27 Mar 2012
What & Where To Eat In Cebu City
You don't travel to Cebu City just for the sake of traveling, do you? In our culture, lechon is number one in the list of favorite cuisines that we don't skip in any food destination. Even in the busyness of our daily lives, lechon has become part of our fast meals. There is no food court in any mall of Metro Manila without a food stall that serves lechon. After all, lechon is a national dish of the Philippines according to Wikipedia. And my bet is, you're as curious as I was to finally get to taste Cebu's Lechon.
Interestingly, it's not Cebu's "Places of Interests" that excited me the most days before I flown to the Queen City of the South. Maybe because, it's already given that I get to see them. Cebu's famous lechon was the main thing that occupied my mind in a very delectable way. And weeks since I had return, I am still eager to taste it again. The meat is just so delicious. Its best tasting flavor is unique from its tender meat to its crispy yet soft skin.
In eating Cebu lechon, you don't dip it in the usual gravy that we used to have as sauce for our lechon here in Luzon. In Cebu, the condiment for lechon is a wishy washy mixture of vinegar and soy sauce with cayenne pepper. The way Cebu Lechon is marinated, this sauce ultimately comes compatible with the relish of Cebu's roasted pig. Maybe that's one of the two reasons why I was tempted to eat only with my bare hands on my first lunch in Cebu. Yes, I've eaten out with my bare hands. Forget about the fork and spoon. As long as I have my Cebu lechon meal, I will eat in bare hands hehe. The second reason I didn't use the utensils was the rice that I only discovered in Cebu. Another food favorite you must taste in your first visit of Cebu.
Just merely imagining Cebu's lechon with its partner rice which is called puso in front of me, I couldn't control my drooling for these food. Pronounced "pusô" with stress at the last syllable and said in quickly manner as compared to Tagalog word puso which means heart that is pronounced "pu-so" with a slow long emphasize on the first syllable, the staple eaten with Cebu's lechon is served wrapped in young coconut leaves. Although the wrapped rice is cut into two, it's still intact. When I picked one of them and tried to unwrapped it, the desire to eat kicked in. And so after quickly going to wash area, I ate with my bare hands and really enjoyed my lunch in an unknown area of Cebu City. I'll talked about it later.
Pusô is very popular in Cebu City. You will see them in restaurants, eateries and food court stalls that serve lechon. One interesting factor about this rice is: it's either on your plate when you order them or you see them hanging on the eateries or restaurants that sold them. I think it's the main reason that it is also popularly known as "hanging rice". So, if you're not sure or you have difficulty in the right pronunciation of "Pusô", just say "Hanging Rice".
My first lunch in Cebu happened in an unlikely place for travelers. After I saw Fort San Pedro, Plaza Independencia, Cebu Cathedral, Basilica Minore del Santo Nino and Magellan's Cross the morning of my first day there, I decided to get lost in the city. I just took a passenger jeepney from Legazpi Street. Instead of alighting at Osmena Blvd, I remained on board until I noticed I was already too far in some shabby community miles away from a burned building of Gaisano Mall. I got worried a little bit until I saw row of eateries with lechon grills on both sides of the road. When I got off the jeepney, I became hungry by just seeing those whole roasted pigs. And so I got in one of the eateries and that's where I've taken the image below of the yummy Cebu lechon meal before finally savoring the visitors favorite food of Cebu City.
Where To Eat Lechon In Cebu?
The best place to have a taste of lechon in Cebu City is CnT Lechon located at 1377 Rama Ave, Guadalupe, Cebu City. You may call them at these telephone numbers: (332) 254-6641 and (332) 254-4249.
Whenever in mall, e.g. SM City Cebu, I would have my lechon from Marina Lechon located in the food court. In Robinson's Cebu City, I had my lechon from a food stall named Sugbahan. In Colon, Cebu lechon is sold at Metro Gaisano food court located at sixth floor.
Balbacua - If we have Bulalo in Metro Manila, they have Balbacua in Metro Cebu. This Cebuano specialty dish has become a favorite in roadside eateries. I don't know how they cook it but for me it's a culinary delight. The assortment of exotic beef parts, i.e. skin, oxtail and feet are cooked with other ingredients and the finished product is a bowl of tender and succulent meats swimming in viscous and a bit peppery and spicy broth. The color makes it more desirable. I don't know whether it contains some kind of food coloring or some herbs contribute to its delectable look. Maybe our Cebuano readers can tell us, so to our Cebuano kauban, amigos and amigas, kindly click here to share your know-how of your delicious Balbacua. Anyway, this is one great food you should not miss. You got to taste it. Your travel to Cebu will not be complete without it.
Where To Eat Balbacua?
Aside from eateries on waysides, food courts of major malls have Balbacua in their menus. I had my first bowl in Sugbahan sa Cebu in Robinson's Food Court. I fell in love with its taste right off so when I went to SM City Cebu City food court, I looked for a stall that sold this. And I wasn't disappointed with my second bowl in Marina.
Large Clams - This is great after you've trekked highlands of Cebu or just been to street hopping before noon. Having a great lunch with hot thin soup of fresh seafood cooked with spring onions and sliced ginger is a treat. The mere sight of large clams in hot white soup is so appetizing. It was only in Cebu that I've seen clams as large as my ladle.
Where To Eat Large Clams?
The best places to have this are food courts of any major malls, i.e. Robinson's Mall, SM City Cebu and Ayala Center Cebu. Sugbahan sa Cebu of Robinson's and Marina of SM City both serve smoking hot large clams' soup.
Ensaladang Seaweed - Also known as Ensaladang Lato and called seaweed salad in English, this is a great side dish that is compatible with any viand. I had this whenever I ordered Cebu's lechon. The fresh seaweed, after thoroughly cleansed from impurities, is added with mixture of vinegar or lemon, chopped onion, crushed garlic, sliced ginger, small cubes of tomatoes, spring onion and dash of salt.
