Things
to know & consider before you go...
In Cebu ...
(select a link)
Local Information
·
Area
Cebu is roughly 124 miles (200 kilometers) long
with a maximum width of 25 miles (40 kilometers).
940 linear yards (864 meters) away, across the
Mactan Channel is Mactan Island. The island is
made of coral stone and is approximately 23 square
miles (60 square kilometers). It is connected to
Cebu by means of two bridges.
·
Geographical
Information
Cebu is located in Central Visayas, 365 miles (588
kilometers) south of Manila---the country's
capital city.
·
Language
Cebuano is widely spoken in the Visayas and
Mindanao, English and Filipino are spoken and
understood
·
Population
Cebu province: 3 million, Lapu-Lapu City: 131,660
·
Time
Difference
+8 GMT
Airport Information -
Cebu
Travel
Time from Airport to Hotel
·
If
staying on Mactan Island, most hotel/resorts can
be reached in approximately 15 minutes from
international airport
·
If
staying in Cebu City and the vicinity, most
hotel/resorts can be reached in approximately
20-35 minutes from international airport
Some even longer depending on your
selection.
Airport
Tax
·
International
departures: P550, Domestic departures: P100
Payment
Method
·
Cash
Currency Accepted
·
Philippine
pesos only
Airport Information -
Manila
Airport Tax
·
International
departures: P550, Domestic departures: P100
Payment
Method
·
Cash
Currency Accepted
·
Philippine
pesos & USD only
Hotel & Resort Accommodations
Make
sure the hotel you will be staying at knows your
needs and that they can fulfill them. This is
important for you to convey because one person’s
wheelchair accessible is another person’s step.
I sent most hotels a standard email hoping to get
a response most were nice enough to respond. I
choose the Marriott due to it’s very accessible.
· Ask
if they have assessable rooms. · Make
sure the doors are wide enough. – Measure
your width
· Make
sure that the bathrooms have a straight shot
to the sink. Bathrooms wont have a roll in
shower or a high sink unless you go to a
newer hotel.
·
Ask
about the bed height.
·
Ask
if they have a 110 volt supply.
·
Ask
if they have a restaurant on the premises.
·
Ask
if they have transportation or if they can schedule
it for you. At least from/to the
airport.
I stayed at the Americanized Marriott Hotel in Cebu. What a great place
for a wheeler to go. Everything is accessible
except for, regrettably, the pool area. The staff
is top notch and always polite. The restaurant
always has great assortment of American and
Filipino foods that is oh so good. The lobby is a
wonderful place to hang out and grab a drink. At
night it turns into an even better place for a
nightcap while enjoying the music of a live easy
listening band. There are ballroom facilities,
small gift shop weight room and a few computers
connected to the. Internet
There
are wheelchair accessible rooms on most floors.
The rooms all have a great 110 volt power supply
in the bathrooms and a removed tub for those
requiring a shower. Easy roll under sink and
accessible toilet are also present. The bed was a
bit to low but we were able to manage. Marriott
did a great job building this hotel using American
ADA standards. The staff makes you feel like a
king.
·
220/250
volts, 50 cycles AC. Some hotels have 110V outlets
and/or adapters are available upon request.
·
More
info Marriott Hotel – Cebu City http://www.marriotthotels.com/dpp/PropertyPage.asp?MarshaCode=CEBPH
See
Hotels/Resorts
page for more information.
Transportation
My biggest concern was, “How
am I going to get AROUND”.
This was a
BIG-BIg-Big-big issue. No this part was so easy. Luckily my
wife’s family had contact with a guy named
Terry. Singing Terry was a great find and
resource. No, I didn’t have a lift-equipped van.
More like a van with a steep ramp to go into and
out of. A little muscle power to turn me around
and wha-la. I sit about 4-4” high so I really
had to lean forward in getting in. The words still
ring in my ears. Backword-backword!
Slowely-Slowely!
The transportation prices needs to be discussed prior to arriving.
Depending on your needs and desires, you can have
transportation 24-7 during your trip
The driver is of course extremely knowledgeable in all areas as a tour
guide and finding great inexpensive food, places
to go, and even finding deals on Mactan guitars
and other sought after desires.
See
Transportation page for more information.
Food
The food of Cebu is comprised of many foods especially seafood, pork and
chicken. I would tend to believe everything is
safe to eat so try as much as you can. I ate so
many different fish that I ended up losing 10 lbs.
My doctor suggested staying away from uncooked fruits and vegetables. Due
to the fact that most farmers in the PI still use
cow manure for fertilizer. However, I didn’t
listen too much. The mangoes were to die for. I
also had a hepatitis shot before going. This is
also highly recommended.
It was also suggested to me to stay away from dairy products due to the
homogenate standards. Hmmm! And to stay away from
San Miguel beer due to the supposedly addition of
embalming fluid.
Any which way. The food is superb and you eat like a king. So many good
things to eat and drink that, like me, you will
wish you could eat more. You should contact your
Doctor any which way. Ask his opinion… then…
EAT AND ENJOY!
Money & Purchases
· The
currency is the Philippine Peso. However.
Everyone in the PI loves the US dollar. Not
everyone accepts it but usually, if they do,
you will get more for your dollar. See Currency
Exchange for the latest rates.
· The
unit of currency is the peso. 1 peso is equal
to 100 centavos. Credit cards and US dollars
can be used even outside Cebu. Currency notes
are available in denominations of 10, 20, 50,
100, 500 and 1,000.
· Credit
cards and US dollars are widely accepted in
major hotels and shops, though it may be
difficult to cash travelers checks outside
Cebu.
