A City Tour: Different Tourist Spots in Cebu City

Before I head on nature tripping at the province of Cebu, our group decided to explore first the city. Aside from being the second largest city next to Manila, Cebu City is also the oldest city of the Philippines which makes it a significant cultural capital of the country. Wherein the sign of Spanish cultivation is distinct in different parts of Cebu.

Looks like Manila huh? (photo from William Bryan Cua)

As for our tour in the rich culture of Cebu, we mainly visited churches and museum alike to get to know well the city, the people, and the province as well. By the way, the group rented an ac-van which costs us 3,250 pesos. It picks us up from the airport, driven us down to our hotel to drop off our luggage, a whole-day city tour, and it drove us back again to our hotel at the end of the tour. We're 11 in group so it is only around 295 pesos per head. Commute-free and air conditioned tour, not bad!

So let the city tour begin!

The Taoist Temple

Look at those very intricate design

Residing in Beverly Hills Subdivision in Cebu City, this temple was built by a Cebu Chinese community. Unlike the the nearby temple named Phu Sian which was also built by a Chinese Community, Cebu Taoist Temple is open to public. So even non worshipers alike can visit the temple. However since this place is a Taoist Sanctuary of Prayers and Meditation, all visitors should also observe solemnity. Taking pictures of the Gods and inside the prayer room is strictly prohibited. Please abide rules to prevent confiscation of your gadgets. Aside from that, you can take pictures anywhere around the temple.

Seems like it was shot in China. By the way that's Anna (Author of Stupid Banana)

The Taoist Temple is comprised of a chapel, a library, a souvenir shop and a wishing well and it stands at 300 MASL. The balcony offers the downtown Cebu and Mactan. The Taoist temple is open from 8am-5pm. Temple facilitators were said to be strict when it comes to time so don't go there if you think you will reach the place beyond 5pm.

More tourists shot pose. Aizel (left) and Rina (right)

My very own tourist shot pose.

Fort San Pedro

Welcome to Fort Santiago... ooops, I mean Fort San Pedro (photo from Byron Cantonjos)

One can be quite familiar to this place if you are a Manileño. It is because Fort San Pedro of Cebu is somehow resemble to the Fort Santiago of Intramuros, Manila. Fort San Pedro is situated at Barangay San Roque in Cebu City. It serves as a military defense structure during the Spanish time in the country. Now, Fort San Pedro is one of the historical spots in Cebu City and known as the oldest and smallest fort in the Philippines.

Just playing with the open door. By the way that's Paula and Edward in the photo

A nice Sto. Niño on top of the entrance

It is also converted into a museum/park wherein a 30 pesos will be given out as an entrance fee if you want to explore the area. Displayed in the fort are documents, paintings, porcelain pieces, cannons and other Spanish artifacts.

Some of the items found inside Fort San Pedro (photo from Byron Cantonjos)

Basilica Del Sto. Niño

Basilica Del Sto. Niño, old yet standing still (photo from Gladys Dizon)

Also known as the Basilica of the Holy Child. This place is the oldest Roman Catholic church built in the country. Basilica Del Sto. Niño has also been the the roof of the oldest religious image in the Philippines and that is the Miraculous Image of the Holy Child Jesus also called as Señior Santo Niño. Aside from that, Basilica Del Sto. Niño was established at the exact location where the image of Santo Niño was found during Miguel Lopez de Legazpi's exploration in Cebu way back 1565. Lots of old stuff are situated in Cebu which makes this place interesting.

Inside and outside scene of the church

Picture taking at the garden. Byron, the author of Baron the Explorer

Magellan's Cross

The famous cross of Magellan (photo from Byron Cantonjos)

Just a few steps away from the Basilica Del Sto. Niño, the famous cross of Cebu resides. The Magellan's Cross was planted by the Spanish explorers led by Ferdinand Magellan as they landed in the city of Cebu in 1521. The arrival of the cross is also said to be the arrival of Christianity in the country. Today, the cross is housed at the center of a chapel found at Magellanes Street, Cebu City. A marker at the foot of the cross stated that the original cross that planted by Magellan is encased inside a Tindalo wood. Well I guess that is their way to protect and preserve the original cross from being destroyed.

