As the capital of the Philippines, Manila is the default option for most tourist heading to the country. There’s just one problem - it’s an awful airport.

Ninoy Aquino International Airport, often just referred to as NAIA (na-e-ah), is a mess with old design, bad air conditioning and awful inter-terminal connections both airside and landside. It is a pain to travel through NAIA, which begs the question - what are the alternatives?

Mactan - Cebu Airport is the clear option and here’s why.

Design

It’s a small thing but the design of Mactan - Cebu Airport Terminal 2 is beautiful. With a high pitched roof and design to reflect indigenous houses, it looks good and creates a sense of openess. Not only that, but the design feels visibly recognisable compared to the glass and steel structures of modern terminals globally.

The terminal also features two excellent and modern lounges in the form of the Plaza Premium and Mabuhay Lounge from Philippine Airlines - the latter which is very similar to the new one at NAIA.

Terminal 1 is not as nice as Terminal 2, however this is almost exclusively used for domestic departures.

Good connectivity for tourists

Firstly, Cebu does not serve any destinations in the US or Canada which many will see as a negative. However, it is served by major connecting carriers elsewhere in Asia.

The airport is connected to key hubs including:

• Dubai for Emirates

• Doha for Qatar Airways

• Istanbul (via Manila) for Turkish Airlines

• Taipei for China Airlines, EVA Air and Starlux

• Hong Kong for Cathay Pacific

• Singapore Changi for Singapore Airlines

• Seoul Incheon for Asiana and Korean

• Tokyo for United Airlines (from August)

Connecting services not only provide more choice but give travellers a wealth of long haul options from Europe and North America.

Lots of domestic destinations

While frequencies vary, Cebu Mactan serves 29 domestic destinations versus 35 from NAIA. That’s not a huge distance and for many tourists, the key destinations are covered from Cebu.

Connections, while not as smooth as airports elsewhere globally, will be easier at Cebu - due to less traffic - compared to NAIA. Equally, Metro Manila is not necessarily everybody’s idea of fun. From Cebu Mactan, you can be close to the heart of island life within a short drive compared to several hours in Manila traffic.

Want to see Manila? Go for multi city

If you’re looking for an exclusively island-focussed holiday, and if the price is similar, then Cebu is a better fit for these travellers. If you’re still looking to experience the capital, Manila, alongside island hopping then I advise going for a multi city flight. Something like this:

• Foreign country to Cebu via connecting airport

• Manila to foreign country via connecting airport

While Cebu is also a city, with a lot of accessible island-esque destinations nearby, Manila can be a shock to the system for foreigners. Placing your return flight from Manila at the end of your holiday can be a great way to acclimatise to the Philippines before Manila. Arriving in a hectic Manila after a long flight feeling tired can be stressful and leave a bad impression - and just doesn’t give the capital the space it deserves.