and swaying palms where you can just soak up the sun. Stay at one of the numerous resorts with cottages at the foreshore. Take the occasional dip in the sea or venture a bit further and snorkel over amazing coral reefs. Then sip your favorite drink while watching a tropical sunset. Cebu is the perfect escape to a tropical paradise.
There are many cheap cottages and hotels around including many for back packers on a shoestring budget. At the top end are a number of international class resorts that charge dollar rates.

Resorts around Cebu

The Plantation Bay Resort
The Plantation Bay is set in 7 hectares of secluded grounds offering one of the largest privately owned waterways in the world. This resort built in the style of an old colonial plantation village has all its rooms spread around an enormous lagoon and swimming pool, that is itself the largest pool in the Philippines. All the rooms can be found in separate two floor buildings, each building has 16 rooms. No matter which room you are in you are pretty much guaranteed splendid views of the lagoon and pools. The amenities are first class with attention to detail that ensures the absolute comfort and relaxation of guests. Drive time from Mactan Airport is approximately 20 minutes, Cebu City is approximately 35 minutes.

Cordova Reef Village Resort
Cordova Reef Village Resort nestles in the sunny coast of Cordova and has one of the best swimming pools on Mactan Island and very nice rooms to match. The resort is set on a four-hectare area and exudes an ambiance of luxury, privilege and distinction. The architecture is a unique design with all cottages or cabanas alternately positioned in front of the pool terrace and the beach. The restaurant and bar compliments the beautiful nature setting with breathtaking views of the calm open seas below and the majestic skies above. Drive time from Mactan Airport is approximately 20 minutes, Cebu City is approximately 40 minutes.

Shangri-La’s Mactan Island Resort
Shangri-La’s Mactan Island Resort is part of the International renowned Shangri-La Hotel chain and this Shangri-La is one of largest and most exclusive deluxe resorts in the Philippines. It is a large hotel with 547 rooms, variety of restaurants, including an Italian, Seafood, Chinese, and Asian providing excellent cuisine. Its idyllic setting with landscaped gardens, beautiful secluded beach and great swimming pool offers an exciting range of recreation activities. Every guestroom combines tropical decor with modern amenities with private balconies providing panoramic views of the Visayan Sea and outlying islands, making it a perfect getaway for fun and relaxation. Drive time from Mactan Airport is approximately 15 minutes, Cebu City is 35 minutes.

The Tambuli Resorts – Tambuli West, Tambuli East and the Cebu Beach Club

There are actually three Tambuli resorts under the same management but differing in terms of luxury in respect to room quality, price and also the surroundings, gardens and beauty of the grounds. The hotel management has devised a very useful club aspect to the resorts in that you are able to stay at any one of the resorts and use any of the facilities at any one of the resorts, including signing for food or drinks

Tambuli West offers guests the highest amount of luxury with beautifully landscaped gardens and superior rooms and amenities. Tambuli East is the more basic of the three Tambuli resorts, but is a great alternative if you are on slightly more of a budget as you are able to enjoy all the facilities of the other two resorts. Cebu Beach Club is a great small resort, with the beach at one end and the rooms forming an open rectangle that look out onto just one of their three swimming pools. It is in between the other two in terms of luxury and amenities with a unique ambiance. Regardless of which Tambuli resort you stay at the ability to use the facilities of the others makes it a very attractive deal.

Badian Island Resort
The Badian Island Resort & Spa, Cebu is located on the lagoon side of the small isolated Badian Island, off the southwest coast of Cebu. Set in an 8-hectare beachfront resort surrounded by flowering gardens, white sandy beaches and blue waters. The rooms are large and beautifully designed with a native Filipino theme. This resort is a superb destination for those wishing to escape from hectic lifestyles or enjoy diving. Drive time from Mactan Airport is approximately 2 hours and then a 5-minute speed boat ride to Badian Island or 40 minutes by chartered helicopter.

