Wanderlust Chronicles: Cebu for the Summer?

Vacationers look for different things in a destination. The classic tourists want somewhere where they can just chill and read a good book. There are others, mostly the younger ones, who prefer a booming nightlife over a quiet evening in the hotel. There are also quite a few who get kicks out of just wandering around a place, and they, as you may well guess, prefer places of high cultural or historical value. This is exactly why Cebu City has become such a hub for both international and local patrons of the "vacay". And if you haven't even considered spending your sizzling summer days in this metropolis, well here is some convincing.

Historians the world over have called this smidge of civilization as the Queen City of the South. Quite aptly so, if you consider how the city was the first of its kind established in the archipelago. Also, the native tongue “Cebuano” has such a presence in the country that it is spoken by over 60% of the population – impressive, considering how it isn’t even the language of the capital.
Letters from Spanish bishops and priest dated in the fifteen to sixteen hundreds describe how they felt that the Cebuano people were the most beautiful of all the Filipinos.
Making this city not only of historical and political significance but also a city of good looking lads and gals.

Also, the architecture of the place is a clash between the dominant Spanish "casa de hacienda" and the Chinese "sihuyan". There are pagoda roofs on cobblestone walls, bamboo thatching atop brick enclosures. Truly, the cultural connotations of having the east meeting the west in Cebu City, has produced these unique variations  of styles and art. The churches which dot even the metro have such a baroque identity to them that when you enter their hallowed walls, you will find how the use of Chinese style tapestries and fixtures 

is a bit off, but still aesthetically pleasing.

More than just the sights, Cebu is famous for it's life - its nightlife to be specific. There are several parks that are hectares big, just filled to the brim with all sorts of clubs and bars. The presence of security personnel at every corner also puts the partier at ease. Mango Park and IT Park being the most popular are alive every night of the week. The average joe and the socialite can find their place in this sea of beat thumping people.

If the thumpa-thumpa of boom bxes really isn't your thing, then not far from the city are beach side cul-de-sacs which offer solace from the buzzing world outside.  Talisay, Lapu-lapu, San Fernando are just stone throws away from the centro but are still magical paradises. Further south there is also Oslob which is famous for whale shark watching, and up north are the Camotes islands which are said to have finer sand than the more famous Boracay.
Just hop on a bus to the southern tip of Cebu Island, and you'll be passing by white sand beaches, majestic mountains and fields and crystal blue waters.

Cebu, isn’t just a city, it’s a paradise for everyone. It has all the luxuries for the backpacking sight-seer, the hard partying clubber and the sunbathing, peace loving, vacationer.