Cebu

Cebu is in the heart of the Philippines. Known to be the Queen City of the South, Cebu has is the oldest and second most important city in the country. Cebu is one of the top priority of tourist because of its world-class beach resorts and diving spots. Cebu's tourist destinations and attraction are found in both north and south of Metro Cebu. Cebu has it's own international and shipping port. Cebu has export processing zones that are helps boost up the economy of the country. The province is composed of five cities; Cebu City, Mandaue, Lapu-lapu, Toledo and Danao and there are 48 municipalities. Cebu City, the provincial capital, is located on the island's east coast. Cebu is the shipping crossroads and it is a good jumping off point for island hopping to the tropical islets of Central Visayas. Cebu is the home of the world-class beach resorts and beautiful tropical diving sites in the country. Mactan Island which is adjacent to Cebu has become the tourist package destination especially for Japanese, Taiwanese and Koreans. Cebu is also the home of the Sinulog Festival which is famous because of its colorful costumes and street dancing. The Sinulog Festival is held every third Sunday of January. Various groups in which are called tribes are wearing beautiful, exotic and colorful costumes to celebrate the religious festival with the image infant Jesus. These tribes are singing and dancing in the streets from morning to evening. Cebu is also known as the country's oldest Spanish settlement and colonial City dating from 15th century. Cebu has several historic landmarks. There are many colonial houses in the south especially in Carcar the restored Bahay na Tisa and the Moorish-style Church of St. Catherine. Many exotic and beautiful beaches can be found in Argao and Dalaguete. 18th Century church which attracts tourist can also be found in Argao.

Kawasan Falls Magellan's Cross Cebu Hilton Hotel Resort & Spa

Located centrally in a group of islands that form the Visayas, central of the three main Philippine island groups, the others being Northern Luzon and southernmost Mindanao, may be one vertigo-inducing central too many. But puissant fortune has positioned this long and narrow island in the auspicious site, in the axis of an archipelago with 7,107 of its fellows. Its geography is unique, stretching 122 miles, nowhere exceeding 20 miles across; the island is eight times the size of Singapore, and five times the size of Hong Kong. Modern topography maps show the back of a lizard immersed in teeming waters, a jagged cordillera rising 3,400 feet at the apex as its spine, gradually vanishing into plains on both its northern and southern ends. Cebu is long and narrow, allowing easy access to both the bounty of mountain and ocean: markets abound with both fresh seafood and produce. Budyong Beach Bantayan Island Bantayan Palawod Festival Saints Peter & Paul Church Bantayan Island is known as the Lenten Capital of the Visayas. Bantayan Island is located at the northern most tip of the Cebu Mainland and is composed of the three municipalities, namely Sta. Fe, Bantayan and Medridejos. Bantayan is a 2nd class municipality of Bantayan Island in the province of Cebu, Philippines which is administratively subdivided into 25 barangays namely Atop-atop, Baigad, Baod, Binaobao (Poblacion), Balidbid, Kabac, Doong, Hilotongan, Guiwanon, Kabangbang, Kampingganon, Kangkaibe, Lipayran, Luyongbaybay, Mojon, Obo-ob, Patao, Putian, Sillon, Sungko, Suba (Poblacion), Sulangan, Tamiao, Bantigue (Poblacion) and Ticad (Poblacio The island's relationship with the ocean, however, is altogether a different love story. A combination of legend and archeology pieces together the story of Indonesian and Malay tribal chiefs who landed on these coastal shores, settling on virgin territory. As these people were not a lot bound by communal consciousness, little documentation of their collective lives are available. It is, however, gleaned from the records of the neighboring civilizations that they engaged in trade with, that the early settlers had a well-developed if not impressionable culture, and an existing commercial ethos.

Mactan Island is home to the Lapu-Lapu Monument and the much older Magellan Monument at Punta Engano, both near the traditional battle site between the two historical figures. The island's famed beach resorts are located at the island's eastern coast, just half an hour away from Mactan International Airport.