May 2022 – The Wknd Travel

CEBU-YAS WEEKEND: 4 Days Around Cebu City & Bantayan Island [May 2022]

Recently, my high school friends & I flew to Cebu from Legazpi to have a proper 4-day vacation. We took Cebu Pacific Air’s direct regional flight from Bicol International Airport to Mactan-Cebu International Airport that resumed operations late March 2022. Feel free to check out this flight report to know more about this short hop to Cebu.

We spent these 4 days around Cebu City & Bantayan Island. Upon arrival, we decided to go around the city & visit the new & old attractions. We, then, went up north to Bantayan Island to spend the next 2 full days before going back to Cebu City on the 4^th & last day. Allow me to share with you the details of these trips around Cebu City & Bantayan Island.

Sandira Paradise Beach – one of the beaches we visited in Bantayan Island. Definitely a must-see!

CEBU CITY

It’s been a decade since I’ve been around Cebu City. As far as I can remember, my last visit was also with my high school friends back in 2012. It was only a short 3 days & 2 nights trip around the city & the nearby Mactan Island. A lot as surely changed in the last decade, so I was so happy to re-visit the Queen City of the South.

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS

At the time of the trip in mid-May, Cebu City was under Alert Level 1. This meant that the city only required vaccination cards & valid IDs during check-in. Believe it or not, the establishments around the city didn’t check our vaccination cards upon entry into buildings & tourist attractions. Please take note that partially vaccinated or unvaccinated people may have different requirements.

Please note that these travel requirements can change from time to time. I suggest that you always check with the local government of your destination or the airline’s Covid-19 information pages for the updated travel requirements.

ACCOMMODATION

We were initially booked in a hostel property but we were transferred by Agoda to S Hotel & Residences. We paid ₱3,098.18 for a night in 3 double / twin rooms. Each room for 2 cost ₱1,032.73. The room has 1 king bed / 2 single beds, a cable television, air conditioning, a small desk / working station, toilet & bath complete with towels & toiletries. The property is located on M. Velez St, near the Provincial Capitol site.

TRANSPORTATION

My friends & I opted for a car hire while we were in the city. It saved us the hassle of booking Grab or taking taxis while going around the city.

PLACES VISITED IN CEBU CITY

Original Sirao Garden – Little Amsterdam

Original Sirao Garden – Little Amsterdam is a flower garden located in Canada Dr, Brgy. Sirao, Cebu City. It’s the perfect place to take photos with flowers & flower gardens. Entrance fee to the garden costs ₱100 for adults, ₱80 for senior citizens & PWDs & ₱50 for children up to 12 years old.

Top of Cebu Restaurant

Top of Cebu is a Filipino restaurant that gives a breathtaking view of Cebu City from the mountains. The restaurant serves good food paired with the stunning view of the city in your background. It is usually packed at night so it’s best to call ahead of time to reserve. We went there during lunch time & we noticed the place wasn’t that busy.

Temple of Leah

Temple of Leah is a temple that is dedicated to Leah Albino-Adarna. It is a gift of love given by his husband, Teodorico Soriano Adarna. Entrance fee to the temple grounds costs ₱100 per person.

Magellan’s Cross

Magellan’s Cross is one of the most famous historical landmarks. The kiosk, located in Plaza Sugbo, is believed to be the place where the conquerors, led by Ferdinand Magellan, planted the original cross on April 21, 1521.

Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño de Cebu

Located just a few steps from the Magellan’s Cross site, Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño de Cebu is home to the oldest Sto. Niño relic in the country. This Basilica is also a famous attraction in the city, particularly during Sinulog celebrations in January.

La Vie Parisienne

La Vie Parisienne is a French-inspired restaurant that serves good food & drinks. This place is famous for its Instagram-worthy wine cellar. We had our dinner here after a long day around the city; we enjoyed some pasta & pizza paired with their in-house sangria.

