Pearl of the East – Cebu

Cebu the oldest city of the Philippines, attracts thousands of tourists every year because of its natural beauty and its rich 500 years history. The great Spanish era buildings like the San Pedro Fort and the Philippines oldest church have always fascinated the travellers to Cebu. In 2010, New York Times ranked Cebu as the third best travel destination in Asia.

Getting to Cebu is easy from most parts of Europe; many airlines offer cheap flights to Cebu from their respective capitals. If you are travelling from the UK, then you can even find a cheap flight with Emirates or Etihad Airways. The frequency of flights to Cebu is high but as it is fast becoming a favourite destination, it is a good idea to book a flight earlier.

Cebu has a lot of prominent historical landmarks some of which are part of UNESCO’s world heritage. Fort San Pedro is the oldest fort of the Spanish era in the country and is situated on the coast of the island. Although it has been renovated recently by the Philippines government it still retains its vintage architecture and even its 14 cannons pointed towards the sea. It also has a museum with great historical artefacts from the time of Spanish rule; it’s a perfect place for getting a feel of that era.

The Santo Nino Church of Cebu is the oldest church of the country built around 450 years ago. It started as a wooden structure but now it is a stone building faithfully restored by the city government. A few steps from the church is the Magellan’s Cross, the place where according to the history the first cross was placed on the land of Philippines.

You can find many accommodation facilities in the city, ranging from cheap hotels to luxury resorts. Most of the historical buildings are located in the north of the island, but there are a lot of sightseeing opportunities in the south of the island as well. The natural waterfalls and caves of the south are great attractions of Cebu.

So book yourself a cheap flight to Cebu, and have a great time in the pearl of Orient.