Where To Eat Ensaladang Seaweed?
Because of the way it is prepared, make sure that your Ensaladang Seaweed is bought from reputable dining places. Since I've eaten out in Marina and Sugbahan which can be found in the food courts of SM City Cebu, Robinson's Cebu and Ayala Center Cebu and I hadn't experience any upset stomach after feasting upon the exotic food, I recommend to buy this specialty dish from the same places.
My Favorite in Dimsum Break - I happened to glanced to photos of menu attached to the wall of the popular food chains in Cebu and one authentic food caught my attention. I ordered one serving and I came to like it very much. Unfortunately, I forgot its name, blame it to the yummy food LOL. Anyway, I had it pictured. Just look at the picture below and look for the similar image in a Dimsum Break branch.
Where Can I Found Dimsum Break?
Dimsum Break is a very popular dining destination serving wide variety of very affordable foods. It's everywhere in Cebu City. Eating out in Dimsum Break is like eating out in Chowking but with a twist. You'll like it there. Aside from having great tasting dishes, the crews are so nice and respectful. The branches I've been to are located in Colon and in E-Mall.
Sinugba or Grilled Fish - I always eat grilled fish in Metro Manila but the ones I've tried in Cebu are different. They taste as if they're just picked from a newly arrived fisherman's catch and put right into smoldering charcoal to grill. So tasty that you would be tempted to consume more rice to satisfy the craving that the grilled fish suddenly brings. In Tagalog, we call it "Malakas sa kanin."
Where To Eat Inexpensive Sinugba?
Being a traveler in budget, I can't afford to eat in expensive restaurants serving fresh seafood where you point a live fish inside an aquarium and in turn an attendant will cook it for you. That's why when I got to pass by a sidewalk vendor with a makeshift food stall along Osmena Blvd between Colon and Sanciangko streets selling newly cooked food, I decided to give it a try. These food vendors are only available at nights and the way their foods are laid in a table, I could say the dishes are all newly cooked and the grilled fish really looked fresh before it grilled. That's where I had dinner one night with a fresh large "Inihaw na Alumahan" as my dish that truly made me full. It costed me only Php 50.
If you have any comments about this post, kindly click here.
Read more...
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| The famous Cebu's Lechon |
Interestingly, it's not Cebu's "Places of Interests" that excited me the most days before I flown to the Queen City of the South. Maybe because, it's already given that I get to see them. Cebu's famous lechon was the main thing that occupied my mind in a very delectable way. And weeks since I had return, I am still eager to taste it again. The meat is just so delicious. Its best tasting flavor is unique from its tender meat to its crispy yet soft skin.
In eating Cebu lechon, you don't dip it in the usual gravy that we used to have as sauce for our lechon here in Luzon. In Cebu, the condiment for lechon is a wishy washy mixture of vinegar and soy sauce with cayenne pepper. The way Cebu Lechon is marinated, this sauce ultimately comes compatible with the relish of Cebu's roasted pig. Maybe that's one of the two reasons why I was tempted to eat only with my bare hands on my first lunch in Cebu. Yes, I've eaten out with my bare hands. Forget about the fork and spoon. As long as I have my Cebu lechon meal, I will eat in bare hands hehe. The second reason I didn't use the utensils was the rice that I only discovered in Cebu. Another food favorite you must taste in your first visit of Cebu.
Just merely imagining Cebu's lechon with its partner rice which is called puso in front of me, I couldn't control my drooling for these food. Pronounced "pusô" with stress at the last syllable and said in quickly manner as compared to Tagalog word puso which means heart that is pronounced "pu-so" with a slow long emphasize on the first syllable, the staple eaten with Cebu's lechon is served wrapped in young coconut leaves. Although the wrapped rice is cut into two, it's still intact. When I picked one of them and tried to unwrapped it, the desire to eat kicked in. And so after quickly going to wash area, I ate with my bare hands and really enjoyed my lunch in an unknown area of Cebu City. I'll talked about it later.
Pusô is very popular in Cebu City. You will see them in restaurants, eateries and food court stalls that serve lechon. One interesting factor about this rice is: it's either on your plate when you order them or you see them hanging on the eateries or restaurants that sold them. I think it's the main reason that it is also popularly known as "hanging rice". So, if you're not sure or you have difficulty in the right pronunciation of "Pusô", just say "Hanging Rice".
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| Cebu's Pusô aka Hanging Rice |
My first lunch in Cebu happened in an unlikely place for travelers. After I saw Fort San Pedro, Plaza Independencia, Cebu Cathedral, Basilica Minore del Santo Nino and Magellan's Cross the morning of my first day there, I decided to get lost in the city. I just took a passenger jeepney from Legazpi Street. Instead of alighting at Osmena Blvd, I remained on board until I noticed I was already too far in some shabby community miles away from a burned building of Gaisano Mall. I got worried a little bit until I saw row of eateries with lechon grills on both sides of the road. When I got off the jeepney, I became hungry by just seeing those whole roasted pigs. And so I got in one of the eateries and that's where I've taken the image below of the yummy Cebu lechon meal before finally savoring the visitors favorite food of Cebu City.
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| Cebu City's Lechon Meal |
Where To Eat Lechon In Cebu?
The best place to have a taste of lechon in Cebu City is CnT Lechon located at 1377 Rama Ave, Guadalupe, Cebu City. You may call them at these telephone numbers: (332) 254-6641 and (332) 254-4249.
Whenever in mall, e.g. SM City Cebu, I would have my lechon from Marina Lechon located in the food court. In Robinson's Cebu City, I had my lechon from a food stall named Sugbahan. In Colon, Cebu lechon is sold at Metro Gaisano food court located at sixth floor.
