Heading To Cebu/boracay In January, Suggestions On What-Where?

[Jim Sibbick]

, what would you suggest are the "need to see" places in Cebu, if you're thinking about moving there in a year or two? What I mean is.... I don't want to know the top ten tourist places....I am more interested in the "these are things/places you should really know about as an expat..." That might mean expat hangouts, or places to shop/send/receive things, or the consulate (?), best hospital, areas to avoid, etc. In other words, what are the most important/often used places for you guys?

GROCERY SHOPPING

- Gaisano supermarket in Ayala Mall for the best 2 for 1 deals

- Colonnade supermarket on Colon for the cheapest overall prices

EXPAT BARS

My favourite places to hang out are

- Sandtrap in Banilad

- Drifters in Gaisano Country Mall, Banilad

- Our Place in Downtown

http://www.ourplacebarcebu.com/

CHEAP DRINKING

- MSJW Depot convenience store. On Pelaez Street, Downtown. They will set up tables and stools/chairs on the footpath and sell beer ice cold out of a freezer. San Miguel Light is P30 and San Miguel Pilsen is P25.

MOVIES

- Best cinema is the Imax Theatre in SM Mall. There are 7 other, high quality, aircon, digital cinemas in the same complex.

- Cheapest cinema showing latest release movies, that I have found, is in the Colonnade Mall on Colon in Downtown. They still use film.

- Pirate DVD's are available in multiple stores on Colon and in the small malls on Colon such as 138 Mall and Colonnade Mall

MASSAGE

- I like to use the blind masseurs on the top level of 138 Mall on Colon. They charge P200 per hour for reflexology massage.

DINING

- Friends of mine, Arlene and Ron Winkly have diamond Tongs on F, Cabahug Street. P249 for bottomless Ice tea and all you can eat. The all you can eat includes oysters. I will eat all the oysters I can!

http://tongsrestaurant.com/

- Multiple restaurants on the Terraces at Ayala Mall. My favourite is Mooons Café. Not necessarily for the food. I like going there and drinking beer towers.

- The Sandtrap. Dining by the pool at night is very pleasant.

CHEAP DINING

- Food court on the bottom level of SM Mall

- Food court on the top level of Metro Gaisano on Colon

- Pete's Kitchen on Pelaez Street, Downtown

REALLY CHEAP DINING

- Late night on Colon. P15 per piece for fried chicken with foot long corn on the cob smothered in butter and salt for P20

- Golden Crust on Colon. Filipino sized meals start at P30.

DISCOS

- Multiple discos In Mango Square

BIKINI BARS

- The best and most foreigner friendly are located on and near General Maxilom Avenue. Otherwise known as the Mango Avenue bars as the road used to be known as Mango Avenue. My favourite is Lonestar and my second favourite is Viking.

MONEY

- Money changer with the reputation for the best rates is in the basement of Robinson's Mall on Fuente Osmena

- Best ATM is HSBC on C. Rosales Avenue. Opposite Ayala Mall and nearly opposite the Marriott Hotel. They have 2 ATM machines inside with a guard on the door 24/7. The machines accept all major cards and dispense P40,000 at a time. They also do not charge a fee for for foreign cards which many ATMs now charge.

SWIMMING

- Lap pool, with gym and running track at the Cebu City Sports Centre on Osmena Boulevarde, between Midtown and Downtown.

- For a fun day, Villa Terisita in Talisay City.

http://villateresita.weebly.com/

- The Sandtrap but not for serious swimming

- Tubod Flowing waters. Have not been there for years but it is still going so I presume it is still a good place to go.

http://www.cebuspring.com/

FITNESS CENTRE

- Fitness first in Ayala Mall

- Cebu City Sports complex,same as for swimming.

AMERICAN NECESSESITIES

- If you can't find it in a supermarket, try the supermarket style duty free store in SM Mall.

DANCING and DINING

http://jazznbluzcebu.com/

CASINO

- Waterfront Hotel, Lahug, Cebu City

- Waterfront Hotel Mactan Island, opposite the entrance to the airport departure area

- Rajah Park Hotel on Fuente Osmena

HOSPITAL

- Best hospital is Chong Hua

http://www.chonghua.com.ph/

Other good hospitals are

http://www.cduh.com.ph/

http://www.pshcebu.com/

I walk alone at all hours of the night and day over most of Cebu City. I will walk from Lonestar in the early hours of the morning to my hotel in Downtowm. There are very few places I would not go alone. One is the basketball court area sometimes called Junquera.

The US consulate is at the Waterfront Hotel

Edited December 5, 2012 by Jim Sibbick

[Jim Sibbick]

Good topic as I am looking for the same advice. I might hire a tour guide or someone like a real estate agent to show us around for one solid day, or two. Maybe with map in hand so that the lay of the land sinks into this thick head as much as possible!

If anyone knows of someone who could provide such as service for a reasonable cost, please let me know!

This lonk is in answer to a direct question.

If I can't post links like this, there is no point me posting at all

Edited December 5, 2012 by MikeB
Removed - The page contains direct links to other forums.

