Cebu City has changed since my 2012 visit—different vibes, familiar streets, and, of course, the legendary lechon still delivered. Curious how it felt this time? Read my blog!

Disclaimer: All views expressed on this blog are my own based on my own experiences and do not represent of any entity with which I have been, are now or will be affiliated

September 04, 2023 (Monday)
Batangas, Philippines

Cebu is a province located in the Central Visayas island of the Philippines. It serves as the capital of both the island and the province that share its name. Cebu City is the oldest city in the Philippines. In many ways, Cebu is comparable to Manila in terms of its importance to business and trade; yet, the city moves at a noticeably more leisurely pace and maintains landmarks from its Spanish colonial past dating back to the 16th century.

My very first flight was to Cebu City and it took place 12 years ago. It was such a fantastic experience to come back here, even if I did so from a new point of view. I was also able to visit and photograph some of the sites and images that had been left uncaptured by the digital camera that had been used previously, which was a bonus. When we visited this location, not even phones had touch screens you could use. I had such a good time coming back, especially considering how much had changed, but the place still had the same familiar vibe as when I had originally visited.

Getting to Cebu City –I travelled all the way here from the Bantayan islands to Cebu City.More details here

Budget – PHP6,000 inclusive of tour packages, transportation, food and accommodation.

Currency/ATMs- In Cebu City, the Philippine Peso is the currency that is accepted. The city is home to a number of automated teller machines (ATMs), and the vast majority of businesses are equipped to process credit cards, Gcash, and cash transactions. Because most small businesses only accept cash payments, it is imperative that you bring some with you.

Laundry – For those staying in Cebu City for an extended time and in need of laundry services, hotels in the city often provide laundry facilities or guests can find nearby laundrettes.

Internet Connection – The city is equipped with 5G connectivity from both of the major Philippine network providers, Globe and Smart. My hotel’s Wi-Fi worked perfectly, and I had no complaints about its speed or reliability.

Accommodation – Given that I have an early Sunday am flight, I decided to book two nights at the Dormitel 1075 near Osmena Boulevard Cebu City through Agoda for a total of PHP 2,657.46. My room was clean, the shower worked, and the bed, pillows, and blankets were all quite pleasant. It is also near establishments.

Weather – The weather was calm and sunny. The temperature ranged from 27 to 32 degrees Celsius. The only weather in Cebu is sunny and rainy. Typically, the summer months of March through July are followed by the wet season of August through January.

Transportation – metered taxi, Grab, the Angkas ride app (which is comparable to Grab but for motorcycles), habal-habal, or motorcycles for your transportation options.

Parking fees – Even in public parking lots, you are required to pay a fee each time you park your vehicle in Cebu City, despite the fact that the city has ample parking places. They only do this to places with historical significance.

Dialect – Bisaya, Tagalog or English. In Cebu, Bisaya is the predominant language, while Tagalog is difficult to understand and English is preferred. Fortunately, everyone I converse with can speak and understand Tagalog.

Tour Package –

1. I contacted Nash Bahian on Facebook and arranged to have him show me around Cebu in a habal-habal for a total cost of PHP1,250 excluding entrance fees. I would not recommend scheduling his tour because it is very incomplete. For example, they didn’t tell me until the very last minute that several of the historical places wouldn’t be open, but I later found out that this wasn’t the case. In addition to this, Nash was unable to give me a tour of the area at the last minute, but he did recommend me to his cousin.
2. I hired Angkas rider Sir Jude for La Parisienne Sky for PHP600 at night
3. I hired Angkas rider Sir Joah for PHP800 for Cebu loop – Cordova, Lapu-Lapu, Mandaue and back to Cebu City

The tour includes the following and it’s entrance fee –
Litson Talisay Food Market – free to roam and choose which lechon (roasted pig) you wish to eat
Magellan’s Cross – free
Minor Basilica of the Holy Child of Cebu (Basilica Del Sto. Niño) – free
Fort San Pedro – PHP30 inclusive of guide
Temple of Leah – weekdays PHP120, weekend PHP150 parking for car/van – 50 and motorcycle -30
Yap Sandiego Ancestral House – PHP100
*The Taoist temple and the Lapu-lapu shrine, both of which I had hoped to visit, were not included in the tour, and I was told that they were closed (which I suspect was not true)
La Parisienne Sky – PHP200 worth of food consumable when dining in.

Itinerary

Day1 August 25 (Friday)
Cebu City

After a fantastic time in Bantayan, I decided to make a quick stop in Cebu City before flying out early on Sunday. I got into Cebu City at around 6:00 p.m., checked into my hotel, and got ready for my La Parissiene dinner. I booked an Angkas ride for PHP600.

