Cebu Ocular - Itenerary and Sights to See

My last "known" weekend in Manila before the next business trip, I decided to treat Eyebrows to an early birthday present -- a weekend at Cebu! Being annoyingly O.C., I came up with a tentative itinerary of stuff to do. Kinda wanted to take charge of all the planning for once and let Eyebrows just sit back and enjoy the vacation. :)

Couldn't have done this without the help of Barce and Haidee! Thanks guys for the hospitality!!! We absolutely love Cebu!!!

If you're ever planning to go to Cebu, below are the top 5 things I suggest you must do:

1. Eat CNT Lechon, its the BEST LECHON ever!! Its located near SM, taxi drivers should know where to take you. Plus, you can even take home some to Manila! It's still pretty yummy even if you eat it the next day.


2. Eat in ABACA, Mactan -- I suggest for dinner. It's a bit pricey but the food is awesome! (about PhP1-2K/person) There's no need to get all dolled up, but I suggest you do for the fun of it. You can make a date out of it. Taxis may not know where it is: its a few meters from the Hilton and right beside the Microtel hotel.


3. Visit The Terraces in Ayala Mall. Ok, so its just a mall -- but its a pretty place to walk around, eat, have some dessert, coffee or drinks. Our hotel was really close so we went here often.


4. Visit Tops! Just a few minutes away from the city is the mountains! There's a PhP100 entrance but I think its worth the view. They sell beers inside so its a nice place to hang. Bring a jacket cuz its pretty breezy! Come at night to see the skyline.


5. Gotta see the Shang, Macatan. Its beautiful. Bring your bathing suit if you wanna take a dip. Food is great there too!



Anyway, below is our itinerary -- we didnt really follow it to the detail, but it surely helped!

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Cebu Vacation / Wedding Ocular
HAPPY BIRTHDAY EYEBROWS!!!

FRIDAY, August 7, 2009

1. Ready to Fly to Cebu???

Be at the airport around 12:30PM? Want to make sure we get seats

Manila – Cebu Flight:
Departure: 1:55pm
Arrival: 3:10pm
Airline: Cebu Pacific
Flight: 5J 581

From the airport, we take a taxi to our hotel.

2. We’re finally in Cebu – time to check out our place!

Check In Hotel:
Cebu City Marriott Hotel
Cardinal Rosales Avenue,
Cebu City, 6000, Philippines
Phone: 63-32-415-6100
Confirmation Number: 81144293

3. See Cebu on a Friday night!

We’re quite in the middle of Cebu city, right by the Ayala mall so Im sure there’s a lot to do around the area – or we can take a taxi to see the city at night! It should be really fun! Below is a list of some good restaurants – or we can just wing it! BEST PART OF ALL, my treat! Yey

Restaurants:

Olio Steak and Seafood
Cuisine: Steak and Seafood (duh!)
Coolness Factor: They also have a set menu that includes lobsters and scallops, a choice of beef tenderloin, lamb or seafood for the main course, and strawberry sorbet and tiramisu ice cream plus a glass of wine. YUM!
Crossroads Mall, Banilad
Telephone: 232-3589

SiamCuisine: Thai
Coolness Factor: Its right by Ayala mall – really close to us
2nd fl, the Terraces of Ayala Center

Yakiniku Tajimaya Charcoal GrillCuisine: Yakiniku
Coolness factor: they use a high tech "Smoke Free Char-Grill". Completely Smoke Free! Crossroads Mall, Banilad

Crystal Palace
Cuisine: Chinese cuisine!
Coolness Factor: Its Chinese! Nuf said.
Old Banilad Road, Ginza compound, Banilad
Telephone: 231-3898

Late Gola
Cuisine: Italian
Coolness Factor: Its Italian! Nuf said.
The Terraces of Ayala Center
Telephone: 419-2220

Bigby's Cafe and RestaurantCuisine: Intercontinental Food
Coolness Factor: Reasonable and near!
2/F Ayala Entertainment Center
Telephone: 234 2495

Marco PoloCuisine: Buffet
Coolness Factor: Eat all you can!
Cebu Veterans Drive, Nivel Hills, Apas
Telephone: 253-1111

