These days, the worst thing that could happen to Cebu travellers is having sudden quarantine changes create serious complications for an on-going trip.
Sadly, that is the reality here and in every other part of the world. It will still take a while before COVID-19 is fully brought under control. That means travelers are better off just having more contingency plans even before they take off.
The good news is that Cebu still has a lot of options that can help with your backup plans. All you need to do is figure out a way to use them that keeps your entire experience enjoyable.
Here are three strategies that you can start with.
1. Book hotels more flexibly.
Under normal circumstances, you would want to book a reservation at a specific hotel and expect to stay there for the whole duration of your trip.
But with the way things are now, it may be smarter to just book different hotels at different stages of your trip.
This is because Cebu is actually broken down into various cities and jurisdictions. Going across intercity lines does put you at risk of being closed off should there be a difference between quarantine levels.
You can avoid this by limiting your hotel stay in a particular part of the island and designating a new hotel at the next stop in your itinerary.
Sure, it can be costly, but it is a lot less worse than worrying about checkpoints because you travelled too far. You can also try and research lower-cost homestays if that sounds too expensive.
2. Use a car rental more often.
Public transportation in Cebu can either be very expensive or risky. They also tend to cease operations even before designated curfews.
If you want transportation on-hand without exposing yourself, then a car rental is simply the most streamlined solution.
Rental services around the world have become very particular about disinfection and it is no different for those in Cebu. Using one will give you (and anyone else with you) all the safety and assurance as having your own private vehicle during your stay.
And in the event that you may need to make multiple trips (like if you want to secure additional travel requirements), then a rental can give you more value for your money and more freedom of movement than going for taxis.
3. Prepare for longer stays.
Lastly, at this point, preparing your budget for staying longer than intended should be a habit as there is really no stress-free way to tell when restrictions pick up here. Just recently, the cities that made up Metro Cebu switched to a more relaxed quarantine status as its healthcare system worked hard for two weeks in order to contain an onset of delta variant cases.
Of course, that certainly did not make it any easier for anyone who was travelling and hoping to move around or depart when the heightened restrictions were recommended.
That is why coming in with an emergency fund set for an extra week’s worth of stay is a far safer option. Alternatively, a budget that can help you secure tests and documentation for emergency departure is also a good idea.
Extra Tips
These three strategies do not have to be exclusive to each other. There are plenty of ways they can overlap and adjust to comfortably suit your travel plans.
And as sad as the current situation has been for travelers, these ideas can even inspire more ways you can enjoy your stay here in Cebu. You never know if your backup plans can lead to good surprises while dealing with the bad ones!
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