Balamban Highlands

We passed by Balamban Highlands on our way back to Cebu from Hagnaya Port in San Remegio. It is a long scenic highway found in the Municipality of Balamban. Our driver told us that the area has kilometers worth of uphill drive from Balamban to Cebu City or downhill drive from Cebu City to Balambam, depending where you’re coming from. The highlands provide some stunning views of the mountains.

Shamrock Pasalubong Center

A visit to Cebu City is not complete without dropping by a pasalubong center. We went to one of the Shamrock Pasalubong Centers near Fuente Circle & bought packs of the famous Shamrock puff pastry commonly known as otap.

Tabo-an Public Market

Tabo-an Market is the place to buy dried fish & dried mangoes. My friends hoarded different kinds of dried fish while I bought those 1-kilogram packs of dried mangoes.

Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX)

The Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway is the recently inaugurated & opened bridge that connects Cebu City with the town of Cordova on Mactan Island. The bridge is 8.5 kilometers long & is now the new longest bridge in the Philippines. This is a toll bridge & motorists are expected to pay a fee of ₱90-₱270 per way depending on car class.

CnT Lechon

Cebu is also known for their tasty lechon. There are a number of restaurants & local brands but most people say CnT is the best & the tastiest. We had CnT Lechon for dinner on our last dinner in Cebu. It is indeed tasty & has a distinct flavor not found in ordinary lechons.

Mactan-Cebu International Airport Terminal 2

I’ve read great things about & seen awesome photos of the new Mactan-Cebu International Airport Terminal 2; I feel happy that I was able to see it in person this time. Our flight to Manila departed from the said terminal. Oh boy, the terminal is truly world-class! No wonder this terminal has been recognized by many from around the world!

BANTAYAN ISLAND

I’ve read & heard a lot of things about Bantayan Island over the years & I’ve always wanted to visit. The ‘plan’ to visit this beautiful island came to fruition on this 4-day trip to Cebu. My friends & I decided to have some rest & relaxation on the island for 3 days & 2 nights.

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS

Bantayan Island requires all visitors to pre-book their accommodations before going to the island. The chosen accommodation will require a valid ID & proof of vaccination from each tourist & will issue a tourist-specific QR code. The QR code is checked by the local authorities upon arrival on the island. Partially vaccinated or unvaccinated people may have different requirements.

TO & FROM BANTAYAN ISLAND

Going to Bantayan Island from Cebu City is easy. One can go to SM Cebu Terminal & catch a bus or van to Hagnaya Port. The one-way fare costs ₱300 per person. The trip takes about 3-4 hours for vans & 4-5 hours for buses including all stops. Upon arrival at Hagnaya Port, proceed to the boat ticketing counters & buy tickets for the next available trip to Bantayan Island. Ferry trips to the island leave almost every hour during the day. The ferry ticket to Bantayan costs ₱355 including insurance fees & taxes, while the ticket back to Hagnaya Port costs about ₱290 including fees & taxes. The ferry journey takes about 1-1.5 hours per way. All visitors are obliged to pay an environmental fee of ₱30 in Santa Fe Port.

ACCOMMODATION

My friends & I stayed at the island-famous Kota Beach Resort. We booked 3 double rooms at ₱2,700 per room per night. The room rate includes a set breakfast & access to the resorts facilities. Each room features a comfortable double bed, separate toilet & shower areas, air conditioning, a small work space & a balcony. The rooms also have towels, toiletries & 2 bottled waters per day. The resort also provided free port transfers to all its guests.

TRANSPORTATION

The best way to go around the island is by motorbike or by tricycle. My friends & I opted for the tricycle for our land tour. We hired a tricycle for ₱800 pesos & we went around the attractions found in Santa Fe & nearby towns.

PLACES VISITED IN BANTAYAN ISLAND

Kota Beach

The beach found in the resort were staying is one of the best beach spots on the island. Tourists flock Kota Beach throughout the day. All tourists have free access to the beach. We missed the famous Bantayan Island sunset but we had the chance to witness the spectacular sunrise from this beach.

