Cebu Island is one of the most popular destinations in the Philippines and one can understand why when walking along one of its soft white sandy beaches or snorkeling on the coral reef found just offshore. Cebu has a lot of history too and is credited with being the birthplace of Catholicism in Asia.
A hire car will get you conveniently to Cebu Cathedral where the first church in Asia was set up. The cathedral has a small museum with hundreds of artefacts detailing its development alongside colonial history.
Mactan Cebu Airport Mini Guide
Tell me Something About Cebu and Mactan Islands
Cebu Island is one of the major islands in the Philippines and is renowned as the site of the death of the explorer, Ferdinand Magellan in a battle against the local chief. Today, Cebu is a thriving industrial area and home to the Philippines copper industry. Despite this, several smaller islands off the coast of Cebu are first class tourist destinations including Mactan Island, site of the Mactan Cebu International Airport. Mactan Island is famous as an excellent dive centre with stunning coral reefs waiting to be explored. The island also has several golf courses for those who don’t want to miss out on a game whilst on holiday.
How do I get to Mactan and Cebu Islands?
On Mactan Island you’ll find the Philippines second largest airport, Mactan-Cebu. Nearly six million passengers flew into the Philippines last year through Mactan Cebu and on to holiday destinations. All flights to Mactan Cebu come from the Far East with the easiest connections for European travellers being through Singapore, Hong Kong and Doha.
What is the Airport Like?
The airport has a single terminal split into two wings, one for domestic flights and one for international ones. The terminal is nearly at full capacity and plans are being drawn up to enlarge the facilities there.
What should I Expect When I Arrive at Mactan Cebu?
The airport is very friendly and efficiently run. It has air bridges for you to disembark without using the aircraft steps and this disgorges you into a passenger tunnel to take you into the main terminal. There, you’ll need to go through passport control before being advised of where to get your luggage. Descending to the ground floor you’ll find the reclaim belts and after that will be in the main arrivals lobby. There you’ll find everything you need including the airport information desk should you need help and a small selection of shops.
There are no banks or exchange facilities and the airport doesn’t currently have an ATM. Car rental desks are found there along with a bureau organising accommodation should you require it. Public transport can be obtained from outside the terminal building for trips to Cebu City and the resorts.
What is Mactan Cebu Like for Departing Passengers?
The airport has a surprisingly poor range of facilities for an airport of its size with shops comprising of just a gift shop of Filipino products and a large duty free store with mainly imported items. The eating at the restaurant is even more limited with only a small snack bar to stave off hunger before your flight although the shops sell some food items. Internet access is unavailable at the airport for now.
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