In The City

Photo by: Ramwen Lorenzo Sanchez

  Cebu City is very laid back and although activities are limited, you can still manage to have a great time. Meet the locals and hang with them!

Some of the things you can do are... 

Eat. For a list of some restaurants you can try, click here.

Photo from: Lechon Cebu

Next, Go Downtown.

  

  See some historical sites such as the Basilica del Sto. Niño, Magellan's Cross, Fort San Pedro, Yap-San Diego Ancestral House and Casa Gorordo Museum. Grab a Cebu map to find these places. There's just walking distance from each other! You can get a jeepney (you have to try riding them!) Get the one with code: 04C from Mango Square Mall and just tell the dispatcher/driver to drop you off Sto. Niño. From there, you can walk to every other place on the list.

(For more about Cebu's public transportation, check this page.)

Photo from: CELI                                         Photo from: SiDive

Then, Head Up.

   See the city from atop the mountain. Drive up to Tops or even just Mountain View or Mr. A. You can take a habal-habal from the foot of the road in Lahug. There's loads of them outside JY Square Mall. It will cost only Php 50 one way. If you're a foreigner, they're surely going to rip you off. Bargain. Bargain. Bargain. Or have a local friend with you for help :-) Day time or night time, it's a good view of the city.

Photo from: ilink.ph

A Temple in the city.

   If you would like to see a Chinese Temple, you can visit Taoist Temple. Take a habal-habal from the corner of Sudlon Street, Lahug. It will only cost you Php 10 one way.

Photo by: Alaz Mal

If you're around Mactan,

   And you'd like to visit a historical site, you can go to the Lapu-lapu Shrine. Just take a jeepney from Marina Mall that goes to Punta Engaño and tell the driver to drop you off the shrine.

Photo from: Pagcor

  That's how a typical tour around the city would look like. Other things to do in around are:

• Sand Trap for a relaxed afternoon by the pool
• Hang out in coffee shops in Ayala Terraces Mall
• Bowling in SM Mall
• Paintball!
• Mactan Shooting Range

Malapascua Island

  Experience paradise -- the unspoiled beauty of Malapascua Island. And if you're a diver, you'll like it even more since you can find thresher sharks here!

Photo by: Karsten Kirstätter

How to get there:

  Take the bus from the North Bus Terminal to Maya, Daanbantayan. It will take you about 4 hours to get there. Then you take the ferry from the Maya wharf, which leaves every hour or two, depending on the number of passengers. They usually wait till there's at least 10 passengers. Be careful, they might try to convince you to take special ferry trips for various exaggerated excuses. Anyway, if you'd like to skip waiting and go ahead, you can hire a boat for yourself for a special trip. You'll get there in 30 minutes.

Fare (one-way):

Air-conditioned bus: Php 170
Non-air-conditioned bus: Php 160
Ferry: Php 80
Special Ferry Trip: Php 800 - Php 1000

Where to stay:

• Ocean Vida Beach and Dive Resort
• Purple Snapper Dive Resort
• Malapascua Garden Resort
• Bantigue Cove
• Celtis Resort
• Cocobana Beach Resort
• Hippocampus
• Villa Kaanit
• Logon Beach Resort
• Moonlight Resort

Other Diving Shops:

• Seaquest
• Evolution

Photo by: Karsten Kirstätter

Tips:

• Travel in a group to get cheaper accommodation.
• Last trips are about mid-afternoon (both ways) so it's best to travel in the morning.

If you don't dive, all there is for you is the beach. So, this will be the best place for you if you're looking a few days of solitude.

Barili

Check out one of the tallest waterfalls in Cebu; the gem of Barili - Mantayupan Falls.

Photo by: Rey Buaya

How to get there:

  Take the bus that goes to Moalboal or Bato-Oslob from the South Bus Terminal. Get off the first bus stop at the Shamrock building in Barili. It will take you less than 2 hours to get there. In front of the bus stop is a street that will lead you to Barangay Campangga, where the waterfalls is. There's a sign that says "Mantayupan Falls This Way" so it wouldn't be difficult to find it. Take a habal-habal to the entrance of Mantayupan Falls.