Alegre Beach Resort
The Alegre Beach Resort is on the more isolated northeastern coast. With thatched roof cabanas against a hillside backdrop with a sandy beach below it is a romantic setting for a tropical getaway. Accommodation includes two spacious bedrooms, oversized bathrooms and private verandas. The Alegre Beach Resort reception overlooks the swimming pools and the ocean. The resort is near the small town of Sogod and drive time from Mactan Airport is approximately 90 minutes.

Cotabella Tropical Beach Resort
Costabella Tropical Beach Hotel is renowned for its beautiful white sandy beaches, blue seas, sunny skies and hospitable staff. It is family orientated with a friendly and casual atmosphere that will give you a relaxed and cozy feeling. Located on Mactan Island 15 minutes by car from the Mactan-Cebu International Airport and 35 minutes away from Cebu City for shopping, sight seeing, golf, dining and trying your luck at the casino.

Waterfront Cebu Cit Hotel and Resort
The Waterfront Cebu City Hotel is the largest Hotel and Convention and Exhibition Center in Cebu. The Hotel is strategically located within 5 minutes from the financial district, shopping malls, and golf course and within easy reach from the sandy white beaches. This neo-classical structure design is a purpose-built international class hotel offering distinctive convention and business facilities, catering to the to the needs of the business and leisure community.

Coral Reef Hotel
Coral Reef is a secluded hotel that offers guests their own private beach. The hotel is a single story complex designed is a horse shoe shape around landscaped garden facing the pool and beach. It boasts some of the best rooms in Cebu and the staff are extremely hospitable.

Maribago Blue Water
Maribago Blue Water is considered by many to be one of the best resort hotels around Cebu. The hotel professional run and maintained with a high quality of service and customer focus. Amenities are excellent with many extras and a selection of different rooms each providing its own unique aspect and ambiance.

White Sands
This is a small resort with only 15 rooms in a absolute beautiful setting. With only a small number of guests the focus is on quality of service and attention to detail. This is the place for a guaranteed quiet vacation away from it all.

Go shopping of exotic local products and souvenirs including shell craft and the world famous hand crafted guitars

Cebu City is the second major city in the Philippines and has a huge range of shopping possibilities for both souvenirs and general bargains. There are three major shopping malls including Ayala Center Center, SM City Cebu and Gaisano Country Mall which offer shoppers world standard products both Filipino made and the best the world has to offer. Prices on many times are extremely competitive while others can be more expensive than back home. So know your prices. When shopping for Filipino hand made products it is usually cheaper to visit the local markets similar to flea markets. Be prepared to haggle and to wade through rows of hot, sweaty stalls. (watch for pickpockets.) Bargaining is expected in markets, but not at department stores or supermarkets. Here are just some shopping ideas:

Sea Shell Handcraft
Cebu is a center for the producing quality shell craft products that will make that perfect holiday souvenir and be functional. Choose from a wide range of sea shells handicrafted Fashion Accessories and Jewelries, like Shells Necklaces, Puka Shell, Bags, Bracelets, Hairclips, Earrings, Slippers, Coco placemat, Coco and Shell Curtains, Jewelry Boxes, lamp shades, candle holder, picture frames, table decors and many other items all handcrafted and made of natural coco, woods and shell components and materials.

Wood Carvings
Wood carvings express the culture of the Philippines. Filipinos are excellent wood carvers and it has been part of their culture for centuries with many designs passed down through families. In addition to traditional carvings you will find a huge selection of small sculptures, characterures and functional items such utensils for the household. There are also many religious carvings and larger pieces that are either life size sculptures or items of furniture made form a single piece of wood.
The type of wood is a big determining factor in the cost of a wood carving. There are many types of wood with the most expensive being Kamagong (also known as Ebony or Black Ivory). The kamagong or mabolo (Diospyros philippinensis) is prized for its excellent ebony wood. There is a dwindling supply of kamagong in the Philippines and you will find it used only for finer work. At the other end of the spectrum the cheaper novelty items will usually be produced in coco lumber.

