Country > Philippines > Cebu > Cebu City
Date > 2022 > Oct
Activity > Traveling

Sep 2-7, 2017

5 Nights in Cebu City at Hostel Seven Cebu

Location : Hostel 7 Cebu, Cebu City, Philippines

Lost
I was always sure and confident of my moves, always knowing where I fit in the bigger scheme of things. When confounded, I just ask myself the question, "What excites me?" - and my answer would determine my next thing-to-do or my next destination. It was always that simple.

Strange, but after traveling homeless for 5 years, it's only now I lost my bearings. Traveling doesn't excite me as much and asking that question no longer generates an answer. What do I do now? Perhaps the 5 days will allow me to regain perspective on where to point my compass.

Hostel Seven Cebu
After Moalboal, I defaulted to Cebu City for a 5-night stay at the newly opened Hostel Seven Cebu. It's so new, the tv and wifi haven't been installed in my room yet. My room is spacious and comfortable with an unusual industrial theme to it. The washroom is likewise huge with eclectic floor tiling. The hotel has a lively outdoor bar/cafe and a proposed roofdeck for acoustic nights. A hip, dynamic and vibrant energy permeates the scene.

Mikko Pato Philippines
Hostel Seven Cebu
Mikko, the youthful owner of Hostel Seven, is forward moving and injects fresh thinking into this venture. With his plans for expansion and innovation, the future looks promising.

I joined him for a coldie on a couple of nights as he introduced me to his merry band of revelers - friends who make up his social circle. I admire him and his friends for many reasons - they work hard and play hard, they're smart and upwardly mobile and they seem to be the next-generation of Cebu's movers and shakers who carry this air of optimism up their stride.

Mikko blogs:

Cebu City for the Siddhi Workshop Feb 2-5, 2024
2023: A Year in Review Dec 31, 2023
2022: A Year in Review Dec 31, 2022
Cebu City Peoplescape Dec 4, 2022
5 Nights in Cebu City at Hostel Seven Cebu Sep 2-7, 2017

Orange Karenderia
As good fortune would have it, the same family also owns Orange Karenderia, with its latest branch on the same ground as Hostel Seven Cebu. Orange has been my benchmark for short-order good eats at reasonable price, as early as a few years back when I stumbled upon it at Salinas Drive in Lahug. Now, good food is just outside my doorstep - how cool is that? Their Garlic Chicken is part chicharon, part fried chicken with the Orange signature taste for goodness - don't leave Cebu without trying it (with ice cold beer)!

Cebu Then and Now
Cebu City used to conjure vivid and eclectic imagery for me - the yoga scene, Zen meditation at Chu Un Temple, Theosophical Society discussions, Vipassana sits, good friends, coffee conversation, secret love life (yes, it's only now I'm admitting to it), etc. But I was relatively new to Cebu then, meeting new friends. I wasn't close to anyone and talks were kept wholesome - let's just say it was pleasantly arms-length. Think of being on a plane and you see the city from 10,000 feet. It looks scenic and appealing.

As I immersed myself in the city and people's on-goings including their life issues and dirty laundry (mine too), it starts getting real and you start feeling the grit - let's call it life-texture. Some people will continue to resonate while others won't. And like water finding its own level, friends fall into their totem pole ranking, either in order of relevance or urgency (as I fall into theirs). Think of the plane finally landing and now you have to deal with the city's nuts-and-bolts - congestion, traffic, pollution, urban events and cultural offerings.

Jeanne Philippines
Yoga Teacher
But no matter how the bigger picture takes shape and form in my Cebu peoplescape, I notice that at the center of it all, the hub that pulls them all together is my deepening friendship with Jeanne. Without her in the picture, Cebu would not be as compelling a destination. She would often be my breakfast guest and we'd hangout for beer and eats, always in constant conversation about anything and everything under the sun, hardly repeating ourselves. I am grateful. I thought you only make deep and lasting friendships with people you grow up with from school - not when you've already dealt with mid-life crisis! So yes, my benevolent universe has also given me one great gift - Jeanne.

And yes, to address your thought-bubble, is not my secret love life - never was, although people have speculated. Jeanne and I have kept it wholesome and platonic.

Theosophical Society Meetings
I didn't want to pass through Cebu without eating at the vegan dinner buffet at Persian Palate and attending the weekly Theosophical Society meetings. Lovorn's topic this time was Anthony de Melo's book and the wise sayings that's worth a ponder. But really, what I'm after is the community sense of seeing familiar faces and like-minded thinkers who make the effort to evolve. The usually suspects were there - Jeanne, Ellen, Regina, CaRen, Ivy, Emil, Edna, etc. It's good to be in a place where your radical ideas are open for scrutiny instead of simply being frowned upon.

