Planning a trip is a paradox. It’s both exciting and stressful.
One moment, you can’t wait for those adrenaline-pumping adventures and breathtaking sights. Then suddenly, reality hits. You’re totally overwhelmed.
How do you get to Kawasan Falls, Moalboal sardine run, Oslob whale shark watching, Osmena Peak, Aguinid Falls, Cebu City Highlands without getting lost? How do you avoid wasting precious time on the road? How do you make sure you don’t get extorted by sketchy local drivers or scammers?
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Believe me, we asked ourselves all those exact same questions when we planned our 4-Day Cebu trip. Since we were a group of 7, transportation was a huge priority. We really put a lot of thought into it.
In the end, we hired a driver and rented a van, which turned out to be the right call. I’ll tell you why and share tips so you can make the most of your trip. Let’s go!
Hi reader! It’s Eljon, and before we continue, I want to welcome you to my blog, Explore to Thrive. Here, I share my experiences with traveling, reflections on spirituality, personal growth and insights on building an online business, all to make a difference. But my mission goes beyond that. You can learn more about what I do by visiting my homepage.
Convenience Right From the Start
Among all our considerations, convenience was the biggest reason we decided to rent our own vehicle.
We wanted to focus on relaxing, having fun, and enjoying the adventure the entire time. Avoiding stress was a major goal, like tracking bus schedules, figuring out directions, and always negotiating with local drivers for the cheapest fare.
During our trip, our decision paid off the second we got to Cebu after that ferry ride from Bohol. (We left Bohol around 5 PM and made it to Cebu by 7 PM.)
Our driver was already waiting outside the gates when we arrived. And right after meeting him, he immediately helped us load our bags and drove us straight to a nearby eatery for dinner.
I could only imagine the hassle of doing all this on public transportation.
Picture this: wrestling other travelers for a taxi, loading our heavy bags into the trunk by ourselves, searching for a place to eat, then taking a couple of jeepney rides to Cebu South Bus Terminal…
We would have run out of energy before our trip even truly started.
Unmatched Flexibility
With only 4 days to explore Cebu, we had to be creative and resourceful with our plan so we could visit as many attractions as possible. That would only happen if we had complete control of our time.
Having our own vehicle to get around Cebu made it possible for us.
Consider the third day of our trip, where we went from Moalboal to Oslob for whale shark watching after hiking Osmeña Peak. If we had relied on public transportation, that part would not have happened in the first place because there is no public transportation that traverses the mountainous center of Cebu island.
Even if we had hired a tricycle that day, we would not have reached Oslob as early as we did with our private van. Arriving early in Oslob is important because whale shark watching has a cut-off an hour or so before lunch.
I also could not imagine exactly how Day 4 of our trip would have turned out if we did not have a private van.
We hit the road from Moalboal around 4 am and made it to Cebu City highlands and Sirao in Cebu City by 7:00 am. Then within 3 hours, we managed to check out three other attractions: Tops, the Temple of Leah, and the Cebu Taoist Temple. That is completely impossible to do on public transportation.
Well, it was possible for us to get to the Cebu City highlands that morning from Moalboal, but we probably would have hit only one or two attractions until lunch, like Tops and the Temple of Leah. They’re pretty close to each other.
If you are also visiting Cebu City, I recommend checking out our 1-Day Cebu City itinerary.
No Time Wasted
Traveling isn’t cheap, so we made sure to maximize every single minute of our trip. As much as possible, we allowed no idle time or time wasted doing nothing, unless it was intentional.
For example, hanging by the beach to watch the sunset and bond together, which is what we actually did during our first day in Moalboal.
For this matter, though, having a rental car made a huge difference, mostly because our driver was always just a text away whenever we wanted to go somewhere else. Instead of losing precious time waiting for a bus or trying to hail a ride share, our private driver was right there to make sure we didn’t waste a single minute.
In fact, if we did not rent a car and hire a driver, we would have been stuck at our homestay after our Kawasan Falls canyoneering adventure. What happened was that one of our friends got hurt during the tour and needed to rest. Because of that, we had to cancel the rest of our plans for the day.
