By banca from the resortsMactan
The reefs off Mactan
A traditional outrigger banca out to the marine sanctuaries at Hilutungan and Nalusuan, for some of the clearest snorkelling near Cebu.
Half a day or a day
- Snorkelling
- Island hopping
- Beaches
Your trip
The wedding is on Sunday 24 October. Everything around it is yours.
- The day beforeWe may plan something simple
- The weddingShangri-La Mactan
- The day afterAnd perhaps something then too
Around the day itself
Completely optional, and still to be confirmed. We'll share anything we arrange here once we know more. Everything else is your holiday, so plan it however you like.
Making a holiday of it?
If you're coming this far, a week or two gives you time to see much more of the Philippines. Here's what each makes room for. Ideas, not an itinerary.
Cebu, the wedding and one great extra
Time for a day on the water off Mactan and one big day out, like the sardines at Moalboal and the pools at Kawasan Falls.
Room for another island
Cross to Bohol for the Chocolate Hills and Panglao's beaches, or fly an hour to Siargao for surf and island hopping.
A proper Philippines holiday
Fly direct from Cebu to Palawan for El Nido's lagoons or Coron's lakes and wrecks, as well as the islands closer to home.
7 days door to door: a day's travel each way, the wedding and the days around it, and 2 days of your own. For example, island hopping and a night in Moalboal. Your days can come before the wedding, after it, or both.
10 days door to door: a day's travel each way, the wedding and the days around it, and 5 days of your own. For example, three nights on Siargao or Bohol. Your days can come before the wedding, after it, or both.
14 days door to door: a day's travel each way, the wedding and the days around it, and 9 days of your own. For example, El Nido and Coron after the wedding. Your days can come before the wedding, after it, or both.
- By banca from the resorts
30 to 60 minutes by roadCebu
Cebu City
The oldest city in the Philippines: Magellan's Cross, the Basilica del Santo Niño and Fort San Pedro, then Cebu's famous lechon, slow-roasted pork.
A morning or an afternoon
- History
- Food
2½ to 3 hours by roadSouth-west Cebu
Moalboal
Step off the beach into a shoal of millions of sardines, with sea turtles grazing on the reef a few metres out.
A night or two
- Snorkelling
- Diving
- Wildlife
30 to 45 minutes from MoalboalSouth-west Cebu
Kawasan Falls
Turquoise pools in the jungle at Badian. Go canyoneering for a morning of river jumps and swims that ends at the falls.
A day, often paired with Moalboal
- Waterfalls
- Canyoneering
About 2 hours by fast ferryBohol
Bohol and Panglao
The Chocolate Hills, tiny tarsiers in the forest, a slow boat up the Loboc River, and the white-sand beaches of Panglao.
Two or three nights
- Wildlife
- Beaches
- History
About 1 hour by airSiargao Island
Siargao
The Philippines' surf island: Cloud 9's famous break, palm-lined roads, and boat days out to Daku, Guyam and Naked Island.
Three or four nights
- Surfing
- Island hopping
- Beaches
About 1 h 50 m by airPalawan
El Nido
Limestone islands and hidden lagoons in Bacuit Bay, reached by a direct flight from Cebu, with no need to go back through Manila.
Three or four nights
- Lagoons
- Island hopping
- Snorkelling
About 1 h 20 m by airPalawan
Coron
Kayangan Lake between the cliffs of Coron Island, hot springs by the sea, and some of the world's best wreck diving.
Three nights
- Lagoons
- Diving
- Island hopping
Cebu is a hub: fast ferries leave Cebu City for Bohol, and Mactan-Cebu airport has direct flights to Siargao, El Nido and Coron, so there is no need to go back through Manila.