Here are other Cebuano dishes that deserved high ratings:
Balbacua - If we have Bulalo in Metro Manila, they have Balbacua in Metro Cebu. This Cebuano specialty dish has become a favorite in roadside eateries. I don't know how they cook it but for me it's a culinary delight. The assortment of exotic beef parts, i.e. skin, oxtail and feet are cooked with other ingredients and the finished product is a bowl of tender and succulent meats swimming in viscous and a bit peppery and spicy broth. The color makes it more desirable. I don't know whether it contains some kind of food coloring or some herbs contribute to its delectable look. Maybe our Cebuano readers can tell us, so to our Cebuano kauban, amigos and amigas, kindly click here to share your know-how of your delicious Balbacua. Anyway, this is one great food you should not miss. You got to taste it. Your travel to Cebu will not be complete without it.
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| Cebu City's Balbacua |
Where To Eat Balbacua?
Aside from eateries on waysides, food courts of major malls have Balbacua in their menus. I had my first bowl in Sugbahan sa Cebu in Robinson's Food Court. I fell in love with its taste right off so when I went to SM City Cebu City food court, I looked for a stall that sold this. And I wasn't disappointed with my second bowl in Marina.
Large Clams - This is great after you've trekked highlands of Cebu or just been to street hopping before noon. Having a great lunch with hot thin soup of fresh seafood cooked with spring onions and sliced ginger is a treat. The mere sight of large clams in hot white soup is so appetizing. It was only in Cebu that I've seen clams as large as my ladle.
 |
| Cebu's Large Clams Dish |
Where To Eat Large Clams?
The best places to have this are food courts of any major malls, i.e. Robinson's Mall, SM City Cebu and Ayala Center Cebu. Sugbahan sa Cebu of Robinson's and Marina of SM City both serve smoking hot large clams' soup.
 |
| Large Clams |
Ensaladang Seaweed - Also known as Ensaladang Lato and called seaweed salad in English, this is a great side dish that is compatible with any viand. I had this whenever I ordered Cebu's lechon. The fresh seaweed, after thoroughly cleansed from impurities, is added with mixture of vinegar or lemon, chopped onion, crushed garlic, sliced ginger, small cubes of tomatoes, spring onion and dash of salt.
 |
| Cebu's Ensaladang Seaweed |
Where To Eat Ensaladang Seaweed?
Because of the way it is prepared, make sure that your Ensaladang Seaweed is bought from reputable dining places. Since I've eaten out in Marina and Sugbahan which can be found in the food courts of SM City Cebu, Robinson's Cebu and Ayala Center Cebu and I hadn't experience any upset stomach after feasting upon the exotic food, I recommend to buy this specialty dish from the same places.
My Favorite in Dimsum Break - I happened to glanced to photos of menu attached to the wall of the popular food chains in Cebu and one authentic food caught my attention. I ordered one serving and I came to like it very much. Unfortunately, I forgot its name, blame it to the yummy food LOL. Anyway, I had it pictured. Just look at the picture below and look for the similar image in a Dimsum Break branch.
 |
| My favorite specialty from Dimsum Break |
Where Can I Found Dimsum Break?
Dimsum Break is a very popular dining destination serving wide variety of very affordable foods. It's everywhere in Cebu City. Eating out in Dimsum Break is like eating out in Chowking but with a twist. You'll like it there. Aside from having great tasting dishes, the crews are so nice and respectful. The branches I've been to are located in Colon and in E-Mall.
Sinugba or Grilled Fish - I always eat grilled fish in Metro Manila but the ones I've tried in Cebu are different. They taste as if they're just picked from a newly arrived fisherman's catch and put right into smoldering charcoal to grill. So tasty that you would be tempted to consume more rice to satisfy the craving that the grilled fish suddenly brings. In Tagalog, we call it "Malakas sa kanin."
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| Sinugba or Grilled Fish sold in Cebu's sidewalk |
Where To Eat Inexpensive Sinugba?
Being a traveler in budget, I can't afford to eat in expensive restaurants serving fresh seafood where you point a live fish inside an aquarium and in turn an attendant will cook it for you. That's why when I got to pass by a sidewalk vendor with a makeshift food stall along Osmena Blvd between Colon and Sanciangko streets selling newly cooked food, I decided to give it a try. These food vendors are only available at nights and the way their foods are laid in a table, I could say the dishes are all newly cooked and the grilled fish really looked fresh before it grilled. That's where I had dinner one night with a fresh large "Inihaw na Alumahan" as my dish that truly made me full. It costed me only Php 50.
If you have any comments about this post, kindly click here.
22 Mar 2012
Where To Stay In Cebu City
Travelling to Cebu City on shoestring budget entails familiarity to the downtown where accommodations are very affordable. The areas near Colon St - Osmena Blvd junction are the locations of many popular hotels. Public transportation is abundant and meals of all types are available from popular food chains to small food stalls and sidewalk vendors. If the place where you sleep is right where jeepneys of all destinations pass through and inexpensive foods are everywhere, you wouldn't get worried of running out of money. The result is a stress-free vacation whether you're travelling solo or in group.
Cheap accommodations should not sacrifice comfort and security. A good night sleep is a key element in making your travel a memorable one.
This entry is the fourth post of information-rich series about travelling to Cebu. To read the first post, go to Good Eats And Good Rides From Manila To Cebu. The second post is entitled Cebu: Taking Taxi From Mactan Airport To Colon and the third which tackles commute guides and walk directions to Cebu's places of interest can be read by going to How To Commute To Cebu's Tourist Spots. I highly recommend to budget travelers flying for the first time to Cebu to first read How To Commute To Cebu's Tourist Spots so that you can have a sense of how to get around the city. Things like how to commute, where to ride, locations and guides to important attractions complete with map app are discussed there. Furthermore, tips and a warning that you must be aware of are also tackled in that article. So, if you haven't read it yet, click here.
For those who've already read How To Commute To Cebu's Tourist Spots, here's the detailed guide on affordable hotels in Cebu City.