Home made fabric goods & embroidery
Another very good buy in the Philippines are handcrafted fabrics and embroidery work. There are many home based produces of such goods. They sell there wares each day at the many craft and tourist markets. Many have permanent booths at markets with a wide range of merchandise on display including handmade clothes, abaca and raffia rugs, fiber cloth, capiz ware (made from shells), embroidered cotton table linens. You can also request customer designs and order your own embroidery such as initials or emblems.

Clothing
The Philippines is a great place to shop for clothing. If you are not oversize then there is a huge selection of high quality off-the-rack apparel at any of the first class department stores that generally much cheaper than back home. Most of the fabrics in pre-made clothing are lighter weight and designed for year round summer conditions of the Philippines.
You can also get clothing made to order to any size and fabric. Choose from a wide selection of international designs or take the page out of your favourite fashion magazine and have a replica made up of a famous brand for a fraction of the cost. Taylor made clothing is one of the better buys in the Philippines.

Shoes, handbags, belts and Wallets
Quality leather craft is another good buy in the Philippines. The department stores have a wide selection to suit any taste. Many well know international brands are actually manufactured in the Philippines so a genuine bargain can really be had. The only drawback seems to be the available range of shoe sizes in the local shops that do not cater for the larger size of most westerners. The larger sizes are available but generally not stocked so finding shoes to fit can be a challenge. As with clothing it is possible to get any type of custom made leather craft.

Guitars
Mactan island is famous for its hand made guitars. Make sure you choose export quality as the guitars made for local use are fine in the tropics but tend to bow when subject to extreme temperature variations.

Antiques
Cebu is the oldest City in the Philippines and a good place for antique collectors to search for that hidden treasure. Be careful as Filipino’s are very skilled craftsman and there are many excellent reproductions around that some unscrupulous people may try to pass of as original.

Electronics
In general the Philippines is not the best place to buy electronics but there are some exceptions. The Filipino’s are crazy about Mobile phones and are among the highest volume uses of text messaging in the world. Subsequently mobile phones are one thing that you may find cheaper than back home. Know your prices. Any locally made electronics are also considerable cheaper but quality varies on these goods.

COLON STREET – the oldest street in the Philippines named after the renowned explorer ‘Cristobal Colon’ a.k.a. Christopher Columbus is the heart of ‘downtown’ Cebu City. A glittering city by night lined with moviehouses, department stores, bars and other establishments.

FUENTE OSMENA – is a fountain honoring Cebu’s favorite son, the late President Sergio Osmena, Sr. . It is one of city’s most famous landmarks dominating the uptown area where commercial and banking establishments have proliferated.

THE UNIVERSITY OF SAN CARLOS MUSEUM - with a fine collection of antique ceramic ware in archeological diggings in various parts of the country. It also presents samples of flora and fauna in the country and in Cebu particularly.

CHAPEL OF THE LAST SUPPER – 250 year old life-size replica of the Lord Jesus with His 12 Apostles seated for the last Supper.

MAGELLANS MARKER – Magellan crossed the channel to Mactan in the effort to spread the faith. Before he could reach the shore he was killed in knee-deep waters by Lapulapu, the chieftain of Mactan Island, and his men in a battle of supremacy and freedom on April 27, 1521. The marker stands on that fateful battle ground in Mactan Island.

THE TOPS – Situated high on top of cool Busay Hills is an excellent sight seeing spot which offers a breathtaking view of Metro Cebu and the islands of Mactan and Olango. Cottages are available for daytime picnics and instant evening parties. Only 15 minutes ride from Cebu City’s Lahug area.

JUMALON’S MUSEUM – is the home of a lepido mosaic art collection so called because of it utilizes butterfly wings as its medium. The museum is located at the residence of Professor Julian Jurnalon at Basak Elementary School side road.

