Trip to Cebu and tourist visa

[ruby1]

Hi,i am thinking of visting Cebu for a holiday and also applying for a single entry tourist visa at the Thai Consulate.Can anyone forward me a link to the Thai Consulate in Cebu and has anyone ever been there lately for a holiday or to the Thai Consulate?.Thanks.

[oncearugge]

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[ruby1]

Less than 30 secs using Google !

http://www.embassypages.com/missions/embassy19702/

Thanks oncearugge

[allane]

I have been there for a holiday.

[ruby1]

I have been there for a holiday.

Hi Allane,and what do you think to Cebu?.

[allane]

We stayed one or two nights on Mactan Island, where the airport is(half an hour from the city), then 3 or 4 nights in Cebu City. Plenty of resorts/hotels in both places. Costs are the same as Thailand, with the exception that hotels are a little more costly. ATM's are not nearly as ubiquitous as they are in Thailand. Breakdowns are frequent, and there can be long queues in front of whichever ones are functioning that day. Do not wait until your wallet is down to zero before refilling, Like everywhere else in The Phil. you can not enter the airport terminal (for your return flight) unless you have a paper copy of your ticket with you.

[Jingthing]

I stayed in downtown central Cebu City. Pretty much the third world hole you'd expect but amusing enough. The food is crap compared to Thailand and you don't feel very safe on the streets. Very much enjoyed a side trip to Bantayan Island. That was a paradise but most westerners would go crazy staying there too long.

Actually, there was some really good food (seafood) at a few places but it was a lot of work to locate.

Edited November 12, 2015 by Jingthing

[kekalot]

I stayed in downtown central Cebu City. Pretty much the third world hole you'd expect but amusing enough. The food is crap compared to Thailand and you don't feel very safe on the streets. Very much enjoyed a side trip to Bantayan Island. That was a paradise but most westerners would go crazy staying there too long.

Actually, there was some really good food (seafood) at a few places but it was a lot of work to locate.

I have to agree with you here man,

I have been to Cebu City myself in 2013, I was supposed to be there for 2 months.. I treated myself to a ticket out of there on my birthday 3 weeks after arriving.

Food is crap, yep.

walking around Cebu City definitely feels a little unsafe, beggar kids, peddlers and all that everywhere. disgusting sewer smell over the small rivers when you walk on the bridges (had to run).

too many Jeepneys, first time in my life I blew my nose and it was grayish.

it was my first time outside of North America and after 3 weeks there all I could think was "I hope that Thailand is not going to be like or worse!"

never seen anywhere in Thailand that was as run down as parts of Cebu City yet 2 years later and I traveled around.

[manchesterlalala]

I lived in Cebu city (Lahug, near IT park) for six months last year. The guide books have it pretty much nailed: The Philippines has a lot to offer but you should spend as little time in the big cities as possible. Manila and Cebu are pretty forgettable places.

The great thing about Cebu city is that you can use it as a launchpad to go and visit lots of places in and around Cebu island.

On the island itself, rent a car in Cebu city and drive south on the East coast to Oslob. There is whale shark diving there, and the views on the road of the little fishing communities are great. There are lots of picturesque towns with old Catholic churches.

Or you could rent a car and head way up north to Malapascua: incredible beaches. Going over the mountain (feasible just on a scooter) you can head to Moalboal on the west coast. It's very tranquil there with nice beaches, and the views from the top of the mountain when you go over and come back are really good.

Another great transport mode available in Cebu is the port, which offers a lot of ferries heading to the surrounding islands. Bohol (specifically Panglao island) is a must. There is so much stuff to do there (chocolate hills, tarsier sanctuaries etc.) and the beaches are way better than on Cebu island itself. Ferries are very cheap and reliable.

You can also get a ferry to Dumaguete, which I regret not going to; everyone I met in the Phils raved about the place.

Mactan island itself is pretty dull, and the public beaches are pretty horrible. The best beaches are artificial ones, made by swanky hotels like the Shangri-La. If you don't want to pay the money to stay there, I think they let you go in for the day if you pay 2,000 pesos at the gate.

Remember that the main national budget carrier of the Philippines is Cebu Pacific, based on Mactan. If you are spending any serious time in the Philippines you should make you use of their ridiculously cheap prices to visit Boracay or Palawan. Those places are kilometres nicer than anywhere else in the Visayas.

As for Cebu itself, I have to echo the sentiments above: dirty, lots of beggars and street urchins, streets filled with smoke from the jeepneys, zillions of people, most of them staring awkwardly at you. The only nice areas to hang around are the shopping centres, where entry is tightly screened by security. Ayala mall is nice, SM City, and even IT park. When the nicest areas to go are shopping centres, that is a pretty obvious indictment of the place.
Getting around is a nightmare because of traffic too, you need to plan trans-city journeys carefully. Friday nights are most busy. My trip to the airport from Lahug on a Friday evening would be 1hr 20 mins; my return taxi on a Sunday afternoon would be 20 minutes!.

I lived for a year in the Philippines, and lived in a few places. My observation, corroborated by many other expats, was that there was a direct correlation between the level of enjoyment tourists had in the Philippines and how little time they spent in either Manila or Cebu.

[ruby1]

Thanks guys for all the information about Cebu but anyone been to the Thai Consulate there and obtained a single entry tourist visa?.Now i have many tourist visas in my passport and just wondering if its a good idea to go to the Thai Consulate in Cebu or go to Penang?.Thanks.

