Wednesday, July 26, 2017

5 days Cebu Itinerary - Cebu City + Bantayan Island


At last we are now going to Cebu! I still cannot get over that we missed our flight to Cebu last year, but now finally we are going to Queen City of the South, CEBU!

It is a 1 hour and 20 mins plane ride from Manila to Mactan-Cebu International airport. We managed to get a cheap flight from Manila to Cebu via Cebu Pacific airlines. Also, there are daily flights from Manila to Cebu via AirAsia and Philippine Airlines. Just wait for promo flights to be able to get the best deal going to Cebu because you will really save a lot of money.

We went to Cebu last June 18-22, 2017 and the weather is perfectly fine, feels so much like summer! I guess month of June is one of the best time to go to beaches because it is not crowded anymore, unlike during summer season (March to May), beaches tends to get crowded.

Where we stayed in Cebu

There are a lot of great finds in Agoda and Booking.com for your chosen accommodations in Cebu. I used these two websites to book our accommodation ahead of time with no hassle. Here are my top recommendations that are worth your money:

Big Dreams Residences

During our first day, we stayed at Big Dreams Residences in Mandaue City. I love this place because it is very affordable, their service is great and the location is good. Also, I would like to highlight that their staffs are very accommodating and friendly.

Address: S.B. Cabahug, Mandaue City, Cebu, Philippines

Visit Agoda website to check more great and affordable accomodations


Anika Island Resort

This is where we stayed in Bantayan Island. Our stay here is great because I love the resort's facilities. They have a restaurant and bar that offers great food selection. Although, I must admit that the front beach here is not as great as Kota beach, but definitely this place is worth checking out.

Address: F. Roska St., Brgy. Okoy Sta. Fe, Bantayan Island 6047 Cebu, Philippines

For more information, visit their website: http://anikaislandresort.com/

View from our balcony



Front beach in Anika Island Resort


ABC Hotel

We stayed here during our last night in Cebu. This is my favorite among all the accommodations that we stayed at because the location is very good, the place is very well maintained and rooms are spacious. I also like that there are restaurants and cafe near the hotel. Definitely, we had a fabulous stay here.

Address: Corner F. Ramos Street and Lim Tian Ting Street, 6000 Cebu City, Philippines

Restaurants and cafe in ABC Hotel


What places to visit in Cebu

1. 10,000 LED Roses Cafe

A one of a kind cafe situated in Cordova, Cebu. As you may or may not know, LED roses are famous in Seoul, South Korea because it is very beautiful during the night and became a tourist spot. No need to worry and go to Korea to witness these thousands of LED roses because we already have it here in the Philippines. It is perfect to visit this cafe at night to see these thousands of beautiful LED roses.

LED roses in Cebu <3

LED roses in Dongdaemun, Seoul, South Korea <3

2. Magellan's Cross

One of the most famous tourist attraction in Cebu. This cross is located next to Basilica Minore del Santo Niño church which is also a famous place wherein you can find the image of Santo Niño de Cebú. This cross was brought by Ferdinand Magellan, a Spanish explorer in 1521, marking the start of Christianity in the Philippines.

The famous Magellan's Cross in Cebu City

The beautiful facade of Basilica Minore del Santo Niño de Cebú which showcases a Baroque style architecture.

3. Temple of Leah

Located in Busay, Cebu City, this temple was made possible by Teodorico Adarna, father of Ellen Adarna, for his undying love for his wife, Leah Villa Albino-Adarna. This Roman Architecture designed building was constructed in the year 2012. It is one of the famous attraction in Cebu because the temple is situated at the top of mountains, perfect for an overlooking scenery of Cebu City.

The huge statue build to portray the composure and regal bearing of Leah V. Albino-Adarna


4. Sirao Flower Farm, the Little Amsterdam in Cebu

A 49-min travel to the Little Amsterdam, this hidden gem can be found in the middle of a hill in Sirao, Cebu City. You will definitely love this place if you love flowers. Personally, I did not enjoy our visit here because the time we went there, it was too cloudy and it seems that its gonna rain anytime soon. I also noticed that the flowers are not in full bloom. It would be much better if the flowers are in full bloom and if the weather is sunny.


