Roaming Cebu City

We left Manila around 10am and we arrived in Cebu after an hour’s flight. Luckily we landed at Mactan-Cebu International Airport after it rained. We stayed for three (3) days in Cebu. So let me walk you through what we were able to visit in a short period of 3 days.

During our visit, we stayed at Diplomat Hotel (You can check my hotel review in my previous entry). We didn’t do much sight seeing during our first day. We decided to have a road trip of our own. We asked the locals for some directions and they are very friendly and most helpful. (You may ask them in Tagalong but English or Cebuano is more preferable.)

I didn’t understand it at first what they are trying to say. Then it dawned on me when I saw what they are referring to. Cebu has a unique system about their local rides. Each jeep has its own code (ie. B4, E14, etc). It serves as their route code for the jeeps’ destination. It is easier to find and easier to remember. If it’s your first time to visit Cebu City, it is best to memorize the jeep codes so you can go back specially if your hotel is located within the city.

After we’ve learned what jeep to ride, we ended up discovering the location of R & M Preserves main office where you can buy dried mangoes and other products at a much cheaper price compared if you’ll buy it outside. (I forgot the jeep code, sorry.)

Located at 441-1B V. Rama Avenue, Guadalupe, Cebu City

Since our other friends decided to have a night flight from Manila, we opted to skip our Tourist Mode and decided to hang out in Ayala Cebu. It’s a pretty neat place. Like most Ayala malls, there is always an awesome garden. There are a lot of restaurants you can choose from around it and there are also some clubs you can chill at night.

Located at Business Park, Archbishop Reyes Ave, Cebu City

But we didn’t hangout on any of it. Instead, we decided to check their cinemas and we watched The Last Airbender. As expected from Ayala, the Cinema experience was awesome! They have Taters too! (An all-time favorite of mine.)

On the next day, we visited one of Cebu’s Taoist Temple. You can ride a taxi and they’ll drop you off in front of the temple gates. But we want to fully experience Cebu so we rode a jeep instead. We went down McDonald's Lahug (Salinas Drive cor Gorordo Ave) and there are motorcycles you can ride going to the temple for P20 per head. The ride is really fun and a great experience for me!

The temple is located inside Beverly Hills so they can only drop you off in the entrance. We have to walk for the rest of the way up. If you are into scenic photography or just love to take pictures, I’d suggest you do this mode of transportation because you will really see the whole view of the temple as you walk to the top.

You think the road going up is tiring? Wait til you go up the hundred steps within this temple. We we’re tired climbing up but the view is worthied! You can take pictures anywhere the temple but you can’t take pictures of their deities.

 

After the temples, we went to the port area and visited Fort San Pedro. It’s similar to Intramuros but this one is smaller. We have a great view of the sea and the city up the walls. It’s breezy too and a great way to relax after the long climb we did in the temple. For trivia purposes, did you know who visited this fort last February 11, 1998? No other than the Royal Highness of Spain, King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia.

Cebu is well known for their dried fish products specially danggit. So we decided to spend our afternoon in Tabuan Market. They have different products to offer. It may be a bit pricey too for it may cost you around P200-P250 per kilo. But men they are awesome! It’s delicious and 100% tatak pinoy!

At night, we went to Crown Regency Hotel and my friends tried the Sky Walk Adventure. You walk around the rims of their top floor and have a majestic view of the whole city of Cebu.  They also offer the Edge, a coaster ride that goes around the roof edge of the tower. You can enjoy one of these rides for P250. They also offer a double package for the ride for a discounted price. For the faint of hearts, don’t worry. You can also go up but still with a fee of P100 to get a deck view of the whole city. These fees come with a free drink and a snack item.

On our last day, we went to the city town proper and visited the famous Magellan’s Cross. This chapel is only a replica. It is located near the local churches near the City Hall. If you want to visit the original Mactan Chapel, you can visit it in Mactan, Cebu.

After the chapel visit, we went back to our hotel and prepared our things before we go back to Manila. We only roamed around the city proper. Due to limited time, we weren’t able to visit the falls outside the city or the beaches in Mactan. I will save those one for my future adventures in my next visit to Cebu.  You might also notice that there are no food trips in this entry. What can I say, got to save the best for last right?