Prestigious publications include the Philippine island of Cebu in the top ten islands of the Asia-Pacific region. It resides east of Negros Island and west of the Leyte and Bohol islands.
The province’s administrative center is the city of Cebu, which itself is not part of the province and is directly subordinate to the authorities of the Central Visayas region. Mactan-Cebu International Airport, serving the area, is located on Mactan Island.
Cebu combines the beauty of tropical nature and the remnants of architecture from Spanish colonization (it was from Cebu that the colonization of the Philippines and the “Christianization” of the country began).
Cebu City is developed enough to pamper tourists with shopping, entertainment, and outdoor recreation. There is much to see here, from historical attractions to modern shopping malls and parks.
HOW TO GET TO CEBU
Manila to Cebu by plane 
From Manila to Cebu, you can get by plane (from $30 + $16 for luggage). Cebu International Airport is on the neighboring island of Mactan. Here you can book flight tickets. It will be possible to fly in about an hour and a half. From Cebu-Mactan Airport to Cebu City, you can take a taxi (about forty minutes if you don’t get stuck in traffic jams) or take the Sugbo Transit Express bus at Mactan–Cebu International Airport Station. It will also take you to the Fuente Osmeña station in about forty minutes.
Manila to Cebu Schedule
| Transport Name | Route Time | Price |
| Cebu Pacific Economy | 03:25 - 05:05 | $30 |
| Philippine Airlines Economy | 03:50 - 05:10 | $34 |
| Philippine Airlines Economy | 04:20 - 05:45 | $33 |
| Cebu Pacific Economy | 04:55 - 06:30 | $30 |
| Philippine Airlines Economy | 05:20 - 06:50 | $34 |
| Philippines AirAsia in Economy | 06:00 - 07:25 | $26 |
| Philippine Airlines Economy | 06:25 - 07:55 | $33 |
| Cebu Pacific Economy | 06:30 - 08:05 | $30 |
| Cebu Pacific Economy | 13:00 - 14:35 | $30 |
| Philippine Airlines Economy | 14:45 - 16:20 | $37 |
| Philippines AirAsia in Economy | 15:35 - 17:05 | $26 |
| Cebu Pacific Economy | 15:45 - 17:20 | $30 |
| Cebu Pacific Economy | 16:20 - 17:55 | $30 |
| Philippine Airlines Economy | 16:45 - 18:20 | $34 |
| Cebu Pacific Economy | 17:00 - 19:00 | $30 |
| Philippines AirAsia in Economy | 18:05 - 19:35 | $26 |
| Philippine Airlines Economy | 18:30 - 20:10 | $33 |
| Philippines AirAsia in Economy | 19:30 - 20:55 | $26 |
| Cebu Pacific Economy | 20:15 - 21:50 | $30 |
| Philippine Airlines Economy | 20:25 - 21:55 | $33 |
| Cebu Pacific Economy | 21:05 - 22:40 | $21 |
| Philippines AirAsia Economy | 21:15 - 22:40 | $26 |
| Cebu Pacific Economy | 21:35 - 23:10 | $21 |
| Philippines AirAsia Economy | 22:00 - 23:20 | $26 |
| Cebu Pacific Economy | 22:25 - 00:00 | $21 |
| Philippine Airlines Economy | 22:25 - 23:50 | $33 |
| 2GO - Sunday | 07:00 - 04:00 | $16 - $33 |
| 2GO - Thursday | 17:30 - 01:00 | $16 - $33 |
| 2GO - Wednes. | 19:00 - 16:00 | $16 - $33 |
Manila to Cebu by ferry 
There is also a ferry from Manila to Cebu from Pier 4 North Harbor to Manila. These ferries depart on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.
The journey will take about twenty hours and ticket costs from $16 for Super Value Class to $33 for Business Class premium.
Here you can book ferry tickets from Manila to Cebu, compare prices and read passenger reviews about the advantages and disadvantages of carriers directly on the website.
From Bohol to Cebu by ferry
The best way to get to Cebu Island from Bohol is by ferry. You can do it by high-speed ferries in about 2-4 hours; a ticket costs $7 – $26.
Please note that ferry tickets are on sale from two different locations: Tagbilaran and Getafe. Do not confuse which port you need to arrive at on the day of departure. The seaport of Getafe is located near the city center of Getafe. This is a port city on the northern coast, 92 kilometers from the city of Tagbilaran. Therefore, you will have to spend two hours to get to Getafe from the capital of the province!
Bohol to Cebu Schedule
Transport Name | Route Time | Price |
| Philippine Airlines Economy | 00:00 - 21:45 | $239 |
| Lite Shipping Economy A | 04:00 - 06:00 | $8 |
| Oceanjet Tourist Class | 06:00 - 07:50 | $18 |
| Oceanjet Open-Air | 08:20 - 10:20 | $18 |
| Oceanjet Tourist Class | 11:45 - 13:00 | $11 |
| Supercat Tourist SPR | 12:30 - 14:30 | $17 |
| Oceanjet Business Class | 14:30 - 15:45 | $17 |
| Supercat Tourist SPR | 17:00 - 19:00 | $17 |
| Oceanjet Business Class | 18:45 - 20:00 | $17 |
| Lapulapu Shipping Lines Economy B | 21:00 - 01:00 | $9 |
| Trans Asia Tourist Deluxe | 22:00 - 02:00 | $12 |
5 Things TO DO IN CEBU
1. Have an excellent Diving in Cebu
If you are a diver, you already know why you are coming here. There are excellent dive sites in the coastal waters, including the Pescador Island Marine Reserve nature protection zone. The accommodation, food, and diving cost are reasonable compared to more popular places.