[Dave Hounddriver]

If I can't post links like this, there is no point me posting at all

Its not you, Jim. You can see that links to your site and almost all the other information links provided are still there and welcome. There are some sites that management does not promote or provide links for. I'm guessing you hit on one.

Not to worry, any forum I have ever participated in has certain links that the owner does not want posted so it is not unique to this forum. Thanks for posting all the valuable info that you do.

[Jake]

If I can't post links like this, there is no point me posting at all

Its not you, Jim. You can see that links to your site and almost all the other information links provided are still there and welcome. There are some sites that management does not promote or provide links for. I'm guessing you hit on one.

Not to worry, any forum I have ever participated in has certain links that the owner does not want posted so it is not unique to this forum. Thanks for posting all the valuable info that you do.

Hello Big Jim,

Our admin guru Mike B removed your links to other forums because it violated our forum rules.

As Dave mentioned, other forums have similar rules. Below is quotation from our rules about

posting links:

Adding links to your post is allowed if the link is for information regarding the Philippines and/or relates to

the topic. The exception is links to dating sites, sex sites, blogs and other forums......

Respectfully -- Jake

Edited December 5, 2012 by Jake
correct my sentence structure

[OnMyWay]

Jim, thanks for posting that list! It is very helpful even without a few of the links! :thumbsup:

[Jimmie]

Greg, Jim, Jake, Bob, guys, thank you for the fantastic info. I will read over it repeatedly, and will welcome more....

These replies are really, really, helpful, and I thank you guys for taking the time to post them. Very cool.

Greg I've spent some time in Moscow for my work, so I'm guessing Cebu's population is MORE like that than Chicago, but as you've indicated, it's all variable. What I've seen of AMerican cities is that suburbs tend to creep up into high rises, transitioning fairly quickly. In Moscow, there are thousands (?) of 5-12 story apartment buildings... so the density is high, even though the skyline is not as impressive as Chicago or many other cities. And again, s. footage per person is less, but I suspect Cebu is even more "compact." I know in Moscow there are often 3-4 people living in what would be considered a 1-2 bedroom apartment.

I would love to take you and your girlfriend to grab something to eat and get some thoughts from you both. And yes, beer, too. I will stay in touch enough to try to make that happen..but I will certainly understand of you guys have something come up that pulls you away. Like, a beer special at your favorite place, or a chance to get an early copy of your fav video game, or whatever it is that most appeals to you. So, I'll try to make that happen, but whether it does or not, your offer is much, much appreciated.

I have a lot of homework to do. I'm still trying to learn Russian, and soon, enough Thai to not accidently get arrested or anything, I hope, and then enough Tagalog, for the same reason. I have a plan to learn Spanish in more depth, but that seems like a faraway dream... and the others are probably just as unrealistic. LOL.

Guys, thanks again. fantastic response, and your generosity in writing and maybe more is impressive. Would love to buy a few rounds for all of you if I could/can. Beer. that is. The last time I made that offer in Moscow I was buying vodka with horseradish, before I knew it... THAT was a difficult day-after... LOL....

[i am bob]

The last time I made that offer in Moscow I was buying vodka with horseradish, before I knew it... THAT was a difficult day-after... LOL....

What? Jimmie? You don't like Khrenovukha? Hehe!! It goes great with Peanut Butter and Horseradish sandwiches (don't laugh - I like them! hehe!)

[Jack Peterson]

Would love to buy a few rounds for all of you if I could/can. Beer. that is.

Can some one Give Directions, where Jimmie can send our beer Lorry.

jimmie, Needs to be 50/50 on the brand :dance:

some like,

others like.

[Jim Sibbick]

, and then enough Tagalog, for the same reason.

In case you don't know, only about 20% of the population have Tagalog as their first language.

Here is a map showing language distribution in the Philippines.

If your plan is to spend most of your time in the central Philippines, my suggestion is you learn Bisaya, otherwise known as Visayan or Cebuano.

Last year, I conducted a mini survey of Bisaya speakers on Cebu Bohol and Leyte.

I asked if all their Filipino friends and relatives can speak Tagalog. 100% of people said no.

I asked if they wanted foreigners speaking to them in Tagalog. All but one said no. The person who said yes, said it was his job. He is a tour guide on Bohol.

[OnMyWay]

, and then enough Tagalog, for the same reason.

In case you don't know, only about 20% of the population have Tagalog as their first language.

Here is a map showing language distribution in the Philippines.

If your plan is to spend most of your time in the central Philippines, my suggestion is you learn Bisaya, otherwise known as Visayan or Cebuano.

Last year, I conducted a mini survey of Bisaya speakers on Cebu Bohol and Leyte.

I asked if all their Filipino friends and relatives can speak Tagalog. 100% of people said no.

I asked if they wanted foreigners speaking to them in Tagalog. All but one said no. The person who said yes, said it was his job. He is a tour guide on Bohol.

Going off topic a bit, but I was wondering how hard it is for a native Tagalog speaker to learn Visayan??? Jim, not sure if you know but maybe someone else can comment.

Why? My GF is from Bohol and speaks Visayan and Tagalog. Her 8 year old daughter has lived in Laguna all her life so only speaks Tagalog. I was wondering how hard it would be for the 8 year old to learn Visayan if we move to Cebu.