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MattHart09
Joined: 27 Jan 2009
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 Posted: Sat Aug 08, 2009 5:14 pm Post subject: Have YOU been to Cebu? |
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Hey my wife and I are looking to book a week long trip to Cebu, Phillipines during our Christmas Vacation. For anyone who has stayed there before where did you stay and did you enjoy the resort/beach?
We have been looking at the Hilton, which of course would be a great hotel - but the beach in front of it looks really tiny. Any information would be greatly appreciated from anyone who has been to Cebu before. Thanks |
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D.D.
Joined: 29 May 2008
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| Posted: Sat Aug 08, 2009 7:55 pm Post subject: |
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| Casino was fun- the rest was a dirty mess. Nice beaches were far away. |
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Moldy Rutabaga
Joined: 01 Jul 2003
Location: Ansan, Korea
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| Posted: Sun Aug 09, 2009 2:43 am Post subject: |
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I feel funny commenting on Cebu as I have not been there, but everyone I have talked to about it gave Cebu fair-to-middling reviews. I have been to Boracay and highly recommend it. You can fly from Manila to Caticlan and then take a short boat ride. Boracay is a pretty little island with nice beaches, lots of restaurants, gorgeous sunsets, and you can walk everywhere. If you are set on Cebu that is fine, but if not, have a look at my pictures: http://keneckert.com/pictures/picbranch.html (plug plug plug).
Ken:> |
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Ilsanman
Joined: 15 Aug 2003
Location: Bucheon, Korea
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| Posted: Sun Aug 09, 2009 3:55 am Post subject: |
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Ttompatz is the man to talk to.
I am going there in October. I could tell you what I know now, or you could wait until after I come back and I will give you a hand. |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Sun Aug 09, 2009 7:25 am Post subject: Re: Have YOU been to Cebu? |
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| MattHart09 wrote: |
Hey my wife and I are looking to book a week long trip to Cebu, Phillipines during our Christmas Vacation. For anyone who has stayed there before where did you stay and did you enjoy the resort/beach?
We have been looking at the Hilton, which of course would be a great hotel - but the beach in front of it looks really tiny. Any information would be greatly appreciated from anyone who has been to Cebu before. Thanks |
There are lots of nice hotels in the Cebu area. The Hilton, Plantation bay and Shangrila are the top 3 with beaches within the metro cebu city area. They ALL have artificial beaches (imported sand) since the beaches on Mactan (where they are located at) are all mud and gravel beaches.
IF you want a nice hotel, with a beach, IN the metro cebu city area, then pick one of them.
IF you want a nice, natural white sand beach then you will have to leave the cebu city area. Bohol (alona beach on Panglao island) is the easiest to get to followed by the rest of Bohol (like Anda).
Next would be places like malapascua which add a day to your travels (each way).
Farther afield there is Boracay for a quick getaway from Korea.
Oh, and for the record, I HAVE, at one time or another, stayed at most of the resorts on Mactan (what most folks call Cebu) as well as most of them on Bohol, \Boracay, Camiguin, Siaragao and many others.
Word of warning, stay away from the tambuli group of resorts (seriously overpriced and low quality for your buck).
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xCustomx
Joined: 06 Jan 2006
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| Posted: Sun Aug 09, 2009 8:47 pm Post subject: |
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I got back from Cebu last week and will not be returning any time soon. IMO there just isn't that much to do there. You'd be better off taking a ferry to Bohol and spending a couple of days there or going to a different island in the Philippines.
On a side note, if you take the ferry back to Cebu from Bohol, be very wary of the taxi drivers. My family of 4 were approached as soon as we got off the boat. The taxi driver we spoke with promised he would use the meter and take us to the Hilton hotel. After we got in, he offered to take us for 450php, and then 400 when we refused. I told him to use the meter, so he finally turned it on. It started at 30, just like it's supposed to, and within 10 seconds it suddenly jumped up to 47.50, so we complained. He reset the meter, drove us about 200 meters, and then told us to get out of the car and to find another cab  |
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GwangjuParents
Joined: 31 Oct 2008
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| Posted: Fri Aug 14, 2009 4:44 pm Post subject: |
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I was in Cebu last spring.
We stayed at the Hilton, however, everyone says Shangrila is the place to be.
Hilton was okay, but not great.
I liked Cebu. It's an experience. You go to the malls like SM and Arroyo and you feel like you're in California. You can do the city tours and learn about it's Spanish past and how King Lupu Lupa killed the Spanish invador, what's his name...
Watch for pickpockets on the trikes.
Things are not cheap, unless you live like a local. |
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milkweedma
Joined: 15 Dec 2006
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| Posted: Fri Aug 14, 2009 7:20 pm Post subject: |
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Lets get real again. Cebu is a third world cess pool. It's totally horrible and bears no comparison nor resemblence to Thailand whatsoever. It's more expensive and more difficult to get around in than Thailand. Just read what Tompatz says.
These people that suggest it's like California must be working in the advertising....oops propaganda industry. |
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Ilsanman
Joined: 15 Aug 2003
Location: Bucheon, Korea
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| Posted: Fri Aug 14, 2009 11:23 pm Post subject: |
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| That seems to be the trend. The more I compare Philippines to Thailand, Thailand beats them at almost everything. |
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Konglishman
Joined: 14 Sep 2007
Location: Nanjing
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| Posted: Sat Aug 15, 2009 8:43 pm Post subject: |
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| milkweedma wrote: |
Lets get real again. Cebu is a third world cess pool. It's totally horrible and bears no comparison nor resemblence to Thailand whatsoever. It's more expensive and more difficult to get around in than Thailand. Just read what Tompatz says.
These people that suggest it's like California must be working in the advertising....oops propaganda industry. |
Well, if you substituted the word Cebu with Philippines, then generally speaking, I would tend to agree. Anyways, who is comparing the Philippines to Thailand?
Actually, Cebu is probably the nicest large city in the Philippines in terms of quality of life. After you have done some real traveling in Philippines, then I think it becomes a lot easier to appreciate Cebu.
Further, as someone else alluded to, Cebu has a lot of well preserved history. Speaking of which, I highly recommend anyone who enjoys festivals and history in the Philippines, to visit Cebu during the Sinulog which takes place sometime in January.
Of course, I would not go to Cebu City for beaches, but as Tompatz mentioned, it is good stepping stone for getting to Bohol and a number of other places. |
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Yaya
Joined: 25 Feb 2003
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2009 11:25 pm Post subject: |
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| milkweedma wrote: |
Lets get real again. Cebu is a third world cess pool. It's totally horrible and bears no comparison nor resemblence to Thailand whatsoever. It's more expensive and more difficult to get around in than Thailand. Just read what Tompatz says.
These people that suggest it's like California must be working in the advertising....oops propaganda industry. |
I've been to Cebu twice and it's fine with me. I also disagree that Thailand is cheaper than the Phils. Filipinos are overtly nicer than Thais and well, I have yet to see a better beach in Thailand than Boracay. |
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