> > > > > > > Cebu (city) Cebu is the main city on Cebu Island in the Philippines and is known as the Queen City of the South. It is a major transport hub and a popular tourist destination in its own right. Cebu is part of a large urban area, Metro Cebu, whose other main components are the cities of Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu. This is a booming metropolitan area with all the conveniences of a modern city and many of the problems of squalor, noise and pollution. Cebu City is clearly the center of the urban region, though the other towns are far from insignificant. The area has excellent transport links and is the main hub for travel in the southern Philippines either by sea or by air. Cebu City has the busiest sea port in the Philippines. Lapu-Lapu has Mactan-Cebu International Airport with direct international flights and many domestic flghts; it is far more traveller friendly than Manila's airport. Map of Cebu (city) The term "Cebu" is somewhat ambiguous; it can refer to the city itself (the commonest usage), to the whole Metro Cebu urban area, to Cebu Island or to Cebu Province which includes Cebu Island and a few smaller nearby islands.
The main language spoken in Cebu City and all the nearby areas is Cebuano, one of the three major Visayan languages in the Philippines. English and Tagalog are common as additional languages. Sometimes, they also speak in Taglish (Tagalog + English) when they cannot find the appropriate word to use. Younger people speak English with a Cebuano accent, often interchanging i and e as well as o and u. The city also has some speakers of other Visayan languages such as Ilonggo and Waray, and the Chinese minority speak Hokkien, but most speakers of those languages can also speak at least one of Cebuano, English or Tagalog. Cebu City's domestic port is the country's busiest, and is home to almost 80 percent of the country's passenger vessels. The shipping lines that depart from Cebu city are. Large passenger ferries with a capacity of 500 or more passengers ply the routes such as to Manila, Iloilo, Butuan, Tagbilaran, Maasin, Ozamiz, Iligan, Dipolog, Surigao, Dumaguete, Masbate, Calbayog, Zamboanga, Cagayan de Oro.
Medium-sized vessels such as the roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) types go to nearer destinations; Ormoc, Baybay, Hilongos, Naval, Palompon, Tubigon, Tailbon, Getafe, Catbalogan, Larena Siquijor, and Plardel. For destinations, such as Camotes, Ormoc, Bohol, Dumaguete, Siquijor fast hydrofoil ferries are available from companies such as Oceanjet, 2GO Super Cat, and Weesam Express. Travel time is about half that of a RoRo and the comfort level higher, but prices are at least double. Local ferries, such as one to Lapu-Lapu. To get to the Mactan-Cebu International Airport you can use the Lapu-Lapu ferry which costs only ₱16, departs every 20 minutes from pier 3 and takes 20 minutes. A yellow jeepney runs between the Lapu-Lapu ferry pier and the airport for ₱8. The passenger port is in Cebu City, near downtown. The parts of the port that handle containers and other freight extend for a long way north of that, reaching into Mandaue. Buses go to and from most nearby cities, mainly along the north-south coastal highway.
For more distant places — such as Dumaguete, Bacolod or even Manila — there are buses that ride ferries for parts of their routes. There are two major bus terminals, the north terminal in Mandaue and south terminal in Cebu City. Ceres Bus lines operates regular bus services from these terminals and are considered the "safer" alternative to the smaller privately operated bus lines. See the Metro Cebu article for a more general discussion of getting around in the large urban conglomerate of which Cebu City forms a part. Do as the locals do and catch a colorful jeepney. Simply ask around for which route to take, or read the signs on the sides of the vehicles showing their routes. They are available 24 hours and cover most of the nooks and crannies of the city. Costs start at ₱8 and increase for longer distances. Beware of pickpockets and other theft, this is common and even locals fall victim. There is the MyBus air.con buses with four routes around city. MyBus also goes to/from the Airport from SM mall.