Fare (one-way):

Air-conditioned Bus: Php 100
Non-air-conditioned bus: Php90
SBT Terminal Fee: Php 5
Habal-habal: Php 25

Fees/Rentals:

Entrance Fee: Php 15
Table: Php 150 
Life Vest: Php 10
Floaters: Php 10

Sayaw Beach (optional stop-over):

How to get there:

From Mantayupan Falls, you can take the habal-habal to the market. Then take a jeepney to Sayaw. 

Fare (one-way):

Habal-habal: Php 25
Jeepney: Php 7

Fees/Rentals:

Entrance Fee: None
Table/Cottage: Php 150

Western Cebu

Are you a Rock Climbing Enthusiast? Cantabaco  in Toledo is your haven. The bolted limestone wall holds about 29 routes with 5.11-5.14 levels of difficulty.

How to get there:

Take the v-hire from CitiLink (close to the South Bus Terminal) to Toledo. Ask the driver to drop you off Cantabaco.

Fare (one-way):

V-Hire: Php 50

Local Guide:

Contact Raymund Daculan for more information and assistance at (+63) 939 1600 178. Also call to check for availability.

 Looking for a get-away to the countryside to unwind but still have the comforts of city living? Check out The Ranch Resort!

  They have 7 swimming pools in the resort, a zipline with rope courses, a bird aviary, a bee farm and Arabian horses for horseback riding. 

Group Packages (6-7 pax):

• Php 1,500 per person inclusive of breakfast, lunch and dinner, room and use of pools. 

• Php 1,900 per person inclusive of transportation, room, breakfast, lunch and dinner and use of pools.

For more information, you can call them at either numbers:

Tel.No: (032) 318 9599
Mobile: (+63) 917 910 9880
            (+63) 922 826 2653 

Filipino Restaurants

For other good restaurants to try, click here.

• CnT Lechon

• Home of the original Lechon in Cebu. There's a branch in Guadalupe and another across SM Mall.

• ZubuChon

• They have a different taste of Lechon - worth a try. Also, try their Kamias Shake! They have branches around the city like in Mango Avenue and Escario.

• Boneless Lechon

• Cut the hassle of eating with bones AND you can choose to have it spicy!!! Find the stall in Parkmall.

• Chika-an sa Cebu 

• Chika-an has been around for as long as I can remember. Ages! They are located in Salinas Drive, Lahug (walking distance from I.T. Park).

• Golden Cowrie (Hukad)

• One of the best Filipino restaurants you can find in Cebu. You must try their Bicol Express, Kinilaw (ceviche), Adobong Kangkong and Baked Scallops. There's a branch in Ayala Terraces (Hukad), SM Mall and in Salinas Drive, Lahug.

• Lantaw Native Restaurant

• Hit two birds with one stone. Lantaw in Busay gives you a breathtaking view of the city while dining at an affordable and good Filipino restaurant! You might need a car to go there. If you get a taxi, you may have to ask the taxi to wait for you since no cabs go far up the mountains (just pay for the waiting fee on top of the meter, or you can negotiate a fixed price. It takes less than PHP 200, one way). 

• Larsian's BBQ

• The famous barbecue center in the heart of the city (Fuente). Although it has lost its Filipino ambiance and now looks commercial, it still gives you quite a Filipino experience of dining. 

• Matia's BBQ

• Probably the best place you can get barbecue. Unique taste! They're located in A. S. Fortuna. They don't exactly have a signage but if you ask around, everyone knows where it is!

• Lighthouse Restaurant

• Another good Filipino restaurant located at Mango Avenue. Try the Sinigang soup! If I'm not mistaken (and if I remember my mom tell me right), it was the first Seafood restaurant in the city.

