TheLanceScape

Balut, mangoes, lechon (suckling pigs), these are many people’s first impressions about Philippines. More than just the usual options, more water recreational sports (Snorkeling, Diving) are available now at Cebu and Boracray. Woohoo! Sounds like an idea for a weekend staycation.

Flying to Cebu is made easier with the implementation of several flights daily.
Direct flights from Singapore to Cebu include:
1. Cebu Pacific – Daily at 3.30am

2. TigerAir – Sun, Mon
3. SilkAir – Mon, Tue, Thu, Sat, Sun

Stopover Flights:
1. TigerAir – via Kalibo

2. SilkAir – via Kalibo, Davao

Our flight from Singapore to Kalibo International Airport at Boracay took slightly less than 4 hours with a connecting flight of another 1 hour to Cebu.

Transiting to the 2nd flight was pretty fast and convenient as it was only a short wait over at the Transit Lounge near to the airport runway.
So just alight, go for a pee and it’s almost time to board the 2nd plane.

As a foodie myself, it’s difficult to resist the hunger pang when I’m onboard the plane, especially when the person next to me is having something fragrant. Ughhhh…
So I decided to opt for an in-flight meal (Halal- certified) at $12 which include a bottle of water and complimentary 3-in-1 tea/coffee.

For greater savings, pre-order the in-flight meal up to 3-days prior departure date to enjoy 25% off.

My personal favourite was the Ayam Masal Merah (Spicy tomato chicken) which is a traditional Malay dish. The mix of sweet and spicy flavours was pretty addictive. Sedap nia.

The first thing we did when we landed was to find a local Data SIM card. Life is tough without a connection to the Internet and social media site unless you decide to spend your entire in the hotel/resort with unlimited WiFi.
2 telco booths will be available after collecting your luggage at the Arrival Hall: Globe (Blue) and Smart (Green).

I chose Globe eventually as it suits my needs with unlimited data on LTE network (even though LTE signal is pretty rare but the network is pretty stable).
Sums up to about SG$9 for a 5-days unlimited data plan. Pretty worth it!

Before departure, prepare 750 PHP (Phillipine Pesos) = SG$22 for Terminal Fee that is not included in the air tickets (we were caught off-handed because they only accept Peso and US Dollars)

1. Check in your luggage at the Check-in counter and collecting your Boarding Pass (Only 1 issued even though we have 2 connecting flights)
2. Proceed to the Fee Collection booth located next to the Check-in counters to pay and keep the receipt for checking when you enter the Departure Lounge.

The Boarding Gate area has more shops (and stronger air con) so it’s more advisable to spend your time there instead.
Check-in area on the other hand only has Starbucks and it’s always crowded though.