Written and photographed by Vijay Verghese

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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.

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.

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…?"

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.

The welcoming Shangri-La Mactan

Mactan Island Resorts

The pick of the resorts on Mactan is Shangri-La's Mactan Island Resort & 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 (US$15 per day).

A US$8 million renovation has brought fresh spring to its step. 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. A Coke from the minibar is P90 and a Carlsberg beer P100.

Macho tricycles. What next?

Dry-cleaning rates are P145 for a shirt or blouse and P160 for a skirt. 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.

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.

Maribago beach villa

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. A Coke from the minibar will set you back just P70, and a San Mig P80.

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 and a Coke from the minibar is just P45. 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. A 25 minute "seawalk" in a pressurised bubble mask with a tube feeding oxygen will cost $60 for adults and $50 for kids.

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.

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 Coke from the minibar will set you back P85 and a San Mig P120. 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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Marco Polo Plaza Cebu: Latest arrival

Cebu does not offer huge choice when it comes to international standard business hotels. There is the brisk Marriott Cebu City, 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.

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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The dry season is from December till May. The rains and typhoons start in June. Room rates may be subject to a 10 percent service charge and 11 percent government tax. The exchange rate is about US$1=P47. Mactan-Cebu International Airport receives flights from Tokyo, Seoul, Hongkong, Singapore, Doha and charters from Taiwan. For dive assistance talk with the friendly and free-wheeling Gary Cases at Divelink Cebu (tel: [63-32] 437-0044).

Cebu City

Cebu Midtown Hotel. Tel: [63-32] 253-9711, fax: 253-9763, (e-mail: cmhsales@skyinet.net). Deluxe single/double US$45, Junior Suite $100.
Marco Polo Plaza Cebu. Tel: [63-32] 253-1111, fax: 234-8188, (e-mail: mpplaza@marcopolohotels.com or www.marcopolohotels.com).
Marriott Cebu City. Tel: [63-32] 232-6100, fax: 232-6101, (e-mail: ccmhotel@mozcom.com). Deluxe US$130 single, $155 double, Executive Level Deluxe US$155 single, $180 double.
Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino. Tel: [63-32] 232-6888, fax: 232-6880, (wcch@waterfronthotels.net or www.waterfronthotels.net). Standard US$175, Superior $185, Deluxe $210, Executive Suite $390. All prices single/double.

Mactan Island

Cebu Beach Club (part of Tambuli complex). Tel: [63-32] 492-1888, fax: 495-8099, (e-mail: reservations@tambuli.com or www.tambuli.com). Superior from US$80 (single), Junior Suite $90.
Cebu White Sands at Maribago Beach. Tel: [63-32] 495-9000, (e-mail: whitesands@skyinet.net or www.whitesands.com.ph). Deluxe from US$116 single, with breakfast.
Hilton Cebu Resort & Spa. Tel: [63-32] 492-7707, fax: 492-7704, (www.hilton.com)
Maribago Bluewater Beach Resort. Tel: [63-32] 232-5411, fax: 492-0128, (e-mail: bluwater@mozcom.com or www.bluwateresort.com). Deluxe Room from US$120, Royal Bungalow $220.
Plantation Bay Resort and Spa. Tel: [63-32] 340-5900, fax: 340-9921, (e-mail: rsvns@plantationbay.com or www.plantationbay.com). Waterview US$145-$220 (depending on season), Water's Edge US$185-$260, Verandah Suite US$190-$250.
Shangri-La's Mactan Island Resort & Spa. Tel: [63-32] 231-0288, fax: 231-1688, (e-mail: mac@shangri-la.com or www.shangri-la.com). Rates from US$220 for a Superior Gardenview and $250 for a Bayview.
Tambuli Beach Club (East & West). Tel: [63-32] 492-1888, fax: 232-4913, (e-mail: reservations@tambuli.com or www.tambuli.com). Standard Room from US$60 (single), Deluxe $90.
Waterfront Airport Hotel & Casino Mactan. Tel: [63-32] 340-4888, fax: 340-5862, (wahc@waterfronthotels.net or www.waterfronthotels.net).

Badian

Badian Island Resort & Spa. Tel: [63-32] 475-1103, fax: 475-1101, (e-mail: badianisla@aol.com or badiancebu@aol.com or website www.badianhotel.com). Published rates from US$168 per person Badian Suite, $72 per person Family Suite, $120 per person Junior Suite.

Bantayan & Malapascua Islands

Budyong Beach Resort. Tel: [63-32] 438-9040. Huts with bathroom and fan, some with aircon, P800++.
Santa Fe Beach Club. Tel: [63-32] 438-0165. huts with fan and aircon, two resorts, P1,000++ up.
Malapascua Exotic Island Dive Resort. Tel: [63-32] 437-0983, (e-mail: info@malapascua.net or www.malapascua.net). Deluxe Aircon Room from US$48-$60 depending on season. Transfer from Cebu for two to three persons, US$85 for a car.
Logon Beach Resort. Tel: [63] 91-9891-3584, (www.logonbeach.com). Rates from P600++ non-airconditioned nipa huts on low hill.

Panagsama Beach

Hannah's Place. Tel: [63-32] 474-0091, 346-9629, (e-mail: Hannah@seaquestdivecenter.com or jutta.fritz@t-online.de or website www.hannahs-place.com). Deluxe Room rates (with aircon) US$40-$60 up including all meals.
Quo Vadis Beach Resort. Tel: [63-32] 474-0018, (e-mail: roachdown@aol.com or www.moalboal.com). Rates from P500-1,550.

San Fernando

Pulchra. Tel: [63-32] 232-0823, fax: 232-0816, (e-mail: info@pulchraresorts.com or www.pulchraresorts.com). Lagoon Suite Double US$300, Pool Garden Villa US$525, Two Bedroom Pool Villa US$710.

Sogod

Alegre Beach Resort. Tel: [63-32] 231-1198, fax: 233-7944, (e-mail: guest@alegrebeachresort.com or www.alegrebeachresort.com). Deluxe Room from US$240, Super Deluxe Ocean (with garden) $325, Oceanview Suite (with garden) $515.