Country > Philippines > Cebu > Cebu City
Date > 2025 > January | February
Activity > Traveling

Jan 30 - Feb 3, 2025

4 Days in Cebu enroute to Iloilo

Location : Cebu City, Cebu, Philippines

Cebu as Transport Hub
Cebu has always been handy as a destination stop-over, being the transportation hub of the Visayas. I don't even have to go out of my way to be there because it's often a transition point to most destinations within the Visayas. From Tagbilaran to Ormoc, I had to pass by Cebu. Now, from Tagbilaran to Iloilo City, I also had to pass by Cebu. Why not spend a few days there? I love Cebu. Who knows? Maybe something interesting happens. Spending a few days there is like being in Cebu without paying on transport - of course, I have to spend for lodging, food, etc. I never rush when I am in Cebu. That's the good thing about not having a boss or having a job - you can take your sweet time. For this visit, 4 nights - even with no itinerary.

Bringing my Folding Bike
For inter-island travel, my folding bike is part of my luggage. This means I have to take the cargo ship (Roro) because there is no surcharge unlike the Fast Crafts. A bike simply saves me time (instead of hailing public transport) and gives me so much 'pedestrian' reach (I could go 5 km easy on my bike, but on foot? Cannot). Without this bike in Cebu, I would either put up riding the jeepney (going through 8 km of winding road route when my destination is only 2 km away) or taking a Grab motorbike ride (it's affordable, but they still add up).

Lite Ferries: Tagbilaran to Cebu
From Tagbilaran, my go-to Roro is Lite Ferries - daily at 12 nn, arriving Cebu at 5 pm, PHP 296 SR. I choose to ride a Roro because I can load my folding bike without any surcharge. The last time I boarded Ocean Jet, a fast craft, they charged me over P500 for a folded bike - outrageous! I still have enough sunlight left when arriving Cebu to make it to my hostel on my bike before it gets dark.

bunk beds for Economy on Lite Ferries

Hostel 7 Cebu
For Cebu, my default hostel is Hostel 7 (PHP 320/night, Sr), owned by my good friend, Miko. I know the staff and I get perks - like 6 pm check-out instead of 12nn, use of fridge and parking space for my bike. I really feel comfortable in Cebu - just like a home away from home. I still wonder why Cebu never worked for me as a permanent place to reside (I gave it 3 months).

with the usual suspects at Hostel 7 Cebu, Miko, DJ Kobe and French hostel guest, Clara

Extra Curricular
I could do many things in Cebu - attend the weekly Theosophical Society meetings (it was a members-only meeting on this visit), Chu Un Temple gatherings (last minute cancellation) or just lose myself with all its malls.

Yoga
I'd been trying to arrange a yoga gig with the studios on my travels to meet the community, sharpen my skill and make a little money. That didn't work the last time I was here - no studio replied. I tried it one more time on this visit, and same.

Marky Philippines
I make it a point to meet Marky whenever I visit Cebu - even for just coffee and catching up. I brought my ground coffee and Vietnamese phin filter with me, so that comes in handy for cheap but good coffee. The night before, I stopped by Abaca, Cebu's finest bakery, for their 1/2 price goodies after 8 pm, and store them on the hostel fridge. And there you go - great coffee and great baked goodies for breakfast the following day.

sumptuous Abaca Bakery pastry and Vietnamese coffee for breakfast with Marky

Elle Philippines
Ellen got wind of my presence and was nice enough to treat me at Persian Palate for a quick catch-up. We first met in GenSan in 2012, and it's uncanny to think we're still having this conversation in 2025 - most marriages don't even last that long. In this meetup, we both agreed to set a demarcation line - a relief to both of us. It's funny how Jeanne used to be my hangout-buddy in Cebu. Now, I guess Ellen fills in the void.

being with Ellen feels like wearing a well-worn glove that fits comfortably - having history together adds that patina

Clara
While at the hostel, I met a fellow traveler, a beautiful French lady - Clara. I got to brush up on my French and felt connected with my past nomadic life of being on the open road with fellow travelers. I guess it's a fix I look for whenever I make a local inter-island travel. We ended up exploring the Night Market in Carbon. It was a fleeting kind of bonding - typical amongst travelers. Even though we exchanged contact info, that's probably the last time I'll see her.

exploring Carbon's Night Market with Clara

Malls
I'm a mall guy. I would walk around the mall, just looking around, not buying anything, and make a rest-eat-stop. I would do this on all of Cebu's malls - Ayala, Robinsons and SM. They are all bike-friendly with dedicated parking spaces for bicycles. SM edges all of them for having Decathlon. On this visit, I purchased a backpack cover and a much-used padded bike shorts. With all the biking I did here and in Iloilo, it was a well-worth purchase.

Ending Thoughts
4 nights without really anything to do in Cebu is plenty. But it's a fix I always enjoy - catching up with Ellen, Marky and Miko...hanging out with a fellow traveler, Clara. It was time to pack up again and ride my bike to Pier 3 for Trans Asia - my boat for Iloilo.

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

Scouting Iloilo City for Relocation

(Feb 4-15, 2025) After meditating on which place I should relocate to, Iloilo came out twice - from Mark and the other from Madhu, someone I didn't know who Friend-requested me. This was the sign I was looking for. Instead of heading to Southern Leyte as planned, I changed my itinerary for Iloilo and even wrote to some international schools there requesting for an exploratory meeting and wrote to some yoga studios requesting to teach a class...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