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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, relatively 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 wasteland 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.
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Relax. Things will
be just fine. As with most things in the Philippines, don't let
first impressions fool you. Get to know the place and you'll discover
why business travellers 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 chieftan
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.
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Travellers will
whiz through the airport in record time. From here, metered taxi
transfers to most Mactan resorts will be in the region of 100-150
pesos. With an exchange rate of US$ = P47, this
will not pinch unduly. Several hotels operate shuttle bus services
too. The international departure tax at the airport
is P550 and the domestic departure tax P100. Departure, like arrival,
is friendly, hassle free, and devoid of the lines and chaos of Manila.
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| Cebu City Hall |
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 motorised tricycles painted bright green, yellow or
purple are bedecked with a menacing array of fog lights. I counted
30 on one. Taxes are metered though some regular routes like Cebu-Mactan
will tend to operate on fixed rates (P300).
Hiring a car with
driver through Avis (tel: [63-32] 231-0941, 340-5954)
at the airport is around P825 for three hours and then P225 for
every hour thereafter. Self drive will set you back P2,700 per day
including insurance. Petrol is P23 a litre. 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 the rate is P1,450 for the first three
hours and then P400 per hour. For drives to remoter spots on the
island, rates are higher. Friends Rent-A-Car (tel:
340-5729) 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.
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| Magellan's Cross |
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. Mactan prowlers can also head to a shooting
range and squeeze off 20 rounds on an AK-47 or equivalent
for around P2,000. 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…?"
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| Basilica del Santo Nino |
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 parlours 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.
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.
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| The welcoming Shangri-La Mactan |
Mactan Island Resorts
The pick of the
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 Centre (tel: [63-32] 231-5060, e-mail: dive@divescotty.com or www.divescotty.com)
handles underwater adventures starting at US$50 for beginners. For
pinstripers on the go there are ample meeting facilities, a business
centre, and high-speed Internet inroom access.
A US$8 million
renovation brought fresh spring to its step some years back. The bright and
airy rooms, each with a balcony, are modern with Filipino touches
like the attractive 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.
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| Macho tricycles. What next? |
The inroom
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, good children's facilities and service in
general is faultless. If none of this grabs you, switch on the telly
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 launched mid-2005. This "village" marks the rollout
of the group's new spa line for its resort and city properties.
Try out the "aromatherapy salt rubdown" or the "cooling cucumber
slush". 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, but the views from the rooms
are superb with extensive seaside facilities to match. Both properties are just 15 minutes from the airport.
The newer abaca boutique resort + restaurant is, as its name suggests, a small, Cebu boutique hotel, nestled in Punta Engano, a peninsula at one corner of Mactan Island. It started off as a restaurant, and grew. Still, there are only six suites and three villas, and each is designed in contemporary Asian style, using dark wood and stone. Rooms are stylish and come with LCD TVs, iPod docking stations, wired (and wireless) Internet access, and large bathrooms with abaca’s own plant-based toiletries. Villas also have 20-inch iMac computers. There is a black-tiled infinity pool, an indoor-outdoor spa, a gym, as well as the resort’s signature restaurant serving up Mediterranean-influenced Californian cuisine with ocean views.
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| abaca Garden Pool Villa/ photo: hotel |
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 toilets are neat and clean and there's cable TV. 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.
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 borders on the tacky with the inroom
colour 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 "seawalk" in a pressurised bubble mask with a
tube feeding oxygen.
The small and cosy Cebu White Sands at Maribago Beach resort is not
far from here. With just 15 rooms on offer, 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.
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| Plantation Bay: Disney in Cebu |
There is a TV and a clean toilet. A Coke, or San
Miguel beer, is P72. 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 described as "5-10 seconds
from the water". Fair enough. A Water's Edge room, however, is just
"0-2 seconds from the water". Whoops. SPLASH! Well? Head on down
to the Love Boat.
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.
North of Cebu and Sogod
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| Alegre villa |
A one-and-a-half-hour
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 80km 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 who've clearly graduated from the Stare-Dumbly-At-All-Visitors
school of security and this is nowhere more evident than at Alegre.
At other resorts 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, and a nice private beach cove.
The 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, tasteful
interiors and spoiling bathrooms. A Coke from the minibar is P70
and a San Mig P80, which is not bad at all, dry-cleaning is P175
for a shirt, P310 for a dress, and an inroom massage will set you
back P800 for 50 minutes.
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| Pulchra resort villa interior |
Snorkel or dive
at the house reef where you might spot turtles and clown fish, or
cruise out to Calangaman Island and its sugar-white
sandbar. Given the distance from Cebu City, Alegre is 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. Alegre is a great away-from-it-all choice.