5. Larsian

One must not leave Cebu without trying Larsian. You can see a wide variety of stalls that offers "paluto" (they will cook fresh seafoods, marinated pork or chicken, etc. the moment you ordered from them). It is our first time to try SuTuKil which stands for "Sugba" (grilled), "Tula" or "Tuwa" (soup), and "Kilawin" or "Kinilaw" (Filipino Ceviche). Also try their popular Chorizo de Cebu or Longganisa de Cebu (sausage) which is a sweet and smoky ground pork made into sausage form.

A SUMPTUOUS FEAST! (In the picture: Chorizo de Cebu, SuTukil, and puso (rice wrapped in coconut leaves)

6. Bantayan Island

If you are a beach lover, I would definitely recommend you visit Bantayan Island. It is an island located in the northern part of Cebu province that consists of three municipalities: Bantayan, Madridejos, and Santa Fe. It will take a 5-hour travel from Cebu City to Bantayan Island.

Visit: How to get to Bantayan Island Cebu

Beautiful sandbar in Kota Beach, Santa Fe, Cebu


Itinerary

Here is the complete list of our itinerary:

DAY 1
TIME ACTIVITY
11:30 AM Arrival in NAIA Terminal 3
2:50 PM Departure from NAIA
5:55 PM Arrival in Mactan Cebu International Airport
7:43 PM 10,000 Roses Café
9:45 PM Dinner @ Lantaw Native Floating Restaurant
10:47 PM Go back to hotel
11:00 PM Rest (early day tomorrow)


DAY 2
TIME ACTIVITY
8:15 AM Early check out @ Big Dream Residences
9:00 AM Arrival in Cebu North Terminal
9:30 AM Departure from Cebu North Terminal
12:28 PM Arrival in Hagnaya Port
12:38 PM Departure from Hagnaya Port to Sta. Fe Ferry Terminal
1:58 PM Arrival in Sta. Fe Ferry Terminal
2:04 PM Check in @ Anika Island Resort
3:00 PM Lunch @ Anika Island Resort
4:00 PM - onwards Free time (picture taking, bought dinner at the market)


DAY 3
TIME ACTIVITY
8:00 AM Breakfast and prep
8:30 AM Start of Bantayan Island Tour
8:57 AM Kota Beach
11:04 AM Ogtong Cave and Resort
11:45 AM Lunch @ Santa Fe Beach Club
1:27 PM Cliff diving
2:38 PM Sandira Beach ("Paradise Beach")
4:15 PM Bought dinner in the market located in sentro
5:00 PM - onwards Free time back @ Anika Island Resort


DAY 4
TIME ACTIVITY
12:00 PM Check out @ Anika Island Resort
12:15 PM Arrival in Sta. Fe Ferry Terminal
12:26 PM Departure from Sta. Fe Ferry Terminal
1:00 PM Arrival and Departure in Hagnaya Port
5:15 PM Arrival in SM City Cebu
5:50 PM Check in @ ABC Hotel
7:40 PM Dinner @ Larsian
9:50 PM Magellan's Cross / Cebu City Hall
10:30 PM Buy pasalubong @ Shamrock
11:00 PM Back @ hotel


DAY 5
TIME ACTIVITY
9:00 AM Magellan's Cross / Basilica Minore del Santo Nino de Cebu
11:02 AM Lunch @ Rico's Lechon
12:00 PM Check out @ ABC Hotel
1:40 PM Temple of Leah
3:30 PM Arrived @ Sirao Garden "Little Amsterdam"
5:50 PM Arrived back to ABC hotel
7:30 PM Arrival in Mactan Cebu International Airport
9:40 PM Departure from Mactan Cebu International Airport
12:00 AM (next day) Arrived in NAIA Terminal 3


xo,
Lars :)
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