Cebu Mactan and Olango Island Tour Itinerary

Watch migratory birds in Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary

Backpacking | Cebu City Tour Itinerary – Day 2
Mactan Island, Olango Island, Cebu Province, Philippines
Hours: Whole Day Tour
Specs: Mactan Island, Lapu lapu City, Plantation Bay, Lapu-lapu monument, Olango Island Bird Sanctuary, souvenir shopping

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Notes:
. This is part 2 of the Cebu City tour itinerary ideal for those who are staying in Cebu for a whole weekend.
. Have your breakfast in the hotel (use your free breakfast coupons!) or you can wait till you get to Plantation Bay Resort to have your fill. Be prepared to shell out P1000+ for the latter option.
. Travel time from Cebu City proper to Plantation Bay Resort in Mactan is about 45 minutes.
. Ask the receptionist in Plantation Bay Resort for an ocular tour – a bellboy will gladly hop on an electric car to take you for a quick spin around the 11-hectare 5-star resort hotel.
. The Hilton port area or Hilton wharf is located beside the Hilton Resort Hotel and Spa, hence the name. There’s an access road beside the compound that will take you to the dock.

Here is the the location map of Hilton pier/wharf/port:

View Larger Map

. The boat ride to Olango Island takes about 20 minutes. You can catch a peek of Shangri-La and Hilton resorts after the boat moves away from Mactan Island.
. Boat fare is about P15 per person.
. Passenger motorcycles are available outside the Santa Rosa Pier. Just walk towards the exit area to spot their parking area.
. Arrange for a round trip service because there is very limited transportation (almost none) once you get into the Wildlife Sanctuary area. It should cost about P150 per tricycle.
. Entrance fee to Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary is P20 for Philippine residents.
. A friendly guide will accompany you to the viewdeck, some 10 minutes walk into the mangrove area. You may have to remove your shoes if the tide is high, so make sure you wear shorts or pants that can easily be folded up to your knees.
. Peak bird watching season is during November to March. Migratory birds from countries like China, Japan and Australia stop in this RAMSAR sanctuary.
. From Hilton Port, the Mactan Shrine is only about a kilometer away. You can simply walk your way there or take a public transportation.
. There is no entrance fee in Mactan Shrine.
. Have your lunch at one of the SuTuKil (Sugba-Tuwa-Kilaw or Grill-Soup/Stew-Raw) restaurants around Mactan Shrine for your fix of fresh seafood.
. Popular souvenir items are seashell crafts, ref magnets and miniature guitars.
. From Mactan Shrine, you can walk to Shangri-La Resort Hotel and Spa for an ocular tour (hi, bye tour) of another 5-star resort hotel.

Get your names in the wait list early.

. Take a taxi to get to the Abuno guitar factories in Barangay Pajac. Popular guitar makers like Alegre and New Susing’s guitar make export quality guitars. You can even order custom-made guitars to suit your hand and arm measurements.
. From the guitar district, take a cab to Crown Regency Hotel in Osmena Boulevard.
. Crown Regency Hotel offers sky adventure activities like the Sky Walk Extreme, Edge Coaster Ride, wall climbing and zipline. They also have other attractions to keep the less adventurous busy as well.
. After sundown, head over to Casa Verde for a hearty steak meal that’s right on the budget.

Options:
. You can choose to have some drinks while in Plantation Bay. Coffee, fruit juices or shakes should set you back about P500 per order.
. The Plantation Bay ocular tour should only take a maximum of 15 minutes, so you may want to ask your cab to wait for you if you are not planning to stick around for drinks.
. If the boat back to Hilton pier has left, you may also take the boat to Portofino (the wharf is located beside Portofino Beach Resort). It is also about 10 minutes from Mactan Shrine by car. Fare is P10.
. To maximize your time, you can go around the Mactan Shrine (Lapu-lapu and Magellan monuments) and take pictures while your SuTuKil lunch is being prepared.
. Check out this page for Sky Experience Adventure Rates at Crown Regency Hotel.
. It is best to add this itinerary to you beach vacation in places like Bantayan, Malapascua, Kawasan, Moalboal, Camotes, etc.

Budget: around P1855 per pax
Budget estimate for 4 people:
---- Hotel accommodation
700 Taxi fare
120 boat fares
200 location entrance fees/donations/tips
3000 food for lunch and dinner (more if you plan to have drinks in the hotels)
3000 Sky Ride at Crown Regency (P750 each includes: entrance + 2 rides + souvenir tee)
400 misc (other fees, tips, etc.)