There and back.

Free Cebuano art fair spotlighting regional artists across generations.

Biodiversity festival marking the Underground River's New 7 Wonders win — a grand eco parade.

The region's flagship contemporary art fair — Visayan and Mindanao artists, talks and workshops.

The Philippines' first Ramsar wetland — a 920-hectare tidal flat where up to 40,000 migratory shorebirds (Chinese egret, dowitchers, plovers) stop over on the East Asian flyway. A short pumpboat from Mactan gets you there; go at low tide near dawn when the flats fill with feeding birds, and bring binoculars because the observation deck is bare-bones.

Cebu's underground electronic collective — DJ sets and warehouse nights well off the Mango Avenue strip.

El Nido town's chic beachfront bar — sunset happy hour into a DJ dance floor with theme nights.

El Nido reggae bar with a big dance floor — early reggae gives way to a late DJ spinning house.

Beachside full-moon party — sunset acoustics into electronic sets, fire dancers and face paint.

A PPS favourite — a live band every night and cocktails in a lively tiki setting.

Underground-music club above Chez Rose Beach Bar — techno and DJ nights, fire dancers on the sand below.

Cebu City's high-energy clubbing strip on Gen. Maxilom Ave — nightclubs and bars side by side.

Cebu's underground house and techno collective throwing roving warehouse and rooftop parties.

Cebu's favourite night food market — dozens of stalls, craft drinks, and live acoustic sets at IT Park.

Seafront night market — grilled seafood and street food under the palms facing the bay.

A UNESCO World Heritage site and New7Wonder of Nature — a subterranean river winding ~8km through a cathedral-like limestone cave of bats and strange rock formations, about 4.3km of it navigable by paddle boat. There's a strict no-permit-no-entry rule and a cap near 900 visitors a day, so book your dated slot days ahead (a month out in peak summer).

The classic Bacuit Bay run — Big Lagoon, Secret Lagoon, Shimizu Island and Seven Commando Beach off Miniloc, all towering limestone over jade water. Book the morning slot and you'll slip into Big Lagoon before the kayak armada arrives around 10am.

The full Badian-to-Kawasan canyoneering run is the real deal — scrambling, swimming, and jumping off ledges from ~4m up to a heart-stopping 10m (all optional, with climb-down alternatives) before you land at the turquoise Kawasan pools. Local's tip: it's closed every 3rd Wednesday of the month for cleanup, and slots are managed through official booking, so reserve ahead and go early.

Malapascua is one of the only places on earth you can reliably see pelagic thresher sharks at a cleaning station, and since 2022 the action has moved from Monad to Kimud Shoal, where sightings are the best in 20+ years. Local's tip: it's a pre-dawn boat (you'll be diving by 6am) and the cleaning station sits around 12m, so even Open Water divers can do it — no deco needed.

Carcar's lechon strip at the New Public Market is the cult favorite Cebuanos drive an hour south for — stuffed with spices, fruit juice and a local leaf, then chopped with the pork drippings mixed back in. Stalls all charge about the same, so wander the back row taking free tastes before you pick, and arrive mid-morning when the pigs are freshest.

A roughly 45-minute glide by native paddle boat through 1.4km of mangroves to where the river meets the sea, run entirely by BAETAS — a co-op of trained local fisherfolk, farmers and housewives in Aloguinsan. Book the full package ahead (around P800–850 per person) for the welcome ceremony, home-cooked Cebuano lunch and handicraft demo. They cap visitors at 50–60 a day and the boats only run at high tide, so coordinate timing with the tourism office when you reserve.