2. Visit white-pink sand and palm for you on Cebu Island
If you are a beach lover, you should get to one of the nearby islets, such as Malapascua, with its white-pink sand and palm thickets. The beaches on the small islands of Sumilon, Pavillion, or Balikasag will also not leave you indifferent.
3. Enjoy the famous waterfalls of Cebu
Visit the famous waterfalls of Cebu Island. Hidden in the jungle, Banalyan Waterfalls are a climber’s dream, but you can admire them if you are not a climber. For a short walk to the waterfall, you will need a guide. These beautiful, impressive waterfalls have three cascading streams and ledges of different heights. They will remain in the memory for a long time; it is impossible to forget.
Do not miss Inambakan Waterfall
Inambakan Waterfall is located in the Alegria region in southwestern Cebu. You can get there in 3 hours from Cebu South Bus Station by Ceres air-conditioned bus in Bath through the Bar or by paying 162 pesos for the trip. Then you will have to take a motorcycle taxi to the Inambakan waterfalls for 25 pesos. This majestic 100-foot waterfall is an excellent example of a powerful waterfall where the water loses contact with the side rock and falls directly into the pool. This creates a permanent fog at the crash site. The emerald lagoon is very deep so you can swim to the cave behind the waterfall’s water curtain. Near the main pool, there is a nice shallow pool where you can relax and enjoy the fresh smells of the river and the jungle.
4. You will love Kawasan Canyoneering
Take up canyoning at Kawasan Canyoneering. You flew halfway around the world, hoping to see something special. Within 2-3 hours, you will swim and explore the deep walls of the canyon. It’s amazing! The tour ends at the Kawasan Waterfall. Take up canyoning at Kawasan Canyoneering. You flew halfway around the world, hoping to see something special. Within 2-3 hours, you will swim and explore the deep walls of the canyon. It’s amazing! The tour ends at the Kawasan Waterfall.
5. Go shopping!
The most popular and prominent place for shopping is the SM Seaside City Cebu Shopping Center, located on the SRP–Mambaling Rd seashore. Also of interest are Alaya Mall, Robinson’s Place, Country Mall, e-Mall, and Cebu Park mall.
You should definitely visit the city’s most significant public market, Carbon Market, and the haven for dried food products Tabiat Market.
Have you known that Cebu is the top exporter of rattan products? Here you can buy handicraft items and Gabbana bags. The only way to learn more about the lifestyle of the Cebuanos is by visiting their shopping malls and local markets.
5 Exciting places in Cebu City
1. The Basilica of Santo Niño in Cebu
The Basilica of Santo Niño was built in the middle of the XVI century on the spot where the Spaniards found the image of the infant Jesus brought by Fernand Magellan (the stone building was built in the XVIII century). Inside, you will find impressive ceiling frescoes and a museum on the history of Christianity in the Philippines. You can get to the basilica by bus (stop at Osmena Boulevard). The museum is open from 8:00 to 16:45. The entrance fee is 30 pesos.
2. The essential symbol of Cebu – Magellan Cross
The Magellan Cross is opposite the Cebu municipality, in a chapel next to the Basilica of Santo Niño. The Magellan Cross symbolizes the birth of Christianity in the Philippines and is the essential symbol of Cebu.
3. Fort San Pedro in Cebu
Fort San Pedro is open daily, seven days a week, from 8 am to 8 pm. Admission costs 30 pesos for adults and 20 for children. This Ford is relatively small, or what is left of it, and was founded by the Spanish conquistadors. It was heavily destroyed during the Second World War and subsequently restored by residents. There is a small museum inside the fort, an open-air museum, where walking will be excellent.
4. Jumalon Butterfly Garden, the southwest of Cebu
The Jumalon Butterfly Garden is better to visit in the morning. It resides southwest of the city center. Here you will be told about rare butterflies and introduced to more than fifty species of beautiful butterflies living in a small outdoor garden.
In the prestigious Beverly Hills area, you can visit Chinese temples: Heavenly Temple of Charity, the Buddhist temple of Phu-Sian, and the largest and richest – Taoist Temple, the temple of the followers of Lao Tzu. A visitor can ask an important question here and, with the help of fortune-telling on tablets, get an answer, or you can make a wish by throwing a coin into a pool with a statue of Lao Tzu. The temple offers a panoramic view of the city.
5. Mactan Island Aquarium
Mactan Island Aquarium resides on Mactan Island, not far from the Maribago Blue Water Hotel. This small attraction, which opened in 2008, presents the inhabitants of the seas of the Philippine Islands, from sharks to sea snakes (open from 10 to 18 hours, admission is quite expensive – 250 pesos). For a fee, you can feed the sharks here.
Another attraction that will be interesting to visit on Mactan Island is the monument of Fernand Magellan, erected in 1866 at the site of his death on the northwestern coast of the island, in Punta Engano. Just 50 meters away is a monument to the first national hero Lapu-Lapu, who killed Magellan.
Unforgettable event in Cebu
Sinulog Festival in Cebu in January
Sinulog Festival is happening on the third Saturday of January. Cebu City usually transforms these days. The center of this religious and cultural activity is a large street parade. The parade lasts 9 to 12 hours and includes traditional dances in brightly colored costumes, statues, and live music. Initially, people created the Sinology Festival in honor of Santo Nino, but today the festival has grown and is one of the main tourist attractions in the Philippines.
Sinulog 2023 in Cebu will be a great event after two years of interruption.
