Cebu City
So flying into Cebu City was the welcome to the Philippines I got. If you read my last post, you would know how awful it was. I essentially was nearly deported out of the country for not having a departing flight. Thankfully it ended with me being able to stay the country and push forward with the adventure ahead. My friend and I got in a taxi, made our way to our hotel, and the next morning, luck didn’t change for the better. Unfortunately the wifi at the hostel was nearly nonexistent. It was so slow, it loaded nothing. Considering we both work online and had obligations to actually work, this was really bad news for us. We went to a Starbucks and had to pay to use the internet that day, 60 pesos an hour. Sitting in a Starbucks for hours on end is not fun and we certainly couldn’t do this consistently.
The second day we went to Location 63 which is a coworking spot. Fortunately, the wifi was perfect here. But we again, had to pay for it. 500 Pesos for the day, which was well spent considering the facility was nice, but did we really want to pay for internet everyday? Certainly not. We didn’t sign up for this. We needed it at the guesthouse.
Cebu City was uneventful. We were staying in a area which could be best described as the slums. I didn’t like it at all. The area which was “nicer” wasn’t anything too special. All I saw were fast food restaurants or a few expensive hotels. My option for food one night, considering I’m vegetarian, was a McDonalds cheeseburger with no meat. I was hungry for real food, hating the city, annoyed at the wifi situation, and quite frankly, ready to get the fuck out of that area.
Neverland Manila was only two days away so this was our two days in Cebu, attempting to work and waiting patiently for our flight to Manila where we could get lost in the music.
Manila
Finally the day came and off to Manila we went! We landed late at night, got some rest at the hotel, and the next morning checked out our rooftop pool. Yay! Things were looking up. It was Friday, the day of the concert, and we had an awesome pool with a view to chill at for the day. I got super brown, showed up and was ready for the night. Stocked up on red bull, downing Bombay and gingers, and to the Mall of Asia Arena we went…
It was raining a bit, but luckily it didn’t last long. What can I say about the concert? The music was screaming through the speakers, I was swimmingly drunk and happy, met some cool locals to dance with, saw some great visuals, and had a freakin blast. Like any other electro festival, love and good vibes were in the air and good music all night. It was a fantastic night. Period.
The next day consisted of not moving from the bedroom and literally eating every meal in bed that was ordered through room service. Thank god for room service. It was a rough day, but certainly worth it.
Considering the dire wifi situation, I said goodbye to my friend who went back to Thailand so he could work, but I pressed on with the adventure and made my way to Palawan…
More Information:
Tr3ats Guesthouse in Cebu City- Nothing special. Simple room, small bathroom with broken shower head. The internet was terrible.
Shogun Hotel in Manila- Nice and decent room. We stayed here because it was pretty close to the concert venue. It was pretty much attached to a shopping mall. The staff was helpful, the rooftop pool was really nice, the room service food was good and we used it often, and they also assisted us in getting taxis when needed. The room was aircon, clean, and also had a fridge.
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Nina Ragusa is an adventurer, messy bun master, breakfast fan, and full-time travel blogger. She’s been abroad since 2011 and blogging on Where in the World is Nina? for nearly as long. Nina helps people like you move around the world while making money. She loves talking about how to work abroad and online to travel longer!
I’m glad to hear the festival was awesome, but sad to hear your experience of Cebu sucked! As a vegan I can’t imagine anything more horrible than having a McDonalds burger without the meat (and it’d have to be without cheese for me) as my only choice of food. Were there no markets or anything similar around?
Hey Karyn! It was just two days in Cebu, in this one area. So I don’t mean to generalize, especially because Cebu, the island, is huge! But this one area, food was limited. The street food was all meat. ALL MEAT. There were tons of other fast food restaurants, a few bakeries, with whatever bread (I needed some veg!!! even if that meant a measly piece of tomato and lettuce from McD), or a few sketchy burger “restaurants.” I walked around for nearly an hour and this is what I uncovered in the area. 🙁 blah. My other choice might have been to get greasy noodles with very little, if any, veg in it from Chowking. Another gross fast food resto that’s all around the country. I didn’t bother… I preferred the “burger.”
[…] an adventure. First, I nearly get deported when I first arrived at the Cebu Airport, then I went to Neverland Manila – awesome!, and then my Palawan explorations started around Puerto Princesa, but what I […]
EY, you can find many beautiful islands in cebu though
Oh, I know it! I just wasn’t a fan of the city. I need to go back and check out the islands and beaches around it next time. My Philippines list is endless! Can’t wait to return.
[…] on Bohol, the stunning boat trips and beaches in El Nido, my Honda Bay trip on Palawan, the Neverland concert in Manila, the exceptional views and vibes in Banaue, Batad and Sagada, my time in Siquijor island, and more […]
[…] this year for festivals. First was Future Music Festival in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, then it was Neverland Manila in Manila, Philippines, and now number three is DJakarta Warehouse Party in Jakarta, Indonesia. […]