August 1, 2015
As we have several clients visiting the office and spending time training with their staff every month, we’ve created this guide for how to get to Cebu, and where to stay!
Firstly flights from Australia:
At the time of writing, there are no direct flights from Australia to Cebu. You will need to go via Manila, Singapore or Hong Kong to Cebu. My personal preference is flying via Singapore, only because Manila airport is always so busy, flights are delayed more times than they are on-time. That being said, CebuPacificAir have some amazing promos (under $200AUD one way Sydney to Manila) so with a cheap connecting flight from Manila to Cebu, the hassle of being delayed an hour or two can sometimes be tolerable when you’re spending less money than a flight from Sydney to Perth!
Philippine Airlines offers a much nicer service than CebuPacificAir – but is closer on par to Qantas pricing. Singapore airlines or Cathay Pacific are still the best (service) in my opinion.
If you are flying via Manila, you’ll most likely need to clear customs & immigration before catching you connecting flight, so ensure you have enough time during the changeover.
From the Cebu (Mactan) airport: https://goo.gl/maps/TCGsF when you walk outside of the terminal (after collecting your luggage on the carousel) immediately turn right before crossing the road in front of you, and walk down towards the metered (white) taxi rank. You may encounter people saying “taxi sir” but these can sometimes be private owners OR the airport (yellow) taxis which charge you triple the price. Just take the white taxis from the taxi stand as there will be no issues. The airport staff will give you a piece of paper with the taxi details written down on it, so if you left something in the taxi, you have their rego / details. A white (metered) taxi from Mactan airport to Cebu City should be around 220pesos and 25 minutes without peak traffic.
Where to stay in Cebu.
We have 3 recommendations for hotels in Cebu City (not Mactan- which is close to the airport and where all the beach resorts are)
If you’re looking for accommodation close (walking distance) to our office, our clients usually stay at the Summit circle hotel (circled in red on the map below) which is P2,100 per night if we book under our corporate rate (approx. $63 AUD) which includes buffet breakfast. The hotel is nothing flash, but the rooms are clean and comfortable and it’s an 8 minute walk to our office.
A short taxi ride away is the Quest hotel (also very clean and great value hotel), and around $65 AUD per night). The Quest is right opposite to Ayala Mall, which also has an awesome outdoor garden area with many restaurants that we often like to take clients to.
If you’re looking for something nicer (5-star hotel) then our favourite hotel in the City is the Radisson Blu, which is around $120AUD per night and only a 5-10 minute taxi ride from our office. The Radisson is also right next to a shopping mall, so plenty of food options if you don’t want to eat in their amazing buffet for breakfast or dinner J
If you’re looking to stay at one of the beach resorts in Mactan, there are many choices. Our favourites are:
Or if you want to be walking distance to the Shangri-La / Movenpick but without the price tag, then we’ve also stayed at the Be Resort: which is under $100AUD and clean and comfortable.
The only downside to staying in Mactan is it’s around a 1 hour drive to the city depending on traffic. The Movenpick and Shangri-La offer a shuttle service to the main shopping malls.
Our office is located in Fuente, Cebu City:
3rd floor, Mango Square Building, General Maxilom Avenue, Fuente, Cebu City.
Our local phone number is +63 (32) 263 0730
When you arrive at the Mango square mall, simply go to the 3rd floor and/or ask one of the security guards for directions (our office is right next to the building’s admin office)
Google maps: https://goo.gl/maps/ka86H
If you need any assistance with flights, accommodation or even leisure activities (Island hopping, whale shark swimming etc) we’ll be happy to help.
