Built on Mactan Island in the centre of the country, Mactan-Cebu International Airport is the second busiest in the Philippines. It has established itself as an international hub with dozens of daily arrivals from destinations across Asia. The airport is also at a major domestic aerial crossroads, with planes heading out to cities across the country. This airport is also a hub for Cebu Pacific and the PAL Express brand of Philippine Airlines.

Mactan-Cebu International Airport has one terminal and handles close to 5 million annual passengers. There’s a shopping centre, a large food court, a small spa and ATM facilities. For transfers within Lapu-Lapu city or Mactan Island, it’s easiest to take any of the taxis waiting outside arrivals. The transfer time to the city of Cebu takes less than an hour.

A new bus service operates between the airport and Cebu city centre and it’s also possible to travel in one of the local jeepneys, although this can be a challenge for anyone laden with heavy luggage. All journeys to Cebu city will cross the bridge to Cebu Island, an iconic introduction to the waterways and islands in the heart of the Philippines archipelago.

The airport is expanding rapidly and underwent a huge reconstruction project in 2008. During Typhoon Haiyan, it was used as a centre for air relief operations to the islands of the Visayas.