Cebu Tourist Attractions We Visited in a Day

I started working and paying for my own expenses a few months ago. And since young professionals love to travel and going YOLO, I decided to invite my sister over to visit some tourist destinations in Cebu. These are the places we were able to go to in a day and the lessons I learned from the trip.

The pictures are mostly of my sister since I’m not photogenic enough. I do appear in some of them, so I apologize in advance. Let’s start.

We decided to visit the farthest place first so it wouldn’t be hard to commute when we’re already drained. Our first stop was the Lapu-Lapu shrine in Lapu-Lapu City. Since I live in Lahug, we had to take three jeepney rides and a ferry ride. From Lahug, we rode on a 17C jeepney to Colon (fare: PHP 10). We then walked to Colonnade and rode a 02B there to get to Pier 3. The fare was PHP 7. If you’re not familiar with the numbers, that’s how jeepneys are labeled in Cebu. Each number has a particular destination and route. Click here for a useful website.

We already had tickets for the ferryboat ride because I purchased a lot when I was still living in Lapu-Lapu, so we didn’t have to line up to get them. A ticket costs PHP 14, and there is a terminal fee of PHP 2.

Tip: The ferryboat tickets can be bought in bulk, and they expire after five years (that’s what it says in the tickets). If you’re a regular commuter, buy the tickets beforehand. It will save you hours every day.

So we rode on the ferryboat. This is what I loved most about living in Lapu-Lapu City. The ride is so relaxing, and it gives you a break from the stressful commute in jeepneys. From there, we rode to our first destination and officially started the trip.

Okay. If you’re familiar with the place, I know what you’re thinking. This is not exactly a tourist destination. I know. Let me explain in the simplest way I can. We. Got. Lost. We missed our first destination, which was the Lapu-Lapu shrine, so we decided to tour around a bit. The Mactan Newtown is actually a recently built township by Megaworld. It has buildings full of offices, so people who go there mostly do so because they need to, not because they’re looking forward to seeing Lapu-Lapu’s full-body statue and his amazingly toned butt. Spoiler alert: it’s not there. However, we made the most of our time there by taking some pictures and having our breakfast at a fast food chain.

Lapu-Lapu is considered by most historians as the first Philippine hero who victoriously defeated the foreigners who came to the country in 1521. His shrine in Lapu-Lapu City serves as a reminder of his bravery to resist colonization. A twenty-meter bronze statue looks over the shallow waters where the Spanish colonizers were thought to have attacked. The place is almost always serene and quiet. Not a lot of people visit it on ordinary days. It’s a great place to unwind while learning more about the history of Cebu and of the Philippines.

After visiting the shrine, my sister and I rode a jeepney to Mactan Bridge. There isn’t much to see there except for the small park located underneath the bridge. What I like about it is the contrast it creates with its surroundings. While you have the busy traffic on top, you are treated to a quiet spot in the park. It makes you feel like there can still be peace amidst the hassles of life, especially in a big city like Cebu. There are also restaurants and karaoke bars around the park that serve relatively cheap food. You can buy pancit canton worth PHP 20.

One of its other attractions is the paintings on the bridge supports. Although not as fancy as others, they still make nice backgrounds for pictures. And let’s be honest. About 99.9 percent of bacteria people travel not just to experience the place and culture, but because they want something to post on Instagram.

After spending some time in the park, my sister and I went back to Lahug to visit some more places. We again rode the ferryboat to Pier 3, and from there, we took two jeepney rides to JY Center, where there are a lot of available motorcycles for hire. We took the Pier 3 to Colon to JY route by first riding a 02B jeepney to Colon and then 04C to JY. You’ll know when you’re near or at JY because motorcycle drivers will continuously be shouting the names of the tourist spots that they could take you to, namely Sirao Flower Farm, Temple of Leah, Taoist Temple, TOPS, and Lantaw.

From JY, we picked a motorcycle to ride on, and we agreed on PHP 600 for the whole tour that included the first four places of abovementioned tourist spots. There were two of us, so basically, it’s PHP 300 each. If you’re traveling alone, take note of this number, and don’t agree to a price way higher than this. We didn’t go to Lantaw because (1) we didn’t know what it was and (2) we were tired. Our driver was kind enough to show us the places with enthusiasm. He even took our pictures from time to time.

The ride to Sirao was quite a long one. If you want to visit the flower farm, consider wearing a jacket. It is quite cold there. That’s why the flowers are able to grow so well because the place has the ideal climate for them.

