Cebu Best Posts in Thread: driving to Carmen to Safari Park with wife and child

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.

 

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.

 

Agree with Stefan about taking the Moalboal - Barili - Carcar route rather than the coastal road, for traffic reasons as well as the difference in road condition. Yes the Barili-Carcar section is a "mountain road", but no really steep sections and hardly any s-curves, very doable). The coastal route via Oslob, Dalaguete, Argao still has some quite bad sections with deep potholes (last time I tried that route was in April this year), I would definitely advise to stay at the "El Salvador Resort" in Danao, a little south of Carmen. Perfect for a day trip to Carmen. I stayed there multiple times (my wife is from Danao), nice place, clean, they have family rooms, reasonable prices, good restaurant and swimming pool (link). To drive from Dumaguete all the way to Danao is quite doable in one day. Get an early start, take the ferry from Sibulan to Santander-Liloan somewhere early morning (boat goes every 90 minutes), stop for early lunch in Carcar (Jollibee).
The time it takes to get from Talisay to Mandaue is a bit hit and miss, depending on the date/day you intend to travel, make sure to take the Cebu south coastal road to avoid getting stuck in traffic in central Cebu City.
We normally get up early, bring breakfast and coffee, take the 6 am boat and eat, and arrive in Danao by mid to late afternoon, driving defensively at normal speeds for the Philippines. Best to avoid driving in the dark.

 

Road conditions in Cebu are ok but traffic is horrible most of the time.
Just check it out and maybe doing short trips in Cebu buy taxi would be an option.

Coming from Dumaguete for me going via Moalboal is the better option. The route is slightly longer but traffic is much better in my experience.

I am mostly staying at Marco Polo hotel in Cebu. Rooms are average but food, pool, sky bar and views are excellent. It's not that far from SM Seaside and you go by taxi to any location for a few Peso.

It's always difficult to give suggestions but that's the way I would do it.

 

Well the plan now is to RoRo to Cebu to stay for 1 night near SM seaside to go to the Aquarium and next day drive to Safari park and on to Cebu R resort on the other side for 1 night and then to drive down the coast and stay somewhere for 1 night and then back to Negros... so I guess I am sorted but feel free to chime in ....

 

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.

 

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.

 

Thanks, rest assured that I always check weather and would not attempt to go during holidays...