List of affordable hotels around the area of Colon and Osmena Blvd.
Rates of these hotels range from Php 450 to 1,200 with the fan room being the lowest. Most of them has free wifi although they differ when it comes to the availability. There are hotels with wifi which is available only at the lobby and there are hotels with wifi that is available right inside the room. I suggest you ask about wifi availability before you check-in. And if it's important for you to have a free wifi in your hotel room, a tip from me which you would get toward the end of this post will surely be invaluable for you when a time comes that you're in the middle of browsing and the wifi suddenly stops.
Now, let me share to you how I got along in deciding what hotel should I stay at during my 5-day travel in Cebu. Cebu Business Hotel has complete amenities including free wifi but the rate of Php 1200 is not for me. Hallmark Hotel is okay so I had included it as among my choices.
GV Tower Hotel is an imposing landmark building at the corner of Sanciangko St and Osmena Blvd. But when the reception staff of the 3-star hotel told me that the wifi is only available at their lobby, I crossed it off my list, notwithstanding their rate of Php 900 which is reasonable considering the GV Tower Hotel star status.
Dorm rate of Elicon House is Php 450 while its single is Php 790. Room rate of Golden Valley Hotel is Php 1,000. After checking out hotels in the area except for Sogo, I've found out that no hotels on my list would allow me to check-in earlier than 12 noon. It was past 8 am. I decided to check out Sogo and see what they have to offer. The lady at the reception desk was very nice and accomodating. She was smiling the whole time. The rate is Php 850 with free wifi, a/c and hot&cold shower. Even though the check-in time is at 12 noon, she said I could check-in right at that moment. That's where Sogo won the competition and they got me.
Cebu Hallmark Hotel is located opposite Jollibee along Osmena Blvd before Colon. Cebu Business Hotel is situated at the corner of Colon and Junquera St. Get there by walking along Colon eastward from Osmena. To get to Elicon House from Colon corner Osmena Blvd, walk along Osmena Blvd northward past Sanciangko St then turn right on the next street which is P. Del Rosario. Walk past Pelaez St until you get to the next intersection which is Junquera St where Elicon House is situated right at the corner. Golden Valley Hotel is located along Pelaez near corner Sanciangko St. From Osmena cor Colon, walk northward, turn right onto Sanciangko St and turn left on the next street that intersects Sanciangko which is Pelaez. Golden Valley Hotel is the second building to the right of Pelaez.
To the left opposite Golden Valley is Tuxedo Business Suites. Sanciangko is the road paralleled to Colon and it serves as the westbound lane for jeepneys and other motorists that take the eastbound Colon. You can easily Sogo, located along Sanciangko near corner Osmena, just turn right from Osmena. Next to Sogo is Cebu View Touist Inn. TMS Lodge is located just opposite newly opened Mall called Elizabeth Mall aka E-Mall. From GV Tower, walk along Sanciangko St westward past Leon Kilat St. From afar the sign of the new economy inn is visible. The map below shows the locations of these hotels in the vicinity of Colon St and Osmena Blvd intersection. Click each red pin to reveal hotel name.
Now, here's my eight tip. This is regarding wifi connection that suddenly breaks down while you're in the middle of web browsing. Do not ever rely on reception attendants when they say they will fix it.
Believe me, on my experience in Cebu and yes it's in Sogo, they had me waiting for so long I could feel it would take them forever to do something about it. But when I demanded the manager to go up into my room and when he showed up I talked to him constructively but with conviction that I am their client that needed the service I deserved. I asserted the need to have the wifi fix. The manager was very professional and apologetic in the way he attended to me and it only took 15 minutes after we talked for me to be online again. After a while, a reception attendant called me up and asked if I was already connected. See the thing is the staff don't know nothing about certain issues that occur from time to time. Only the manager has the skills to fix technical matters. So my eight tip: Once your wifi connection breaks down, talk to manager directly and be assertive in your demand to have it connected, because he knows that you know your right as a customer and the service you're demanding is included in their service that you fully paid. I'm sharing to you this because it happens all the time - wife connection breaking down and those stuff. For all we know, all they need to do is to reset the router. Okay so much about this tip. The other seven tips from me on this topic can be read on the posts that precede this with their links I've already mentioned above. If you don't want to miss out important articles from me subscribe now. Click here.
Read more...
Cheap accommodations should not sacrifice comfort and security. A good night sleep is a key element in making your travel a memorable one.
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| Even 3-star hotel in downtown Cebu like GV Tower Hotel is affordable |
This entry is the fourth post of information-rich series about travelling to Cebu. To read the first post, go to Good Eats And Good Rides From Manila To Cebu. The second post is entitled Cebu: Taking Taxi From Mactan Airport To Colon and the third which tackles commute guides and walk directions to Cebu's places of interest can be read by going to How To Commute To Cebu's Tourist Spots. I highly recommend to budget travelers flying for the first time to Cebu to first read How To Commute To Cebu's Tourist Spots so that you can have a sense of how to get around the city. Things like how to commute, where to ride, locations and guides to important attractions complete with map app are discussed there. Furthermore, tips and a warning that you must be aware of are also tackled in that article. So, if you haven't read it yet, click here.
For those who've already read How To Commute To Cebu's Tourist Spots, here's the detailed guide on affordable hotels in Cebu City.
List of affordable hotels around the area of Colon and Osmena Blvd.
Cebu Business Hotel Cebu Hallmark Hotel Cebu View Tourist Inn Elicon House Golden Valley Hotel | GV Tower Hotel Hotel Sogo TMS Lodge Tuxedo Business Suites |
Cebu Business Hotel Cebu Hallmark Hotel Cebu View Tourist Inn Elicon House Golden Valley Hotel | GV Tower Hotel Hotel Sogo TMS Lodge Tuxedo Business Suites |
Rates of these hotels range from Php 450 to 1,200 with the fan room being the lowest. Most of them has free wifi although they differ when it comes to the availability. There are hotels with wifi which is available only at the lobby and there are hotels with wifi that is available right inside the room. I suggest you ask about wifi availability before you check-in. And if it's important for you to have a free wifi in your hotel room, a tip from me which you would get toward the end of this post will surely be invaluable for you when a time comes that you're in the middle of browsing and the wifi suddenly stops.