SAN MIGUEL INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX – the biggest glass factory, brewery, CocaCola and Agro Industrial Complex outside Metro Manila.

MACTAN EXPORT PROCESSING ZONE - is the country’s largest export processing zone with companies producing goods and items exclusively for export.

MACTAN BEACHES – Famous worldwide for its beautiful white sand beaches and pristine clear waters, for an exceptional vacation experience. Mactan beach resorts offer superb accommodation facilities, scuba diving, wind surfing, boating and other aqua sports.

MOALBOAL – located 89 kms. southwest of Cebu City. It offers modestly priced cottages for rent, white sandy beaches. A popular diving area having one of the best coral formations in the country. Scuba diving facilities are available.

SINULOG
Celebrated every 3rd Sunday of January, is Cebu’s biggest and most popular. The feast is in honor of the holy image Senor Santo Nino de Cebu. Fiesta Senor as it widely known, is the most celebrated among Cebu’s festivals where people converge along the route of a grand solemn procession and partake in the gaiety amidst a mardigras parade immersed in vivid colors and the constant drums of the Pit Senor

PASKUHAN
A Christmas celebration of songs and lantern making held during the month of December spread good cheers to local residents and visitors alike.

KADAUGAN SA MACTAN
A one day re-enactment celebrated with pomp and pageantry every 27th of April to commemorate the historic Battle of Mactan between the forces of Lapulapu and Magellan.

VIRGIN OF THE RULE FIESTA
Held to honor the patroness of Opon on Nov. 20-21, this religious and social event reveals the deep religious faith of the people and the penchant for merry making. A food fair, a procession and a coronation of the Fiesta Queen highlight the festivity.

SEMANA SANTA SA BANTAYAN
A unique mixture of solemn religious rites and local celebration highlights the Holy Week activities in Bantayan Island. The normally quiet island is visited by relatives and friends of the residents, as well as tourists to experience the scenic rites and to cool off the summer heat in the beautiful white sandy beaches and clear tropical waters.

FIESTA SA CARCAR
Is celebrated on November 24-25 in honor of the town’s patron. St. Catherine of Alexandria Carcar town is noted for Its old Spanish style houses in the quiet countryside setting. During fiestas, the residents would invite friends, relatives and town visitors into their homes to taste popular local delicacies. A lively and enjoyable event

Canyoning in Cebu
If you are looking for some real excitement the try Canyoning in Cebu’s hidden canyons. Canyoning is travelling down creeks or streams within a canyon by a variety of means including walking, scrambling, climbing, abseiling, swimming and “li-loing” (using an inflatable air mattress). What separates a canyon from any ordinary stream is the narrow passage created by erosion into bedrock or sandstone, creating beautiful sculptured walls and spectacular waterfalls.
Canyoning is quite new on Cebu Island and its limestone mountains provide an ideal place for spectacular canyoning with crystal clear tropical warm water rivers. This is a fun activity for anyone of average fitness and experienced guides are available to help beginners master the required climbing skills. One advantage of Canyoning in Cebu is the reduced risk of hypothermia compared to most other Canyonging destinations.

River Climbing in Cebu
Another exciting pursuit is River Climbing. Go upstream to the top, free climb up waterfalls, swim against currents in the clear cool waters of a tropical river. Matutinao Valley has numerous small waterfalls and freshwater pools to swim through. You will see unique rock formations and vegetation lush and varied, monkeys, monitor lizards, butterflies, birds, and other wildlife as you scramble your way to the top. Another great spot for this is at Kawasan Falls.

Motocross in Cebu
For a change of pace take to roads for the thrill and speed of motocross. Cebu has a network of remote mountain roads and trails that are perfect for motor bike tours around the islands. You can hire a motor bike and explore on your own, or join a guided tour. There are seldom used paths for you to explore the beautiful country side or cruise along the coastal highway and circle the island following the shore- line with is breath taking view.