fares from 25 peso. Small buses — vans that seat about a dozen passengers — run between all the towns that make up Metro Cebu, and are often the best way of getting between those towns, more comfortable than jeepneys and cheaper than taxis. Their terminals are generally next to major malls; for example a van goes from Ayala Mall in Cebu to Gaesano Mall in Lapu-Lapu for ₱35. Taxis are omnipresent in Cebu City. Sadly, there's a decent chance you'll be overcharged by a taxi driver at some point during your trip to Cebu. This should be considered an unfortunate cost of visiting Cebu (or anywhere in the Philippines). You can (and should) report improper taxi behavior to the Department of Tourism in Cebu by phoning +63 32 254 2811. Unless you're familiar with the city, always insist on a metered fare as a negotiated fare will almost always be much higher. If you know the city and need to go a long distance, it may be worth paying a negotiated fare so that the driver doesn't take the scenic route or you become victim of an uncalibrated meter.
Late in the evenings, there could be taxis driving with an uncalibrated, inflated meter. Most trips around the city should not cost more than ₱100. The fare from the airport to most of central Cebu should be ₱200-250 depending on whether you use the white or yellow cabs (white ones are reportedly cheaper). If you know the name of the building, establishment, area or street you wish you reach, taxis are still the fastest way to your destination. Most drivers know where almost everything is. If the driver is pleasant, a ₱10-50 tip is warranted, especially if he loads or unloads your bags. Most drivers do not have, or will tell you they do not have change, so be ready with 50's and 20's when going on short trips. It is best to avoid the "Private" taxis as they take advantage of tourists and charge 5-10 times the normal fare. You will find these taxis at the some of the high-class hotels. They are normally owned by the hotel to make money and may charge ₱500 for something that should cost ₱60.
Some hotels make it hard for other taxis to pick you up at their premise and you may need to walk outside to save money. Another place where private taxis are common is the airport. To avoid them, simply ask a porter for help and for a metered taxi. Downstairs at the exit for arrivals, there is a booth that will flag down a taxi for ₱70, but you can also go up the ramp and there are a large number of metered taxis waiting for you. You can also wend your way upstairs to Departures where many metered taxis are available. Fare down town to Ayala or SM Malls should be around ₱150 on the meter. You may be told "500" by the driver. Just grab the door handle and say "What, you don't have a meter?" Don't travel unless the meter is used; not using the meter is illegal, and you can report it to local officials. NOTE: Some churches and landmarks were heavily damaged in a 15 October 2013 earthquake; the bell tower of the Basilica of Santo Niño is no longer standing. The Taoist Temple reflects the Chinese heritage of Cebu.
The Santo Niño Museum is described above as part of the Basilica. The great thing about Cebu is that, while being an island paradise, on the one hand, it's also a sophisticated city, with a wide range of pretty decent restaurants to choose from. Street-food abounds in Cebu and is amazingly cheap. You can buy all sorts of Philippine delicacies from the many street stalls scattered around Cebu City. Cebu has Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Italian, Continental, fusion, and of course local restaurants. It also has other international cuisines like American, Spanish, Thai and Indian. For tourists, the two best areas to find great restaurants are Ayala Mall and IT Park. Ayala Center Cebu recently opened a modern extension called The Terraces with an abundance of food choices adjacent to Marriott Hotel. It also has two grocery stores with large sections of food imported from the rest of the world. The IT Park has over 20 great restaurants and most of them are open 24 hours a day. Both of these eating areas offer free WiFi.
On the other hand, SM City Cebu also opened an extension to the main mall called SM Northwing with more than 10 choices of local and international cuisines. Mango Avenue and Mango Square is where the bulk of the nightlife is located. The typical venues are nightclubs, bars and karaoke boxes. There is also a variety of girlie clubs lined up on Mango Ave leading up to Mango Square. Cebu is a relatively safe city where violent crime is rare. Your biggest concern should be pickpockets which are active in downtown Cebu and on jeepneys. Parts of downtown Cebu are unsafe at night, particularly along Colon and areas immediately to its north. If you're male and look remotely foreign or tourist-like, you'd likely be accosted by prostitutes and pimps once nightfall descends in those areas. Hair Cut for 38 peso Cut Encarnacion Group. Colon Street phone 32-2637173. (over the street from Colonnade Mall). The island of Cebu, where Cebu city is located, is made up of various cities, small municipalities and town.