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Last-minute travel, especially during major festivals, can lead to unexpected challenges and premium costs, but planning ahead and utilizing services like Dramamine can significantly improve the experience.
The video chronicles a whirlwind 36-hour trip from Dumaguete to Cebu for a passport renewal, highlighting the challenges of last-minute planning during the Sinulog Festival. The journey began with an 8.5-hour bus ride on the Ceres bus, followed by a stay in a small, budget-friendly Airbnb in Mactan. The primary purpose was a visit to the consulate, which required obtaining a new passport photo and navigating the initial skepticism of the guards before the process was smoothly completed.
Upon realizing that Cebu was fully booked due to the Sinulog Festival, the host decided to return to Dumaguete rather than pay exorbitant accommodation prices. This decision led to further exploration of Cebu on foot, including meals at Mang Inasal, and the discovery that Dramamine significantly helped with motion sickness experienced during the bus journey. The return trip involved a ferry crossing and a particularly rough bus ride, described as the 'journey to hell' due to the driver's aggressive driving.
The overall cost of the trip was approximately 3,200 pesos, excluding the Airbnb stay which was covered by credit card points. The host emphasizes the importance of booking travel and accommodation in advance, especially during major events, and suggests that flights or ferries might be preferable to the Ceres bus for comfort and efficiency, despite the higher cost. The passport renewal process itself was straightforward once at the consulate, with the new passport expected to be mailed within 6-8 weeks.
Renewing your passport from Dumaguete to Cebu involves a significant journey, often via the Ceres bus, which can take around 8.5 hours. It's crucial to book accommodations and transportation well in advance, especially during peak times like the Sinulog Festival, to avoid higher costs and ensure availability.
The Ceres bus is a budget-friendly option for traveling between Dumaguete and Cebu, but the ride can be challenging. Some travelers report aggressive driving, leading to a harrowing experience, particularly on the return journey. Taking medication for motion sickness like Dramamine can help mitigate discomfort during the long bus ride.
A quick trip for a passport renewal from Dumaguete to Cebu can cost around 3,200 pesos, excluding accommodation if booked separately. Last-minute travel, especially during festivals, significantly increases expenses for lodging and transport. Booking flights or ferries might offer more comfort and efficiency, though at a higher price point.
The passport renewal process at the consulate in Cebu is generally straightforward once you are there, but requires planning. You'll need to obtain a new passport photo and be prepared for the consulate's procedures. The new passport is typically mailed out within 6-8 weeks after the renewal is processed.
For travel between Dumaguete and Cebu, booking transport and accommodation in advance is highly recommended, especially during festivals like Sinulog. Consider using Dramamine for motion sickness on bus rides. Be prepared for potential traffic congestion in Cebu and factor in ample time for consulate visits.
While the Ceres bus offers a budget option for traveling between Dumaguete and Cebu, it can be a rough journey. For a more comfortable and potentially faster trip, flights or ferries are available, though they come at a higher cost. Planning ahead is key, regardless of your chosen mode of transport.
While the bus and ferry are budget-friendly options for the Dumaguete to Cebu route, flights or ferries might offer more comfort and efficiency. The Ceres bus journey can be quite rough, especially during bad weather, and traffic in Cebu can be significant. Consider these factors when planning your travel.
Dramamine is recommended as an effective solution for motion sickness experienced during long bus or ferry rides. The video host found it significantly helpful for their journey. It's a good idea to have some on hand if you are prone to motion sickness on such trips.
The passport renewal process at the consulate was straightforward once the host arrived. However, it's important to note that the new passport is expected to be mailed within 6-8 weeks. Some viewers expressed concern about trusting mail services for passport delivery in the Philippines.
Traveling to Cebu during the Sinulog Festival requires advance planning for accommodation and transportation. Prices are inflated, and availability is limited due to the event. The host experienced significant travel delays and high costs due to last-minute booking.
0:02 Hey YouTube, Alex here. And in today's video, I want to tell you about my journey to hell. So a few days ago, I went up to Cebu. I had to go to the consulate to get my passport renewed, as you all know that is something I've been worried about. Fortunately, I have some friends in high places and we managed to sort that out. I got that done. I thought I'd talk about that trip and let's go ahead and get into it.
