Cebu Twin City Tour
- Admin
- Oct 22, 2017
- 7 min read
Hi Nookfinders!
If there is one vice that I would allow myself to have in life, that would be traveling. Since I was already earning as an accountant, what better way to start my #travelgoals than spending a day in the oldest city of the Philippines, Cebu City. To add spice to the experience, I also took a glimpse of the neighboring City of Lapu-lapu. At least I got to taste a different kind of hustle and bustle since both are highly urbanized and are two of the several cities that make up Metro Cebu.
We booked a 4 days, 3 nights Cebu-Bohol escapade last March 2017. Bohol was the highlight of our trip but I'm still eager to share with you our quick stroll in Cebu. Indeed i was #blessed because i got to experience it with family.
DAY 1 of 4
Same day as our arrival, we got to to stroll around mainland Cebu & Mactan Island to savor its culture and delightful scenery before proceeding to Bohol the next morning. We were given a city tour itinerary which included the following sites:
MAGELLAN'S CROSS
This spot is right smack on the center of the city. Inside, you will find dancing ladies selling their lengthy recycled candles.I recommend you not buy because they are already available inside the church premises. Besides, you are not allowed to light them up below the cross in its little shed. Believed to be a replica by some, this cross can be found along the streets of Magallanes . It is the cross planted by Spanish and Portuguese explorers led by Ferdinand Magellan upon their arrival in Cebu. It’s pretty historic so it’s something to scratch off the list.
BASILICA MINORE DEL STO. NINO
This beautiful church is the oldest Roman Catholic church in the country housing a statuette of the Christ child dating back to Magellan’s time. It is just a few walks away from the Magellan’s cross. Sleeveless tops , short skirts and trousers are not allowed to be worn inside but there are ladies along the entrance who let tourists borrow shawls to cover themselves. It was my first visit so i made a wish and thanked God for the pleasant day.
Just outside the church, a prayer and candle lighting area is open to those who want to render their personal thoughts to the Lord.
FORT SAN PEDRO
This Military fortress dates back to the late 18th century and was the only spot with an entrance fee costing 50 PHP per head. It served as a prison ward and defense wall were huge military guns are mounted. This triangular shaped structure is maintained by the city itself but the land where it stands is a DENR property.
Found in Pigafetta St., it will only take you a few strolls to go around the vicinity.
They have clean bathrooms and wash areas so it's the perfect place to pee.
The site has a gallery with various painting depictions of Lapu-lapu and historic memorabilias. Another room named Viviende del Teniente showcases the history of Cebu through photos. Through the stairs along the museums, you could go up the walls and take some time to appreciate the view.
TAOIST TEMPLE
This temple by the hill gave us the whole Chinese vibe. It was a quite long walk via stairs to the temples but it was a pretty cool sight to behold. Located at Beverly Hills Subdivision in Cebu City, it was established by a Chinese community and is 300 meters above sea level.
Open to both believers and non-worshipers, respecting the sanctity of the place is requested by not allowing tourists to take a photo of the prayer areas. Signs are up for this rule and guards are on standby to see to it that no one breaks it.
ALEGRE GUITARS
Going to Abuno, Lapu-lapu City to reach this world-class guitar factory took a long drive from Cebu City. I remember getting some sleep and that I was always asking, “Are we there yet?”
Cebuanos are well known for their love of music leaving no room to wonder why they are good at handcrafting guitars and ukuleles. I don't know if it's just me but from the guitars to the souvenirs, everything here was a bit pricey. Regardless, I saw how hard the men worked to create a piece and they assured us that each item is of exceptional quality and durability. This well known site is managed and owned by Mr. Fernando Alegre.
They also have a mini souvenir shop outside. As I said, items are priced a lot higher here than anywhere else.
If you can't afford the real guitars, get a fake one! :)
LAPU-LAPU SHRINE AND ITS SOUVENIR ALLEY
Before we head back to the hotel, it was time to buy souvenirs for my office mates. You can find a bunch of items here like handcrafted key chains, coin purses, wallets, bags, home decors and the like to bring home to your love ones. If you already got tired from all the moving around, there are small stalls here selling food and drinks. Don't get too busy with the shopping and appreciate the well known Lapu-lapu shrine.
It's my thing to buy purses every time i go out on a trip. I do not like using huge wallets. I also like to be reminded everyday, as i pay my transpo fares, that i went to some place amazing. The price ranges from 15 Php to 50 Php depending on the
design and size.