SATURDAY, August 8, 2009

1. Wakey – wakey sleepy head!!!

First, the struggle to wake up – probably have to wake up at around 8:30AM? Have breakfast, take a shower… drag me out of bed… the usual! There is a shuttle in the Ayala mall (which is supposed to be really near our hotel) that can take us to Mactan or we can bug Barce to drive for us. It takes about 1 hour to get there. We’ll figure it out

Time Chart:
8:30AM – Wakey wakey!
10:00AM – leave for Mactan Island

2. Our ocular begins with… Shangri-La Mactan

Our appointment with them is at 11:00AM.

Hotel Information:
Appointment: 11:00 AM
Address: Punta Engano Road, Lapu-Lapu, Cebu
Telephone Number: 63-32-231-0288
Contact Person: Beng / Tonette (Events)

Then we can have lunch at the Shang, they have a few good restaurants plus it will be an opportunity for us to try their food.

Restaurants:

Acqua Acqua - a contemporary, stylish restaurant with views of the infinity pool and the ocean, offers a modern twist on traditional Italian cuisine and pizza from our charming wood-fired oven. Vegetarian selection available.
Awards: "One of Philippines' Best Restaurants", Philippine Tatler, 2007 and 2008

Buko Bar and Grill - Enjoy your favourite snacks and drinks al fresco while lounging by the pool.
Cowrie Cove A resort classic, Cowrie Cove offers delicious al fresco seafood dining in a charming beachside location. The adjacent ChillOut Bar is a popular complement to this perennial dining favorite.
Awards: “One of the Philippines' Best Restaurants", Philippine Tatler, 2007 and 2008

Tea of Spring Tea of Spring - is a timelessly elegant and stylish contemporary Cantonese with an extensive selection of Chinese loose-leaf teas.
Awards: “One of the Philippines' Best Restaurants", Philippine Tatler, 2007 and 2008

Tides Tides - featuring a buffet of international dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily, offer an interactive, open-kitchen concept that makes for an engaging all-day dining experience. Vegetarian menu is available.
Awards: "One of the Philippines' Best Restaurants", Philippine Tatler, 2007 and 2008


3. Next Stop: Hilton

Ok, now Im not sure how we can get to the Hilton but Im assuming we can take a taxi or tricycle? Shouldn’t be that hard… right? We need to be there by 2:00PM

Hotel Information:
Appointment: 2:00PM
Address: Punta Engano Mactan Island, Cebu
Telephone Number: 63-32-492-7777
Contact Person: Elena / Eunice / Sharon (Sales)

4. Last Ocular: Plantation Bay

Our appointment with them is at 4:00PM, good news is its our last stop! Again… Im assuming a taxi or tricycle is easy to find.

Hotel Information:
Appointment: 4:00PM
Address: Marigondon, Mactan Island, Cebu
Telephone Number: 63-32-340 5900
Contact Person: Lain (Account Executive)

Lest we start starving on the way back, we can probably get a light (light lang ha!) snack before we head back. The resort has tons of choices!

5. Back to the city!

So Im thinking we’ll be done by around 6:00PM. Our easiest bet is to have the hotel call us a taxi to bring us back to the city.

6. Freshen up and Hang out!!!

We can go back to the hotel and relax a bit then meet up with Barce – if he’s not already with us – for dinner and drinks!

SUNDAY, August 9, 2009

1. Sunday’s are for chill-axing…

Sunday is our free day!!! There’s a bunch of things to do in Cebu – bahala na si Batman! Some options:

a. Try out funky food - OUT of AFRICA BBQ STEAKHOUSE, Parkmall for Exotic Foods: Crocodile, Ostrich,Wild Boar,Carabao,Turtle, Deer,Lamb,Venison. Kebabs.

b. Try out CEBU LECHON!!! - CNT Lechon for the authentic and the best Cebu Lechon, located outside SM City Cebu. Remember what Filipinos say all the time: The best lechon is from Cebu. The best lechon in Cebu is from CNT.

