Cebu, Philippines, is a tropical resort easily accessible from Manila. You can arrive in as little as 1 hour and 30 minutes by airplane, making it perfect for a quick weekend trip. It's an ideal destination for those who think, "I can't take much time off work, but I want to fully enjoy a tropical resort in a short period..." This time, we'll introduce a recommended 2-day, 1-night itinerary centered around Mactan Island.
1. Day 1 (Airport to Rico's Lechon to Hotel)
There are flights from Manila to Cebu, and you can get there in as little as 1 and a half hours. If you take a flight around 10:00 in the morning, you will arrive in Cebu between 11:00 and 11:00, so it is easy to make plans.
You will arrive at Cebu Mactan Airport around lunchtime. Why not enjoy Cebu’s famous food for lunch right after you arrive?
Recommended lunch spot!
It is recommended the "RICO'S LECHON". This is a famous Filipino restaurant that mainly serves "Lechon", a typical Filipino dish. It is located about 10 minutes by taxi from the airport.
Lechon is, so to speak, a "whole roasted pig". The roasted pork is cut or sliced to make it easy to eat. In Filipino homes, it is customary to eat lechon at celebrations and banquets, but it can be easily eaten at many restaurants. The skin is crispy, and the thick, juicy meat has a superb texture!
Lechon has a strong salty taste, so it goes well with garlic rice and slightly sweet iced tea. If you like alcohol, beer is also a good choice.
Hotel Arrival!
Once you've enjoyed lunch, let's check in to the hotel and leave your luggage. This time, we recommend Dusit Thani Mactan Cebu Resort, a popular resort hotel in Cebu.
Name：Dusit Thani Mactan Cebu Resort
Address：Punta Engaño Rd, Mactan Island, Lapu-Lapu City, 6015 Cebu, Philippines
Official website URL：https://www.dusit.com/dusitthani/mactancebu/
It would be nice to take a break from your long journey in your hotel room or take a stroll around the hotel. If you have the energy, you can also play in the pool. There are plenty of benches so you can relax.
Many cute chairs are lined up.
There are also romantic spots along the promenade!
Especially, the sunset is a must-see! You can see it from your room and from the poolside, so be sure to check it out.
2. Day 1 (Mactan Shrine to Mactan Newtown)
Let's go out in the evening! The photo shows the entrance of the hotel. You can use a taxi arranged by the hotel for transportation. Please be sure to use a taxi at night. First, go ahead to the "Mactan Shrine," a tourist spot in Cebu.
Mactan Shrine is a popular spot for citizens to relax. Here, be sure to visit the "Statue of Rajah Lapu-Lapu." His brave figure is overwhelming. Nearby, there is also a monument to Magellan, who died in battle on Mactan Island, and stalls selling souvenirs.
[Rajah Lapu-Lapu] Rajah Lapu-Lapu was the chieftain of Mactan Island. During the Age of Exploration, he fought a duel with the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, who was visiting the Philippine islands to spread Christianity, and defeated Magellan's forces. For this reason, Rajah Lapu-Lapu has been handed down as a hero of the Philippines. Eventually, a statue was completed and has become a symbol of Mactan Island, attracting many tourists.
Name：Mactan Shrine
Address：6015 Punta Engaño Rd, Lapu-Lapu City, 6015 Cebu, Philippines
Dinner and Shopping in Mactan Newtown!
Next, for dinner, go ahead to "Mactan Newtown," a redevelopment area on Mactan Island. It is about a 5-minute taxi ride from Mactan Shrine. This area is lined with high-rise buildings and offices. Security guards patrolled regularly, so we were able to walk safely.
"Mactan Alfresco" is a food court popular with tourists. It has everything from Asian food to Filipino restaurants. It was bustling with many foreign tourists.
Name：Mactan Alfresco
Address：Newtown Blvd, Lapu-Lapu City, 6015 Cebu
Here, you can enjoy garlic shrimp, garlic chicken, and lechon! Filipino food has a strong flavor, so it goes well with rice.
Try the garlic chicken; it was so delicious that it makes you want to eat it again. It was crispy and juicy, and the sweet and spicy sauce with a distinct accent enhanced the flavor.
After dinner, go visit to a local supermarket for shopping! "Shopwise" sells food, groceries, and other items. Prices at the airport are relatively high, so I recommend buying souvenirs at the supermarket. They have a wide variety of sweets at reasonable prices, so it's a good deal!
Name：SHOP WIZE
Address：8 Newtown Boulevard, Newtown Blvd, Lapu-Lapu City, 6015 Cebu, Philippines
After shopping, you can now take a taxi to go back to the hotel. If you want to enjoy the night a little longer, you can have a drink at the hotel bar.
3. Day 2 (Breakfast Buffet to Island Hopping)
Breakfast Buffet
Speaking of morning fun, it has to be breakfast, right? This hotel has a breakfast buffet, so you can eat plenty from the morning.
There were a wide variety of menu items, and especially the number of bread types was by far the most.
Drinks are also drink-all-you-can, of course!
There are also meat, seafood, salads, and more. Different Filipino dishes are also available.
Island Hopping (Until Boarding)
After breakfast, you can participate in "island hopping." Island hopping is a popular activity in Cebu where you visit various islands. It is possible to visit the islands individually, but it takes a lot of effort to arrange, so it is recommended to join a tour.
[Important Notes on Tour Reservations] If you try to make a reservation on the day at a local tour company, you may encounter language problems or the tour may be full during peak season, so it is recommended to make a reservation in advance. It is convenient because entry procedures to the islands, lunch preparation, arrangements with a guide, and hotel transfers are all included in the plan!
