If you find yourself in Cebu, or any of the 7,107 islands for the matter, do not miss out on the simple joys of Island hopping.
The first step is to hire a "banka", a traditional boat made out of sturdy bamboo - it is a medium-sized pump boat that draws its design from that of the outrigger canoe. In modern times a motor engine is attached to it to provide speed. It is actually quite cheap, roughly 40-50 dollars for a tour that will take you from one small island to another - or fish sanctuaries if you prefer to snorkel. On good days, which is quite often, you can see dolphins swimming alongside your boat.
The boat can accommodate around 20-30 people and will stop at fish sanctuaries where there are a lot of colorful corals and lots of different fishes. The men in the picture are your friendly tour guides.
These are rock fishes, and lobsters, that can be bought in the island and cooked fresh. There are also a lot of other choices such as fishes, shells, clams, and sea urchins.
Most of the island around Mactan, where all the good resorts are, have cabins that can be rented out to tourists who want to stay overnight and experience a less-touristy accomodation. But be sure to ask for an extra blanket because the weather can get real chilly at night.
To get to the beach resorts, one should catch a flight to the Mactan International airport and from there take a cab to the resort of choice, most resorts have island-hopping tour packages. For four/five star stays, try Shangri-La Mactan, Plantation Bay or the Hilton Mactan Resort, other great notable resorts are Maribago Blue Water Resort, and Hadsun.