South of Cebu and San Fernando
An hour's drive
south from Cebu City in the San Fernando area,
the newish 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 Amanresorts and, like
its idol, the accent is on simplicity and unobtrusive service. Hotel
staff are friendly and welcoming. The resort is set around a natural
cove, sanded artificially with the best powder from the south.
Cottages are split-level
with the beds occupying the raised area, looking over the living
room. Floors are marble, pastel furnishings and fabric are well
chosen and, bravely, there is no inroom TV. Now this spells class.
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| Pulchra freeform pool |
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 P40, and a skirt,
P45. 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 snorkelling trip to Cabilao Island an hour away (9am-4pm, P3,200). If your wallet can manage it and
you want something secluded and posh, Pulchra is a must-see.
Cebu West Coast, Panagsama and Badian
If a tan - and sand - are 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 neighbouring 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 crepes
(P220), pastas and even Indian curries. Dives are arranged through Sea Quest Dive Center at US$35 per day for two
dives inclusive of tank with air, weight-belt, boat transfer and
divemaster. Quo Vadis Beach Resort is another comfortable
garden option with pool, kids' facilities and a choice of deluxe
rooms (with aircon and bathroom) or cottages (fan and balcony).
Try their Arista Restaurant for German/Filipino nosh.
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| Badian Island resort beach |
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 should you head for
the minibar, a Coke is P80 and a San Mig P100. Laundering a shirt
will set you back just P25. Bring all your laundry along. An attractive
feature here is the Natural Spa, offering massages, facials and
other treatments. The one-hour "Island Paradise Massage"
combining Indian ayurvedic, Chinese and Thai techniques is US$50.
The resort offers a freshwater swimming pool and extensive dive
and watersports facilities. There is a PADI Scuba Dive Center on
site which offers a "discover scuba diving program"
for US$100. 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 boatride from Badian
Island Resort.
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| Badian Island resort room interior |
Cebu City Hotels, Shopping and Nightlife
Driving into Cebu City,
as opposed to actually staying there on business, can be a shock
to the system. It takes a while to acclimatise. But once in, there's
much to do and enjoy. The old and more colourful parts of downtown
Cebu around atmospheric St 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.
A pleasant vantage
point from where to survey the land - or the lights - depending
upon your time of visit, is the hilltop Tops. This
is an open lookout point from where, with some foaming San Mig and
some munchies 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 P150 per hour
and a motorcycle hubel-hubel P25 per passenger.
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| TOPS: sundowners and views |
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, pitstop with decent pasta (around P220 per dish). Slightly
lower down is the Chateau de Busay (tel:231-2000),
a more upmarket villa with a garden (where alfresco meals may be
enjoyed) and equally stunning views. Steaks and meats are the order
of the day. Also on these slopes is the quirkily-named Mr
A (tel: 232-5200) with great views, a pub atmosphere and
a younger set. Pop in for a drink.
The most interesting
Filipino dining experience is to be had at the renovated Golden
Cowrie (tel: 233-4670) where 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 Village,
a stand-alone complex of restaurants, bars and live music. There's
Korean, international, Café Lucy for French
and more. Roll up late and enjoy the show in the inner courtyard.
In town, for more Italian, try Bona Forchetta on
Osmania Boulevard. Another ever popular choice is Seafood
City Market & Restaurant where you can pluck your fish
live.
The giant shopping
malls like Shoemart (among the biggest in the Philippines), Ayala Center and the Gaisano Country Mall have a variety of food outlets of the fast and trendy kind. In Mactan,
the Marina Mall offers a La Tegola,
the Majestic Chinese Seafood restaurant and Magellan's
Landing. 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.
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| Marco Polo Plaza Cebu: Latest arrival |
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.
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 hell-hole of 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 new 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 Internet. This Cebu business hotel is about 25 minutes from Mactan International Airport. 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.
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| Moalboal's white sand beach |
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. Entrance is free and a San Mig
is P60 and up. Arena is 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 theatre, rather than
bar, set-up. Jaguar charges a P200 entry and a VIP karaoke room
here will set you back a cool P1,000.
Music buffs will
enjoy hanging out at Jazz and Blues while the more
energetic, or totally plastered, can head to head-banging discos
like Juke Box (which has a live band) or the Korean-run Sunflower and NASA. Of course
if all this doesn't appeal or you're simply nackered, head back
to your hotel, switch on the TV and watch a skin-whitening programme.
I think I'll buy some of that Herbal P-Gel. Move over Michael Jackson.
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