Dr. Nestor Alonso II Philippines
PhilStar Global: Author
Since I met Cebu's foremost food critic, Doc Alonso, he has become part of my Cebu landscape. With every visit, we find time to catch up, usually at his favorite vodka/pizza place, Michaelangelo Pizza in Banilad. Let's just say we are both gray-haired guys who remain young. We share many things in common - good food and talking/writing about it, movies, sharing social commentaries, irreverent humor, etc. Often, he would reveal to me the hidden part of Cebu only lumad Cebuanos know about. An intellectual and keen observer of life who can articulate his insight, I'm left as a captive audience.

Judith Eugenio Philippines
Bazi & Feng Shui Consultancy
I met Judith during my last Cebu visit to coach her in keeping stillness of the mind in preparation for her major dance competition in Manila. She came back triumphant after bagging the gold but I was already away to congratulate her. We had this last hurrah breakfast to catch up and hear about her dance exploits and where it has taken her now. Judith has that rare objective-driven single-minded focus to win and stops at nothing to get the job done. I look forward to seeing her again.

Ending Thoughts
With 5 days over in Cebu, Tagbilaran (Bohol) beckoned from out of the blue. In my cosmic parlance, my benevolent universe just parted the Red Sea to show me the path. With the help of Jeanne, I have an affordable room waiting for me. I still don't know what awaits me there, but not knowing is a good thing. Another place, another chapter.

--- Gigit (TheLoneRider)
YOGA by Gigit | Learn English | Travel like a Nomad | Donation Bank

savoring Garlic Chicken at Orange Karenderia

comfy bed in a spacious room at Hostel Seven Cebu

beer and eats with Jeanne, Jason and Mech at Der Kaiserhof, Banilad

with long time Cebu buddy, Nandinii as my breakfast guest at Hostel Seven Cebu

thick juicy slab of marinated Tuna at Orange Karenderia

sumptuous meal at Orange Karenderia as I do my online work

Arugula Pizza at Michaelangelo Pizzeria...spot-on!

pizza and vodka night with Doc Alonzo at Michaelangelo Pizzeria

beer and pizza with Jeanne at Antica Osteria

goodbye breakfast with Judith at Hostel Seven Cebu

traveling with a full-size mountain bike, a 60-liter and a 35-liter backpack...very challenging

on board Lite Ferries bound for Tagbilaran

Tagbilaran Revisited

(Sep 7-12, 2017) After Cebu City, it could have been any destination - Coron for outdoor adventures with Greg, Tagbilaran for cheap movies, Davao for durian or even the Himalayas for Vipassana Meditation. But Jeanne secured a cheap room for me in Tagbilaran - and it was as simple as that. Besides, I somehow feel I have unfinished business in Tagbilaran...more »»

Next Cebu City story: (5 years later)

Manila - Cebu City: from Touch-down to my Hotel

(Oct 13, 2022) Constrained to leave Thailand after 4 years, I landed in Cebu City not knowing what happens next. I wanted to relax and get my bearings first before I embark on this new chapter. But before that, I have to manage getting to my hotel from the airport...more »»

Cebu City, Philippines

tourist attractions

Tops - hilltop offering panoramic view of the city
Taoist Temple - temple on a hillslope in Lahug with panoramic view of the city

hotel

Hostel Seven Cebu - newly opened, resto/bar, central location, solo/group travellers
Juana Osmeña Street, Cebu City
S Hotel & Residences - new hotel, luxury rooms, central location
827 M. Velez corner Andres Abellana St.

resto / cafe / bar

Fujinoya - new and refreshing twists to Western style desserts using Japanese techniques
Wilson St., Lahug, Cebu City - tel. 888.6075
Bad Boys Wingz - Buffalo Wings, unique versions of sauces! Great service, accommodating staff, bad boys vibe
Kasambagan, Cebu City | (032) 415 4811

yoga

Love Yoga World - yoga studio
11/fl, Skyrise 2 Tower, IT Park, Lahug, Cebu City
Yoga Now - first Yoga and Wellness studio in Mactan offering daily Yoga Classes
at The Yacht Club Mactan

mountain biking

Cebu Mountain Bike Adventure - MTB tours, bike sales and repairs. Bed and Breakfast + Resto Cafe + wifi
1298-b V.Rama Ave, Guadalupe, Cebu City | 0942.959.7451

