The two biggest providers in Cebu (and overall in the Philippines) are:

Globe Tattoo and Smart Bro.

As for which one is better, our opinion is that they are equal (more or less).  Some users say Globe is better.  Others say that Smart is better.  Unfortunately, Sun Cellular’s broadband stick is not yet available in Cebu so we don’t have a third option (yet).

If you are concerned about ending up with a product that makes dial-up seem fast, Globe and Smart are the two biggest telecoms in the Philippines.  When it comes to mobile broadband in Cebu, there’s no better option.  … Well, there is cable broadband (which is definitely faster and more reliable), but of course – we can’t carry it around with us.

If you do decide to purchase either or you already have one AND you are staying in a hotel – we recommend requesting a room check first to make certain that the room has a strong Globe or Smart signal.

We also accept purchase orders for foreign visitors to Cebu so that they’ll have a (works-in-the-Philippines) USB broadband kit waiting for them at their hotel when they check-in.  No additional charge on top of the prices listed at Globe and Smart websites.  There’s also no delivery charge within most areas of Cebu City.

Pictures were taken on New Year’s Day.

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According to several security guards at the arrivals terminal, there’s about 8-10 car service companies on stand-by at the airport.  This does not include the taxi-s parked outside the terminal area.

Arriving passengers will be approached by car service attendants and taxi drivers offering transportation services.   Guards may also inquire if you need a car.

Approximate costs for a one-way trip from Mactan International Airport to Cebu City (and vice versa) are as follows:

• Cars or Taxis – 400 to 500 pesos
• Minivan – 500 to 700 pesos
• Vans – 800 to 1000+

Car or taxis can accommodate up to 4 people, depending on the amount of luggage.  Minivans generally can sit up to 6 comfortably, again depending on the amount of luggage.  Up to 12 can fit in a van.  Luggage may or may not allow the maximum number of passengers.

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Important:  During late evening or around/after midnight, the airport drivers may increase their service charges by 50-100%.

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Request:  If you’ve recently visited Cebu’s Mactan International Airport and the info in this page is outdated, please do let me know by leaving a comment.  Links to other terminal pictures are also appreciated.

Links you may find useful:
Mactan-Cebu International Airport Official Website
Mactan-Cebu International Airport Wikipedia Page

Request:  If any of the info in this page (especially the mapmaker links) is inaccurate, outdated or just plain wrong – please do let me know by leaving a comment.  The mapmaker coordinates especially will change since Google Mapmaker Cebu is always a work in progress.

Because Google local business listings is not yet available for the Philippines, Cebuanos have been adding businesses to Google Mapmaker instead.

The number one question we usually get is “how far is the airport from this location”.  We can use Mapmaker to find the answer.  Please click on the links directly below for direct examples.

Airport to La Guardia Hotel
LGH to Fort San Pedro
LGH to Weesam Ferry Terminal

Pretty map is pretty

•••••••••

The Accurate Way to use Google Mapmaker

It’s easy to use Google Mapmaker and its Directions feature.  Most of the time, just typing in Location A and Location B (in Directions) will work, but when it doesn’t – when you get “We could not understand the destination.” or “We could not understand the source location.” errors, we’ve got to take a few additional (still very easy) steps.

First, make sure that the location/s we’re interested in have been listed on Mapmaker.  Use the Search function.  If they are listed, make sure to copy their exact names for pasting in Directions.  That should do it, but if we still get the errors – we have to get the coordinates.

Let’s try Mactan Cebu International Airport  Terminal and Pier 4 (where the SuperCat Terminal is located).

Mactan-Cebu International Airport (Mapmaker)

Second, we have to manually get the coordinates of at least one of them.  Let’s get Pier 4′s coordinates.  On its overview info page, click on “Get Directions” and then click on the tiny play button.

Pier 4 (Mapmaker)

You’ll get an error but don’t worry about it.  We’re just after the coordinates of Pier 4.

Pier 4 Mapmaker Coordinates

Complete coordinates look like this:  Pier 4, Cebu City, Cebu, Central Visayas, Philippines.@10.300891,123.914199

Third, we go back to Mactan Cebu International Airport Terminal – Mapmaker Coordinates.  Click on “Get Directions”.  Then, Click on “From here”.

Airport to Pier (Mapmaker)

Paste Pier 4, Cebu City, Cebu, Central Visayas, Philippines.@10.300891,123.914199 in the “End Address” field.  You can also skip pressing “From here” and paste “Pier 4″ into the “Start Address” field.  Just keep in mind that directions from the airport to the pier is not the same as directions from the pier to the airport.

Airport-to-Pier (Mapmaker)

Fifth, if all things go well, we should be seeing something like (below).

Airport to Pier (Mapmaker Directions)

Google Mapmaker is pretty.

•••••••••

These are some of the locations I have been asked to find.  Links directly to their mapmaker coordinates:

Transportation

Mactan Cebu International Airport
Pier 4 – this is where the SuperCat Ferry Terminal is located.
Weesam Ferry Terminal

Hotels

Crowne Garden Hotel
Metro Park Hotel
La Guardia Hotel

Shopping Malls

Ayala Center Cebu
SM City Cebu

Tourist Sites

Alegre Guitar Factories
Fort San Pedro
Lapu-Lapu Shrine / Mactan Shrine
Magellan’s Cross
Basilica del Sto. Niño
Taoist Temple

Request:  If any of the info in this page (especially the mapmaker links) is inaccurate, outdated or just plain wrong – please do let me know by leaving a comment.