Cebu driving to Carmen to Safari Park with wife and child

We took that road a month ago and the thing that stood out most to me was the amount of signs all along the way stating that all complaints regarding the state of the road should be directed to the national government as it is a national highway and not the responsibility of the provincial government.
That tells you something....

 

I took the East coastal road mid April last. As far as 10km or so before Carcar not so many delay due to road contriction etc. As always the problems are starting when close to Carcar, the diversion road might help to avoid the traffic jams within Carcar city limits. Beyond Carcar the usual traffic jams untill you can turn off to the coastal road. Estimated driving time from Liloan to Cebu city @least 4 hours, coffee stop or other breaks not included.

 

Just returned from Cebu yesterday.

Drive out to Cebu City was a nightmare. Took the eastern side as slightly shorter route. Roadworks everywhere - poorly organized. Lots of traffic.

Came back down the western side to stay in a resort an hour drive to Bato Port. Much nicer drive. Once past Carcar there were a few roadworks, but better organized and much less traffic passing through. Generally a much more pleasant and relaxing drive. Overall driving time Bato to Cebu City either way around about the same, but with the chaos on the east side, I would take the west side coastal route every time for the next few years, until works are completed.

 

A lot of those Ceres drivers have lead feet.

 

Seems to me that people pay attention to a ceres bus when they use their horn but they disregard a normal car or bike horn and continue with their stupid, selfish, ignorant and dangerous antics normally performed in the middle of the road.
Yesterday there were people trying to sell what i think was some kind of washing powder in the middle of the Dumaguete to Valencia road.

 

The annoyance you did encounter, taking the east side coastal road going to Cebu city is often a matter of good or bad luck depending on the day and time. But next time I will go to Cebu city again will try the west side, as you said not much difference in driving time.

 

We usually take the Sibulan-Liloan/Santander barge, in my experience they stick to their schedule (starting 6 am, every 90 minutes from both sides) much better than the Tampi-Bato one, as in "leave on time" vs "leave when full".
As for road conditions on the Santander-Moalboal-Barili-Carcar stretch, we encountered slightly more roadworks this week compared to the previous time we drove to Cebu, but still a much better experience than the Eastern route through Oslob-Argao.

 

Both of our ferries left on time (early in fact on the outward). We chose Tampi-Bato after visiting both ports on this side and deciding that Sibulan Port was too chaotic at boat departure time, whereas Tampi seems quite relaxed and plenty of space to park up while buying the ticket. As I'd already decided to go Cebu east side out and Cebu west side back, it made little difference to the trip overall.

 

Not sure if this has been up-dated on another thread, but recently travelled using Ceres Bus to Cebu and back.

To Cebu: Fecking 'Boneshaker' of a bus that should have been retired about the time Hitler decided to become toast. Started out at 8 a.m. Lots of road works, including bridges, and an 8 hour journey. This route (via Oslob) is about 90 miles - so we did about 11 miles an hour! When I was a younger man I could so that same speed walking (slight exaggeration). There was a wait to go onto the barge and then the "pee stop" is now "pee and eat at their expensive shed'.
To Duma: Left 11 a.m. 7 hours this time and a decent bus. Confusion about the pee stop as some saw it for a pee only and others had a meal.

Few oddities I noticed:
Can buy the ticket all the way to Cebu on the bus from Duma but had to queue up to buy the ticket at Cebu before entering the bus! But that fare was only to Bato! Then on the bus the conductor had to collect the fare for Tampi to Duma! I know there is a reason but it is Filipino stupidity. In fact, why not collect the bus and the ferry fee together and then check the ticket on the barge (or do they think people will hide in the smelly loos?). Is the saying "p*ss up" and "Brewery" only an English one?
The inspector who usually jumps on the bus does not do that now - either due to heightened trust in the conductor or cost-saving.
Grab taxis in Cebu are more expensive than normal taxis.
If two or more go to Vikings (which I think an excellent place) and one has a birthday (with id) they cancel the bill for the celebrant! So me and her indoors paid 928 pesos combined for an excellent eat-all-you like. Looking at Rustan's the next day I estimate we ate about 1000 pesos worth of sashimi salmon alone.
And Rustan's no longer sell their excellent quiches.