Wednesday 17 December 2014

Surviving The Philippines: Cebu & Bohol


The Route:
- Cebu (2 days)
- Bohol (2 days)

Getting to Cebu city from the airport:
The airport is located on Mactan Island where you can stay if you want to explore the islands around and there are A LOT. The islands are fantastic for snorkeling/diving and they all come with pristine waters and gorgeous beaches.

To get to the city, people normally take taxis. There are regular taxis and airport taxis, regular ones are cheaper.

Getting around Cebu:
Credit: Google Images

There are these colourful mini buses called Jeepneys running around Cebu that you can hop on and off. The numbers on top tell you their route (the pretty complicated route guide for your reference) but since all Filipinos can speak English having learned it in school, you will have a much easier time just asking the driver whether they go to the place you intend to go. The drivers have the freedom (I think) to decorate their jeepneys however they like to attract customers, it definitely worked because I really wanted to get on board. Squeezing with the locals while grooving to the music that the driver blasts, how fun! Try a Jeepney when you're in Cebu!

And did you know that you can tell the function of the vehicles in Cebu by the colour of their license plates?

Colourful license plates: Tourist vehicles
Yellow license plates: Public vehicles
White/Green license plates: Private vehicles
Red license plates: Government vehicles

Getting from Cebu to Bohol:

You can take a 2 hour ferry from Cebu Port to Bohol. The port in Bohol is called Tagbilaran. There are quite a few ferry companies at the port to choose from (Oceanjet, Weesam, etc) but as a guide, it should cost around PHP800 (SGD23.50) for a return ticket. There is luggage service too. They store your luggage for you on the ferry and drop it off at the jetty when you arrive in Bohol.

You can buy the tickets either at the Port or order it online at the respective website of the ferry companies. Ferry schedule can be found here.

Airport Tax when you leave The Philippines:
YES THERE IS AIRPORT TAX. Remember to set aside PHP750 (SGD22) for this. I'm not sure if they accept other currencies or credit card since it's a very small counter right before you enter the departure hall.

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