Cebu City to Iloilo City by boat

Trans Asia Shipping - Terminal 2, Pier 3, 15 hours, Mondays and Fridays, 6 pm (ETA 8:30 am, next day), Trans Asia 19 boat, Tourist P1545 (SR P1236), 2nd Class open air P1400 (SR 1120)

Cebu City to Ormoc by boat

SUPERCAT - 3 hours, 5:30 am | 9:00 am | 12:30 pm | 4:00 pm
Business Class: Regular 1500, Student 1,200, Senior/PWD 1,071
Tourist (Aircon) & Economy (Non-aircon): Regular 1100, Student 880, Senior/PWD 785
OCEANJET - 3 hours, 5:00 am | 6:00 am | 9:30 am | 12:00 pm |1:00 pm | 4:30 pm
Open-Air (OA) 1100, Tourist Class (TC) 1100, Business Class (BC) 1600

Cebu City to Bantayan Island

The best and fastest way is by Ceres Bus at the North Bus Terminal, adjacent to SM City. The bus takes 4.5 hours going north until it reaches Hagnaya Port. From there, you pay the ferry company separately. The bus boards the ferry until it reaches Sante Fe Port (1.5 hours) in Bantayan Island. From Santa Fe, the bus goes to Bantayan Poblacion and then to Madridejos.

Ceres Bus - PHP 260 (to Santa Fe), 4.5 hours to Hagnaya Port + 1.5 hours by ferry.

Schedule: according to the dispatcher, trips begin at 6 pm (this arrives Hagnaya around 10:30 pm but the first ferry leaves at 1 am...that's a 2.5-hour wait at the port), leaving every hour until 1 pm the following day (I speculate that 1 pm is the last trip to avoid rush hour traffic along Consolacion). This doesn't match the ferry schedule so the bus simply waits until a ferry departs. e.g. the 6 pm trip arrives 10:30 pm and waits for the 1 am ferry. The last trip, 1 pm, arrives 5:30 pm, in time for the ferry's last trip.

Bus arrives at terminal 30 mins before departure. Luggages are P150/pc if no passenger.

Alternatively, you can get off the bus at Hagnaya Port and take the ferry independently. There are 2 ferry companies:

Super Shuttle Ferry
PHP 359 + 25 Terminal fee, 1.5 hours

Island Shipping
PHP 350 + 25 Terminal fee, 1.5 hours

Cebu City to Dumaguete

Cebu City to Dumaguete by Boat

George and Peter Lines - Mon/Thur/Sat/Sun 10pm, (035)225.4337, 0922.557.1023
Oceanjet - via Tagbilaran, daily 6am, dumticketing@oceanjet.net, 0918.898.2188
Cokaliong - Mon/Tue/Wed/Thur/Fri/Sat 7pm, Sun 12pm, 6 hours, (035)225.3599

Cebu City to Dumaguete via Liloan (bus, boat, jeep, tricycle)

Cebu City South Terminal - take the southbound Ceres bus to Liloan, P200, 5 hours
Liloan - the bus drops you off at the Liloan Port where you board the Fastcraft to Sibulan, Negros Oriental, P62, 30 mins
Sibulan - at the Sibulan Port, the jeeps wait for Fastcraft passengers to take them to the public market in Dumaguete, P12, 30 mins.
Public Market - at the market, you can take any tricycle to your hotel, P8 for short trips

Cebu City to Tagbilaran, Bohol

Trans Asia Shipping - (updated Jan 25, 2025) Terminal 2, Pier 3, 4 hours, Mondays, 12nn (ETA 4 pm), Trans Asia 3 boat, 2nd Class open air P370 (SR 296)
Lite Ferries - (updated Jan 25, 2025) Pier 1 Terminal 1, 4 hours, departs daily 1:00pm and 10:00pm, Sundays only 10:00pm
Standard (Lying) Php 370, Tourist (Lying Aircon) Php 520
Address: 1022 Mj Cuenco, Cebu City, 6000 Cebu
Email Address: info@liteferries.com.ph
Mobile Number: +639778225483 / +639989995483
Telephone: (032) 255-1721 to 23, 25, 26 /(032) 349-7349
Weesam Express - Pier 4, departs 9:00 AM, 2:00 PM, 6:30 PM, 2 hours
one way: Economy (aircon) P500.00, Economy (non-aircon) P400.00, First Class P600.00
round trip promo (at least 2 days advance booking): Economy (aircon) P600, Economy(non-aircon) P500, First Class P1200
round trip promo (1 day or on the day booking): Economy (aircon) P800, Economy (non-aircon) P700, First Class P1200
Ocean Jet - Pier 1, departs 6-7-8-9:20-10:40-11:40AM, 1-2-4:20-6:35PM, 2 hours
Open Air / Tourist Class P800, Business Class P1000
+63 932 8734 885 / +63 922 8572 300
SuperCat (2GO) - Pier 1, departs 08:15-13:30-15:10-18:00-19:40
P 500.00
+63 32 233 7000