0:33 So yeah, a few days ago I got the email from the consulate, 'Hey, your appointment is available, so just come on up and show your piece of paper to the guard.' So I went ahead and headed down to the Ceres bus terminal. I hopped in the Ceres bus, paid my fare, 337 pesos. Up, and I booked a last-minute Airbnb to stay in. I ended up staying in that Airbnb. I'll show you in another video what all that looked like, but that worked out well. It was very cheap. It was the size of a shoe box, but it did the trick.
1:15 The journey to Cebu took like about 8 and a half hours. I left around 9:30 and got there around 6:00 p.m. Hopped in a cab, that was 325 pesos for the Grab taxi, not a cab but a Grab taxi to my Airbnb in Mactan. It was a host that was inexperienced with Airbnb, which is a risk you take sometimes. Anyway, managed to get checked in, had a good night's sleep, got a shower, headed to the embassy the next day.
1:39 I ended up walking about an hour for adventur's sake, which you'll see in that video I made as well. That was a fun walk through Mactan. I made it to all. I ended up running into my friend John Smo, which was great because he was able to tell me where I could go to get my passport photo redone and to print the document to show to the guard. So he headed off for his vacation, and I headed to the consulate with my piece of paper for the guard and my new passport photo, along with my rejected paperwork. Which, the paperwork was fine, it was the photo that was the issue.
2:18 Went to the consulate, it's in the bottom of the Waterfront Hotel there in Cebu. The guards were a little bit skeptical of me, but they were friendly enough once they saw that I had good reason to be there, that I'd received this letter and everything was good to go. The process there took about an hour, hour and a half, and then once that was done, I was free to enjoy the rest of my time in Cebu.
2:40 I thought I was going to have a place booked up, and I made the mistake of trying to do it last minute, which normally in Cebu, not a big deal, plenty of condos, right? But I learned that it was Sinulog weekend, and Sinulog is the biggest festival of the year in Cebu. So everything was booked up. I decided, you know what, rather than paying an exorbitant price of like $100 a night for a condo, why don't I just head back to Dumaguete? I'll get back one, two in the morning and everything will be fine. I'll just go home from the terminal or I'll have them drop me off early.
3:15 So that's what I did. I walked another hour through Cebu. I know it's crazy. I walked a total of 11 miles when I was in Cebu yesterday. Stopped for dinner at Mang Inasal. Great chain, good value for money. Coincidentally, I also ate Mang Inasal when I landed. Mang Inasal is just good bang for your buck. It's not the cheapest option there in any part of the Philippines, but it's predictable, it's delicious, you get a good variety of options and some caffeine to go with it.
3:44 I needed some caffeine on my way there. In that same building, the E.O. uh there in South Cebu, I also stopped at the pharmacy and got some Dramamine because the whole way up I was nauseous. The whole way up to, I was dizzy. I thought I was going to get sick. I'm prone to motion sickness like a lot of East Asian people, and now I've learned if I take that Dramamine or uh generic Dramamine, that I won't be sick.
4:13 So that's what I did, and my trip back was far more comfortable than the ride up there. We did sit on the ferry for about an hour heading to Cebu Island from Dumaguete, waiting for the ferry to fill up. And anyway, the bus filled up. I ended up walking off the bus, not understanding I should have sat on the bus to ride across from the ferry to me. I wasn't sure if it was a safety thing, if that was allowed or not, but I ended up wandering off.
4:39 And then these like drivers were trying to convince me to get on their motorbike and go ride somewhere, and I said, 'No, no.' And I walked back, and then the bus scooped me up right as it was leaving the bus terminal in the south of Cebu there. I think it's called San Fernando. Anyway, we go up, get up there, landed Cebu, and just headed to my Airbnb. I was so tired, which worked out. Slept great. Got up the next day, went straight to the IA area.
5:07 So all in all, the trip cost me about 3,200 pesos roughly, if I include the dollar amount for my Airbnb. Now, I have some Airbnb credits, so I technically didn't pay for my stay there. I converted some credit card points, not the most efficient usage, but I just wanted to get rid of them because I was canceling that credit card, didn't want those points to go to waste.
