My flight with my office mates going to Cebu via Cebu Pacific was delayed for six hours due to maintenance repair work of Tagaytay’s radar which we thought has ended the day before our flight. It was a stressful day seeing lots of people complaining, shouting and some were fuming with anger at the ticketing employees. I commend these employees for dealing with them with so much patience.

At Temple of Leah, one of the newest attractions in Cebu CIty

For me, it’s not good to set my mood on fire with this kind of impediment. We patiently waited and were thankful that we were rebooked by 1:30 pm. Unlike some passengers, they were rebooked the following day. Our Cebu-Bohol itinerary was greatly affected. But we have to save the day from stress and that “travel must go on.”

Our first day in Cebu should have been a whole day city tour. However, we arrived at almost 4:00 pm in our hotel, Crown Regency Suites in Mactan. We do not want to spoil our vacation, so we will spend the night with the thrilling Sky Walk Extreme Adventure in Crown Regency Hotel and Towers.

Sky Walk Extreme

This famous adventure features a ten-minute walk with an overhead safety harness on the pathway around the 37th floor standing 45 storeys high at Crown Regency Hotel and Towers, the second-highest building in Metro Cebu. We paid Php750.00 for the entrance fee, skywalk extreme, the buffet, and the electronic watch (Php100.) that will serve as a ticket to the activity area.

We wore the orange jumpsuit and the guide assisted us in wearing the harness. After a short orientation, we walked on the open pathway. There was picture taking along the way but with a fee. I could say, the last was the scariest of all. We sat on the edge while our feet were suspended in the air.

Considering I had this fear of height, surprisingly, my knees did not quiver. I enjoyed every minute of our walk. Read my full story here.

Location: Crown Regency Hotel and Towers, Fuente Towers, Osmeña Blvd, Cebu City
Open Hours: Monday to Friday-2:00 PM to 2:00 AM /Saturday to Sunday-10:00 AM to 1:00 AM
Entrance fee:  Student – Php200 / Adult – Php250
Contact Number: (032) 418 7777

For the rates and schedules of their amenities please see their website here:

Second-day city tour:

We hired a van for a day tour to lessen travel time as we will start from Mactan to downtown Cebu. Our first stop is in the Mactan Shrine which commemorates the Battle of Mactan between the Spaniards and the Visayan native people in April 1521. For Filipino history lovers like me, it’s worth visiting the plaza as there are two important shrines to see, the Lapu Lapu Shrine and the Magellan shrine.

Lapu-Lapu Shrine

I was amazed looking at the 20-meter high bronze statue of Lapu Lapu, a native ruler who stands tall and holding a sword in his right arm and a shield on the other, the weapons he used to combat the enemies. It was something peculiar knowing that I was standing on a very spot where the great battle happened between Lapu-Lapu who fearlessly fought the Spanish soldiers led by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan and defeated them at the end.

Lapu lapu was sculpted with full of vigor and readiness to fight foreign enemies. He was regarded as the first national hero of the country as he defied the Spaniards from their invasion and colonization.

Magellan Shrine

Near Lapu Lapu Shine is Magellan Shrine, a memorial tower erected in 1866 in honor of Magellan, the commander of the Spanish fleet achieving the first circumnavigation of the earth. Although Magellan was regarded by Filipino historians as the “enemy”, he was highly remembered for bringing Christianity to the Philippines as commemorated on Magellan’s Cross Memorial in the heart of Cebu City.

After we strolled around, we bought souvenir goodies from the array of souvenir stalls near the entrance of Lapu Lapu Shrine. It’s good that on my third visit to Cebu City I finally set foot in this famous historic site.

Location: Punta Engaño Rd, Lapu-Lapu City
Visiting hours: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Entrance fee: Free
Parking fee: Free

Cebu Taoist Temple

The temple was built in 1972 by Cebu’s substantial community and is open for worshipers and non-worshipers with no entrance fee. It is the center of worship for Taoism, the religion which follows the teachings of the ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Zi. Visitors can get access by private car, taxi, or motorcycle for hire (habal-habal).

at the entrance of The Taoist Temple

As you get inside, the replica of the Great Wall China will first greet you. Explore around and you will see the chapel, the library, the wishing well, and the souvenir shop. Taking the flight of steps you will get to see one chapel from the second level and another at the top. Both chapels were occupied by devotees praying to their gods. You have to observe silence once you get inside and refrain from picture taking as it is not allowed.

the chapel at the top level of the temple

With an elevation of 300 meters above sea level, the towering temple offered a picturesque view of the city, and that it can be seen on the grand balcony. Overall it was nice walking around looking at colorful temples and seeing visitors seriously lighting the joss sticks and then they pray silently inside the chapel.