[Alk]

I would not let the guys ripping Cebu decide your trip for you. I've been to Thailand 7-8 times, and still decided to make Cebu my home.

Cebu is generally great place with super nice people who virtually all speak English.

Just keep in mind that it is part of the 3rd world, and don't set your expectations through the roof. I've lived in Cebu for a year with almost no complaints. Certainly the availability of attractive, well-educated, english-speaking females vastly exceeds what is available in Thailand. I could literally have a date with a different nice young woman every day if I wanted to, and none of those girls would be of the "professional" variety.

ATM's are seeminlgly every few feet in the area I'm in. The food choices are varied... Over 75 restaurants in Ayala Mall alone, many of which are American and Euro chain restaurants, although I do agree Thai food is healthier and tastier. There is a wide array of fresh fish, vegetables and fruits available at a variety of local outdoor markets and supermarkets, so it would be an easy thing to cook healthy food for yourself.

There is poverty, congestion, and crime here, but you find that mainly in the inner city. I've not experienced any crime. I did leave my computer tablet at a restaraunt. The next day, i got an email from an employee who found my tablet, accessed my email and wrote an email to me to let me know she found my table. She refused any reward when I picked it up.

Once you get outside of the major cities, the people mostly live happy, but simple lives. There are some absolutely beautiful places within a few hours by plane, bus, car, or ferry. Too many to name.

I love it here, but to each his own. I'm off to Thailand again in a couple of months to make a final determination as to where I want to spend the next few years.

Edited November 18, 2015 by Alk

[kekalot]

As for Cebu itself, I have to echo the sentiments above: dirty, lots of beggars and street urchins, streets filled with smoke from the jeepneys, zillions of people, most of them staring awkwardly at you. The only nice areas to hang around are the shopping centres, where entry is tightly screened by security. Ayala mall is nice, SM City, and even IT park. When the nicest areas to go are shopping centres, that is a pretty obvious indictment of the place.

Getting around is a nightmare because of traffic too, you need to plan trans-city journeys carefully. Friday nights are most busy. My trip to the airport from Lahug on a Friday evening would be 1hr 20 mins; my return taxi on a Sunday afternoon would be 20 minutes!.

I lived for a year in the Philippines, and lived in a few places. My observation, corroborated by many other expats, was that there was a direct correlation between the level of enjoyment tourists had in the Philippines and how little time they spent in either Manila or Cebu.

haha wow, reading the first part, I could have been convinced that it would have been written by myself!

however, I do agree with the last post.. if looking for dating/relationship/otherwise, the Philippines is a much better place.

I couldn't go buy a cellphone without being surrounded by 5-6 quite attractive women who all spoke English.

to be honest, I had thoughts about going back a few times. mostly based on the lady situation but it's not been that long to forget all the other downsides that I perceived there yet.

of course, it's not about the Philippines in general, I am sure there are excellent places to live but Cebu city directly, not so much.

Edited November 18, 2015 by kekalot

[sas_cars]

As for Cebu itself, I have to echo the sentiments above: dirty, lots of beggars and street urchins, streets filled with smoke from the jeepneys, zillions of people, most of them staring awkwardly at you. The only nice areas to hang around are the shopping centres, where entry is tightly screened by security. Ayala mall is nice, SM City, and even IT park. When the nicest areas to go are shopping centres, that is a pretty obvious indictment of the place.

Getting around is a nightmare because of traffic too, you need to plan trans-city journeys carefully. Friday nights are most busy. My trip to the airport from Lahug on a Friday evening would be 1hr 20 mins; my return taxi on a Sunday afternoon would be 20 minutes!.

I lived for a year in the Philippines, and lived in a few places. My observation, corroborated by many other expats, was that there was a direct correlation between the level of enjoyment tourists had in the Philippines and how little time they spent in either Manila or Cebu.

haha wow, reading the first part, I could have been convinced that it would have been written by myself!

however, I do agree with the last post.. if looking for dating/relationship/otherwise, the Philippines is a much better place.

I couldn't go buy a cellphone without being surrounded by 5-6 quite attractive women who all spoke English.

to be honest, I had thoughts about going back a few times. mostly based on the lady situation but it's not been that long to forget all the other downsides that I perceived there yet.

of course, it's not about the Philippines in general, I am sure there are excellent places to live but Cebu city directly, not so much.

Each to it's own. But certainly the female companionship is much much better in Phils. But unfortunately all other incoveniences and hardships of life there, is a no no for most of the expats. Most of the expats are used to a certain comfort in life, which is very hard to attain in Phils.

[JackThompson]

... Each to it's own. But certainly the female companionship is much much better in Phils. ...

I must disagree on this point - but obviously this is a matter of taste. The gals I met were the "very afraid of hell" religious-type, and wanted "us" to "go live in my country." By contrast, I want to "live over here," and think religious texts are sometimes-insightful moral-lessons, written as fables - not "reality" in a literal sense.

I am not saying every Philippine gal is like that, but all the ones I met were. Yes, they are also plentiful, and you won't have a problem getting a date, but like Thailand, you have the entire extended family to support, if you get married - and in the PI, you are "living in sin" if you don't (sigh).

To be clear, Philipinos are also a kind and well-meaning people. I found they were very respectful, decent, helpful, and honest. I walked through some poorer areas of Cebu where there were night markets, huge vegetable markets, etc - never felt in danger. But if I go back, I'm taking my Buddhist Thai GF with me.

Returning to the Point - does anyone have info on the "friendliness factor" of the Thai Consulate in Cebu? I might need to get an SETV there, at some point in the future.