Like many Philippine cities, CEBU, nicknamed the “Queen City of the South”, has become something of an urban nightmare in recent decades, with jeepneys taking over the inadequate road network.

 

There’s history and architecture in there somewhere, but you have to look hard for it among the clutter, the exhaust fumes and the malls. The good news is that it’s not half as bad as Manila. It’s possible to get from one side of the city to the other in less than thirty minutes and the excellent airport and ferry connections might make you want to consider using Cebu as your base. Hotels are cheaper than Manila, taxi drivers are less confrontational, and while gridlock is not unknown, it’s much less common that in the capital. The big annual attraction in Cebu City is the Sinulog Festival, which culminates on the third Sunday of January with a wild mardi gras street parade and an outdoor concert at Fuente Osmeña. The Sinulog Festival, in honour of Cebu’s patron saint the Santo Niño, is almost as popular as Kalibo’s Ati-Atihan and hotels are usually full, particularly for the climax of the festivities during the third weekend of January. For information call the Sinulog Foundation on 032/253 3700.

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