Ogtong Cave & Santa Fe Beach Club

Ogtong Cave is a famous cave with clean, cold & turquoise clear water. Guests are required to pay an entrance fee of ₱225 to see & swim in the cave. This fee also includes access to the beach, swimming pools & amenities of Santa Fe Beach Club. My friends & I backed out upon hearing the expensive entrance fee from the staff. I hope the management introduces an entrance fee that is solely for the cave.

The Ruins

The Ruins Bantayan Island is an abandoned structure found near the cliffs. It’s now a famous tourist attraction because of its scenic location. It’s also turned into a cliff jumping spot. The place is free for all.

Sandira Beach

Sandira Beach is a private beach known for its clear waters & rock formations. This beach has an entrance fee of ₱60 per person.

Omagieca Obo-ob Mangrove Garden

Omagieca Obo-ob Mangrove Garden is a beautiful mangrove park that’s worth visiting when in Bantayan Island. Entrance fee to this garden costs ₱55 per person.

Sto. Niño Roman Catholic Church

Santa Fe’s local parish church, Sto. Niño Roman Catholic Church, has a beautiful altar that’s worth seeing.

There are other attractions & spots to visit around Bantayan Island & the nearby islands (Virgin Island) but we decided to just enjoy our stay in Kota Beach Resort.

And that’s it – we’ve been to a lot of places in 4 days! It felt great to go around & see Cebu City again after 10 years. I also finally had the chance to explore Bantayan Island after years of aiming to come & visit. It was definitely worth the 4-5 hour trip up north. Going on holiday / vacation these days is considered a blessing; I was so happy to be able to do it again. I cannot wait to explore both old & new places in the Philippines & around the world; I’m sure a lot has changed in the last 2-3 years!

Have you been on a vacation or holiday recently? How was your experience? It felt weird at first, right? Share your experiences in the comments section below! Do you have questions about Cebu City, Bantayan Island or anything mentioned above? Feel free to post a comment below. If you want to stay anonymous, you can also send those questions via e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com.

Thanks for joining me in today’s blog post. I am so happy to start sharing my travel experiences again after over 2 years of being on the ground. I can’t wait to share my upcoming trips & flights with you. Until the next one!

PS. Photos were taken using my OnePlus 9 Pro.

Flight Report: CEBGO DG 6207 – Legazpi to Cebu – My First-Ever Regional Flight Out of Bicol [May 2022]

Recently, my friends & I flew to Cebu for a quick weekend getaway. We flew from Bicol International Airport (Airport code: LGP) to Mactan-Cebu International Airport (Airport code: CEB) on Cebgo DG 6207. It was my first ever regional flight that’s not out of or arriving in Manila. All my past domestic flights are either leaving from or arriving at Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Join me in today’s flight report as I share with you my first ever regional sector experience with Cebgo from Legazpi to Cebu.

CEBGO

Cebgo is not a new airline in this website. In fact, it is the most reviewed airline including its parent company Cebu Pacific Air. Formerly South East Asian Airlines (SEAir) & Tigerair Philippines, Cebgo joined Cebu Pacific Air in 2014. Since then, Cebgo has been flying to most of the country’s smaller airports, connecting these regional airports to the rest of Cebu Pacific Air’s wide domestic airport.

The airline flies an all-turboprop fleet accommodating up to 78 passengers per flight on a single-class configuration. If I’m not mistaken, it also operates 2 all-cargo turboprop aircrafts. It’s the only turboprop cargo plane in the Philippines.

In case you missed it, I post reviews & features of my flights since June 2019. I’ve covered airlines such as EVA Air, Indonesia Air Asia, Singapore Airlines , Philippine Airlines & Cebu Pacific Air. All posts about these flights are found under the Flight Reports category.

AIRFARE

Cebgo’s Cebu-Legazpi-Cebu sector only happens a few times a week. Given this limitation, my friends & I booked tickets from Legazpi to Cebu, Cebu to Manila & another ticket from Manila to Legazpi. This one-way Legazpi to Cebu ticket cost us ₱1,803.56 each. I added 20 kilograms baggage allowance a few hours into the flight & I paid an additional ₱651.73.

