But first, let me tell you a little bit about Cebu. The Philippines is divided into three big islands called Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Cebu is located in the Visayas and it’s an hour and a half flight from Manila to Mactan Airport, Cebu. I paid P4,000 for a roundtrip ticket (Philippine Airlines). The ticket comes with bread and a drink. You may opt for Coffee, Tea, or Water, so I chose tea cause’ I love tea, it's refreshing, right?

We went to Cebu for my Aunt's wedding but of course, we don't want to miss seeing the beautiful City of Cebu.

MACTAN SHRINE

A lot happened before the wedding and of course, I and my cousins were not just there for the wedding. We planned some extra trips to explore and visit a lot of beautiful places in Cebu. Places that we only see in books when we were still studying. One of the historic places is the Mactan Shrine.

It is where Lapu-Lapu defeated Ferdinand Magellan who is a Spanish Explorer who went to the Philippines a long time ago. So, don't forget MACTAN SHRINE on your list of THINGS TO DO IN CEBU CITY. Near the shrine is the seashore where the battle happened. I mean, the shrine is part of the seashore but it’s a little bit far because of a low tide at that time.

"SUTUKIL" FOOD TRIP

We took a lunch break at "SuTuKil" after visiting the shrine. There are a lot of restaurants near the place and it’s not just an ordinary restaurant. Restaurants there sell fresh seafood, you’ll choose what seafood you want to eat then they will cook it for you. For me, eating here is a must in your list of THINGS TO DO IN CEBU CITY.

We ordered a lot cause’ we’ve never seen some of the seafood there so we tried it. The price was reasonable (below P5,000 for a group of 10) and it’s not just the food that you’ll enjoy, the place is great, too. It’s overlooking the seashore that I was talking about earlier. It’s not just a typical seashore, it looks like a mangrove, or maybe it’s a mangrove, and it's beautiful. What a great experience!

So, we went back to the Hotel for a swim and then went to Shangri-La's Mactan Resort and Spa in the evening for a dinner before the wedding that was going to happen the next day. The wedding was held on the beach and the weather was really good that day. It was really a day to remember because it was so magical. I’ve never seen a beach wedding in real life, but at that moment I understand why most couples dream of marrying by the beach.

FORT SAN PEDRO and MAGELLAN'S CROSS

The next morning after the wedding, we transferred to a transient house (below P10,000 for 2 nights) which is cheaper. We’ll be visiting a lot of places during the day so it’s not practical to stay in a hotel where we won’t be staying most of the time, right? So, we started exploring Cebu City. We rented a Van which is P3,000 - P4,000 for the whole day. We went to Fort San Pedro, then see Magellan’s Cross at the Basilica del Santo Nino.  Don't forget to add these two to your list of THINGS TO DO IN CEBU CITY.

So, the 1st day we visited Mactan Shrine and then attended the dinner before the wedding. The Wedding is on the 2nd day. On the 3rd day, we visited Fort San Pedro, Magellan’s Cross, and the Basilica del Santo Nino. So, what happened on the 4th day?

On the 4th day, we visited Oslob Cebu to see the Whale Shark or “Butanding.” We rented a van again for the whole day because going to Oslob from Mactan takes 3 hours. I never thought that it was really far. I know it’s far because the driver drives really fast and the traffic is very light. But it was a smooth ride and the scenery is also fascinating. You’ll see the ocean on the way to Oslob and it’s really blue. I don’t know if it’s just me thinking that the ocean in Cebu is oh so Blue, bluer than blue. LoL!

So, we departed in Mactan at around 3 to 4 AM and arrived in Oslob at 6:30 to 7 AM. The time is limited because we can only see the Whale Sharks while they’re feeding at a certain time so we need to be there early. The place was very crowded and most of the people there were foreigners. If I’m not mistaken, the fee for the viewing was 400 to 500 pesos for 15-30 minutes at that time. There are several places there where you can buy a ticket, they’re very coordinated so you don’t need to do anything. Just stay at the place where you bought your ticket and they’ll just pick you up on a truck to bring you to a place near the seashore for a brief orientation. We ordered food at our place while waiting. They also offer "go pro" for rent for 500 pesos. They’ll give you the soft copy so you need to provide a flash drive or digital storage.​

All of the tourists are lined up on the seashore while waiting for their turn. There are several boats that carry passengers for viewing. The boat will take the passengers maybe 100 to 300 meters away from the seashore to see the Whale Sharks while feeding. The water was so cold and blue. It’s also super salty, unlike the usual seawater. It’s also hard to submerge into the water because you are really going to float even if you don’t swim which I did not try, cause I haven’t tried swimming in open water and I don’t want to try it there. I don’t want to be the Whale Shark’s breakfast LoL. Don’t worry, Whale Sharks are harmless though they are as big as a bus LoL. I never imagined that they are that big, they really are huge. They are not allowed to be touched so expect a marine biologist watching/scuba diving underneath.

So, each boat has a guide that will help you take pictures and videos. They’re like a director and you’re an actor. LoL! They will tell you where and when to submerge into the water, where to face, and they’ll even count for you. They’re really helpful, right?

After the viewing, there are souvenir shops that you can visit. There are also plenty of restaurants that you can dine in.

Miraculous Mama Mary Simala Church

In the afternoon, we went back to Mactan but we visited Miraculous Mama Mary Simala Church along the way. The church was intricately made and the view there was fascinating so don't forget to include this on your list of THINGS TO DO IN CEBU CITY, too. After visiting the church, we had our lunch in Lantaw Floating Native Restaurant. It was a fun experience, too. There are some delicacies that I’ve never heard of and seen before. The place is also cool because it looks like you’re in the middle of the sea. You can see the SM City Seaside Cebu far from there. For the price of the food, I actually forgot how much I paid but I can remember that it’s below 500 pesos individually.

SM CITY SEASIDE CEBU

We went to SM City Seaside Cebu after lunch to see modernity and I was not disappointed. This is also a place to visit and must be added to your list of THINGS TO DO IN CEBU CITY. The architecture is great. I can still remember the cube outside the mall. I think it’s the icon or symbol of SM City Seaside Cebu like the Globe outside The Mall of Asia. I heard that it is a cube because if you jumble the word “CEBU” you can also spell “CUBE.” Amazing, right?

On the 5th day, we traveled to Bohol from Cebu. Exciting, right? I have a different blog for that because a lot has happened in Bohol, too. And this blog is all about Cebu, so please read my Bohol Blog, too.

We only stayed in Bohol for a day and went back to Cebu in the evening. So, what happened on the 6th day, or let me say the last day? (The day we realize that the vacation is almost over and we're going back to our normal lives. LoL.)

THE TAOIST TEMPLE

Even though it was the last day, we still enjoyed it. The first destination that we visited on our last day was The Taoist Temple. Another must-see and should be included in your list of THINGS TO DO IN CEBU CITY. We did not stay there for so long but the place is good and the view there was fascinating. It was located at the top of the hills of Cebu so you can see the view of the whole city there. It’s very relaxing there and the temperature is good. There’s an entrance fee of 100 pesos, I think. I can’t remember exactly but it’s below 200 pesos. We enjoyed seeing how intricately made the temples there.