But instead of wasting the afternoon away, a few of us decided to go on a spontaneous road trip. We still saved our day and explored more places, all because we had our own ride ready to go.
One Home Base Throughout the Trip
The island of Cebu looks pretty narrow on a map, so you might think it is easy to just zip from one coast to the other. But in reality, it is a completely different story.
There are mountains slicing down the middle of the island from north to south. Meaning, public transportation could be pretty inefficient because buses only drive along the perimeter of the coast.
For example, if you are going to Oslob from Moalboal, you have to take two buses just to get there. You can expect three to four hours of travel time when you count the waiting and transferring in Bato at the southern tip of the island.
On the other hand, if you have a rental car, the same trip only takes about two hours.
Now, as you may know already, we actually drove to Oslob from Moalboal during our trip. Our base was in Moalboal and we went to Oslob for the whale shark watching activity.
If we hadn’t rented a private car, we would have booked another place in Oslob, because it would mean a much quicker trip to the briefing area using public transportation. A shorter ride ensures you hit the cutoff time, even without an incredibly early wake-up call.
But yeah, since we had a rental car, we didn’t feel the need to book another place in Oslob for our trip. We only stayed at one homestay in Moalboal, which was also really convenient for us.
Group Advantage
Actually, renting motorcycles for everyone in the group was an option for getting around Cebu. This choice would have given us the same flexibility and convenience as traveling around in a private van.
But if I could go back to when we were planning and suggest renting motorcycles instead, I definitely would not.
Personally, I loved having everyone together in the van. That time on the road became our bonding time. All the jokes, the teasing, and the stories we shared made our trip to Cebu so much more memorable.
Best of all, traveling together in one ride meant nobody missed out on the fun. We all experienced the same exact things at the same time. When we chatted about our day every night, everyone could totally relate, and that made us so much closer.
I think that really is the best part of renting a car or van when you explore Cebu, or travel elsewhere with your friends or family.
I must emphasize though that if you’re renting a car, you should definitely hire a driver too.
For instance, when we visited the Temple of Leah, there was no available parking for us. Our driver had to go somewhere else to find a place to park.
If I was the one driving that day, I might have missed out on the moments that the group made in the temple while I was still searching for a parking space.
Conclusion
From our experience, getting a car and a driver was a game changer for a trip to Cebu.
That said, don’t rush to rent a vehicle because that choice worked out well for us. Remember that we had very limited time in Cebu. Clearly, hiring a private van was the only way we could visit as many tourist attractions as possible. It was the best decision for us.
But if you are exploring solo, traveling with your partner, or simply have all the time in the world to travel slower, taking public transit or renting a motorbike is going to be a much better and more economical choice.
Either way, if you want to find car rental deals that fit both your needs and budget, check out my Travel Planning Page for Cebu. I linked it right on the button below to help you get started.
Before you go, make sure to look at my checklist, packing list, and guide for planning a trip to South Cebu!
Enjoy your trip!
Planning to Visit Cebu?
I am here to help you plan your journey and ensure you have an incredible time. You should check out my travel maps, planning tools, itineraries and tips, which are all derived from my own adventures in Cebu.
Click the maps below to view or download them:
Cebu City
South Cebu
Central Visayas
My travel planning resources page contains everything you need. Find the best hotels, cheap car rentals, affordable flights, and travel insurance.
From this page, you can also book the top 3 unmissable activities in Cebu. You can find alternative experiences in Oslob, Badian, Sibonga, Moalboal, Bantayan, and Malapascua as well.
Of course, if you’re visiting Cebu City, I also have tips for you. And if you want to go beyond Cebu, you can discover nearby destinations like Bohol, Siquijor, and Dumaguete.
Thank you for reading
I hope my trip and experiences spark ideas for your travels and help you plan your next trip. But before you go, if you haven’t checked it out yet, drop by my homepage so I can give myself a proper introduction. Catch you there!
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