Cebu City to Siquijor by Boat, via Tagbilaran

Cebu City to Siquijor, via Tagbilaran

Lite Ferries - Pier 1, departs M/W/SAT at 1:00pm, 10 hours, economy Php 649 (through barkota.com), layover in Tagbilaran 5:45pm-8:00pm, arrives Larena Port, Siquijor at 11:00pm
+63 977.822.5483 / +63 998.999.5483 / +63 925.347.5483 / (032)255-1721 to 26 / (032)414-9001 to 03
info@liteferries.com / www.liteferry.com
Ocean Jet - Pier 1, departs daily at 1pm, 5 hours
Open Air P1600
+63 932 8734 885 / +63 922 8572 300

Cebu City to Siquijor by Bus, via Liloan (Santander)

(as of Jan 2023)

Sugbo Urban
There is only one bus plying this route - Sugbo Urban. Tourist class coach, a/c, comfortable, Sun-Fri (these dates keep changing). P420 for bus, P275 for ferry to Liloan. Leaves Cebu City (South Bus Terminal) at 8 pm (Sundays 1 am), heads south to Liloan (Santander), takes the ferry to Larena Port, Siquijor, docks around 5 am, makes a clockwise roundtrip around Siquijor Island - Larena, Enrique Villanueva, Maria, Lazi (stops at Lazi market for breakfast and leaves 6:50 am), San Juan, Siquijor (arrives 8am, P50 from Lazi to Siquijor Poblacion) and catches the 1pm ferry at Larena Port for Liloan, Cebu and resumes its land route. Arrives Cebu City 10 pm.

Sugbo Urban is the cheapest and most convenient way because when it reaches Larena Port (Siquijor), it continues its trip around the island (clockwise) along the circumferential road, passing through - Enrique Villanueva, Maria, Lazi, San Juan, Siquijor...and back to Larena. It spares you the cost of hiring a tricycle or habal-habal which charges exhorbitant fares. Besides, it's a long trip to the other side of the island to be taking by tricycle.

This is also the slowest. The bus arrives Liloan Port around 12:30 am but the ferry leaves 2:30 am (2 hours of waiting time). The ferry trip is a slow 4 hours (this should only take 1.5 hours with Montenegro or Alesson), arriving Larena around 6:30 am. This 4 hour voyage offers no comfortable sleeping - you stay upright on your seat or sleep on the floor on a cardboard. The boat waiting/voyage takes 6 hours. Altogether, the entire trip takes 11.5 hours until the bus reaches Lazi.

Cebu City to Camotes Island

Cebu City to Camotes Islands

via Poro - from Pier One in Cebu City, take the Ocean Jet for Poro, 2 hours, daily trip - 6am and 3pm (0936.823.8762 |0956.270.6610 | 0999.889.9999).
via Consuelo - from Cebu City, take the northbound bus passing through Danao and get off at the Danao Port. At the Port, take a Jomalia Shipping boat for Consuelo (San Francisco, Camotes), P220/pax, a/c, 2 hours, daily trip - 5:30am, 7:00am (special trip), 8:30am, 12:00 noon (express), 2:30pm, 5:30pm and 9:00pm (express, Fri/Sat/Sun only).

Camotes Islands to Cebu City

Poro - Cebu City (fastest and most direct) - go to Poro and take the 8am or 5pm Ocean Jet to Pier One in Cebu City, P380/pax/aircon, 2 hours
Consuelo - Danao - Cebu City - go to Consuelo (San Francisco) and take the Jomalia Shipping boat to Danao, P220/pax, a/c, 2 hours, daily trip - 5:30am, 7:00am (special trip), 8:30am, 12:00 noon (express), 2:30pm, 5:30pm and 9:00pm (express, Fri/Sat/Sun only). From Danao, take the Ceres Bus to Cebu City