Cebu

Cebu is a large island surrounded by many more small ones; the capital of the Province is Cebu City, the oldest city in the whole of the Philippines. The international airport second only in traffic behind Manila has helped its development as a tourist favourite in recent years; it has made a holiday to Cebu extremely accessible.  In 2012 there was an earthquake on a nearby island but fortunately no lasting damage or fatalities on Cebu. A year later 7.2 earthquake killed a hundred people and demolished a number of old buildings. However those thinking about holidays to Cebu must be aware that this island is generally extremely safe.

 The City’s population is 2.3 m, two thirds of that of the whole province. There is a large Roman Catholic population is the result of the influence of the Spanish colonial occupation. There are several churches to visit within the city, the most notable being the Basilica del Santo Niño de Cebu. The Archdiocesan Shrines of Our Lady of Guadalupe of Cebu and Our Lady of Lourdes are both worth putting on to a day’s itinerary concentrating on religion and history.  Depending upon time the City’s Metropolitan Cathedral and National Shrines of Saint Joseph and Our Lady of the Rule should be considered. The Ferdinand Magellan Shrine and Cross as well as Cebu Taoist Temple depicting Chinese history should be on everyone’s itinerary. Magellan's Cross is in a chapel and is thought to have been brought by Ferdinand Magellan when he arrived in the Philippines in 1521. Fort San Pedro is the smallest Spanish outpost in the Philippines from the colonial era; its small museum includes the wreckage and treasures from the sunken San Diego galleon from Mexico. Cebu Provincial Museum (Museo Sugbo) is the best place to learn about the history of Cebu. It has four buildings each made of coral stone during the Spanish era. In contrast the Jose R. Gullas Halad Museum celebrates the musical heritage of Cebu. Holidays in Cebu can be enjoyable and educational at the same time.

Colon Street is the oldest street in the Philippines with classical buildings dating back to the American Era. At night time, this street becomes a busy market with lots of bargains. Shoppers on a holiday in Cebu have modern malls to enjoy as well. Temperatures fall slightly at night and it is party time with many bars, restaurants and clubs to enjoy. Cebu holidays offer huge variety. It combines being a tropical paradise by day with being a sophisticated modern city by night.  That is not to say there is not plenty of delicious street food available for travellers who just want to walk the streets. Restaurants offer excellent local and international cuisine. Asian food predominates as well as local favourites such as suckling pig and fresh seafood. Ayala Mall and IT Park are the top two places for those enjoying a Cebu holiday.

Such is the geographical spread of the islands of the Philippines that there is a great deal of regional variation. While on Cebu there is little rain between March and May the rest of the year has fairly uniform rain and temperature.

The climate can be described as humid subtropical. There are forest and savannah variations. Rainfall is at its maximum between November and February and it does result in a slight lowering of the temperature. This is the typhoon belt with several storms and typhoons annually. Storms are categorised by winds in excess of 65 kilometres an hour. Above 119 kilometres an hour they become typhoons. One of the typhoons in 2013 resulted in almost 7,000 deaths.

Spring Is Time for the Beach

Spring is fairly dry and with temperatures above 30C days can be a little uncomfortable. Humidity allied to the temperature are inhibiting factors when it comes to exploring. It is a season when it is best to enjoy the sea and beach rather than the bustle of the City. These months are regarded as spring in the Northern Hemisphere; in Cebu it is really the summer and certainly these are the weeks of the long summer break for local children.

Summer Sun

There is plenty of sunshine in Cebu despite the rains. The beaches, small islands, coral atolls and warm sea are obvious attractions. Quality hotels on a Philippines holiday provide plenty of accommodation and water sports, including scuba diving are popular activities. Summer is the best season for seeing dolphins which frequent the seas. There is also a chance of seeing the huge and fairly rare whale shark.

Autumn Is the Time for Flexibility

While the rain continues it is not sufficient to disrupt visitors’ enjoyment of a holiday in the Philippines. It is important to have a flexible itinerary which allows visitors to avoid somewhere where rainfall is expected to persist. There are a huge number of outdoor activities from diving to cycling, trekking or simply walking.

Winter Explorations

Visitors coming in January will be able to take part in the Sinulog Festival. There is a mass on the third Sunday in January and the whole of the celebrations last nine days. The Festival is the main cultural event in Cebu and commemorates the friendship between the locals and Ferdinand Magellan who presented the image of Santo Niño de Cebú (Holy Child of Cebu) to the ruler’s wife. It is housed in the Basilica of Santo Niño. During these winter months while temperatures are slightly lower it is a good time to explore because very soon they will climb and things will not be so pleasant.