Tips and Advice For a Good Sinulog Festival Experience in Cebu City

The Queen City of the South is all set for the yearly Sinulog Festival! It is one of the most-attended festivals in the Philippines. Tourists from different parts of the world would flock to Sugbu just to witness one of this grand and colorful celebration.

I’ve been to Cebu several times already and I almost attended the festival two years ago, but work schedule deprived me to do so. Surely, there will be a number of Sinulog newbies who will be Pit-Senyoring with the crowd. I asked a number of Cebu-based blogger friends for Tips and Advice For a Good Sinulog Festival Experience  this year. I believe that the locals know better and here are four friends of mine who are more than willing to help! From Doi Domasian of The Travelling Feet:

Doi Domasian is a Mandaue-based blogger of many sites (Doi Speaks, Cebu Roadtrip, The Travelling Feet etc.) and she gamely shared a very detailed tips and advice for the first-timers including the Heritage Walk of Cebu. Better take down notes if you want to know more about Cebu’s rich history, guys and gals!

Pit Senyor! For first timers coming to Cebu Cityto witness the Sinulog festival you gotta be prepared for you will do a lot of walking since the city’s major streets will be closed. Things to bring/wear – drinking water – sunblock (to protect you from the sun’s rays if it doesn’t rain) – comfy footwear like slippers or your favorite hiking shoes – comfy clothes and bring an extra pair of shirt just in case – hat or umbrella in case it’s too hot or it rains Security Expect the streets to be crowded so be sure to safe-keep your valuables as pickpockets will be roaming around too Accomodations Hotels within the city are usually fully booked 3-4 months before the grand mardigras so you might have a little problem on that area. You can try checking out accommodations farther from the city though. If you have friends, try to ask them if they are willing to share their couch. Places to Eat – Larsian BBQ place, AA Barbeque and Grill, siomai sa tisa for cheap food – La Marea’s warm brownie cup and East West’s Mango Sushi Crepe for desert – CNT Lechon for that heart-pounding yummy lechon! Activities Heritage Walk of Cebu City where you can see (in chronological order) – Malacanang sa Sugbo, Fort San Pedro, Magellan’s Cross, Basilica Minore del Santo Niño, Metropolitan Cebu Cathedral, Catherdal Museum, Colon Street (oldest street in the Philippines), Heritage Monumnent in Parian and the Yap-Sandiego Ancestral House – Witness the fluvial procession of the Miraculous Image of Sto. Niño on January 14th. On the afternoon of the same day, join thousands of devotees on the solemn procession of the Holy Child. – On the grand day, January 15th, prepare your feet to party and enjoy Sinulog. Fireworks display can be witnessed on two key areas in the city, in Abellana Sports Complex and in Ayala Center Cebu so be sure to grab the best spot on either of the two areas to witness the fireworks display.

From Sinjin Pineda of Libotero:

Sinjin Pineda is one of my closest pals from Cebu. He is a well-traveled man and he is younger than me LOL. He is one of those bloggers/photographers who would participate in the Sinulog Festival every year and his photographs are just awesome! He now shares some practical tips to make the Sinulog experience as comfy as possible:

Cebu’s historical sites and tourist attractions will be featured and printed on 15-foot tarpaulins that will be installed in key areas of the 5.3-kilometer parade route. Bring a hanky. A really big one – perfect to ward off the heat and wipe away the sweat. Use as a bandana. Use as a mat if you need to sit down. If you are even more meticulous, a towellete or two would be a great help all throughout the day. Those sanitized wet wipes come in so handy. Your hands get greasy and sticky. The wet wipes come to the rescue. What to wear: For the girls, a nice cotton blouse in white or a nice soft pastel color paired with denim skirts and comfy sneakers would be a great getup! For the guys, a white shirt worn underneath a colorful short-sleeved polo left open paired with your favorite pair of jeans is a perfect look. You can wear your comfy rubber shoes.

From Edcel Suyo of SoloflightED:

The King of Crazy Stunts in the Philippine Travel Blogging Community named Edcel Suyo now shares a straight-to-the-point practical Tips and Advice for the people attending the Sinulog Festival. What to bring, what NOT to bring and what to wear? Read on!

Things to Bring: Backpack Camera – for pictures Bottled Water – it’s expensive to buy on the spot! Alcohol – for dirt Towel/Tissue – for your sweat Umbrella – in the past Sinulog events, it’s been raining crazy, if you want to get wet and enjoy the street party, then you can just bring extra clothes instead. 2 T-shirts – it’s a whole day activity! Things To Avoid Bringing: Credit Cards – there’s no need for this one Jewelry – leave the bling elsewhere. What To Wear: Shirt – a comfortable and light one to avoid the sweat and heat Shorts – rather jeans Slippers/flipflops/sandals – ah, your feet are sure going to smell if you wear shoes. Plus it’s going to be difficult if it rains. Cellphone – yeah, wear it. place it in secure spot in your body. haha.

From Doyzkie Buenaviaje of iLuvCebu

Lifestyle blogger and foodie Doyzkie Buenaviaje is like a walking directory of Cebu’s best places whether you’re looking for the best hotels, resorts, restaurants and many more! This time, I asked him about Cebu’s active nightlife which I know nothing at all. Here are some excepts from a new article he posted on his blog:

Since most roads in Cebu City are closed during the Sinulog Mardi Gras and you’d do a lot of walking, be sure that you know route for you to be able to save time and energy. If you are not from Cebu, it’s good you book hotels/accomodations along the Sinulog Parade route. Mango Park Hotel,Grand Prix Hotel and Crown Regency Cebu are among a few accommodations that are along the parade route. For me and my friends, we would rendezvous in Ayala Center Cebu (where we would park our cars ^_^) and  have lunch in the mall and buy a liter of water in the grocery  before walking about 5km to the parade route in Mango Avenue. To check the schedule of Sinulog 2012 click link:  http://www.iluvcebu.com/sinulog-2012-schedule-updated/ And take note of the big parties happening in Cebu during Sinulog and jot them down on your itinerary! A few on my “must go” clubs hosting great parties during Sinulog are Vudu, Penthouse, Loft, Gilt and Alcohology. For more info on these clubs, just click on http://www.iluvcebu.com/what-to-do/around-the-city/clubs-and-bars/

There you have it! As they say, the locals know better and these four bloggers surely know how to make your Sinulog experience more memorable. As for me, I will just check updates from my friends and wish I booked a flight to Cebu to join the fun. Maybe next year =)

Are you attending the Sinulog Festival this year? Do you have any Sinulog stories to share? For the complete Sinulog Festival 2012 Schedule of Activities, you can refer to the Sinulog.PH.