Location: Beverly Hills Subdivision, Lahug, Busay Cebu City
Visiting hours: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Entrance fee: Free
Parking fee: Free

Temple of Leah 

The temple is not about worshiping Gods but as of Teodorico Adarna, father of actress Ellen Adarna, the construction of the ancient Roman-inspired structure was built out of his undying love and devotion for his wife Leah Villa Albino-Adarna.

at the entrance of Temple of Leah

As we approached the temple, a wide-open ground with wonderful design and the white statues at the center were the first spectacular things to see. From there, a sweeping panorama of the city was a feast for the eyes. An eye-catching Ancient Rome alike temple was the next big thing to see. There were supposedly two gigantic big golden lions on its side of the staircase but the other one was covered for repair. There were also two gigantic golden angels below the lions. The columns and lintel made the edifice looked more Roman.

the bronze image of the great matriarch of the Adarna clan

At the farthest end of the temple, there was the bronze statue of about 9-feet tall of Leah Albino-Adarna with crown and flower, the reason behind the creation of the huge edifice. Stroll around and you will see the museum, gallery, and library wherein all of Leah’s favorite things were organized neatly.

If India has the Taj Mahal, Cebu has the Temple of Leah, both were built in memory of dearly loved ones.

As of our visit, there were several images for repair and parts of the temple under construction. The best time to visit the place is early morning as it may get so hot nearing noontime.

Location: Roosevelt St., Brgy. Busay, Cebu City
Visiting hours: 24 hours, 7 days a week
Entrance fee: P50 per person
Parking fee: P100 if inside the premises; free if outside but limited slots only
Contact Number: (032-233-5032)

Lunch at Zubu Chon

Cebu City was dubbed as “Lechon Capital of the World”. With this, my buddies wanted to taste this famous meal. We were told that Zubu Chon a lechon restaurant that served the best in the city so off we went there for our lunch.

We settled for this yummy meal: Sinigang na Bangus (P280), Pinakbet (P190), and their best-seller Boneless Zubuchon (P330) with rice and Kamias Shake for P90.

The food was great. The ambiance was good. The serving was fast. Definitely, I will go back here for my next Cebu trip.

Do not leave Cebu City without bringing home their famous dried fish like danggit, palad flakes, sapsap, besugo, shrimp, fish tocino, espada, and pusit which could be bought in Taboan Public Market, the famous market in the city.

Danggit which is also known as rabbitfish or spine foot is the top-selling dried fish that costs P700 per kilo. Since it was a bit pricey for me, I only bought per gram for my hubby and my office mates for P150 only. The other favorite is Palad Flakes which is sold for P680 per kilo. Then I bought also sapsap for P150 and espada for P200. Aside from dried fish, there were also dried mangos and other sweet goodies found in the market.

Taboan Public Market is the famous market for dried fish

It’s good that the vendor sealed all dried fish tightly or else, we will at risk leaving our pasalubong goodies in the airport terminal because of its strong smell. Just be aware that this smell will stick to your clothes. Better spray perfume once you leave.

Location: T. Abella St. cor. B. Aranas st., Brgy. San Nicolas Proper, Cebu City
Open Hours: 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM some stores extend up to 7:00 PM

Sto. Nino Church

Commonly known as Sto. Nino de Basilica, Sto. Nino Church is the oldest Roman Catholic Church in the country. It was founded in 1565, burnt up three times, and was rebuilt in 1737. The belfry was crumbled during the 2013 earthquake but was now restored. Devotees believed that the Infant Child Jesus, the patron being celebrated during Sinulog Festival was said to be miraculous, probably the reason why it was saved from fires.

The Church of Sto. Niño is the oldest Roman Catholic church in the Philippines

Since it was Sunday, we had a hard time passing through the aisles because the church was crowded with devotees and tourists. We stayed only for several minutes inside and later set out to Magellan’s Cross which was just a stone’s throw away from the church.

Magellan’s Cross

Our final leg of our Cebu day tour is in Magellan’s Cross in front of City Hall and adjacent to the Sto. Nino Church. The Cross was believed to be planted by the Spaniards and Portuguese conquerors as ordered by Ferdinand Magellan when they arrived in Cebu City on March 15, 1521. It marked the arrival of Christianity in the Philippines.

Magellan’s Cross is the last leg of our Cebu city tour

The Cross is inside the hexagonal chapel with beautiful paintings on the ceiling that tells the history of Cebu. It remains to be part of the history of the city.

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