5:34 Cebu was crazy crowded for Sinulog. I mean, traffic was jam-packed. I sat in my Grab taxi for like a half hour in front of City Mall in Cebu, just waiting. Like, we went through multiple cycles. Once we got past that intersection, it was much smoother sailing to my Airbnb, but it was a long wait. Uh, we got to the Airbnb security, waved us through the guard. He took me to the building I was staying in, dropped me off. Did a great job.
6:02 Yeah, so I I didn't leave the Airbnb that night. I was just super tired. I thought about it because I have some buddies in Cebu, but I thought I'll just sleep here. It's Thursday night, people are in transit. The next day, probably not want to hang out as much, which is fine. I totally get it. I didn't feel much like hanging out to be honest either.
6:22 I think the people at the consulate might be used to dealing with some stressful situations, so they were kind of relieved. And I was just like, 'Yeah, thank you guys, you're super helpful. You've helped me sort out this situation, and I feel a lot better now that I've seen you.' Um, they said I'd get the passport 6 to 8 weeks, and that they just mail it to me. So I provided my address here in Dumaguete, and they'll send it there with no problem.
6:44 I ended up taking the ride from Cebu around 7:00 is when we left that south terminal, and I was super nervous because they had these signs up to buy the ticket before boarding, but when I leave from Dumaguete, then I just pay on the bus as I go. So that's what I tried to do, and I was super nervous that I'd done something wrong. I kept trying to pay the bus attendant. Initially, he wouldn't take my money. I thought, 'Oh great, I've done something wrong.' He calculated my fare, I paid him 372 pesos.
7:26 By this time, my Dramamine was kicking in, and I was nodding off to sleep. Slept most of the way back until the ride got a little bit wild. This is where the hell part starts. On my way back to Dumaguete late last night, the bus driver is whipping around and bouncing up and down. It felt like a roller coaster ride, and it was nerve-wracking. I mean, I just wanted to catch up on rest, but I was going to pay about 12 brain cells to do so.
7:56 Fortunately, we got back fine, but you know, it's a harrowing ride. Um, if I'd had more time to plan, what I would do is book the flight, but it was very last minute for me to find out that I needed to travel, and so that was why I went with the bus. Anytime you're doing anything last minute traveling, you're going to pay. Anytime you do anything last minute when traveling, you're going to pay a premium for that convenience. That's why I went with a cheap Airbnb and the cheapest transportation option.
8:29 I've heard the ferry is way nicer, and I've taken the flight before. And so I think if I were in that position again, I'd do one of those two options. All in all, it was a good experience. Now, I am going to be going back up to Cebu in a few days. That should be fun to do what I intended to do before.
8:49 So yeah, I'm here at the mall, just going to get some dinner, catch up with some friends. I'll be sure to work on editing that Cebu content tonight so you can see my 24 hours up there. If you can, I definitely recommend booking in advance for holidays. That way you're not paying the last-minute rates, and you're also not stuck there without a game plan. I should have reached out to a friend. Turns out I probably could have stayed in my friend's condo.
9:15 If I had to do things over again, I would have booked in advance. I would have taken the flight. The price is not that much more to fly up there. Like I said, I'll be doing the trip again here in a few days. I came back down because I couldn't find a place to stay last minute, but uh, it's looking like I'm gonna be able to book something just fine for this next trip. Not too worried about it. I'm excited to be going back to Cebu. It'll be a lot of fun this time. I'll actually get to hang out with people, catch up with people, spend time with people. I won't be in such a rush.
9:47 I can show you what the Ceres bus looks like. So this is what the Ceres bus looks like right here that I took to Cebu, and a similar one to the the one that I'll be riding back up. Let me know what you think down in the comments below. Have you been up to Cebu recently? Have you taken the yellow bus? What was that trip like? The comments always help us to generate an interesting discussion. Next, give us a thumbs up, it helps with the YouTube algorithm. And finally, subscribe to the channel down below if you want to see more content like this.
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