When the world opens up I'm thinking about going to Cebu for a week or two...Anyone been before?

[jomtienisgood]

22 hours ago, WineOh said:

isn't that the dangerous one that lonely planet etc advises against traveling to? 

Yes, it is and I would not advise to go there.... Been there for work.... The rest is OK.. Don't worry about local police. Same as here, in over 20 years, I have never been checked or had any problems... Cebu is nice, so is Angeles ( for different reasons close to Manila ), Luzon, etc..

[allanos]

20 hours ago, WineOh said:

you going for the riots mate? ???? 

He can go to Portland, OR, or Seattle, for that! ????

[Pushbiker]

Couple of years ago I travelled all over the Philippines by bicycle for a few months. Never really felt unsafe although i know there is a lot of crime. Got lost a couple of times in some bad slums for example in Manila or Cebu. People just stared, but i probably also didnt look like a person worth to rob. My favorite parts were Negros and Davao, also maybe Panay, mostly because of the people and nature (not the beaches). I'm was not there for paying birds, but i was in my early 30s at that time and as soon as i entered a shop or even just walked on the street in a less touristy area the girls freaked out. Some really screamed others were just stunned and couldnt talk anymore. I still remember one day i walked into a bigger supermarket in Roxas City, every cashier (girls and guys) stopped working for while and just looked at me. The cute girl at the cashier where i paid my stuff couldnt serve me, because she was shaking too much, so another staff came over and helped her. I asked her for a date and she almost collapsed, but she went out with me and...imagine by yourself...

In my experience people in Thailand and PIs are all very friendly in non touristy places, in tourist places they want to rip u off. Same same. Thai girls are more beautiful but PI girls are much more horny. Food sucks in the PIs, half year only chicken adobo, balut or fast food <deleted>, so i sticked to mama noodles and mangos.

[GordonP]

Went for Christmas 2018 and curtailed holiday on Christmas Eve. Gang gun fight 100 metres from hotel, beach made a building site look tidy, people begging everywhere. 

Some excellent live music in a couple of bars. Women just as pushy as Pattaya with the same range of beauties and non beauties. Alcohol about same as Thailand. Friends have since told me that Cebu is not the best city for a first Philippines visit. 

[thecyclist]

One of my favorite islands for biking. Did the whole loop around Cebu.Some really lovely spots. Cebu city has turned into another Manila, with gridlock and pollution. The nightlife in Cebu city is much more expensive than Angeles. If you are interested I can send you a link to my Google album of pics of Negros, Cebu and Bohol. The warning about watching your wallet is spot on. Had two underaged girls and one ladyboy approaching me and furiously feeling me up from 3 sides. Within seconds the Katoey's hand was in my pocket. I almost lost over a thousand bucks. And the cops are in on it. It happened near the Mango square, the center of Cebu city nightlife,where a patrol car is parked all night. I reported it to the young cop, who said :Thank you for reporting the incident. I will immediately inform my superior ". Yeah sure. 

[shy coconut]

23 hours ago, katatonic said:

I was about to post something similar. Cebu is a <deleted>hole. Went there on a boat and we lost a day due to literally tons of plastic rubbish on the anchor/chain. Puerta Galera is decent, some good bars, plenty of girly clubs/bars if you like that, the floating bars are great. Diving A1, if you want that too. Expats friendly. I went all over and that is the one place I would go back. Borocay: a good chance of being drugged and robbed - happened to me the last time I went - only there one night and on my 3rd drink, around sunset.. Worst hangover I've ever had.

Literally tons of plastic rubbish on the anchor chain? Really? I'm surprised the boat didn't sink.

[sharksy]

I've been twice, last time was November 2019.

First time, I stayed in Manila, picked a Spanish looking stunner up from LA Cafe in Malate, travelled around a few islands including Bohol (very scenic + safe, I think!) , Cebu.  Didn't like Cebu city, seemed dirtier and more boring than Manila, but once outside, it's a nice Island.

Puerta Galera was fun for a few nights, but got locked down when the Pope visited Manila.  Most of the beach entertainment were ladyboys.  Apparently, used to be ladies doing the shows, but they kept getting picked up, still happens with the ladyboys, just less so!

Subic bay was very friendly and worth a few nights.