c. Shopping? Cebu City is well known for two spacious and modern malls outside Manila. SM City Cebu and the Ayala Center Cebu are the most famous and luxurious shopping centers at the heart of the city. Boutique shops, mini-malls, themed malls, fine and alfresco dining include ParkMall, Banilad Town Center, among others.

d. Fuente Rotunda is an especially scenic spot at nights. Many locals hangout here inside the park premises near the fountain. A variety of shops, fastfood chains, a mall, eateries, and restaurants surround the area. Be sure to bring a camera to take a shot where the old style province meets the vibrant and sophisticated urban lifestyle.

e. Fuenta Rotunda is the arguably the center of the city with roads stretching out into different parts of the city. One road leads to General Maxilom Avenue, where most of the Cebu night life exists. Disco bars, coffee shops, comedy bars line this busy avenue with bars opening at around 8pm. They usually close when the last customer leaves.

f. Another stretch from Fuenta Rotunda is the Osmena Blvd. With bars, restaurants, and coffeeshops leading all the way to the Provincial Capitol, which is particularly scenic at night. The Provincial Capitol is by far the largest provincial Capitol building anywhere in the entire archipelago. Its original design is a miniature of the White House and was built during the American Era.

g. Just in one of the roads near Fuenta is Larsian Barbeque. The locals here love and eat and the barbeque in this place is one of the best and the cheapest around the city. The barbeque portions are small so you have enough space to store dessert. Try various kinds of barbequed local delicacies not for the faint of heart: innards, coagulated blood, squid, hotdogs aside from the usual pork and chicken varieties.

h. Just adjacent Robinson's Mall is the Crown Regency Cebu which is the tallest building in the city. Adventure seekers may head to the top floor to experience a breathtaking view of this modern city and its environs. You may also opt to join in the Xtreme Rides that literally puts you on the edge of the city, or you may walk around the edge of the building (don't worry, safety cables are attached) to experience this once in a lifetime experience.

i. Drive by Colon Street, the oldest street of the country and brave the cacophonous traffic for some nice worn out classical buildings dating back to the American Era. At nighttime, this street transforms into a night market with unbelievably good buys here and around everywhere. Be wary of pickpockets though.

j. Just at the end of the street turn a few blocks and you will see the Heritage of Cebu, a massive and particularly detailed monument showcasing nothing else but the heritage of Cebu from the old Spanish to the American colonial era.

k. Head to the Casa Gorordo, a well preserved Spanish Colonial Mansion complete with patio. This house is turned into a museum and it gives a rather detailed view of how the high society lived during the Spanish era.

l. Fort San Pedro is the smallest Spanish Outpost in the Philippines during the colonial era. It features a small museum showcasing the wreckage and treasures from the sunken San Diego Galleon from Mexico. The area, which used to be scenic, is unusually chaotic due to the construction of the Subway section of the Coastal road linking Southern Cebu to the North Reclamation Area.

m. See the Taoist Temple for a unique look at the island's Chinese heritage. The Chinese make up a significant part of the population, with much of the locals having full, half or part Chinese ancestry.

n. Go to Tops, which literally sits at the top of the Mt Busay for an unobstructed view of the entire city at night. A few shops and restaurants stand along the way for a short stop.

o. The historic Magellan's Cross is opposite the Cebu City Hall. This is where the Portuguese conquistador Ferdinand Magellan planted the first wooden cross upon converting the original inhabitants to Christianity. The original cross is nowhere to be found though. Historians say the original wooden cross was made into a firewood by the local inhabitants when the Magellan fleet headed somewhere else. Admire the small unique structure where the replica of the cross is planted. This city icon also has a mural on the ceiling. Take time to appreciate the various candle sellers who dance around during worship and while selling the candles. The very large and old Basilica Minore del Sto. Nino is just on the next street. Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral is a few blocks away.
* Thanks to Wikitravel for the info...

2. Ready to go back home?

Be at the airport around 7:30PM?

Cebu – Manila Flight:
Departure: 9:05pm
Arrival: 10:20pm
Airline: Cebu Pacific
Flight: 5J 578

From the hotel, we take a taxi to the airport.