Esperanza, Philippines + Add a trip

Automobiles

Planes

The major gateway to the region is Mactan-Cebu International Airport (www.mactan-cebuairport.com.ph). Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways and Malaysia Airlines all fly direct from overseas destinations, although you're most likely to fly into Manila and connect to Cebu with Cebu Pacific Airways, Philippine Airlines and Zest Air.

Trains

Dialing

Country code for the Philippines: 63; Cebu City: (0)32 (drop the zero if calling from overseas).

Reads

Peter Bacho's award-winning novel Cebu offers a realistic look at culture, tradition, faith and violence in the Philippines, with the story of a Filipino-American priest on his first visit to the islands. Learn about the Spaniard who bought Christianity here in Katharine Bailey's Ferdinand Magellan: Circumnavigating The World or Lauren Bergreen's Over The Edge Of The World. The Marcos File by Charles C McDougald and Inside The Palace: The Rise and Fall of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos by Beth Day Romulo tell all about the Philippines' most famous couple.

Do go / Don't Go

It can get almost too hot from March onwards - visit between September and February and temperatures will be pleasantly a little lower, with the occasional welcome cooling shower. Holy Week in April, when the predominantly Catholic country all but shuts down, probably isn't the most exciting time to visit, and some hotels and resorts can be crowded during Chinese New Year and other Asian, especially Korean, holidays.

Cuisine

Filipinos love their food so much they have at least five meals a day and have a special word (meryenda) for the snacky meals between main ones. Meals are traditionally eaten 'family-style' with lots of dishes that everyone shares. Street vendors serve barbecued pork, chicken and fish straight off the grill. The Philippines' favourite beer, San Miguel, has a factory on Cebu. Locals are also partial to their rum and homemade tuba (coconut wine), available at most basic street shops with varying toxicity.

Taxis

Ask the resort to recommend a trusted company. Aim for a metered taxi whenever possible and make sure the meter is switched on. If there's no meter, always haggle and agree a fare before getting in. Colourful, ornately decorated jeepneys are how most locals get around - they're cheap, full of character, often crowded, but handy if they happen to be going your way.

Tipping

Many restaurants will add a service charge of around 12 per cent. Tipping for good service, although not expected, is always appreciated.

Currency

Philippines pesos (PHP) and US dollars (US$) are widely used.

Packing

The Philippines is hot, hot, hot - if you're not on the beach or in the water, keep as cool as possible, with airy light cottons and linens. Bring your own snorkel and mask for ocean exploration, and diving certification if you're planning to scuba. Leave the big shoe collection at home - Filipinos have had enough of those for a lifetime.

Arts

Cebu's historical highlights, including Colon Street (the oldest throughfare in the Philippines), Magellan's Cross, Fort San Pedro, Casa Gorordo Museum and Basilica Minore del Santo Niño can be seen in a pleasant half-day historical tour. Ask the resort to recommend a trusted company. For something a little more current, pop into Mooon Café (+63 (0) 32 253 3635; Emilio Osmena Street, Guadalupe, Cebu City), whose triple O'd name isn't the only hip thing about this Mexican venue. The walls of this café and art gallery showcase the work of interesting local artists.

And...

Shopping

How Filipinos love their malls, from gleaming air-con giants to green outdoor walk-arounds. Ayala Center and SM Shopping Mall are the places to go for boutique finery, cinemas and cafés galore. For something a little less glitzy, though, take a jeepney or tricycle to Carbon Market. Dirty, smelly, hot and chaotic, Cebu's oldest and biggest market is the real deal, where locals go to buy fish, meat, fruit and veg, shoes and clothing. This is also the place to get authentic handicrafts, such as bags, baskets, ashtrays and jewellery boxes, made from local materials including abaca, rattan and bamboo.

Viewpoint

The top of Mount Busay offers an excellent panorama of Cebu City, Mactan Island and the bridges connecting the two. Visitors pay a small fee to go inside the 'park' area at the top, where there are picnic tables and vendors selling barbecue. The admission price is worth it to check out the strange year-round Christmas park, with kitsch statues of Santa and friends.

Something

Wannabe Jimi Hendrixes and Nick Drakes will want to visit Alegre Guitar Factory in Abuno, on Mactan Island, where acoustic and classical guitars, mandolins and ukeleles are handmade and sold for a fraction of the price you'd pay at home. You don't have to buy - you can just enjoy a guided tour and observe master craftsmen at work making instruments the old-fashioned way, using traditional tools and methods.