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| Lodges like TMS are very economical for shoestring travelers |
Now, let me share to you how I got along in deciding what hotel should I stay at during my 5-day travel in Cebu. Cebu Business Hotel has complete amenities including free wifi but the rate of Php 1200 is not for me. Hallmark Hotel is okay so I had included it as among my choices.
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| I've chosen Sogo Cebu because of their location and being considerate |
Hotels' Locations
Cebu Hallmark Hotel is located opposite Jollibee along Osmena Blvd before Colon. Cebu Business Hotel is situated at the corner of Colon and Junquera St. Get there by walking along Colon eastward from Osmena. To get to Elicon House from Colon corner Osmena Blvd, walk along Osmena Blvd northward past Sanciangko St then turn right on the next street which is P. Del Rosario. Walk past Pelaez St until you get to the next intersection which is Junquera St where Elicon House is situated right at the corner. Golden Valley Hotel is located along Pelaez near corner Sanciangko St. From Osmena cor Colon, walk northward, turn right onto Sanciangko St and turn left on the next street that intersects Sanciangko which is Pelaez. Golden Valley Hotel is the second building to the right of Pelaez.
Important: You must zoom out the map to see all hotels. Just pinch the map until all pins are visible. Adjust by pinching out and pinching again. Tap each red pin to reveal the name of each place or hotel. Move the map to any direction by tapping your two fingers on it and move.
17 Mar 2012
How To Commute To Cebu's Tourist Spots
During my travel to Cebu, my first time ever, I made sure I could be of help to other vacationists to the Queen City of The South especially those backpackers and first timers who don't have any idea on how to get to some of the popular attractions within Metro Cebu. I gathered commuting information such as signs of jeepneys headed to these spots as well as where to ride a particular jeepney going to a specific tourist spot. I've also drawn up walking directions one needs to take to some attractions from the location of cheap hotels in Cebu that I also recommend because of their proximity to downtown Cebu's main thoroughfare where most of the public jeepneys pass through. So don't forget to read last section of this post about Cebu hotels or check out hotels in Cebu.
Here are some of popular tourist destinations in Cebu that I've given commute and walk directions in this post, the third of our series of Cebu. You might like to read the first and second chapters. Here are the links: First post, go to Good Eats And Good Rides From Manila To Cebu. Second post, go to Cebu: Taking Taxi From Mactan Airport To Colon. Hope this guide make your travel to Cebu more fun.
Basilica Minore del Santo Nino
Casa Gorordo
Cebu Capitol Building
Cebu Cathedral
Cebu's Ayala Center
Cebu's SM City
Colon Street
Fort San Pedro
Fuente Osmena Circle
Heritage of Cebu Monument
Mactan Shrine aka Lapu Lapu Monument
Magellan's Cross
Plaza Independencia
Sky Adventure at Crown Regency
Taoist Temple
Yap-Sandiego Ansestral House
Colon Street
If you are a first timer in Cebu and as such, travelling in budget, the first spot you should be heading to as soon as you landed in Mactan Cebu International Airport is the historic Colon Street, the first and oldest national road of our country. Although a little bit run-down now, it's still the home of old and popular shopping malls, restaurants, old movie houses, public markets, cheap street foods at night, fashion shops, and most of all affordable hotels. Gaisano malls, Cebu's synonymous to shopping are located here. Third tip from me: There's a big food court serving a lot of cheap foods at the 6th floor of Metro Gaisano located at the corner of Colon and Osmena Blvd. Read my valuable first and second tips on my post entitled Cebu: Taking Taxi From Mactan Airport To Colon. Speaking of food, go check out popular Cebuano dishes, just go to What & Where To Eat In Cebu City.
How To Get To Colon From Mactan Cebu International Airport?
By Taxi - Just tell the taxi driver to take you to Jollibee in Colon corner Osmena Blvd, the main intersection at the middle of Colon where jeepneys headed to major destinations and districts of Cebu City pass through. If you're taking taxi from airport to Colon, I highly recommend reading my post Cebu: Taking Taxi From Mactan Airport To Colon for valuable information that you should know.
By Jeepney - Walk or take a taxi approximately 1.3 km to Mactan Marina Mall located at the right corner of Airport Rd and Quezon National Highway. If you prefer to walk up to Marina Mall, which is safe, just follow the direction of all taxis leaving the airport. There's SM Hypermart inside Marina Mall just in case you need some refreshment. From inside Mactan Marina Mall, walk across Quezon Hi-way to get to the Jeepney Terminal. Ride a green-colored jeepney with "MEPSA Lapu Lapu City Cebu City Vice Versa" wordings on its both sides. The jeep is located at the rear end of the jeepney queue. Alight at SM City Cebu, go to the Jeepney Terminal at the frontage of the mall and ride a jeepney with "Private Colon SM" sign. After taking different roads, the jeep will finally take Sanciangko Street which is paralleled to Colon. If you're sitting at the left side of the jeepney, you should already see the Heritage of Cebu Monument right before the jeep turn right onto Sanciangko St. Alight at the corner of Osmena Blvd. Landmarks here are: Sogo Hotel, located to the left of Sanciangko before Osmena and G.V. Tower Hotel, the tall building located at the second left corner of Osmena. Towards the end of this post is a map that shows the locations of affordable hotels in Colon vicinity. I suggest you read the directions to destinations first before looking at the hotels so that you get to choose the right place to stay. Reading the directions first will familiarize you with getting around the city thereby triangulates the location of a hotel you're comfortable with.