This is an interesting fact

Mactan Shrine

Mactan Shrine, located in Lapu-Lapu City, is a must see spot for those people who are interested in the history of the Philippines. It is where the battle between Ferdinand Magellan and Datu Lapu Lapu took place in 1521. Also, this is said to be the place where Magellan was killed in the hand of Datu Lapu Lapu. Today, the battle ground is now turned into a historical park where people can visit and read markings of what happened in this place a hundred years ago. Inside Mactan Shrine lies two famous shrine - the Magellan Shrine and the Lapu Lapu Shrine. Magellan Shrine is a 98 feet monument that was built in honor to the Portuguese explorer that was asked to find a western sea route to Asia -- Ferdinand Magellan. Yes, he has been an enemy by this country however his contribution as a navigator is still should be recognized.

(Left - photo from Byron Cantonjos)

Just a few meters away from the Magellan Monument is the Lapu Lapu Shrine. It is a 66 feet bronze statue of the first native Filipino who resists from being colonized by the Spanish invaders. The statue projects the Datu's braveness and fearlessness as it stands facing toward the sea and seems like still guarding the land from future attempt of colonization - which I find so cool!

Taboan Market

Let the bidding begin!!! (photo from Byron Cantonjos)

And before we went back to our hotel, we visited the Taboan Market. This is a popular place where people can buy local souvenir items and famous delicacies of Cebu (like dried mangoes, danggit, otap, others). Inshort, Taboan Market is the "Pasalubong Haven" of Cebu. The price of goods here are all negotiable so if you want to save up for your "pasalubongs" you should be good in "tawaran" or bidding. Note: At the end of your tour in Taboan Market you will smell like dried fish too. Promise! Hahaha

Additional city tour destination: Sky Experience Adventure

Conquering our fear

Please click the link for the full details of this adventure: http://geejaytravellog.blogspot.com/2013/03/sky-walk-extreme-at-crown-regency-hotel-cebu-city.html

And that's the end of my city tour at Cebu City! Yey! There are still lots of other beautiful and meaningful spots in Cebu but I have to leave it that way just for now. I guess I have to go back again here and explore it the next time. It seems like easy but even though we had fun, this tour is really tiring and draining. So make sure to charge up and you're energize before getting in to action. Unlike us who didn't have enough sleep and drive right after we landed at Cebu (No sleep since our flight at 3:45am). Look how exhausted we are in between the tour.

Look who's sleeping very soundly... hahahaha (photo from Gladys Dizon)

But I have no regrets with our itinerary. The more place to visit, the better the tour!!! And this wrap up my entry.

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Kawasan Falls of Badian, Cebu

Aside from the hospitable people, Cebu is well known for its magnificent nature spots ranging from diving spots up to its clean and fresh bodies of water. One of which is the wonderful Kawasan Falls. Kawasan Falls is shared in the blogging community as one of the admirable attraction in Cebu, therefore I should experience and see it myself.

How to get there?
Matutinao, Badian is the town where Kawasan falls lies. It is a 3 - 4 hours travel from the City of Cebu and one can take a bus ride at the Cebu South Bus Terminal. Take any of these two bus lines: the Ceres Bus and the Rough Riders Bus. There is an alternative aside from taking buses at Cebu South Bus Terminal and that is to take a bus at Librando Terminal. Either of these three will bring you to the town of Badian. Bus fare is around 120 pesos.

The ride is pretty long so just relax and enjoy the view but as for us who had a 5am call time for this trip, it is an ideal time to gasp more sleep and charge up. We also took our breakfast on the road to conserve time and be on Badian the soonest time possible because we're all excited  to witness its wonder.

sharp eyesight is needed to be able to see them

(Photo from William Cua)

Alight at Matutinao Church, you will be mobbed by men soliciting for their tour services which I found annoying because they are being persuasive in a wrong way. Tip: Just ignore them. You don't need a guide because the trail going to the heart of Kawasan is easy and pretty obvious where to go. We got a guide and it was unnecessary. From our experience, guide may only be useful if you have lots of things to carry. You can give it to them as their service to you. Before you start trekking, get ready with 10 pesos as for registration fee. We trekked for about 15-20 mins which along the way we saw divers wild plants and monkeys that are swinging on the trees. I also noticed that the environment is clean and really taking good care by the locals. At the end of the trail we gave our guide 150 pesos (it is a group decision on how much you will pay your guide). By the way if you have your private vehicle with you, you can leave it in front of Matutinao Church and a 100 pesos mandatory fee will be charged.

The Mother Falls of Kawasan (Photo from Byron Cantonjos)

As we saw the first falls (since Kawasan is a cascade of falls), everyone was like, "wow" in the sense of being amazed with its beauty and tallness. From a far, we can still hear the strong splash as the water reaches the ground. It really made me excited!

