Going to Cebu city in March, would it be safe to self drive a POV with wife & daughter or take public transportation. Will be staying at the Marco Polo hotel. Wife gets motion sickness sometimes on the bus. Will not travel before sunrise or after sunset.
We took the bus one time and will never do that again. We have driven to Cebu City lots of times before and find it better. If you are traveling light the A320 is the only way to fly. Even when we drive we park our car at the hotel and take a taxi for the running around in Cebu City. The fast ferry takes almost as long as the bus. We prefer to drive our POV.
I know this is obvious, but has your wife tried bonamine (Meclizine). It is an anti-histamine that induces drowsiness. Also, I find it best to sit in the middle of the bus - as with boats, that part swings less. Also useful can be ginger or peppermint. During the trip I eat dry biscuits (important the stomach is not empty) and drink water. Some people have mentioned they feel a bit nauseous due to smells on some buses - perhaps fuel/exhaust/people's food - and so wearing a face mask may help. Having said that, breathing fresh air (bus aircon or your own fan) may help more. Hope the trip goes well.
Drive yourself mate. Ceres Bus is an experience you just don't want to take. Don't rush, take your time. Its an easy drive except for trucks and buses etc so overtaking is a risk.Have a safe trip.
If you drive, catching the early boat across and beating some of the traffic is my preference, but you will join the crowd from Car Car to Cebu.
I prefer to take the ferry to Cebu, traffic in Cebu city and parking can give me stress, I have done it both by car and bike. On the ferry you can walk around, important to me, you can lay down in a bunk bed, clean first with alcohol, bring a skinny bed sheet to cover the madras, you can even rent it for a few pesos. that is if you take the ferry from Dumaguete in the nighttime, around 10-11 pm arrive Cebu around 5 am. Ferry daytime from Dumaguete to Cebu via Tagbilaran take 4 hours before. Today you have a layover in Tagbilaran 1-2 hours. There is 2 departure daily with Ocean Jet. Another thing, taxi in Cebu cost 100-150 pesos from one end of Cebu to the other, no stress driving or parking, but that just me, I like a relaxing lifestyle. I bring what I need for the ferry trip, music, food, you can buy snacks and drinks onboard
Thanks everyone. Will drive to Cebu city...the hotel provides a free shuttle several times a day, will use that while in Cebu. The Ferry arrives Cebu 0500...but cannot check into the hotel until 1200. If going alone would take the Ferry.