The following five tourist spots are best toured in one trip because they are situated near to each other although you still need to walk a bit far out. Fourth tip from me: Best time to see these four major attractions is during mornings or afternoon. Avoid noon time if you don't want to be scorched by the sun. There's a museum that's closed on weekend, so if you want to see the inside of the museum, pick any day from Monday to Friday.
Fort San Pedro
Plaza Independencia
Cebu Cathedral
Basilica Minore del Santo Nino
Magellan's Cross
By Jeepney - Along Osmena Blvd between Colon and Sanciangko but along the sidewalk of GV Tower Hotel side, ride a jeep with "Jones LAO Colon" sign. Tell the driver that you are going to Fort San Pedro and to please drop you off at it's location. In my case, I approached the driver and ask him if he would pass by Fort San Pedro and when he said he would I told him to drop me off right there. The jeep will loop its way back to Osmena. Always remind the driver to drop you off at your destination. You will be alighted at Plaza Independencia. Get inside the park and afterwards head towards Fort San Pedro which is just across the park. A museum is also located inside Fort San Pedro. Walk your way to the location of Basilica Minore del Santo Nino via Osmena Blvd, the street with red arrow in the map below. Refer to the map. Click red pins to reveal information. To get back to Colon, ride a jeepney with "Colon" word on its both sides at Legaspi St outside Cebu Cathedral. The jeep will turn left on V. Gullas Street from Legaspi. Alight at the corner of Osmena and walk toward Colon.
By Walking - From Sanciangko cor Osmena where GV Tower Hotel is located, walk towards Metro Gaisano Shopping Mall that you can see from afar. Cross Colon and continue walking past Jollibee (next to Gaisano along Osmena), cross five more intersections until you reach the gate of Basilica Minore del Santo Nino, to your right. See Map below.
Use the walkway inside the compound of the basilica to get to Magellan's Cross. To get to Cebu Cathedral, take Zamora St, the road opposite gate of the basilica. Plaza Independencia and Fort San Pedro are situated at the end of Osmena Blvd. You can get there after seeing Magellan's Cross, Basilica Minore and Cebu Cathedral. You can easily return to Colon, just take the same route via Osmena Blvd.
Now, for those of you who like extreme adventures, this particular destination is a must-to-see in Cebu City.
Sky Experience Adventure at Crown Regency
You are riding an edge coaster that not only goes around the edge of 38th floor of the tallest hotel in the Philippines but it also tilts up to 55 degrees literally holding you from falling 130.84 meters below.
Now that's fun. The Edge Coaster is basically the main attraction of Sky Experience Adventure at Crown Regency. But there are quite a lot more this destination has to offer.
How To Get To Crown Regency From Colon?
By Jeepney - Ride a jeepney with any sign at the loading area along Osmena Blvd between Colon St and Sanciangko St. Just remember, you're going to the opposite direction of Fort San Pedro and all other spots near it. Fort San Pedro is to the south, Crown Regency is to the north. So, this time, you will be riding jeep at the northbound lane of Osmena Blvd. Most jeepneys stop just outside McDonald's located at the corner of Colon and Osmena. Pay minimum. Crown Regency is 40-storey. It's situated to the right of Osmena Blvd just before Fuente Osmena Circle. Just get inside the building and inquire at the front desk. The Sky Adventure opens 2 pm.
By Walking - From Colon cor Osmena, Crown Regency is approximately 1.3 km. It's much better to walk your way to the the hotel especially there are times that Osmena Blvd is a bit heavy in traffic. It's relatively safe to walk along this boulevard during day time. A lot of big institutions such as Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Cebu Normal University, Camp Sergio Osmena, boutiques, banks, etc. From the corner of Sanciangko and Osmena Blvd just outside GV Tower Hotel, you can easily see the tall building of Crown Regency. By the way GV Tower is also a tall building, you can use it as your guide in the vicinity of Colon.
Fuente Osmena Circle
Fuente Osmena Circle is a big roundabout in uptown Cebu where a lot of commercial establishments, new restaurants, casinos and bars are situated.
In my observation, it's here that lots of tourists converge after getting around the city. It's the opposite of Colon in terms of rehabilitation. There are upscale office buildings and the entire area is clean. Robinson's Mall Cebu and Cybergate are situated opposite each other. Meanwhile, cultural presentations and social events are held in the park inside the roundabout.
Fuente Osmena Circle is a stone's throw away from Crown Regency and a focal landmark of Cebu City.
Cebu Capitol Building
Cebu Capitol Building is both a pre-war vintage and a replica of the official residence of the President of United States which is the White House. It is located at the north end of Osmena Blvd. You can get there from Fuente Circle or Crown Regency by riding a jeepney with signs in the front like "Ayala Center", "Guadalupe", "Gorordo", etc. See map below to have a bird's eye view of how the Capitol Bldg, Fuente Circle, Crown Regency and Colon Street are situated along the stretch of Osmena Blvd. Click the red pins to reveal information.
Taoist Temple
Taoist Temple is located up in the mountain of posh Beverly Hills in Cebu City. Going there is relatively safe. Here's the direction: In front of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas along Osmena Blvd, wait for a jeepney with "Lahug" word on its signs on both sides. The jeepney has a body number which is 17C. please remember it. My fifth tip: In Cebu, jeepney routes are identified in numbers. Whenever you ask for a certain signage of jeepney that you must ride for a certain destination, most locals answer by giving you 3 digit alphanumeric such as 01C, 12G, 24A, 10M, 06H, etc. Please watch for my upcoming post that will give you the routes and destination of jeepneys in relation to their numbers. It would come in handy when you're in the streets of Cebu and headed to an unfamiliar district, building or barangay. Also, the looks of Cebu jeepneys are very different with the jeepneys in Metro Manila. Cebu has its own version of Philippines' king of the roads. Watch for my upcoming post with photos of Cebuano's jeepney.