La Parisienne SKY
M-Sun 9am-1:00am rooftop bar closes at 11:00pm
PHP200 entrance fee but consumable when you dine in
Note: It is difficult to book a ride from the restaurant at night, particularly given its location at the top of Cebu City, so I recommend reserving a ride in advance so the driver can wait while you dine here.
Price – PHP500-PHP1,000

This is a restaurant and winery located on the steep roadways of Busay, Cebu City, that is a must-visit especially at night to see the Cebu night sky. I enjoyed the nighttime view here, which is more tranquil and chilly than the metropolis. This is my first trip to Cebu’s mountainous region. It takes 30 minutes to ride a motorcycle uphill from the city centre. I had pasta, barbeque, and tea for dinner.

I had to take a taxi back to my hotel because the tire on my Angkas was flat when I left around 11 p.m. Thankfully, we were already in the city center when this occurred. Nonetheless, I thoroughly relished this entire encounter.

Day 2 August 26 (Saturday)
Litson food park Talisay
Open on Saturdays and Sundays from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m., but you should arrive early because litson sells out quickly.
1kg of lechon = PHP700
Ginabot (deep friend pig intestine) = PHp80/piece

At 7:30 a.m., I met my habal-habal driver on the way to Talisay, Cebu. People think that the first lechoneros of Cebu came from Talisay City, so I had to be here because this is where lechon was born. The name of Talisay comes from the talisay tree, which grows a lot in the city. From Cebu City, it takes 30 minutes to get to Talisay. When we got there, I tried the lechon, or roasted pig, and ate at one of the tables and chairs by the beach. Their sauce is vinegar, which is very different from the lechon sauce we use in other parts of Luzon, which is liver sauce or Mang Tomas sauce. The pork skin was cooked to perfection and was crisp and tasty. I really liked having lunch at this place. I only got ginabot, an eighth of a kilogramme of lechon for PHP190, and one piece of rice wrapped in a banana leaf. Lechon is used for celebrations in Manila, but it can be found everywhere in Cebu and is sometimes sold on the street.

Brief History of Lechon – In the 1920s, this delectable pork dish was first created and named inasal. Even though it has a Spanish name, lechon is not necessarily from Spain. Many food historians and chefs think that before the Spanish took over the Philippines, pigs and wild boar were already being roasted on a spit over an open flame, a method that Filipinos call “inasal.”

Cebu Cordova Bridge

The Cebu Cordova bridge also known as the Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway or CCLEX, measures 8.9 kilometers long is the longest and tallest bridge in the Philippines. We passed by this bridge and I was so amazed! For the longest time in history, the San Juanico Bridge that links the islands of Samar and Leyte has held the title of the longest bridge in the Philippines. That was until the Cebu-Cordova Bridge was successfully linked in October 2021

Fort San Pedro
Location: A. Pigafetta Street, Cebu City, 6000 Cebu
Hours: Daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The Fort was once a military base, a jail, a school, a hospital, and even a zoo! Fort San Pedro is now a historical park that is looked after by the local government. Also, part of the Fort was turned into a museum with Spanish artefacts, paintings, old photos, and historical papers. I love this tour because the tour guide tells us about the historical significance of the place, which I find to be very interesting and educational.

Magellan’s Cross

This location has been preserved for all time as a memorial to the day in 1521 when Ferdinand Magellan’s expedition planted a cross on the island of Cebu. Christianity as we know it now also began on that day.

Basilica Minore del Sto Nino

This is Cebu’s oldest Catholic Church. The church has the picture of the Sto. Niño, the city’s patron saint, depicting Jesus as a black Holy Child. The church is located where Legazpi’s Spaniards found the image of Sto. Niño. Ferdinand Magellan gave it to Queen Juana, Rajah Humabon’s wife, as a sign of their allegiance over forty years after their Christian baptism.

Since I was only wearing shorts, I was glad to see that there were coverings available to use as I walked from the Magellan’s cross to the church. A party was going on when I visited, which was disturbing given that it was taking place within the cathedral and should be a quiet, reflective space.

Yap Sandiego Ancestral House
Entrance Fee – PHP30
Open daily – 8:00am -7:00pm

It is one of the oldest Philippine homes and possibly the oldest Chinese house outside China. Between 1675 and 1700, Don Juan Yap erected the ancestral home. Beautiful coral stones and egg whites for the walls, and durable molave, balayong, and terracotta adhesive for the roof. Filipino, Spanish, and Chinese influences are evident in period artworks, well-crafted sculptures, antique designs, and native furniture. Religious icons and images also to remind guests of the Yap-Sandiego’s beliefs.

