All in all, I have been to the Philippines 3 times, but this is my first visit to Cebu. A direct flight from Singapore to Cebu took about 3½ hours. Even though I arrived in the wee hours of the morning (4am to be exact), the city was not as deserted as I would have expected. They were already people on the streets, some washing vehicles, some going to work, others sweeping the streets. The day begins early.
I stayed at a hotel in Mandaue City, conveniently located not far away from fastfood restaurants and drug stores. Take a couple of Jeepneys and there is a huge shopping mall/hypermarket where you can find everything you need.
I also visited some of the historical sites in Mandaue City, including the Magellan's Cross, the Basilica of Santo Nino, the Independence Plaza, Fort San Pedro and the San Jose Parish Church, which house a life-sized depiction of the Last Supper.
Cebu City
A short drive away, Cebu City, which is the capital of Cebu, is slightly more lively and has larger hotels and shops in the heart of the city. The streets are also more congested. There we visited the famous Taoist Temple midway up the hillside. The view is really quite beautiful, and the air was fresh and breezy. Simply excellent fengshui as one would say "風涼水冷".
After that, we each took a motorcycle up to the top of the mountains, called The Tops.
The view is absolutely breathtaking, you can see almost the whole Mandaue and Cebu cities as well as Mactan Island where the airport is and Lapu-Lapu City. And the temperature up there is at least a few degrees lower than in the city. Simply loved it up there at the top of the mountains.
Lapu-Lapu City
Located on the island of Mactan, Lapu-Lapu City is connected to Cebu by 2 road bridges. However, you can also travel to the island by ferry, which is what I did.
Lapu-Lapu City boasts of beautiful seaside resorts, sandy beaches, the famous church Nuestra Senora Virgen de Regla Parish Church, colourful street markets and modern shopping malls. You can spend the whole day just exploring the city, or go island hopping (a favourite past-time for tourists).
It was a great eye-opener for me. I enjoyed my few days in Cebu very much and am looking forward to going back for more.
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