Cebu & Chocalte Hills

Considering that I did Cebu-Bohol, Bohol-Cebu in 3 days only, It's not so easy to tell about Cebu city.

From Cebu to Bohol

Cebu Airport is an ideal place to buy some flight tickets for your next destinations, I went to see PAL which is - in fact - a very bad choice compare to Air Philippines.

"The connection Cebu - Puerto Princessa a been cancelled after the last strike, then I bough a ticket from Cebu to Manila, Manila to Puerto Princessa & Puerto Princessa to Manila, the all fare cost me 6000 pesos".

From Cebu Airport to the Pier 4 of Cebu, I paid a taxi 110 pesos (price negociated at the airport) : the taxi meter dispayed 85 pesos and the driver wantedd me to pay 10 p esos of port tax...

From there you can go to Tagbilaran/Bohol, you can choose between a Ferry (60 pesos, 4 hours) or a Supercat (230 pesos, 1:45 hours). I tryed the Supercat. It look likes a plane : each seat has a number and the waitres are here to make you enjoy your trip. The boat is very fast and noiseless.

From Bohol to Chocolate Hills

If you have enough time, you can stay a few days in Tagbilaran, I was told it's very interesting. But what I remember from this place is that people are not so friendly and they nervous when you start to bagain some prices 4 times higher than normal. I should have stayed some more days there to apreciate their island.

On arrival in the port of Tagbilaran, you can get a tricycle (10 pesos ) to go to downtown, which is 2 kilometres away. Have a lunch, then get another tricycle to "Dao terminal bus-station" which is 5 km away, in the north (it cost me 10 pesos only ?!). From there you can get a bus to Chocolate Hills (20 pesos, 2h30).

Chocolate Hills

Why this name ? because at the end of the dry season those thousands hills are Chocolate coloured. I didn't see this, but it's quite impressive to see so many perfect cones. "The geological origin of the hills has not yet been explained beyond doubt, the concensus is that they are weathered formations of a kind of marine limestone lying on top of impermeable clay soils"...

It's possible to stay there for an overnight (that's what I did), you can also choose a 1 day trip renting a moto in Tagbilaran, this is maybe a better choice.

There is only 1 place to stay : the Chocolate Hills Complex, double rooms are 260 pesos and the dorm is 75 pesos each (15 dirty beds and only 1 shower). To keep you excited, be prepared to pay 230 pesos for a shitty meal !!! Sorry...

To go back to Cebu island I tryed a cheap Ferry (60 pesos) : more than 4 hours trip, just enough time for a good nap.

Cebu

What about Cebu city...Safer and richer than Manila - which is not difficult - the city is less poluated and seems to be pleasant. I think this city is nice city so go there and tell me what you think about it.

Arrived in Cebu I've decided to stay in the YMCA : the dorm was 125 pesos, my dorm was in fact a double room. I had the choice between this basic double and the dorm with the Filipinos Marines.

To make my stomac enjoy the food, I ate in a very nice restaurant of Ayala Center, and.., I only paid 160 pesos. Ayala center is also an ideal place to change your travellers and to buy branded cloths.

The "Cebu by night" that I saw is pretty cool, I saw a free concert of local pop/rock music..

The next day a Taxi took me 160 pesos to go the airport, this is a fix price.A few hours later, I reached Puerto Pricessa / Palawan