Cebu Travel Tips - Helpful hints and advice on local destination information

Cebu is a multicultural city and English is widely spoken, meaning that visitors should find communicating relatively easy. The people who live in Cebu City are warm and welcoming and although public transportation is somewhat lacking, there are plenty of taxis available.

Customs and etiquette

Most of the people who live in Cebu are Christian, attending either Roman Catholic or Protestant churches. The people here are quite liberal in their dress and body language and there are far fewer social taboos here than in many Asian countries.

Most businesses tend to close on Sundays as people use this day to visit the churches and their families. Although not the rule, tipping is becoming common practice in Cebu, even in restaurants and hotels where a service charge is built into the bill.

Money

The official currency of Cebu is the Philippine peso (PHP). The best place to change money is in banks, which are usually only open on weekdays from 09:00 to 15:00. However, there are a large number of ATMs located around Cebu and major credit cards such as VISA, MasterCard, American Express and JCB cards can be used to pay for goods and services in most places in the city.

Weather

Cebu is blessed with a tropical climate and visitors will find plenty of sunshine here. However, there is often torrential rainfall in June, while the heat can be a little stifling in the height of the summer. 

The best time to visit Cebu is from December to May as these are the driest and coolest months, although the weather can be rather hot for many people in December as it often climbs to 33C. 

Transportation

While buses are few and far between in Cebu, the taxi drivers here are courteous and the fares low, making exploring the city by taxi a convenient and cheap option. The traffic is lighter in Cebu than in many other Asian cities, and many people also opt for car hire. Locals prefer to opt for jeepneys (shared taxis), which generally cover set routes. 

Most visitors arrive at the nearby Mactan Cebu International Airport (CEB), which is located on Mactan Island, around 15km to the east of Cebu City. Visitors can hire either a taxi or a car from the airport and get into the heart of the city in around 30 minutes. 

There is also a busy port in Cebu that serves routes to other major Filipino cities such as Davao and Manila. 

Fast facts

Population: 798,634
Spoken languages: Cebuano, English, and Tagalog
Electrical: 220 Volts, 60 Hertz
Phone/calling code: +63 32