Now, back to topic. Even though Taoist Temple is a bit far, you don't need to seek the driver's assistance. Sometimes, they're so busy that they unintentionally forget to drop off passengers to their destination although passengers requested for it. All you need to do is to watch for this big landmark building to appear to your right. When you see this building, get off the jeepney after it passed by the building. This is, by the way, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Cebu Temple. Walk towards the street perpendicular to the left of the road where you alighted which is Gorordo Ave. Ride a habal-habal and say to driver that you're going to Taoist Temple. There are plenty of them and most of the time, the drivers are the ones who offer the ride. I paid 25 pesos when I got there. The habal-habal will take you to the gate of Beverly Hills. Alight there and enter the gate where a guard house stands in the middle.
Ask the guard permission, tell them you're going to Taoist Temple. They are so nice and accommodating. You can easily make out the Temple as soon as you're about 20 meters past the gate. It's to your left. There's an intersection up ahead. Make left. Continue walking along the smoothly cemented road that slopes down a bit before it goes uphill until you get there. There's no entrance fee. See the map below to have a bird's eye view of where to alight from the jeep and where to ride habal-habal.
As you can see in this map, there are scores of habal-habal at the intersection of Gorordo Ave and Sudlon St. The red arrow is the direction habal habal takes to get to Taoist Temple. The red pin here is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
Heritage of Cebu Monument
By Jeepney - You can get here by riding a jeepney with 01K number on its body. The wordings on both sides of the jeep should be "Urgello Colon SM North Terminal". Wait for this jeepney along Colon Street. The jeep will turn left at the east end of Colon. Heritage Monument is immediately to the left before the jeep turn right onto the next street. By now, you know that Colon Street runs from west to east. Osmena Blvd intersects it from north to south.
By Walking - Heritage of Cebu Monument is only about 700 meters from the corner of Osmena Blvd and Colon Street. Walk towards east or the lane in front of Metro Gaisano. Turn left at the end of Colon. There you'll see the mammoth Heritage Monument.
Yap-Sandiego Ancestral House
Casa Gorordo
Yap-Sandiego Ancestral House is to the right of Mabini Street, the road where you would alight from the jeep. Just walk past Heritage Monument until you see the ancestral house to your right. It is exactly located at the corner of Mabini St and Lopez Jaena St.
Casa Gorordo is situated along Lopez Jaena St, just walk from the corner of Mabini where Yap-Sandiego Ancestral House is situated. Walk further past Ramon Aboitiz Bldg which is to the right of Lopez Jaena until you see Casa Gorordo which is located to the left of the street at the corner of the street perpendicular to the left. See map below.
Mactan Shrine aka Lapu-Lapu Monument
Located in Mactan Island past Mactan Cebu International Airport, here's how to get to Mactan Shrine from Colon. Ride a jeep with 01K on its body or these wordings: "Urgello Colon SM North Terminal". Aside from this jeepney, there are other routes bound for SM City Cebu. You can also take any of them.
Get inside SM City Cebu and get outside via another entrance located at the back of the mall. Walk across Kaohsiung St and walk along M. Logarta Ave until you get to the corner of M. Logarta and F. Cabahug Street. Wait for a jeep with "MEPSA Lapu Lapu City Cebu City Vice Versa" signage on its both sides. See map below.
As you can see in this map, the jeepney you are going to ride comes from M. Logarta Ave. This is the road it takes from Mactan Island. The jeepney will unload passengers at this corner. Wait for one to arrive as this is not a terminal. You might wait long, just be patient. The jeep will take Sergio Osmena Blvd on the way back to Mactan Island. Read the continuation of this direction below the map.
The terminal of "MEPSA Lapu Lapu City Cebu City Vice Versa" jeepney in Mactan Island is located at Mactan Marina Mall which is situated at the corner of Quezon National Highway and Airport Road.
Once you get to Mactan Marina Mall, ride another jeep in front of the mall. The sign or wordings on both sides of the jeepney should be "Punta Engano". Just ask the driver to drop you off at Mactan Shrine. In going back to Colon, first ride "Punta Engano" jeep in front of Mactan Shrine. Alight at Mactan Marina Mall. Now here's another tip which is actually a warning: Do not by all means go to Mactan Shrine at night, it's very unsafe, according to the locals. Ride a jeepney with the same signage as the one you took from SM City Cebu which is "MEPZA Lapu Lapu City Cebu City Vice Versa". The jeep is located at the rear end of the jeepney queue. Alight at SM City Cebu, go to the Jeepney Terminal at the frontage of the mall and ride a jeepney with "Urgello Colon SM North Terminal". You can also take jeep with "Private Colon SM" sign. It's located at the first slot of the terminal. It takes Sanciangko Street, the road paralleled to Colon.
Seventh tip: If your flight back to Manila is scheduled in the afternoon and your check-out time in your hotel is 12 noon, you might consider going to Mactan Shrine hours before your flight. You know, traffic along the way back to Cebu City after Fernan Bridge is not favorable. For those who carry heavy luggage, there's Luggage Depository at Mactan Cebu International Airport. You can leave your luggage there for a fee, complete your tour of Cebu by going to Mactan Shrine and then get back to the airport afterwards. Just remember, you must be at the airport 2 hours before your flight. Here's the amount of cost of depositing luggage in Depository: 1 to 2 hours - Php 75, 2 to 4 hours - Php 150, 4 to 10 hours - Php 250, 10 to 24 hours - Php 350. Price is good for only 1 luggage. Below is the map of Cebu with Mactan Cebu International Airport and Mactan Shrine.
As you can see in this map, Mactan Shrine is near Mactan Cebu Int'l Airport. It just makes sense to visit Lapu-Lapu Monument and Magellan's Monument hours before your flight back to Manila.