When I was here, people were playing folk music and folk dancers were dancing to it. It was nice to see this family house, but it wasn’t as interesting as all the other historical sites I’ve seen. If you’re in Cebu, you shouldn’t miss it.

Temple of Leah
Entrance fee weekdays – PHP120
Entrance fee weekend – PHP150

Given that it is also a tomb for an everlasting love, the temple has been dubbed the “Taj Mahal” of Cebu. In memory of his late wife, Leah Albino-Adarna, Teodorico Soriano Adarna commissioned the construction of the Temple of Leah. About twenty-four rooms can be found inside. There is a library, art gallery, bar, and museum, among other things. I would have liked to check things out, but they were closed when I got there. The eatery only accepts cash and offers a small, restricted menu. It’s also located in a mountainous region of Cebu, making getting around on foot or bike a challenge; I use a motorcycle, and the steep inclines make it tough to sit upright and give my legs room to stretch. Honestly, I can get by with just one visit; the structure isn’t that fascinating.

Thanks to the guide who took these photos and strangers. haha

Cebu IT Park
Ayala Mall Central Bloc

IT Park is the I.T. Capital of Cebu, but most Cebuanos love it as one of the city’s most lively monuments and greatest nightlife spots. IT Park is usually mentioned when talking about Cebuanos’ nightlife. It is also home to 70% of Cebu’s BPO industry. Thus, many Cebuanos depend on park business expansion to keep their jobs.

Because I need to go shirt shopping, I asked the driver to take me to the nearest shopping mall. In addition to that, while I was waiting, I went to Starbucks and had a coffee. It was a little mall but worth seeing. I didn’t explore the rest of the park but would like to do it in the future.

House of Lechon
PHP200-PHP1,000
Daily 8:00am -9:00pm

After hearing nothing but praise for House of Lechon from our tour guide, I decided to stop there for a late lunch, and boy, were I was not disappointed. It wasn’t as crisp as the lechon I had in Talisay, but it still had a lot of flavour, was juicy and chunky on the inside, and was right crisp on the outside. The dipping sauce is delicious as well; it has just the right amount of sourness, saltiness, and sweetness.

Ngohiong (3rd pic), a battered rice paper roll packed with jicama, ubod, minced pork, minced shrimps, garlic, onions, and five spice powder, is another famous street snack in the Cebu. It was flavorful, I loved every bite of it. I also ordered prichon (2nd pic) which is a fried lechon very nice flavor.

I enjoy coming here not just because of the quality of the cuisine but also because of the friendly service I always receive. Without a doubt, I’ll be returning.

Cebu Loop

I was so tired after my filling lunch that I went back to the hotel and fell asleep.I woke up at 7:00 pm and thought about going to Cordova to look at the 10,000 roses. My flight the next day is still at 2:00 in the morning, and I’d like to find out what all the fuss was about. The 10k Roses is just a cafe called Paper Roses that lights up at night.

When I got to 10k Roses in Cordova, there were a lot of people. I think this is because it was a long weekend. It was also hard to book a car or motorbike back to the city because it was so far away. No cars or motorbikes passed by this street corner, and Cebu City was 30–45 minutes away. The cell phone signal was also weak, so I decided to talk to my Angkas rider about paying him PHP400 again so I could get back to Cebu City in time for my flight. Luckily, he agreed. The toll for a motorcycle on the Cebu-Cordova bridge is PHP60. This was our first route because it was the shortest. Then, on our way back to Cebu City, we chose to go by the first bridge, which was the Mactan-Mandaue bridge, and the second bridge, which was the Marcelo-Fernan bridge or the second Mactan-Mandaue bridge. We went through Cordova, Mactan, Mandaue, and Cebu City, which are all in Cebu, in the span of 3 hours. I got back to my hotel at 9 p.m., took a shower, and got ready for check-in. Even though I didn’t have to see the 10,000 paper roses, I still liked the road trip. I will be back to experience the 10k roses.

August 27, 2023 (Sunday)
2:00am Mactan Domestic Airport Terminal 1

The impending typhoon caused some turbulence on the airplane that I took back to Manila. It was extremely terrifying, and because it was simply a propeller plane, I could feel the movement within the cabin. Nevertheless, we made it to our destination without incident.

My time spent in Cebu and the other adjacent portions of the island was really enjoyable. It had been 12 years since I had last been there, and the experience brought back so many happy memories. When I return, I want to either spend more time in the southern part of Cebu or take a flight to one of the other islands in the area.

Love,

Maria, sometimes, Niskie