Cebu City is one of the international airports that you can fly to. Cebu City, also known as the “Queen City of the South”, is one of the largest cities in the Philippines archipelago.
We spent about 4 days in Cebu City plus more that weren’t spent exploring, just waiting for ferries & flights. It was way too long. You can see everything in just 1 or 2 days, and there’s not much to do. We have tons of tips for Cebu City if you ever find yourself there.
Where to Stay in Cebu
There are 2 areas most tourists stay in — either Cebu City itself or Mactan Island. Mactan Island is where the airport and beaches are located. We recommend staying here if you want to experience this type of trip. Cebu City is more exciting and definitely cheaper. We stayed in two different accommodations on our trip: one in Mactan, and one in Cebu City.
- Frankfurter Deluxe Inn – Cebu City. Cheap (about $10 a night) & SUPER FAST WiFi which can be unheard of in the Philippines.
- Eloisa Royal Suites – Mactan Island. It costs about $50 per night, but it’s worth it. We stayed here for one night, before flying back to NYC. It was like staying in a five star hotel at a 1 star rate!
How to Get Around
We thought we could walk around the city but we were wrong. Cebu City is a city full of cars and motorbikes. No one walks in the city. We were told that Grab, the Philippines version Uber, is used by everyone.
We were happy with the service and liked that we knew exactly how much our trip would cost before we left. Grab was our go-to app for getting everywhere. It was a cheap and safe way to get around the city. If you’re headed to Cebu City you should download the Grab App. It will save you a lot of time.
Best Things to Do
The Siaro Flower Garden is a great place to have fun. If you’re interested in going, make sure to ask your taxi driver if he will wait for you. There are no taxis up there in the mountains.
- Cebu Taoist Temple is a stunning temple.
- Fort San Pedro: A Walk Through
- Tops Lookout offers some of the best views in the area
- Ayala mall is our favorite place in Cebu City. This mall is nuts, you must go and see it for yourself.
- Shop at SM City Mall
- Colon Street is a must-see.
Where to Eat & Drink
- Wellnessland Vegan Cafe
- Lunhaw Vegan Cafe
- Lemon Grass Restaurant
- Siam
- Try Halo-Halo (local Filipino ice cream dessert — this is not vegan though so only try it if you are vegetarian!)
Things to Note
Local food is only meat. We both eat vegan and this was the first place that we had a difficult time finding food. We ordered from a few vegan restaurants in Cebu City, which had traditional local dishes with vegan alternatives.
We couldn’t find anything to eat when we were walking and looking for something nearby. We went to one restaurant and got only a plate of fried rice. If you are planning to visit Cebu City, make sure you bring lots of plant-based snacks!
Malls have everything. The Philippines has some of the biggest malls in the world. You won’t be disappointed. Cebu City’s two malls were huge and probably the largest malls we have ever seen. There were tons of shops and restaurants, and they were always crowded with locals at any time of the day. Ayala mall’s restaurants cater to tourists, and some even offer plant-based options. Both malls were filled with local culture, and you could feel how it was to live here. We returned to the malls several times because there was so much to do.
Keep plenty of cash with you. Cebu City has very few places that accept credit cards. There aren’t many ATMs, so we recommend taking out cash in the airport or from an ATM in the mall! Make sure you take more than you think you’ll need to be safe.