Unlike Thailand, stay away from street food.  I'm told it's for poor people.

 

Last visit, landed at Angeles from Singapore.  The main strip is fun.  Angeles is supposed to be the foody capital of the Philippines.  I certainly ate very well there.  "Carry Carry" is very nice, like a satay meal.  "Dynamite" is a nice snack, Chilis filled with cheese, deep fried.

There are others worth trying.

From Angeles main strip (going past Walking Street), keep going in the general direction.  I didn't see any farang, but did find a few bars(only saw Philippines in there) and some very nice restaurants.  One bar I liked seemed to have a very good Queen tribute band on a few nights.  Ate there too.  I was on my own, most people came in, in groups.

 

Parts of Manila are nice, Greenhills area is good to explore, full of office people so pretty safe and lots of food options.

 

[eppic]

I've been to Phils dozens of times, including several times in Cebu.

 

As others have said, the Cebu City itself is a dump and I would not recommend spending much (if any) time there.  Local girls have a bad reputation around the Philippines, and I found them untrustworthy, so my trips there were mostly accompanied by a girl I brought from Davao.

 

I would even prefer Manila to Cebu, and I am not a fan of Manila other than some nice areas of Makati and in particular Bonifacio Global City (BGC), which is highly safe, clean, and organized -- almost Singapore-like, and nothing like it in Thailand.

 

I have been to Boracay several times and have had a lot of fun there -- it should be very clean and nice now, but a bit isolated and hard to get to. Palawan is far nicer yet, but without the beach bars.

 

So for the city and for ladies, my personal favorite is Davao -- locals are still sweet, not jaded for dealing with too many dirty foreigners, and it would be extremely easy to chat up local girls, no need for pay to play nonsense -- but beaches pale in comparison to those around Cebu, Palawan and Panay / Boracay.

 

If island hopping is your thing though, you can't beat the Visayas including islands near Cebu.  My personal favorite was Calanggaman on a day trip, but I brought a Davao girl with me (photo attached if not deleted by mods). Some nice diving in the area, too.

[JerseytoBKK]

Last Feb when I was getting tired of the pollution in Bangkok, I looked to see where I could go for a month. Surprisingly Cebu showed among the lowest pollution figures. I asked the Pilipino who cuts my hair in Bangkok about it since I heard the stories about the bad pollution and he said it used to be bad but the government cracked down and it's much better. I didn't go last year because Covid was starting to spread quickly but will go once things open up.

 

Today's AQI is 21. Over the last 12 months I looked about 15 times and it's usually in the 20-40 range. 

https://www.iqair.com/philippines/central-visayas/cebu-city

 

Since this is a Thai expat site, when you ask about another country you'll usually get some bad or no longer accurate info. Find a Phils expat site for more reliable and current info.

 

I intend to scuba with whale sharks at Oslob, scuba off Panglao Island, take a trip through Bohol, maybe get to Moalboal and possibly Malapasca Island to dive with the Thresher sharks.

[eppic]

^^

FYI, it is true that pollution in most Phils cities is far lower than BKK, and in fact we had planned to move to BGC (Metro Manila) for precisely this reason, but the relocation was delayed by Covid. In Thailand, AQI even in places like Phuket and Samui has often been 80+ lately, frankly shocking for islands. The issue is that BKK / Thailand pollution has been getting much worse, while it's been improving in the Phils.

 

We still go to Phils regularly (at least until March, last year), so my information should be relatively current and accurate, and there aren't really any good Phils expat sites comparable to TVF -- maybe some bloggers.

 

As for Malapascua, that's a jumping off point for the Calangamman island I just mentioned.  Threshers are far more common, but we managed to see some hammerhead sharks there on a trip a number of years back

 

 

[jomtienisgood]

20 hours ago, Pushbiker said:

Couple of years ago I travelled all over the Philippines by bicycle for a few months. Never really felt unsafe although i know there is a lot of crime. Got lost a couple of times in some bad slums for example in Manila or Cebu. People just stared, but i probably also didnt look like a person worth to rob. My favorite parts were Negros and Davao, also maybe Panay, mostly because of the people and nature (not the beaches). I'm was not there for paying birds, but i was in my early 30s at that time and as soon as i entered a shop or even just walked on the street in a less touristy area the girls freaked out. Some really screamed others were just stunned and couldnt talk anymore. I still remember one day i walked into a bigger supermarket in Roxas City, every cashier (girls and guys) stopped working for while and just looked at me. The cute girl at the cashier where i paid my stuff couldnt serve me, because she was shaking too much, so another staff came over and helped her. I asked her for a date and she almost collapsed, but she went out with me and...imagine by yourself...

