The Philippines is an archipelago nation consisting of 7,107 islands. Although the capital city remains to be Manila, the City of Cebu is considered as the second most important metropolitan center in the archipelago, (coming second to Metro Manila, of course.) Cebu is also one of the most historically rich locations in the Philippines, being the home of the oldest Spanish conquistadors’ settlement in the country.
First time travelers should be advised to immediately seek out the services of a tourist guide or at least a local friend who give you the tour of the place – preferably someone with his or her own ride. The City of Cebu is vast and walking tours here are almost unheard of. The heat is enough to overcome you during certain parts of the day, and there is no possible way to walk between two locations without acquiring 2 inches of blister on your feet.
You may want to enroll in some of the offered local tour packages that include: covered bus rides, architectural site seeing, stopovers to some of the fine eating establishments and a trip down to the local market. But these tours are subject to the company’s schedule and may come frequent or infrequently – depending on the number of people subscribing to the tour.
If you do decide to wing it, we advise on trying the local transport modes. These are very cheap and can be considered as an adventure itself. Bring lots of coins and loose change in case you do decide to try the transports out. But if this option does not particularly appealing to you, you can rest assured that there are numerous transports that can be hired for the day or on a per-hour basis.
Dubbed as the Queen City of the South, the City of Cebu is very tourist-friendly. People here are English conversant and more than willing to accommodate the traveler. If you want to go shopping for trinkets, there are numerous tiny stalls littering the area and you can get everything at rock bottom prices. However, if you prefer a bit more comfortable shop setting (with air conditioning and all) we recommend you spending the day at Ayala Center Mall or at the SM City Mall.
Of course, going to the mall is not really that cultural or historical. So we recommend you try going to downtown Cebu and visit Colon, the Philippines’ oldest existing street. Colon will lead you to the Parian District where local historians have faithfully preserved historical relics of the country’s colonial past. Casa Gorordo is a Spanish home turned museum that has remained virtually unchanged over the years; and tours include a visit to the individual rooms and a hands-on inspection of the furniture and fixtures used during that time. There is also an art gallery nearby where local artists display their wares. Other noteworthy places to go to are: the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño, the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral, Fort San Pedro, the Heritage Tableau, Plaza Independencia (also known as the Freedom Square) and Magellan’s Cross.
As for the nocturnal activities in the area, you should know that Cebu is home to gastronomical delights and restaurant here are certainly to die for. There is the Casino Filipino for those of you who would prefer to while away the time on slot machines and game tables and a restaurant is always nearby and open for service. Beer and drinks are also freely available in the city and there are pubs, bars and dance clubs that are welcoming to everyone.
