CEBU, Philippines
We will be in Cebu from 17 - 20 January 2009
Staying at Eddie's Hotel near Mango Avenue in Cebu City
Cebu is known as the Queen City of the South. It is one of the most popular destinations in all of the Philippines for foreign tourists. It is the largest sea port in the nation, the second largest Air hub and the second largest city in the country. It is the fastest growing large city in the nation with an annual growth of over 5% per year.
Cebu is a booming metropolitan area with all the conveniences of a modern city. At the same time, it boasts of natural resources like countless of white sand beaches (both commercial and untouched), as well as historical sites that reflect its cosmopolitan past: from the birth of Christianity in Asia, to early commercial trade with Mexico and China, to vestiges of the American colonization of the Philippines.
While in Cebu we will visit and experience:
Sinulog - The festival honors the child Jese, known as the Santo Nino (Holy Child), patron of the city of Cebu. The festival features a street parade with participants in bright-colored costumes dancing to the rhythm of drums, trumpets and native gongs.
Basilica Minore del Santo Nino - this holiest of churches is a real survivor. Built in 1565 and burnt down three times, it was rebuilt in its present form in 1737. Perhaps it owes its incendiary past to the perennial bonfire of candles in its courtyard, stoked by an endless procession of pilgrims and other worshippers. The object of their veneration is a Flemish image of the infant Jesus, sequestered in a chapel to the left of the altar.
Magellan's Cross - Magellan's cross? Wouldn't you be if you'd sailed all the way from Europe only to die in a soggy heap on the island of Mactan? Ferdinand's Catholic legacy, a large wooden cross, is housed in a stone rotunda (built in 1841) across from Cebu City Hall. The crucifix on show here apparently contains a few splinters from a cross Magellan planted on the shores of Cebu in 1521.
TOPS Lookout - Mt Busay makes a mighty backdrop for Cebu City, but the best view is from the mountain itself, which is where you'll find Tops Lookout. Better known simply as 'Tops', this modernist, fortress-like viewing deck provides spectacular views, especially at sunrise or sunset.
Island Banca Ride - lunch at a deserted island or just lounging around in a banca for a day.
Bohol Day Trip - is the tenth-largest island of the Philippines, home of the tarsiers and one of the best beaches in the country.
Cebu Itinerary
17/01 - Arrival in Cebu, Check in at hotel, city tour in the afternoon and party at night
18/01 - Sinulog Festival, party at night
19/01 - Free day in Cebu with optional Island Banca cruise or trip to Bohol via fast ferry
20/01 - Depart Cebu for Boracay