This is the screenshot of the ticket including the Cebu to Manila leg I took days after this flight. 🙂

This one-way ticket to Cebu with baggage allowance cost me ₱2,455.29. It may not be the usual less than ₱1,000 ticket, but it is still worth every peso. Take note, the tickets were booked 2 months before the intended dates; it was during the post-election & summer peak & it allowed us to fly directly to Cebu without having to transit via Manila.

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS

Cebu is & has been open to tourists for a while now. Fully-vaccinated individuals only need to provide a valid ID & their vaccination card or vaccination certificate. Partially & unvaccinated passengers need to provide a negative RT-PCR test result taken 72 hours before the flight or a negative antigen test result taken 48 hours before the flight. Some municipalities & cities in Cebu Province require a medical certificate from partially vaccinated or unvaccinated travelers stating that they do not exhibit any Covid-19 symptoms. This medical certificate must be issued within 24 hours before arrival in Cebu.

Please take note that these travel requirements may change from time to time without prior notice. For the latest requirements to Cebu, please feel free to check Cebu Pacific Air’s Covid-19 Information Page or the page of the Local Government Unit you are heading to.

BEFORE THE FLIGHT

Even with more relaxed travel restrictions, Cebgo & Cebu Pacific Air continued to send flight reminders to all its passengers via e-mail, Viber & text messages. The airline also kept us passengers well-informed of the minor changes in flight schedules via the mentioned means of communication. They also sent a reminder about buying baggage ahead of time & the updated carry-on baggage rules.

I noticed that the airline has removed the item about the Traze mobile application. I believe the authorities have stopped using this application for contact-tracing purposes. It would have been nicer if contact-tracing procedures were still being practiced in order to curb any possible surge in cases.

FLIGHT INFORMATION

Cebgo, Cebu Pacific Air’s regional subsidiary, used a 5.6-year-old ATR 72-600 propeller aircraft for this Legazpi (LGP) to Cebu (CEB) regional sector. The propeller plane is registered under RP-C7281 & has 78 economy seats in a 2-2 configuration. The aircraft took off from Bicol International Airport at exactly 8:05am, flew at 17,000 ft above the ground & touched down at Mactan-Cebu International Airport at 9:02am. The whole flight only took 57 minutes.

AIRPORT & GROUND EXPERIENCE

CHECK-IN

I arrived at Bicol International Airport quarter before 7:00am & immediately headed to the check-in counters. I noticed that the airport staff no longer required the Traze App upon entering the airport terminal. I was the only person in the Cebgo check-in area. The whole check-in & bag drop process literally took a minute. The ground staff did not even bother to check my vaccination card / certificate.

PRE-DEPARTURE

After check-in, I headed upstairs to submit myself to a final security check & to stay in the pre-departure area. The terminal is spacious & the 2 operating airlines, Cebu Pacific Air / Cebgo & Philippine Airlines have their own boarding gates. Some souvenir & food shops were already open when I got there. Smart Communications offers free WiFi to its subscribers waiting for their flight. Oh boy, the internet speed went as high as 410 Mbps.

A few minutes before boarding, the airline sent another text message informing us that our assigned boarding gate is Gate 8. What a lovely gesture by the airline! I stayed in the pre-departure area & waited for my friends to arrive.

BOARDING

The boarding process started on-time at 7:30am. Priority passengers & those needing special assistance boarded the aircraft first. The remaining passengers came next. The boarding process only took 20 minutes. The crew closed the aircraft doors at 7:50am; the plane was pushed back 3 minutes later. The cabin temperature was hot during boarding & did not improve until the engines started.

INFLIGHT PRODUCT & EXPERIENCE

SEAT

Cebgo’s ATR 72-600 aircraft has 78 seats in an all-economy class cabin. Each row has 4 seats in a 2-2 configuration. That means that each seat either has a window or aisle access. This 5.6-year-old aircraft is fitted with the old individual seat design. All seats have a decent-sized tray table. It also has 2 seat pockets – one for the safety card & supposed to be inflight magazine & the other for the air sickness bag.