In my experience people in Thailand and PIs are all very friendly in non touristy places, in tourist places they want to rip u off. Same same. Thai girls are more beautiful but PI girls are much more horny. Food sucks in the PIs, half year only chicken adobo, balut or fast food <deleted>, so i sticked to mama noodles and mangos.

 

21 hours ago, jomtienisgood said:

Yes, it is and I would not advise to go there.... Been there for work.... The rest is OK.. Don't worry about local police. Same as here, in over 20 years, I have never been checked or had any problems... Cebu is nice, so is Angeles ( for different reasons close to Manila ), Luzon, etc..

Also worth trying would be Tabaco, Bikol in Albay... All loads a fun 

[jomtienisgood]

On 1/25/2021 at 4:42 PM, spidermike007 said:

Some basics. If you do get into an altercation with a Philippine man, or are getting robbed or harassed, unless you are a 6th degree sensei, do not fight back. An astonishing number of locals are well trained in the fighting arts. Many are good with sticks, knives, blades of any sort, and their hands, fists and feet. I have a friend who is a world class security consultant. He is a black belt in several different martial arts, he is about 6'5 and about 260 lbs of muscle. He says he can usually fight his way out of a gang of up to five men, nearly anywhere in the world. Except in the PI. That is the only country he will NOT take an assignment. The average guy there, can take down the average Westerner in five seconds. In Thailand few have those kinds of skills. Very few. The security situation is not very good. You always have to keep your eyes open, keep an eye on your back, and beware of robbery, home theft, and violence. It is rampant. I have many friends who live there, and they all say the same thing.

The food terrible. The only other country I can think of with worse food, is Cuba. Granted, if you are willing to spend the money, you can find good food. But, it is not the general rule, as it is here. Also, the access to fresh fruits and vegetables is pathetic compared to Thailand. Very low quality, and often not fresh. Thailand is a paradise by comparison, when it comes to all things related to food.

Pollution. They use a lower grade of diesel. So, there is alot of soot in the air. The PI has an epidemic of lung diseases and respiratory diseases. Even on many of the populated islands. The hospitals are full of people who are having a very hard time breathing. It is a real issue there. Lung disease is at an epidemic level, though the authorities do not like to talk about it, and publish very little information on it.

Why didn't you mention Nigeria??

[olfu]

My 2 cents.

Manila looks complicated and chaotic. The problem with Cebu you have change planes in Manila.

Best idea is Angeles city where you fly straight from numerous locations around the world and Field av looks like Walking street but right now country under lockdown.

Its all depends on your preferences.

[mike787]

On 1/25/2021 at 10:44 AM, WineOh said:

isn't that the dangerous one that lonely planet etc advises against traveling to? 

go there and your head will be separated from its mount.

[mike787]

On 1/25/2021 at 10:36 AM, WineOh said:

A rather murky picture you paint there mate ????

anywhere else you recommend for a first timer? 

In a simpler nut shell and adding to everyone's post, It's Flintstones versus (Thailand) Jetsons.  Infrastructure/medical is medieval.

[mike787]

On 1/26/2021 at 12:12 PM, shy coconut said:

Literally tons of plastic rubbish on the anchor chain? Really? I'm surprised the boat didn't sink.

VERY TRUE compared to the world it's a toilet.

[mike787]

On 1/25/2021 at 10:36 AM, WineOh said:

A rather murky picture you paint there mate ????

anywhere else you recommend for a first timer? 

he is right, truth hurts, but BS is worse. 

[mike787]

On 1/25/2021 at 10:54 AM, WineOh said:

It doesnt matter.

I'm a day time guy.

Usually in bed before midnight, even when on Holiday.

Hopefully with a bird or 2 for company ???? 

....also, important only if sleep is a priority, non stop partying noise and rooster howling 24/7...otherwise if you dont mind that you will love it there.

Edited February 1, 2021 by mike787