Disclaimer: I traveled to Cebu for three days for an interview so I just went around the area where I’m staying. This is just an account of my experience in Cebu and stuff I’d recommend or otherwise or maybe I just like to mention. I didn’t take any photos too, maybe because of interview jitters before and after.
My flight was at 12:30 PM but I arrived at the airport at exactly 12 noon. It’s because I was getting my documents ready at the last minute for the interview. I’ve procrastinated that much. Good thing, it didn’t cost me the flight to Cebu. Despite that it was already boarding time, they let me into the flight. The guys at Cebu Pacific were that great! I only have enough money for my allowance and I couldn’t afford any re-booking charges.
Lessons Learned: Cramming is not very good and make sure to arrive early at the airport and take note of the airline’s guidelines regarding checking in and boarding times.
I posted a public trip in Couchsurfing about going to Cebu and I was contacted by Angelica, a college student from there. I asked her about commuting from the airport to the hostel I’ll be staying in. Following her directions, I looked for a MyBus to SM (the thing is, I’m not sure if it was at SM Seaside or SM City Cebu). It costs P25.00. I have found these links helpful (schedule, fare, routes): MyBus Cebu Guide and their Facebook page .
Since I haven’t eaten anything yet because of my last minute preparations, I had my lunch at SM, went around a bit and then looked for an 04L jeep to my hostel. I asked to be dropped at JY Mall, then I walked all the way to the hostel. The hostel I’ve booked comes in two names in different sites, sometimes Food District Hostel and sometimes Cebu City Center Inn.
The place is just like a normal house with a big gate only and not a small gate for people, that’s why I got a bit confused at first if it was really the hostel or not. I like how the interiors were decorated to have vintage feels. In such a small place, I have found some Instagrammable spots. It’s just so sad I haven’t taken one, maybe it’s the nerves. The room I had was a mixed dorm type with 2 bunk beds and one twin-sized bed. The room was air-conditioned. Comfort rooms were outside, about 4 or 5 which is convenient for me, and wash area with mirrors facing the comfort rooms.
On a not so negative note, I just had a few concerns. First of all, they don’t provide keys for the rooms and inside the rooms, there’s no cabinet or a space under the bed or whatever for you to store your things. Although, they have lockers for rent outside but I didn’t ask about it further. Then, there’s only one electric outlet with two sockets inside the room. Since I got the upper bunk bed, I had difficulty charging my phone at least on the very first day. The next day the two Swedish girls occupying the lower bunks checked out, I took the bed right next to outlet because my phone was desperate for it. FYI, they also have outlets outside of the room but then, you wouldn’t want to leave your phone charging outside of a room, wouldn’t you?
I’m not sure if there is somehow an unwritten rule that you should better stay at a hotel than a hostel when you’re staying in a new place for an interview. I just really wanted to save money that’s why I chose to stay at a hostel. I think I have no regrets knowing that the hostel had that environment where I was able to study for the exam and the interview, well, maybe not inside the room as I was staying in a mixed-dorm. The only thing that stressed me was that they didn’t have an iron. My chiffon blouse was wrinkled and I don’t want wrinkles for my interview. What I did was I had it ironed at a Wash ‘N Dry outlet for P50. This laundry shop franchise is all over the place.
Despite those things, I’d still recommend the hostel for two main reasons: cheap and a chance to meet other people. For cheap, I thought I had it cheap already with P400 a night + additional city VAT something. I paid P902 for 2 nights via Booking.com. However, one of my roommates was a solo traveler from Manila who told me she booked hers through Agoda and booked it for only P200! I told her I felt ripped off but then it’s because I didn’t really search for cheaper rates online.
Booking.com
We had lunch at Shaka, and according to Angelica, it’s kinda new-ish in Cebu I.T. Park. It’s an open restaurant with a two-storey treehouse, a bar and a few tables on the first floor and most of the tables on the second floor. They also have tables with colorful umbrellas on top as roof. I didn’t realize it could be this photo op place I’ve been seeing on Instagram until the day after when I went back to I.T. Park at an earlier time of the day.
Prices range from P180 – P400+ for meals. Ariel bought the Kalbi for P400+ and Angelica and I shared one order of Sisig for P198, I think, ’cause we’re not that hungry. Angelica suggested a cocktail drink for me while she ordered a bottle of Red Horse and a mojito for Ariel. Then we just agreed to go to another place to drink after. 
And so, Angelica suggested Chicken and Beer. Ariel asked the waiter if the chicken is better than Jollibee’s and he didn’t gave an answer right away so we just ordered a bucket of beer.
We were still up and about so we decided to move to another place to drink again. Ariel wanted a quiet place to drink but us girls wanted a club so although Ariel had been to Liv Superclub and it’s not his place, he didn’t have a choice ’cause it’s two versus one. Unfortunately, Liv was closed (it was a Tuesday) and we were informed that they were closed Mondays and Tuesdays and open for the rest of the days. Please countercheck again with other websites ’cause I was a bit tipsy at this point that I maybe wrong.
We ended up at a resto bar called 11th Street. Maybe it’s because it’s a weekday that there were not a lot of people around the area. It’s just us and a few people in one or two tables. We bought another bucket of beers and the band was playing. I have one item in my bucket list about jamming to a band but at that time, I wasn’t really thinking about it. But then the band looked for jammers and Angelica and Ariel pushed me to go to the stage and if it wasn’t for the alcohol, really, I don’t think I would find myself walking forward in less than a minute.
I wasn’t really prepared, nor is my vocal cord, so I blurted out Closer by The Chainsmokers when they asked what song to sing. And then I sang with my voice shaky but what the heck. I’m up at the stage and this my time to own it, I thought. Charot. Ate at the back was backing me up, maybe regretting why they chose a very bad singer to jam with them. But it was a pretty awesome experience, I owe it to the fact that it’s not my territory and nobody really knows me. I was singing off-key, we were having a party of our own, Angelica went up the stage to sing too. So much fun. Oh, well. After that, we finished our beers and left the club, left some wringing in the ears of the people there.
The next day, I woke up with a damn headache but I guess I was quick to recover since I found time to study for the exam in the afternoon. Angelica and Ariel were up around 10 or 11 AM and so we decided to have brunch. Ariel decided where to eat and we went for Jollibee even though Angelica and I were supposedly up for something else. I was disappointed a bit because I eat Jollibee, like, so often in a month, but then I also felt proud for Jollibee.
And so I had the exam and I made some friends with my fellow applicants. After the exam, we decided to eat at Gaisano Country Mall. There were just a lot of restaurants but we were so hungry and we were so cheap that we settled at the food court. From that moment on, I declared that I love Cebu because everywhere I order food, it doesn’t disappoint. I’ve always wondered before how Cebu is really very popular with tourists and I got my answer. Aside from the beaches, adventures and other activities, Cebu is a food haven.
I decided to go back to I.T. Park and stroll around before going back to the hostel. I went take a photo of Shaka and went up close to The Pyramid. Then I passed by Sulbing Cafe and although I felt like I wanted to try the bingsu, I was in a tight budget and the bingsu comes in a large serving so I just opted for a green tea latte instead. I chilled for a bit then went back to the hostel.
Third day was my interview day. I checked out and brought my bag with me to the interview. I took the motorbike to the interview venue. I felt like a rockstar in my interview clothes, with a pencil skirt, on a motorbike. Motorbikes are all over Cebu, an alternative to taxis. I was supposed to meet another couchsurfer who will go with me to Magellan’s Cross but I got interviewed in the afternoon so I unfortunately cancelled and went straight to the airport taking a jeep to SM City Cebu and MyBus to the airport.