All seats feature an individual reading light & air nozzle. Seat 17C, the seat beside me, has a broken left arm rest. I was surprised to see it wrapped in clear tape. Each seat has a pitch of 29 inches & a width of 17 inches. The seat dimensions are acceptable for a low-cost airline. Take note that these seats cannot be reclined.

INFLIGHT SNACKS

Cebgo does not offer complimentary snacks to their passengers. Instead, they offer buy-on-board snacks (called Fun Café) to those who wish to get some snack / drink during the flight. This buy-on-board service started 15 minutes after take-off and was finished in 10 minutes. I did not avail of any snack or drink on this short hop to Cebu.

INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT

Cebgo is a no-fills airline & does not offer entertainment options on all of its flights. They used to have inflight magazines, but they haven’t brought it back. On some of its daytime flights, they conduct a game where passengers can win some airline-branded merchandise. Unfortunately, the crew did not conduct the Fun Game on this Legazpi to Cebu flight

LAVATORY

Midway into the flight, I decided to visit the lavatory found at the rear part of the aircraft. The lavatory is clean & it smells good. It was basic & it had everything you needed. Unfortunately, it was so small to the point where I could barely move inside.

CABIN CREW SERVICE

The cabin crew gave all passengers a warm welcome during boarding. They made sure all passengers were wearing their masks & following the flight protocols. They attended to all passenger requests during the snack service. Unfortunately, I had close to no interaction with the crew on this flight.

Disembarkation & Baggage Claim

The aircraft parked near Mactan-Cebu International Airport Terminal 1’s arrival area. We only walked for a few meters & headed to the baggage claim & arrival hall. The whole disembarkation & baggage claim process took 20 minutes.

Final Thoughts

It was another enjoyable flight with Cebgo – this time with their Legazpi to Cebu regional sector. It felt weird not flying from or to Manila, but it also felt nice to be flying inter-island to Cebu. I am very happy that these smaller routes exist. It makes inter-island connectivity easier & faster for those who have business or those who want to go on vacation in Cebu or in the nearby islands.

It’s great to see the airline continuing the pre-flight reminders & announcements even with relaxed restrictions all over the country. Ground experience was great! Check-in, security checks & boarding processes were fast & efficient. It’s sad to see that the contact tracing & requirements check measures were omitted for this flight. We are still in a pandemic & we need to still be strict on these measures.

My flight experience on DG 6207 was also good. The cabin product is still good, even if it’s a bit outdated. Seats were comfortable for a short hop. The flight left Legazpi Airport & arrived Cebu Airport ahead of schedule & the lavatory was tight but spot clean. The only downside I noticed is the ageing aircraft & the dirt in Seats 17C & 17D. This specific aircraft needs some serious cleaning. Dust is starting to pile up near the safety card pocket.

This minor observation won’t hinder me from flying with Cebgo in the future. They still provide the best value on flights around the Philippines. In fact, I can no longer wait for the next one! Let me share with you some technical details of this flight:

Airline: Cebgo
Flight Date: 13 May 2022
Flight Number: DG 6207
Route: Legazpi (LGP) to Cebu (CEB)
Duration: 57 minutes
Seat Number: 17D
Aircraft: ATR 72-600
Aircraft Registration: RP-C7281
Engines: 2 Pratt & Whitney Canada PW127M Engines
Age: 5.6 years old
Delivered: September 2016

Have you tried a regional flight with one of our local airlines? If yes, how was your experience? If not, is there a specific regional flight you want to try? Feel free to share your experiences & thoughts in the comments section below. Do you have a question about this flight or anything related to Cebu or Cebgo? You may also send them to me via e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com.

Stay tuned for upcoming flight reports & posts! In the meantime, you may check out my previous flight reports here. Before you go, can you visit my social media channels –Facebook & Instagram – and like or follow them? Thank you & see you in the next one!

PS. Photos were taken using my OnePlus 9 Pro.