Most of us dream of white, sandy beaches, palm trees, and vast oceans and picture ourselves soaking up the sun in complete relaxation. You visualize sipping cocktails by the pool, eating gorgeous seafood and walking barefoot along long beaches with your toes occasionally engulfed by gentle waves. Perhaps, you long to hike in rugged mountains, barely touched, wild and beautiful.
Perhaps, your dream is to dive great depths and be surrounded by colorful corals and stunning sea life.
Perhaps then, you should head to Cebu Island in the Philippines and make all your dreams a reality.
Traveling to Paradise
You can reach Cebu by air and fly into Mactan-Cebu International Airport or by boat from locations such as Manila or Ozamis. When on the island, you can get around by taxi or use a jeepney, the most popular mode of public transport in Cebu.
The Cebu landscape is a stunning mixture of rocky mountains, soft hills, coastal plateaus and an abundance of stunning white, sandy beaches. Vibrant Cebu city offers great shopping, dining and plenty of nightlife entertainment. The island is quite small, only 32 km wide and less than 200km long and easily explorable.
Places to Stay in Cebu
Cebu has a plethora of gorgeous beach resorts to choose from, featuring inexpensive stunning simplicity or lavish luxury. You may opt for hotel comfort or choose one of the beautiful Cebu vacation houses and enjoy a bit of solitude and seclusion.
Things to Do in Cebu
For those wishing to go beyond relaxing on the beach for days on end, there are plenty of tourist spots in Cebu. Particularly watersports enthusiast will be delighted with all that is on offer.
- Scuba Diving and Snorkeling: Cebu is undoubtedly one of the greatest scuba diving destinations in the world. Take a short boat trip to Pescador Island and be blown away by the underwater cathedrals, stunningly colorful corals and abundance of wildlife including whales and dolphins. The north of Cebu is equally popular among diving enthusiasts with more awe-inspiring colors and vibrant sea life.
- Walking and Hiking: You may wish to explore the rugged mountains and climb up to the Top Lookout for the stunning views or trek to Kawasan and Tumalog Falls and take in the exuberance of gorgeous waterfalls. Cebu is a paradise for hikers, both for beginners and those looking to take on more challenging hikes. There are plenty of peaks and mountains to choose from and you can be sure of stunning views whatever peak you conquer.
- History and Spirituality: Cebu has a fascinating history and when you go and see the LapuLapu statue you will find out how the local tribes defeated a Spanish army of invaders back in the 17th century under the leadership of LapuLapu. Equally, Cebu’s diverse spiritual history is reflected in the Chinese Taoist Temple as well as some beautiful Catholic churches on the island.
Cebu really has it all and I would advise you to travel soon before everyone finds out about it!