Posts elsewhere on the Forum have described the typhoon-damaged roads leading north to Cebu City on the route via Argao (online, including YouTube, it is difficult to find this information but at least two posters have described their personal experience). I searched the alternatives for those who don't want to travel by car or bus and this seems to be the situation as at 2nd April 2022 (with the proviso that things change and information can be unreliable): FLY: Cheapest found (BUT depends on day of travel and those who need fixed dates may pay much more) Duma > Cebu Php 1464. Cebu to Duma > Php 1769. Flight 55 mins. Flights shown daily. FERRY: 1) Oceanjet Ferry via Tagbilaran 2 hours + 2 hours (plus waiting time of ???) but cannot find anything online via the site I used originally (https://www.rome2rio.com/map/Dumaguete/Cebu-City) and their own website appears desolate. Does anyone know if they still exist? 2) Direct, 6/7 hours: Shows departure Dumaguete 11.59 pm with 6/7 a.m. arrival but many hotels will take in luggage even if no access to room at that time. Ferries to Cebu are on Tuesdays and Fridays. Cebu departure is 8 pm with arrival at Dumaguete 2/3 a.m. (not such a problem this direction of travel as most who read this live in Negros Or.). Ferries to Dumaguete are Mondays and Thursdays. Fares each way start from Php400 Economy. Not sure if stated times of dep/arr can be relied upon (based on knowing those traveling Dumaguete to Dapitan have had travel times double the stated time!). Travel days (and other information) taken from website https://www.cokaliongshipping.com/#sched (which appears a very good one and up-to-date. Some other online sources are not up-to-date and show schedules for three days per week). As an off-topic to my own topic (!) - during my search I came across details about the new Metro Cebu Expressway and provide a map below: Obviously topography and existing buildings make this rather a circuitous route (remind me of those games where you have to run a loop over a wire without touching) - my hope is that enough major traffic avoids Cebu City and makes sticking to the Southern Highway easier (I am basing this on still being around when they finish it! Although to be fair, YouTube videos show a lot of progress). I can see an advantage for those travelling from Toledo but cannot see any reason to divert from the Southern Highway at Naga City to use the new road to travel to Minglanilla or Talisay City. Definitely no sense to use it to enter Cebu City IF the only distributor road in to the city is the one shown in blue - I assume most travellers from Negros Or. would be mostly interested in the southern part of Cebu City and I am guessing the northern parts might become more congested anyway. Also, there is a new 9km bridge connecting Cebu City to the town of Cordova on Mactan Island. I think I would wait a while before testing it out!
Is the Cebu Expressway open yet, if so anyone know what its like. Hope its nothing like the road widening south of Car Car
from https://www.facebook.com/oceanjet Oceanjet ferry to Cebu via Tagbilaran starts again tomorrow April 7, 2022 Travel requirements: (as per Oceanjet) INBOUND CEBU CITY FULLY VACCINATED 2 weeks after the 2nd dose - Vaccination card - Valid ID UNVACCINATED/ PARTIALLY VAX - Negative RT PCR Test or Antigen Test - Valid ID MINORS: 11 YEARS OLD AND BELOW ACCOMPANIED BY FULLY VAX NO NEED COVID TEST ************************************************ CEBU PROVINCE FULLY VACCINATED - Vaccination Card - Valid ID UNVACCINATED/ PARTIALLY VAX - Med Cert - Valid ID
I will drive to Cebu next week (visa application), will probably take the Oslob/Argao/Carcar route on the way there, and maybe take the alternative mountain road via Barili on the way back, depending on the first experience. I have done the coastal road many times in the past but haven't been to Cebu since late 2019, so we'll see how bad it is now. I'll report back.
Further to my previous post in this thread. The road on the Oslob/Argao/Carcar route has indeed deteriorated much over the past two and a half years, potholes galore (most not really deep, but still forcing -much- lower speed). As long as you're traveling during daylight it is still doable if you don't mind taking at least 60-90 minutes longer than before to get to Cebu. Definitely a no-no when traveling in heavy rain or in the dark (because the deeper holes that require swerving around will be tough to recognize). The worst parts are the first 5 km or so in the Santander area, then a 20 km or so stretch through Oslob-Boljoon (they resurfaced the presumed worst affected part of that very recently -no road paint yet-, but much remains to be done). Past Alcoy-Dalaguete it gets slightly better (ongoing efforts to widen the road there to 2x2 lanes) with the exception of downtown Argao and a short stretch beyond. Past San Fernando the road condition is pretty much like it used to be before, so pretty good.
A few times we've done it, going TO cebu, we get the FIRST santander before dawn, cuts couple hours off trip. Very first time we did it in 2016, flew into cebu from LA, our van to dumaguete after couple days said "pick you up at 4am" ?? NOW we know why. <grin>. (last was pre-pan)... If not taking 40kg dog, prefer oceanjet..