• Alejandro's Crispy Pata

• The name says it all. You have to try their Crispy Pata! Find them at Century Plaza, Juana Osmeña Street and in Crossroads, Banilad.

• STK Ta Bai!

• It's a Spanish/Filipino restaurant in Orchid Street, Capitol Site. They have eel and snake available, cooked fried or adobo style! Nearby, you can try...

• Bucket Shrimps 

• "Yumminess in every bucket!"

• Abuhan Restaurant

• The Filipino restaurant in Ramos with one of the best tasting Pochero but they're overpriced so if you're on a budget, you can try...

• Ekit's Foodhaus

• They also have really good Pochero and it's cheap! It's located in Mabolo behind the Sarrosa Hotel. Taxi drivers usually know this pocherohan place. 

• Captain A's

• BOODLE FIGHT! Nuff said. Find them in Don Jose Avila Street. 

• Lantaw Floating Native Restaurant

• Try the variety of different Filipino dishes with a scenic view! Find them in Cordova, Mactan. Although it's not in the city, it's worth the drive. You can check their menu here.

• Sr. Pedro

• Yes, you can buy lechon manok (roasted chicken) almost anywhere but Sr. Pedto tastes best. It's been around for quite a while now so come and test your palate. There's one stall next to Citibank in Gorordo Avenue.

• Titktilaok

• Lechon manok with a variety of flavors such as honey roast, garlic, spicy and the Tiktilaok special, which is a combination of the three. Stalls available in almost every mall and grocery store in Cebu!

• Ralfe's Gourmet Chocolate

• Contact them at (63) 917 628 7661 to purchase their products.

Exotic Foods

Adventurous and brave enough to feast on these?

• Isaw (Chicken intestine)
• You can find it in almost all barbecue places.

• Balut (Duck embryo)
• People sell them in the streets on a bike or walking. They shout out "BALUUUUUUT!" so you definitely won't miss them.

• Lansiao / Soup #5 (Bull/horse testicle soup)
•  There's a carindiria near SM Mall where you can find it. It should be easy to ask locals around to point you to the place. Also, in a lot of carindiarias, they sell Lansiao.

• Ginabot (Deep friend pork innards)
•  If you see food stalls in the streets (pungko-pungko), they most likely serve ginabot. It's a very popular street food. 

• Dugo-dugo / Dinuguan (Pig blood soup)
•  From carinderias to bigger Filipino restaurants, dinuguan is in their menu. 

• Goat Head Caldereta (An entire goat's head in tomato-based soup)
•  It can also be found in the carindiria near SM Mall. 

• Tuslob-buwa/Linarang (Boiled pork brain and liver)
• Pasil is the best place for this, but you can also find them in other carinderias.

Do they sound tasty enough or do you want photos to induce your appetite? ;-)

Tip:

• There are stalls beside Mactan's City Hall that offer you a range of exotic foods. They close at 5 p.m. or until food supplies last so it's best to go there by lunch time!
• Pasil is also popular for cooking up all kinds of exotic foods. 

Other Restaurants

For a list of some Filipino Restaurants, click here.

ITALIAN  Italianni's Michel Angelo PIzzeria La Bella Napoli Pizza Giuseppe Tavolata FRENCH La Maison Rose The Tinder Box Tymad Bistro SPANISH Arano's  Ipar's GREEK Cyma INDIAN Firozian Mr. India Tandoori  OTHERS Irie Casa Verde Cafe Laguna Surfin' Ribs Big Tom's Burger David's Steakhouse Olio Steak & Seafood Cafe Marco

CHINESE Choi City Ching Palace   JAPANESE Kotobukiya Tonkatsu Nonki Ginza Wakamatsu Yakiniku KOREAN Tops Korean Restaurant THAI Siam Mae Krua Thai Yaem Sub Deli (JRG Bldg.) Banana Leaf Blue Elephant One Claypot House VIETNAMESE Little Saigon Big Bangkok  Phat Pho LEBANESE  Beqaa MEXICAN  Pueblo Mexicano  Maya Mexican Lounge