This tour was planned for the parents so any tiring adventures were disregarded. I must say Cebu City is the cleaner version of Manila. I definitely have to go back for the other set of tourist attractions and the famous South Cebu adventure.
TIPID TIPS:
If you are going to Bohol, do not buy peanut kisses in Cebu because they are priced a lot higher there. Wait until you reach Bohol to purchase them.
Buy danggit (Sun-dried rabbit fish) in public markets instead of private souvenir stores to save money.
ACCOMODATION:
Our accommodation was Cebu Diplomat Hotel. It is a standard hotel with a lift and has its own resto. It's an old hotel and there are "fresher" hotels, but everything necessary was there including delicious food that you could order at night whenever you need it. The hotel is at the very center of the city so getting a cab was as easy as walking out of the hotel doors. It only took us a few minutes drive to SM Seaside when we went out for dinner.
You could check it out through this facebook page:
Personally, hotels are not that of a big deal to me when traveling because you're out of the place most of the day anyway. All that matters is an air conditioned room where i could rest and leave the heavy luggage (a hot shower is a plus though).
BOOKING THE TOUR (BOHOL ESCAPADE PRICES INCLUDED)
One thing I learned from this trip is to not let my sister handle the bookings. She is the type who takes canvassing for granted- paying an agency ahead of time to get things done and over with. But the planner inside me took on the role of negotiating with the agent and customizing the tour so that no day-time is spent at the hotel.
The agency first recommended an initial package worth 11,800 Php.
To give you an idea why I chose to customize, this package only consisted of the following itinerary:
1st day: Half day Twin City tour
2nd day: Transfer to Bohol- Free time
3rd day: Bohol Country Side tour
4th day: Departure at 1 PM
I loathed the fact that we had to deal with a whole day of free time in Bohol when we could actually use it to wander about and discover the island's beauty. I further inquired if we could do add-ons and came up with the following:
2nd day - instead of doing nothing, upon arrival we did the Bohol country side tour.
3rd day- My papa, mama , sister and niece get to experience the Panglao Island tour. That is 780 per head for 3pax. Meanwhile, Robin and I will do an island hopping tour (because we are mermaids!) costing us 1500 per head.
Robin and I also decided to do the Panglao tour on the third day since we still had ample time and we didn't want to miss out . We paid an additional 1000/pax. Note that the smaller the number of heads you have in a tour, the pricier it gets. Personally, I always prefer travelling with fewer people.
so in a nutshell, here's the break down:
I'm pretty sure there are cheaper options like booking your own airfare on a seat sale or doing DIY tours, but ours was inclusive of:
roundtrip airfares
private airport -hotel - port - hotel-airport transfers
private van on both Cebu and Bohol tours
own big private boat on the Island hopping tour
ferry ride via ocean jet from Cebu to Bohol port
3 room standard hotel accomodations. 1 night in cebu and 2 nights in Bohol
Half day Cebu Twin City tour
1 day Bohol country side tour
Panglao Island Tour
Island Hopping tour
daily breakfast
1 buffet lunch at Loboc
I was not the one who booked our tour so I recommend you lessen the 11,800 basic tour by doing the following:
book round trip airfares at a seat sale. This is one great reason why you have to have cards to immediately grab your deals especially when they come booming late at night.
Limit your accommodation to 1500/night or less that is 750 pesos/pax for two person on a twin sharing room. Better yet if you know someone from Cebu, just ask them to sponsor your accommodation.
Do DIY tours but if you want it hassle free like i do, let the hotel handle the tours. For a group of 5, the twin city tour is just around 1510/pax and the Bohol country side tour is 3300/pax both with tour guides.
Tour with more friends to lessen the fee per pax.
TOUR AGENCY:
The tour agency who handled our tour was A Whole New World Travel Express. My sister found it through a friend who is also working in Saudi Arabia.
You can contact them through the following:
Contact info: 0906 431 2166
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/awnwtravel/
Website : http://www.awnwtravel.com/
Growing up with a simple family, we never had a chance to go somewhere as far as Cebu together. So yes, this was a great leap. Now that all three children are working, it was time to bring our hardworking mama and papa on a vacation. Sadly our eldest was not able to come but we were still thankful for such a wonderful family affair. Surely , it will not be the last!
Check these related articles:
Our 3 days and 2 nights in the beautiful island of BOHOL!
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