A guide who could also speak either English or Filipino would pick you up at the hotel entrance, so transportation to the port was convenient. Once you arrive at the port, you can board a small boat. If you are prone to seasickness, be sure to take motion sickness medicine before you forget.
Boarding a small boat requires a bit of caution. This is because there is a possibility of falling if the staff does not help you. Get on slowly and without rushing.
The boat starts moving and the island hopping begins! You will be surprised by the transparency of the sea. You can enjoy the island hopping with other tourists. The guide was also friendly.
Snorkeling
Before arriving at the first island, you can first experience snorkeling. The guide can even lend you an underwater camera for free.
They kindly taught us how to use the underwater camera and how to snorkel!
The sea was so clear that it was photogenic. You can able to see fish that are rarely seen in other places in the Philippines and enjoy taking pictures.
After the snorkeling experience, the boat will start moving again. During the move, they will provide bath towels and mineral water for free. After about 30 minutes, you will arrive at Nalusuan Island, a standard spot for island hopping.
Nalusuan Island
Speaking of Nalusuan Island, it's all about the long pier! It is also a representative landscape of Cebu. The pier is made of wood and has no fences at either end. It's a bit thrilling, but the untouched natural scenery is popular.
Cross the bridge and you will arrive at the island. The island itself is uninhabited, but it functions as a resort island. What you see in the picture is a floating restaurant.
There are cottages and a lighthouse on the island, and marine activities are also possible.
There are also photogenic monuments.
Here's the menu for marine activities.
There are also restrooms. The staff cleans them regularly, so there was no inconvenience or uncleanliness.
Here is another restaurant. You can enjoy a barbecue.
If you go further back, there is a lighthouse. It is a scenic spot where you can overlook the island and the sea in 360 degrees.
Once your time on the island is coming to an end, you can now return to the pier. The scenery may be a little different from when you arrived.
You can wait for the boat to come. There were lots of other groups of tourists, so it will always be lively.
The view from here is also great.
You can now say goodbye to Nalusuan Island and go ahead to the next island. The wind may be pleasant or not so make sure you are ready if the boat will sway.
Pandanon Island
We arrived at Pandanon Island. Pandanon Island is said to be the closest island to heaven, and you can see white sandy beaches and a beautiful sea. It is also an island that stretches long from east to west, with the west side being a residential area and the east side being a resort and tourist area.
Upon arriving at the island, you can have your lunch first. The menu was "Filipino-style barbecue." In the Philippines, ingredients such as chicken, pork, and shrimp are skewered and grilled.
The taste was slightly sweet and delicious. The source of the sweetness is a unique Filipino sauce called "banana ketchup."
For dessert, you can have tropical fruits (a platter of mangoes, bananas, and pineapples)! Mangoes and bananas are famous in the Philippines. The moderate acidity and rich sweetness were in harmony and it was delicious.
After enjoying lunch, you can now explore the island! There are also many tourists visiting here, so a beach volleyball tournament was being held on the beach.
There are almost no artificial facilities, so wherever you take a picture, it's photogenic. It's sure to look good on social media.
Then once the fun time will pass in no time. It's time to say goodbye to Pandanon Island. You can now board the boat again and return to the port from here, which took about an hour.
The swaying of the boat gets stronger in the afternoon, so make sure to be ready.
Before arriving at the port, feel and enjoy the scenery.
After returning to the port, wait for the shuttle to pick you up. They will give you a ride back to the hotel in a shuttle. This concludes the island hopping tour. It will be a fulfilling tour.
4. Day 2 (Hotel Dinner to Airport)
Once you arrive at the hotel, you can now freshen up. The sunset is amazing so you can also enjoy the view.
To end the last night in Cebu, make sure to have dinner at the hotel. The lit-up pool and hotel were beautiful. Cheers with Philippine beer!
After enjoying dinner, you can now back to the room to prepare for the departure. You can check out at the reception and say goodbye to the hotel. The hotel will mostly arrange a taxi for you to go to the airport. It takes about 30 minutes to get from the hotel to the airport. Just tell the driver what terminal are you going.
Have some time to spare before departure, so take a walk around the airport. There is a popular Filipino fast food chain in the airport called "Jollibee" too. So, it is easy to eat if you are hungry.
The menu includes hamburgers, fried chicken, spaghetti, and hamburgers. The prices are also reasonable and affordable.
Name：Jollibee
Address：Aéroport international de Mactan-Cebu, Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu, Philippines
After roaming around the airport, go back to the terminal and go through the departure procedures. The Mactan-Cebu International Airport was renovated in 2018, so it is very beautiful. Departure procedures can be crowded, so it is recommended to line up early. After passing through the departure gate, there are plenty of spots where you can effectively use your free time, such as 24-hour cafes and restaurants, lounges and spa facilities, duty-free shops and souvenir shops.
Lastly: You can enjoy it even in 2 days and 1 night! When is the best season to visit?
You can fully enjoy sightseeing in Cebu even in 2 days and 1 night. It is warm all year round, with an average annual temperature of 27 degrees Celsius. You can visit Cebu around November this time and it is comfortable without being too hot.
The best season to visit Cebu is during the dry season. Especially from February to April, there are many sunny days and the sea looks even more beautiful! However, the sunlight is also stronger during this period, so it is necessary to take measures against UV rays. It is the recommended season. Please consider Cebu, where you can enjoy sightseeing quickly on weekends, as your next travel destination.
*The information provided is current as of November 2019.