Up coming travel to Cebu.

Hi Todd — for a first visit where you want to meet people, I’d start in Cebu City around IT Park/Lahug. It’s a busy, convenient base with cafes and restaurants and easy Grab rides to Ayala/Cebu Business Park and the downtown sights; choose a well-reviewed hotel or guesthouse with a staffed front desk on a main street. Cebu Business Park/Ayala is a slightly calmer, still-central alternative. Mactan/Lapu-Lapu is better if beaches or a resort are the priority, but crossing the bridge in traffic can make city meetups a long round trip. From the airport, use Grab or the official taxi queue; rush-hour traffic can make the drive much longer than the map suggests. Once your dates are set, check local expat meetups for that week. If you share dates and a nightly budget, locals can narrow it down.