But before we all go swimming and go wild, we first tried the bamboo raft. Heads up! Aside from the 300 pesos fee of the bamboo ride, your rafting guide(s) will also ask you to pay them. Make sure you ask how the raft is going to cost and how much each "guide" will charge you to eliminate misunderstanding which happened to us. Don't overpay for the bamboo ride and fix the price in advance. We had 3 rafting guide so we decided to give them 200 pesos each.

Off we go!

We start to feel the coldness of the water from that position

This bamboo ride will take you to the waterfalls and the raft will move carefully until you're all expose to the pressure of the water which makes a good water massage. One of your guide will choreograph the position you can do which target parts of your body and have it massage by the water pressure. Some group activities are really fun and we were all like screaming and laughing at the same time. It was a refreshing experience and people who'll visit the place should try it out.

Team Showtime position! 

After the bamboo ride, our group started exploring the other parts/falls of Kawasan. All of it have unpredictable water levels so for non swimmers you may rent safety vest at the first falls.

One of the few falls of Kawasan (Photo from Gladys Dizon)

I'm really paddling my feet so hard here. Caution: deep water, no joke (Photo from Byron Cantonjos)

There's another bamboo raft at the last station (Photo from Gladys Dizon)

We saw some folks jumping on a cliff at the last station, so we, Julius, Baron and I, decided to also give it a try. Apart from that, people who first jumped confirmed us that the level of water that we're going to land is deep and assured us that it is safe to do that kind of stuff in the area. The height of the jumping zone is 3-4 times of my height so it around 15-20 feet. I was scared then but excitement ruled me more. So I just prayed, jumped, and screamed!  After that jump, I was so happy that I can still do things despite the injury I had during our Mt Tabayoc climb. I guess nothing has changed and that I am back to my abnormal state. Yeah!

Baron, Author of Baron the Explorer (left) and Julius (right) (Photo from Gladys Dizon)

My version of our mini cliff jump! (Photo from Byron Cantonjos)

After our trek on the other parts of Kawasan Falls, we went back again to the first falls and spent some time there laughing, swimming, and having fun. Note: Don't take warnings who say that you need a guide in order for you to swim. You can go alone for as long as you know your capability as a swimmer. Just enjoy the cold water and the beautiful view of Kawasan Falls.

Photo op! (Photo from Byron Cantonjos)

Breakdown of Expense:
Transportation: 120 pesos (from Cebu South Bus Terminal - Badian)
Registration Fee: 10 pesos
Tour Guide: 150 pesos (good for group sharing; still negotiable)
Entrance Fee:
Bamboo Raft: 300 (good for group sharing)
Bamboo Raft Guide(s): 200 pesos each (good for group sharing; still negotiable)
Life Vest: 50 pesos
Chairs and Table: 300 pesos (good for group sharing)

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"Ihaw-Ihawan" at Larsian of Fuente Osmeña, Cebu

After our fun and tiring adventure in Cebu, we also need to charge up and eat up. So we visited the grilling haven of the city which is located at Fuente Osmeña , Capitol Site near Chong Hua Hopsiptal called the Larsian BBQ.

Larsian is a popular place in Cebu because of its grilled foods. Larsian can be compared to Banchetto of Manila however it serves mostly grilled/barbecued dishes. A variety that ranges from poultry meats down to seafood meats. I didn't google for photos about Larsian therefore I am really clueless of what does it looks like. So I was surprised to see that it was not a single restaurant but it was a big place comprise of many stalls but selling the same type of food. Yes, all the stalls in Larsian are selling the same type of food (well, that is just base on my observation) and this is by far the largest barbecue center that I have ever been.

Some of the things you can choose from =]

Our group felt like a movie star as we entered the place. Mob of barbecue vendors and stall owners welcomed and invited us to try their stalls. That is a normal scene every time a customer/group visits the place. So just feel the scene. They may scream at you but they're not mad at you, it is just their way to win over their competitors.

We were overwhelmed at first and barely couldn't decide where to dine because there are so many stalls to choose from and the food really do look fresh and delicious. So here's a tip, gather all the vendors and bargain with them. Yes, that's right. Ask them what they can offer to you as a freebie if you'll eat on their place. This technique is very effective if you're in a large group like ours because vendors will do anything to have you in their respective stall.

