Cebu

The Queen of the South

Priya M Menon travels to Cebu in the Philippines, where the temperature is high and the prices low

At Cebu, the oldest city in the Philippines, there wait pristine white beaches, sparkling clear water, the smell of golden-yellow mangoes, and the strains of the guitar. But before it all — as soon as you step out of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport, in fact — there is the intense, intense heat.

As we make our sweaty way to the Maribago Bluewater Beach Resort, a short drive away from the airport on Mactan island, the colourful jeepneys catch our eye. The most popular means of public transportation, jeepneys were originally made from US military jeeps left over from World War II.

Two bridges — the Mandaue-Mactan Bridge and the Marcelo B Fernan Bridge — connect Mactan to Cebu, the Queen of the South. Both islands are rich in history, and we have arrived at a most opportune moment. On April 27, 1521, Ferdinand Magellan was slain by the chieftain of Mactan island, Lapu-Lapu, who is considered the first Filipino hero — you even have a fish called Lapu-Lapu! Every April 27, the historic Battle of Mactan is re-enacted in a spectacular manner at Magellan Bay. This year, the arrival of the President drew a crowd teeming by the bay, braving the blazing sun.

Driving into Cebu, the cradle of Christianity in the country, we visit Magellan’s Cross. The original cross has been encased in a protective wooden cross, as believers chipped away pieces to take away with them.

We drive through busy Colon Street, the oldest in the Philippines, to another relic of the Spanish colonial period — Fort San Pedro, built in 1565 to protect the Spanish from the pirates. Cebu has a sizeable Chinese population. In the exclusive Beverly Hills area is the Taoist Temple set amidst picturesque surroundings.

After a day steeped in history, back in Mactan, we decide to go island hopping. If you are a water-baby, then this Diving Mecca of the South is paradise. You can go para sailing, scuba diving, snorkelling, windsurfing... Even if you are not a good swimmer, your guides will help you snorkel and take in the underwater delights, as I come to discover. All beach resorts have packages that you can choose from, and diving and snorkelling gear is available for hire.

Eating on the islands is an experience in itself, with only the freshest of sea food gracing your plate. If you are adventurous, then you have a delectable variety — from raw oysters dipped in vinegar to ostrich meat. The popular Filipino delicacy, however, is the lechon (roasted pig).

Here, a word of warning to vegetarians. Carry your own food, as the very concept of vegetarianism is quite alien in the Philippines, though a variety of cuisines, like Thai, Japanese, Italian and Korean, is available. Before you reach out for even the dessert, cross check. But you do have the affirmedly vegetarian Halo-Halo. Made of crushed ice, a mix of fruits and ice cream, it is a meal in itself. And, of course, the delicious, juicy mangoes. Cebu’s dried mangoes (similar to our aam papdi) are popular all over the world.

If you have the time, you must visit Mactan’s guitar factories, especially the famous Allegro guitar factory, where you get handcrafted guitars. For cheaper souvenirs, small guitars are available everywhere on the streets. You can pick a little one for just 80 pesos. Also, talking of cheap options, we discover that Cebu is a place where you can shop to your heart’s content without straining your budget. Even the enormous malls, like SM City, offer you shoes, clothing, bags, island souvenirs and much more at bargain prices.

Getting there
If you are travelling to Cebu, Singapore Airlines flies daily to Singapore from Chennai. Connection flights are available from Singapore to Cebu. The economy class return airfare will cost about Rs 26,890, not including taxes and surcharges.

There are direct flights to the Mactan-Cebu International Airport from key cities in the Philippines, like Manila. The flight from Manila takes about an hour. You can also travel to Cebu from Manila by sea. The journey takes about 22 hours. An airport tax of 200 pesos has to be paid at the Manila and Cebu airports. Log on to www.wowphilippines.com.ph or www.cvis.net.ph/dotr7 for more information.