Cebu

City Living

Cebu

Why go now

Cebu city is Manila without the mayhem, offering the conveniences of city living with its upscale shops and restaurants, and the joys of beach life, with many resorts just a few minutes’ drive away from the city center. April is perhaps the best time as any to go when the summer season is just beginning to peak. You get to avoid the tourists, crowds, and heavy traffic during the frenetic January Sinulog street-dancing festival season and you can still get good deals in resorts and hotels. April is also the season for Philippine mangoes, reputed to be the sweetest in the world.

Get your bearings

The very hub of the Visayas, Cebu is an economic center second only to Manila. An hour’s flight from Manila, Cebu is the gateway to the islands of Visayas, and the kick-off point to the islands of Bantayan and Malapascua, both diving destinations. On a clear day, it is possible to see Bohol from your hotel room, while Dumaguete and Suiquijor, like most other places in the Visayas, are just ferryboat rides away. Designer Kate Torralba calls this city “the Milan of the south”, a center for international quality furniture design and fashion. The city is home to such designers as Kenneth Cobonpue (www.kennethcobunpue.com), Customwood Fine Furniture (+6332/2368603,wavi@pldtdsl.net),Butch Carungay of Avatar accessories (www.avatarstyle.com, and 2/L Greenbelt 5), fashion designers Jun Escario (www.junescario.com) and Kate Torralba (www. katetorralba.com, 2/L Greenbelt 5).

Check in

If you’re feeling like the high roller, the 561-room Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino in Lahug, with its two casino floors open for 24 hours, is your kind of place. The hotel’s castle-like architecture stands out in the city’s skyline, and there’s no mistaking the Vegas-like ambiance upon setting foot in its grand lobby. For both locals and tourists, the hotel’s duty free shop is also a draw. All rooms here are fully equipped with cable TV, IDD, mini bar, fridge, broadband Internet access (there’s free WiFi but it’s a bit spotty on some floors). Rates start at about US $100 (about P5,000) a night for a standard room to $950 for the Penthouse suite, once booked by a foreign dignitary for all of 219 nights, at a discounted P40,000/ night.

Location: 1 Salinas Drive, Lahug, Cebu City Tel: 1-800-10-WFRON T8 (for PLDT lines), +6332/2329000,+632/687 0888 Email: msro@waterfronthotels.net, wcch@waterfronthotels.net URL: www.waterfronthotels.com.ph Seen at Waterfront: Kim Chiu, Coco Martin, Ai-ai Delas Alas

Photo and Article Source: Inflight Magazine (Seair)