It was drizzling when we got there, and the ground was wet and muddy. Another piece of advice when you want to visit is to do it before the rainy season and to do it before November. Our tour guide, a.k.a. our driver, told us that we haven’t seen its full beauty yet since most of the flowers have already been harvested for All Souls’ Day. However, we did enjoy our time there. The place reminded me so much of Baguio City.

There is an entrance fee of PHP 35 per person, and there are a few stalls you could buy flowers from.

Our next destination was Tops. People visit it mostly because you could see the whole Cebu while you’re there. Spoiler alert: It still looks as unorganized as it is when you’re in the city. However, you could appreciate the tall buildings more and how many trees we’ve lost over the time (Not so fun, but it’s true).

The overall experience while we were there, though, was amazing. I wish we had stayed longer. It’s definitely an amazing place to spend long hours with your family or significant other. There are a few restaurants around, but we didn’t get to try the food there. We saw wine. We just assumed it was expensive. The entrance fee is PHP 100 each.

Our next destination is one of the most famous tourist attractions in Cebu. If you want to go to Greece but can’t afford it yet, this is the place to be. The temple was made by Teodorico Adarna for his late wife, Leah Villa Adarna. I think his love was so great that he had to make a temple for her. (Or perhaps he did something really awful when she was alive, and this is his way of atoning that. I really don’t know.)

The place boasts of magnificent statues, pillars, and intricate details that drive thousands of tourists to visit every year. There is an entrance fee of PHP 50, but the place is great for photoshoots, and in a world where social media reign supreme, that is a small price to pay for a good background. #iwashere #templeofleah #whenincebu

What really amazed me the most is its size. It’s so freakin’ big. I felt like I was in another country. The temple is not yet finished, though, and constructions are still going on to make it even bigger. I guess that’s how rich people say “I love you this much.”

Our very last destination for the day was the famous Taoist temple. I didn’t know much about it or what to expect, so we went there knowing completely nothing about it, including which way we should go. Our driver left us at the gate of the Beverly Hills subdivision, and he said he was grateful for our trust in him, but he wasn’t allowed inside anymore. My sister, being one of the rare curiosities of the human race, is the most kind-hearted and understanding person I know, so she smiled and happily handed the money over without question. I, on the other hand, felt cheated. I wanted to scream “I thought you would take us to allthose places you mentioned and returnus to JY!”

Useful tip: When negotiating with motorcyclists, make sure to be really clear about the destinations as well as the fees. I had another experience once when I rode on a motorcycle, and he promised to take me to Colon. However, he dropped me off at a place really far away from my destination and said we couldn’t possibly go there because we didn’t have helmets on, and it’s against the law to not wear helmets when we’re at certain places in the city. I wanted to scream at him, but since we were in a busy area and I didn’t have the time nor the energy to argue (I was running late for class), I paid him and left.

That was a pretty long side note, but it is really helpful to make the terms as clear as possible so you will not end up frustrated and cursing in the middle of your vacation. Anyway, I digress.

We had to walk from the entrance to the temple. I didn’t mind because I like walking, especially in quiet places. The temple is in a subdivision that only the rich could afford, and since society in general has a shortage of that kind of people, we didn’t meet anyone along the way except for the two guards on duty. It was a long walk, but I enjoyed it. There were a lot of big houses, and the air was cool and calm. We didn’t exactly know where the temple was, but when we saw it from afar, we did not have a doubt that we were in the right place.

There were no entrance fees for this one. We just had to observe their rules. You can’t be noisy because it is a place of worship, and there are certain places that you are not allowed to take pictures in.Personally, I don’t know much about Taoism. When I hear about it, I think of two things: China and Jet Li. I’m not sure if the second one is right, though. Anyway, it was interesting to observe their place of worship. I saw statues that reminded me of Mulan. Those bearded men were exactly like the ones who gave Mushu the command to awaken the Great Stone Dragon.

My sister and I had a lot of fun admiring the detailed buildings and the serenity of the place. There was a tower viewer that you could use. Just insert a five-peso coin in there, and bam! The city magnifies before you. We left there pretty late. We took our time because it was our last place to visit for the day.

The way home was pretty scary, though. Since we didn’t have a ride, we had to walk from the temple to the entrance. The cool and calm air that I mentioned earlier was mixed with darkness. The setting could easily turn into a horror movie. My sister and I were the only breathing creatures in sight. When we finally made it to the entrance (which, of course, we used as an exit), we decided to exercise more and walk all the way to the main road. By the time we got there, we were so tired that even the idea of walking seems like the most absurd thing in the world.

We went back, had our dinner, and slept our hearts out. It was one of the most unforgettable days of my life because it was the first touristy thing I did without adult supervision. And I’m looking forward to more in the future.

What would you recommend me to visit next?