Moving to Cebu with 2 Kids--What To Do There?

Hello, everyone... My two young-ish kids (5 and 8) and I will be moving to Cebu in July for my new teaching position. I'd like to know what other families with kids around that age like to do for fun in the area, aside from general trips to small parks and malls. Where are the safest parks and beaches? What should I avoid? Does your family have a favorite hangout or restaurant? Any and all suggestions gladly welcome!

hi ,have a look at this website  -its where the cebu airport is located  http://mactanislandtravel.weebly.com/ev … -know.html    -probably not near where you  will be staying  but its where the beaches are

Hi Guerrita81,

Advance welcome for your Cebu move!

Cebu is fairly small and the beach is easy to get to. With sunny weather almost all year round and beach resorts within an hour away, both expat families and locals frequent the beach. Beaches here are private resorts so there are entrance fees for day use. For a nice quiet resort thats not too pricey, I would recommend Costabella. Shangri-la, Plantation Bay and Imperial for the bigger resorts. Locals here favor prices of Portofino and much more affordable resorts. Renting a beach house would also be an option and if you have a group of friends to go out with, a favorite thing to do is go "Island Hopping/Boating". Parks are, however, a different story. There are very few nice parks here so its best to live in a neighborhood with open spaces for kids to play in. Gated communities are sought after and most people prefer to live in these subdivision if budget allows.  As for food, theres plenty to choose from. Chinese food ( Cebu's dimsum ) is a favorite! Im sure your kids would love it.

Hello!
We (Sarah and dan from Australia) are currently writing this sitting in the airport after spending the last few days in Cebu considering whether we should move here for work for 12 months with our two kids.... Ages 5 and 8...
We are a bit overwhelmed as we spend 2 days in and out of schools, malls, and housing estates.

If we move we are likely to head over the same time as you... July, in time for the school year. Would love to connect with you if we make the move, and in the mean time would love to learn what you have so far! Which school are you heading to? Assume your kids are going too? And where are you considering living? (We are looking at CIS and housing is a real debate.).

Hope to hear from you!
Cheers,
Dan and Sarah.

Hey guys,
My family moved to Cebu 2 years ago.  I am American and my wife Filipino, however, she lived in the US for 15 years.  We have 2 children 4 and 10 years.  There are no parks in Cebu.  They have small plazas where people and families gather to hang out. We don't go to these plazas.  I think the best school in Cebu is, the Immaculate Conception, it's a catholic school for K-12.  Most students come from  middle-upper class families.  That is not why my daughter goes there, she goes there because it's a good school.  Unlike in the US, most private schools are connected to a university.  Unless your children will attend a public school, and honestly, I don't know about the rules for attending.  The cost of a private school is about 40,000-50,000 pesos a year.($1,000) some of the other private schools may be cheaper. Also, the school year here starts about June 6th, not in July.

We also have friends who attend the university of the Philippines foundation school.K-college.  On the weekends, we go to the mall to see a movie, walk around, play in some of the amusement areas of SM mall. You can also get your kids into youth type activities.  You just need to feel your way around.  The beaches are within 1 hour.  Someone said that it is sunny most of the year.  I don't think that I would say that.  The Philippines has 2 seasons, wet and dry.  However, it is always warm.  Summer here is Mar-Jun, July starts the rainy season.  And also it is a large city. You can live in a subdivision, condo or house.  There are no safety concerns.  The people here are very nice.  I feel safer here than in the US, in terms of walking the streets or going out in public. you see many young children walking home from evening school, because several public schools are divided into day/evening.  And no one harass them, unlike in the US, which as you know, one would never see young children/teens walking along from school to home..
I hope this helps. 
Don