· Credit
cards
- are good too. But some malls will hold you
hostage for hours while they heck out your
credit status. In Cebu City, I recommend you
not go to the SM Mall if you use credit cards.
Just keep an eye on your final billing
statement.
· ATM
- It is recommended not to drag around a lot
of money. For the most part I used an ATM card
from a large bank here. You might still get
small $2-$4 charges for using your ATM card
but these fees are much less then the fees
banks charge in the PI to convert your money.
I would research your options and decide what
is better for your needs. If you decide to go
with the ATM idea, get an account from a large
bank here. My smaller credit union bank ATM
car was never recognized during my trip.
· Gold
Cards – It has been recommended to me
that
a bank Gold Card can save you a lot of grief
by insuring your purchases for 90 days from
the date of purchase. Use this for purchasing
something like a video camera that you'd use
on the trip within that time frame, and enjoy
peace of mind knowing it would be replaced if
something happened to it.
· Gold
cards also come in handy for avoiding
collision damage waiver (CDW) insurance
charges for overseas car rentals. Without a
card, CDW can cost an additional $20-$30 per
day. If you refuse the rental car company's
CDW, and use your Gold Card for this
transaction, you can avoid the CDW charges. In
addition, your card company will pick up all
or part of the bill in case you do have an
accident. Check with your individual card
company to ascertain their CDW policies.
Banking Hours
· Banks
and Government offices:
Banks are usually open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on
weekdays and 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on
Saturdays.
· Offices:
Government and private offices are open from 8
a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays; though some may
open on Saturday, the weekend is generally
considered day off.
· Shops
(Hours vary):
Most shops open at 10:30 a.m., closing at
around 7 p.m. Lunch hour is usually from noon
to 2 p.m.
Weather
Cebu's
weather is usually fair year-round. It does not
have a pronounced rainy season; rains tend to be
brief and followed by sunshine. Unlike some other
tourist destinations in Asia, Mactan Island has
exceptionally clean air and water, and is ideal
for water-sports and scuba-diving throughout the
year.
|
|
Month
|
|
Average
Temp oF(oC)
|
|
Humidity
|
|
|
|
|
Mar--Mid
May
|
|
89.6oF
(32oC)
|
|
70%
to 90%
|
|
Mostly
dry
|
|
|
Mid
May--Mid Sep
|
|
86oF
(30oC)
|
|
80%
to 90%
|
|
Rainy
|
|
|
Late
Sep--Early Dec
|
|
89.6oF
(32oC)
|
|
70%
to 90%
|
|
Mostly
dry
|
|
|
Dec--Feb
|
|
77oF
(25oC)
|
|
70%
to 90%
|
|
Mostly
dry
|
As
a modern metropolitan area, Cebu-Mactan has no
significant incidence of malaria or other tropical
diseases. Due to constant breezes and the absence
of heavy industry, the air is clear and
unpolluted. The seas around Mactan are crystal
clear and have no dangerous jellyfish or sharks.
Cebu is sheltered from typhoons by larger
neighboring islands and it has no volcanic or
earthquake activity.
Dress
Lightweight
summer clothing is sufficient. Jackets may be used
for slightly more formal occasions. A light suit
would be appropriate for business. Clothes for men
and women are much like the West.
Things to do!
·
Eat
lots of fish and roasted pig
·
Go
to the different islands
·
"Tops" park overlooking city (15 km)**
·
Basilica del Santo Nino (3 km)
·
Carbon Market (3 km)
·
Casa Gorordo (3 km)
·
Chinese Taoist Temple (3 km)
·
Fort San Pedro (3 km)
·
Lapu-Lapu Statue (12 km)
·
Magellan's Cross (3 km)
·
Monument of Magellan (12 km)
·
White Sand Beaches (12 km)
·
Great
shopping malls (0.1 km)
**
All distances from Marriott Hotel, Cebu City
More to do … See
Cebu &
Things to Do! pages
Shopping
Cebu
offers a whole host of mall boutiques, specialty
shops and traditional markets.
Shoemart City---One of the largest malls in the country and the
largest in Cebu. Here, you'll find a multitude
of shops ranging from optical to house wares
with imported brands such as Esprit, Benetton
and Best of New York, as well as the
Philippines' best-known designers.
The Ayala Center---Packed with world-class names such as Cartier,
Christian Dior, Max Mara, Charles Jourdan and
Salvadore Ferragamo and conveniently placed for an
exciting day's shopping.
The Gaisano Country Mall---Widely
known for its regular entertainment and celebrity
store promotions, Gaisano caters to the young and
trendy and also offers a full range of household
items.
All these malls have movie houses, a children's
entertainment center, a supermarket and a wide
variety of food and beverage outlets. For those
who seek out bargains and big sales, Cebu is the
place to be.
Taxes
·
Tax of 13.5% will be levied on services and purchases.
Tipping
·
10%
service charge is usually added to the bill. If
not, 10% of the bill is adequate for the waiters
Public Holidays
|
Name
of the Holiday
|
|
2002
|
|
New
Year
|
|
1
Jan
|
|
Bataan
Day
|
|
9
Apr
|
|
Maundy
Thursday
|
|
12
Apr
|
|
Good
Friday
|
|
13
Apr
|
|
Labor
Day
|
|
1
May
|
|
Independence
Day
|
|
12
Jun
|
|
National
Heroes' Day
|
|
26
Aug
|
|
All
Saints' Day
|
|
1
Nov
|
|
Bonifacio
Day
|
|
30
Nov
|
|
Christmas
Day
|
|
25
Dec
|
|
Rizal
Day
|
|
30
Dec
|
|
Last
Day of the Year
|
|
31
Dec
|
Please contact me if you need further information,
new questions, or …
|
