Philippines, Cebu

Philippines : Dans l'archipel des Visayas

Welcome at the airport and transfer to the hotel.

Check in and overnight stay at the hotel.

First foray into the city, depending on your arrival time.

The city tour begins with a visit to the majestic Taoist Temple. Located six kilometres from the city centre, you can visit an impressive temple belonging to the Taoist religious community. Its size and architecture are proof that a considerable proportion of Cebu's population is ethnically Chinese.

En route to the basilica, pass through the provincial capital and Cebu's carbon market, where the majority of the region's fresh produce is sold. Stop off at the basilica Minore de San Agustin, which today houses the statue of the Infant Jesus. Just a stone's throw away is the Magellan Cross, the location at which Christianity was first established in Cebu.

Not far from there is Fort San Pedro, the country's first military stronghold. Its walls have recently been restored and a garden has been landscaped in the inner courtyard - an attractive refuge away from the hustle and bustle of the port.

Make your way to Casa Gorordo, the last stop on the tour. The Parian district in what is now the city centre was home to Cebu's wealthy population at the turn of the century. Of the four remaining houses, the Gorordo residence has been restored and furnished in the style of the period. In addition to its furniture, the exhibition features porcelain, liturgical pieces, vestments, and old photographs of Cebu.

Return to the hotel at the end of the tour.

Meals included: Breakfast and lunch

Enjoy your *free days** by relaxing on the beach or exploring the island at your own pace.

Overnight stay at the hotel.

Meals included: Breakfast.

After breakfast, departure and transfer to Cebu pier for your ferry transfer to Tagbilaran Bohol.

On arrival, transfer to the hotel.

The rest of the day is free.

Meals included: Breakfast.

Enjoy your *free days** by relaxing on the beach or exploring the island at your own pace.

Overnight stay at the hotel.

Meals included: Breakfast.

Leave your hotel early in the morning for a day trip to discover the wonders of Bohol.

The first stop is the Philippine Tarsier Foundation in the town of Corella, which serves as a refuge for the world's smallest primate, the tarsier. Observe these rare nocturnal creatures in their natural habitat and marvel at their agility as they move around, leap from tree to tree, or turn their heads almost 360 degrees.

Then head to Baclayon, stopping briefly at the historic site of the Blood Compact, where Spaniard Miguel Lopez de Legazpi and Datu Sikatuna, an indigenous chief, sealed their friendship with a symbolic drink. Right next door is the Baclayon Church, one of Bohol's many stone churches. In spite of having recently lost its bell tower and portico to a major earthquake, the church still houses a museum containing a vast collection of religious art, ecclesiastical vestments, and church music booklets inscribed in Latin on animal skins.

Continue the tour via the Bilar Man-Made Forest, a thick undergrowth of towering mahogany trees grown on the edge of the motorway leading to the Chocolate Hills, the country's amazing geological formation. Stop off at the landing to admire the view of the hills, which change colour with the seasons. In the summer, the grasses on the hills turn dark brown and resemble drops of chocolate candy, hence the name "Chocolate Hills".

Continue on to the Loboc River, where an upstream cruise on a floating restaurant is made even more enjoyable thanks to the delicious lunch served on board.

Return to the hotel in the late afternoon.

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch.

Enjoy your free days relaxing on the beach or exploring the island at your own pace.

Meals included: Breakfast.

After breakfast, departure and transfer to Tagbilaran pier for your ferry transfer to Dumaguete. On arrival, transfer to the hotel.

The rest of the day is free to spend how you please.

Meals included: Breakfast.

Excursion:

Apo Island is a community-run marine sanctuary located 7 kilometres off the coast of the town of Zamboanguita and around 30 kilometres south of the town of Dumaguete. Spanning an area of around 7 hectares, the island is the underwater home of several species of coral and reef fish, as well as sea turtles. To enjoy and discover the marine life in this protected area, set off from Malatapay on an outrigger boat for the 40-minute trip to the island. Enjoy snorkelling in its wide reefs and coral mounds teeming with a wide variety of fish, and if you're lucky, a sea turtle or two may turn up to make your day all the more enjoyable. A picnic lunch will be served on the island, then some more time will be devoted to snorkelling before returning to the mainland.

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch.

Enjoy your free days by relaxing on the beach or exploring the island at your leisure.

Meals included: Breakfast.

After breakfast, departure and transfer to Dumaguete pier for your ferry transfer to Siquijor. On arrival, transfer to the hotel. The rest of the day is free to spend how you please.

Meals included: Breakfast.

Enjoy your free days by relaxing on the beach or exploring the island at your leisure.

Meals included: Breakfast

Enjoy your *free days** by relaxing on the beach or exploring the island at your own pace.

Meals included: Breakfast

After breakfast, departure and transfer to the Siquijor jetty for your ferry transfer to Cebu via Dumaguete. On arrival, transfer to the hotel. The rest of the day is free to spend how you please.

Meals included: Breakfast.

Free day until you are transferred to the airport for your return flight to your destination.

Meals included: Breakfast.

Return ferry ticket (business class) Cebu-Tagbilaran; Tagbilaran-Dumaguete; Dumaguete-Siquijor; Siquijor-Cebu via Dumaguete included

Your ferry tickets will be issued to you by our teams who will meet you on arrival at the airport.

Private return transfers from the airport and jetty in Cebu; Bohol; Dumaguete, and Siquijor included

CUSTOMS REQUIREMENTS: All travellers must present a passport valid for 6 months from the date of arrival in the Philippines and a return or onward ticket. For more information, visit the website of the Embassy of the Philippines in France (https://parispe.dfa.gov.ph/).

It is possible to travel to the Philippines without a visa. The entry stamp issued on arrival by the immigration service authorises a stay of up to 30 days.

On departure at the airport, travellers must pay a tax of 200 pesos in Manila (less in the provinces) for domestic flights and 550 pesos for international flights (unless the tax is included in the price of the ticket).

CURRENCY: The Philippine peso is the currency of the Republic of the Philippines. Its international ISO 4217 code is PHP. As of 01.10.2024, 1 PHP corresponds to 0.016 EUR. Conversely, 1 EUR corresponds to 62 PHP.

GUIDE: An English-speaking guide will be on hand on days 2, 6, and 9 to accompany you on the day's tours.