I'm not really a history buff, but whenever I get the chance to see landmarks, it's a must-stop…read more My party of ten was on the verge of going into a food coma (we overstuffed ourselves just minutes before) so it was a great idea to make stops at a couple tourist spots before checking into our hotel. This was stop ONE. We were lucky enough to come through and found only a few other tourists present. (We expected a crowd, given it was a weekend.) It's also kinda cool to find local guides available giving us a thorough story regarding the significance of the entire area. I will admit that I felt the history going through me as I walked the grounds. Weird, I know... I've only heard or read about this place, and I found it amazing to finally find myself here! Oh, and those guides are not only incredibly knowledgeable, they were also willing to take pictures with as many cameras as you have. They did their job well, so fam made sure they were tipped well. We took our time and breathed all the experience in. One thing off the checklist...

Lapu Lapu Shrine and Magellan Shrine [LAPU-LAPU CITY, CEBU Philippines]…read more Anytime I get a chance to visit a landmark I am grateful for the opportunity. Mactan Shrine was just outside the Mactan Newport development. No admission fee and open to the public. It is a remembrance of the Battle of Mactan. As we were walking towards inside to view the monuments, out of nowhere was this stranger who started to give us a little history of what transpired in this actual location. The Battle of Mactan happened in 1521. The Mactan Shrine was established in 1969 as a national shrine. This was where Lapu-Lapu (Filipino warrior) killed Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan. The shrine was built on the spot where the battle took place. Every year, on April 27, they have a re-enactment festival of the historic battle and Filipino ring superstar Manny Pacquiao played the role once as chieftain Lapu-Lapu during a re-enactment of the Battle of Mactan in Cebu. We thanked the impromptu tour guide. Consequently he was also a good photographer LoL! We tipped him for his kind gesture. It was a cool short history lesson. Review #3334

One of Cebu's unique tours would be to see the whale shark in Oslob. I was a little terrified at…read morefirst as our small boat carried us further out sea but that fear/anxiety was gone as soon as I saw these beautiful and gentle creatures. They were huge so cute at the same time there just swimming and eating lol Btw, i understand there are concerns about the pros and cons regarding this activity. I completely understand that and its just such a broad topic to even talk about so please do your own research if you are having second thoughts or just want to know more. This review is really just for the experience that I had. Anyway, we entered from BCD resort which was convenient as we get to park there and we also had a guide to help us navigate were to go first (register, "orientation" etc). You go out in the waters for more or less 30mins which is really enough. Activity starts around 7-11am so the fish can have some time on their own to hunt for food rather than get so used to being fed. I appreciate that the staff reminds guests to have all lotions and sunscreens rinsed off prior for the safety and health of these fishes. It seems to be a little more organized this time around compared to before. There is also same pricing now regardless if your local/foreigner and if you are swimming/staying on the boat. Life jackets are provided and the "bangkeros" give out the food/krill to the Butandings/Whale Sharks so all you get to do is enjoy swimming with them or viewing them from the safety of that small boat. Beautiful experience.

A one of a kind experience to swim with the whale sharks for 500 pesos. 30 min in the boat. They…read moreprovide life vest and swim mask but no snorkel part. You can bring your own if you want to snorkel. You can also bring your own fins. Picture wise, you can bring a water proof case for your phone or a Go Pro. The street vendors were selling water proof cell phone bags there but not sure how good they would have been so opted to leave phone behind. The staff didn't do pre-arranged photos like at other excursions. So something to think about if you really want to get a pic Really fun experience. It was crowded on a Friday and the weekend. Probably less crowded on the weekday.

Cannoneering is amazing in Cebu but do not go with this company. They charge significantly more…read morethan any other tour company I saw while I was in Cebu. The reason I'm giving such a bad review is because I do not appreciate being lied to. I booked through Highland Adventures because it was recommended to me by a friend. I took tour B which included a stop to Tumalog Falls. We never went to Tumalog Falls and our tour ended 2 hours early. The road was blocked so I completely understand why we could not go. I asked if it was possible to get a refund for that portion of the tour and I was told that I can be refunded 2.57CAD for missing Tumalog Falls. For a tour that costs 130 dollars CAD with 4 destinations in total. I have a really hard time believing that the cost of the private van, driver, and tour guide, equates for 2.57 CAD or 100PHP for 2 hours. At this point it's not about the money it's about principle. If you email this company be ready to wait a few days for a reply. I emailed them the day before to try to confirm pickup and got no response until late in the evening. Considering we had to get up at 4:00 am for the tour and had no confirmed meeting location since the car could not come to our Airbnb this was less than ideal. While on this trip my partner got a severe burn on his leg. When we asked if we could be dropped off at the closest a hospital instead of our Airbnb. Our driver decided that he did not need medical attention. The wound became infected and we have to seek treatment several times throughout our trip. All that being said we thought our guide was amazing and he really deserves to be running his own tour company.

After watching this youtube video ... I knew this is something I wanted to do during my most recent…read morevisit back to PI. https://youtu.be/R_Cux55yVcU Make sure NOT to go during typhoon season like the group of 6 I was with. But luckily the day we scheduled our tour the rain let up for just one day. However it did rain the day before so the current was strong and the trail was super slippery. It was probably one of the most fun and most dangerous thing I've done in a while just because of how strong the current was ... but don't ask the group of girls behind us who were more interested in taking selfies and videos with their go pros. Definitely one of the must-do's when in PI for any adventure seeker. Be prepared to spend the whole day. Read up on the protective gear you'll need. Contact them via email (they're very good at responding) Enjoy the adventure. Tip your tour guides.

Very disappointing experience with OceanJet. On December 24, at the port of Bohol, before boarding…read moreour ferry to Siquijor, two passengers were forced to pay 300 pesos for luggage. There was absolutely no information anywhere stating that this fee was mandatory, and no receipt was provided. This is unacceptable and completely unprofessional. This charge was in addition to all the other port fees we had already paid.

Affordable fast ferry services. 2 hours from Tagbilaran pier 1 to Cebu City pending sea state--it…read morecan get tough in the strait during the monsoon. Beware that the terminal charges a P30 per person and P100 per check in bag. You can also get a better rate on trikes and taxis outside the terminal

The underwater views here of all of the fish were absolutely breathtaking. I have never gone…read moresnorkeling before and this is my first experience, but this definitely will not be my last. I had so much fun and discovered so many new things and saw so many things that I have never seen in my life before. it was so surreal to see so many different types of fish and even some turtles and all of the beautiful corals underneath the water. this was one of the most fun things that I did while on my vacation in the Philippines, and I would highly recommend that everybody try it at least once.

Cherry and Matt run the best dive shop in the visayas. Great place to get your PADI open water…read morecertificate.