And the stall that win our hearts is stall number 21, the Alindasay. We actually got unlimited "sabaw" or soup  and 2 liters of sodas for free with that technique. The crew is even nice and gave us discounts to our orders despite the freebies they've already offered to the group.

This will be a good chorizo!

Foods of all the stalls are grilled in one area of Larsian. It is located at the center of the place and be visited by the customers to check out their order(s). The place is a pretty loud but you wouldn't mind it as the food is serve right in front of you. By the way, the only way to eat things here is using your hands or "naka-kamay" but you can still keep your hands clean by putting plastic gloves that will be distributed before you eat. Don't worry because it's free of charge. Tip: Alindasay have a delicious sauce that is a perfect match for their grilled foods. Ask a pitcher of it to put on your table. Enjoy eating!

The very interesting rice of Larsian called "puso"

Puso is a popular icon in Cebu like their lechon and dried mangoes. Puso is a steamed rice wrapped in a weaved coconut leaves. It is often seen in places like Larsian and street stalls of Cebu. Its construction makes it accessible to eat while walking or standing and also without the use of spoon, fork and plate. Convenient right?

Look at those saucy chorizo and chicken

Tasty "balunbalunan" and "isaw"

Pusit with veggies

We were all full and happy. Aside from the delicious food, our bill is reasonable and cheap. It was clearly a great experience and people should visit the place whenever they are in Cebu.

Meet the Larsian warriors

Breakdown of Expense: 
Total Bill - 1280 pesos (shared by 11 full person)

• Isaw (chicken intestine) - 5 pesos
• Liempo - 350 pesos (4 pieces, discounted)
• Squid - 70 pesos
• Chicken skin - 5 pesos
• Pork barbecue - 
• Puso (rice) - 3 pesos
• Chorizo (my favorite) - 13 pesos
• Balunbalunan (chicken gizzard) - 5 pesos

Now, Imagine our dinning table billed in thousand and having those cheap price tags!

After the war... hahaha

Ratings based on my experience [0-5, 5 is the highest] :

Taste: 5 - grilled foods here are really juicy and saucy!

Environment: 2 - people who are meticulous in place will not like dinning here

Service: 5 - happy crew and great service

Price: 5 - super reasonable indeed!

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Side Trip at Sumilon Island of Oslob, Cebu

After our "whale shark watching" experience at the municipality of Oslob, we decided to visit or just have a sneak peek on a near island known as Sumilon Island. Note: This blog entry about Sumilon will not showcase resort experience since we did not avail or tried it out. We only land on the shore and just enjoy the heavenly land and the crystal-clear water of this gorgeous  island.

How to get there?
From the small town of Tan-awan where we had our butanding watching (click here how to get there), we rented a bangka to take us there for 2,300 pesos. Since we were 11 people in this trip it only cost me 210 pesos. The boat ride took 30 minutes to reach the island. As we land to the shore of Sumilon, we were asked to pay 10 pesos per head for the entrance fee. We did not avail resort accommodation because we only planned a day visit.

Surfer mode Baron and Aizel

The local tourists Rina, Anna and Aizel

Got ya! Lols

Whitening soap models (photo from Byron Cantonjos)

Sumilon Island is a paradise. I can still picture out its white, fine sand and also the lovely shades of blues of the beach. We were all stunned and amazed at the same time as we land on this beautiful island. I salute the people who preserves this place because it is really clean and well maintained.

Photoshoot the the center of this sand bar

All for one and one for all

At the tip of the sand bar

If there is a part of the island that I love the most, it will be the white sand bar that appears during low tide. I love this part of  Sumilon because people can really walk away (really far away) from the shore with a feet high water level but at the both side of this sand bar awaits a deep water level that I didn't tried to measure (amazing yet dangerous).

Feeling the waves and the air

Our group really enjoyed the view here and we went really crazy. Just look at the the photos below.

Crazy as hell (photo from Byron Cantonjos)

Timer plus burst mode (photo from Byron Cantonjos)

Yeah Baby! (photo from Byron Cantonjos)

Sumilon Island is also a perfect place for photography. I find this place as a perfect site to have some fun shoot with my friends. Here are some of my shot (kinda amateur though):

Paula doing her homework =]

Jing reminds me of  Samantha Potter in this shot

Anna taking anime to the next level

I hope you enjoy my side trip blog entry to Sumilon Island!

Breakdown of Expense:
Boat ride: 2,300 pesos (good for group contribution)
Entrance Fee: 10 pesos

Look at my "before" color under that short (photo from Byron Cantonjos)

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