Ayala Center and SM City Cebu
Going to both Ayala Center and SM City Cebu is a breeze from either Osmena Blvd or Colon Street. There are lots of jeepney routes that go to these malls. In Colon, eastbound lane, wait for jeepney with "SM City" words on its signs. In Osmena Blvd, northbound lane, ride a jeepney with "Ayala Center" or "SM City" words on its both sides or its sign in the front.
In the map below are some of the affordable hotels around Colon Street and Osmena Blvd junction. Choosing a place to stay in this area gives you an edge on managing your time and budgeting your expenses.
Expensive hotels are located in uptown Cebu particularly near Fuente Osmena Circle and Ayala Center and there's one adjacent to SM City Cebu. The ones I tackle here are for those travelling on budget. Click the red pins to get the name of each hotel. In my upcoming post, I will share to you what I did to ensure my wifi connectivity during my stay in Cebu and what is the right thing to do when a wifi connection in your hotel breaks down, or does it? Discover the real score when you can't connect to wifi inside your hotel room.
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Read more...
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| Lapu-Lapu Monument at Mactan Shrine |
Here are some of popular tourist destinations in Cebu that I've given commute and walk directions in this post, the third of our series of Cebu. You might like to read the first and second chapters. Here are the links: First post, go to Good Eats And Good Rides From Manila To Cebu. Second post, go to Cebu: Taking Taxi From Mactan Airport To Colon. Hope this guide make your travel to Cebu more fun.
Basilica Minore del Santo Nino
Casa Gorordo
Cebu Capitol Building
Cebu Cathedral
Cebu's Ayala Center
Cebu's SM City
Colon Street
Fort San Pedro
Fuente Osmena Circle
Heritage of Cebu Monument
Mactan Shrine aka Lapu Lapu Monument
Magellan's Cross
Plaza Independencia
Sky Adventure at Crown Regency
Taoist Temple
Yap-Sandiego Ansestral House
Colon Street
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| Colon Street at dusk |
If you are a first timer in Cebu and as such, travelling in budget, the first spot you should be heading to as soon as you landed in Mactan Cebu International Airport is the historic Colon Street, the first and oldest national road of our country. Although a little bit run-down now, it's still the home of old and popular shopping malls, restaurants, old movie houses, public markets, cheap street foods at night, fashion shops, and most of all affordable hotels. Gaisano malls, Cebu's synonymous to shopping are located here. Third tip from me: There's a big food court serving a lot of cheap foods at the 6th floor of Metro Gaisano located at the corner of Colon and Osmena Blvd. Read my valuable first and second tips on my post entitled Cebu: Taking Taxi From Mactan Airport To Colon. Speaking of food, go check out popular Cebuano dishes, just go to What & Where To Eat In Cebu City.
How To Get To Colon From Mactan Cebu International Airport?
By Jeepney - Walk or take a taxi approximately 1.3 km to Mactan Marina Mall located at the right corner of Airport Rd and Quezon National Highway. If you prefer to walk up to Marina Mall, which is safe, just follow the direction of all taxis leaving the airport. There's SM Hypermart inside Marina Mall just in case you need some refreshment. From inside Mactan Marina Mall, walk across Quezon Hi-way to get to the Jeepney Terminal. Ride a green-colored jeepney with "MEPSA Lapu Lapu City Cebu City Vice Versa" wordings on its both sides. The jeep is located at the rear end of the jeepney queue. Alight at SM City Cebu, go to the Jeepney Terminal at the frontage of the mall and ride a jeepney with "Private Colon SM" sign. After taking different roads, the jeep will finally take Sanciangko Street which is paralleled to Colon. If you're sitting at the left side of the jeepney, you should already see the Heritage of Cebu Monument right before the jeep turn right onto Sanciangko St. Alight at the corner of Osmena Blvd. Landmarks here are: Sogo Hotel, located to the left of Sanciangko before Osmena and G.V. Tower Hotel, the tall building located at the second left corner of Osmena. Towards the end of this post is a map that shows the locations of affordable hotels in Colon vicinity. I suggest you read the directions to destinations first before looking at the hotels so that you get to choose the right place to stay. Reading the directions first will familiarize you with getting around the city thereby triangulates the location of a hotel you're comfortable with.
The following five tourist spots are best toured in one trip because they are situated near to each other although you still need to walk a bit far out. Fourth tip from me: Best time to see these four major attractions is during mornings or afternoon. Avoid noon time if you don't want to be scorched by the sun. There's a museum that's closed on weekend, so if you want to see the inside of the museum, pick any day from Monday to Friday.
Fort San Pedro
Plaza Independencia
Cebu Cathedral
Basilica Minore del Santo Nino
Magellan's Cross
By Jeepney - Along Osmena Blvd between Colon and Sanciangko but along the sidewalk of GV Tower Hotel side, ride a jeep with "Jones LAO Colon" sign. Tell the driver that you are going to Fort San Pedro and to please drop you off at it's location. In my case, I approached the driver and ask him if he would pass by Fort San Pedro and when he said he would I told him to drop me off right there. The jeep will loop its way back to Osmena. Always remind the driver to drop you off at your destination. You will be alighted at Plaza Independencia. Get inside the park and afterwards head towards Fort San Pedro which is just across the park. A museum is also located inside Fort San Pedro. Walk your way to the location of Basilica Minore del Santo Nino via Osmena Blvd, the street with red arrow in the map below. Refer to the map. Click red pins to reveal information. To get back to Colon, ride a jeepney with "Colon" word on its both sides at Legaspi St outside Cebu Cathedral. The jeep will turn left on V. Gullas Street from Legaspi. Alight at the corner of Osmena and walk toward Colon.
Tip: You're using mobile. Please tap your thumb in each of the red pins and it will reveal the name of that attractions. Drag the map by tapping your two fingers and move the map. You can zoom by 'pinch-in' and 'pinch-out' gestures.
By Walking - From Sanciangko cor Osmena where GV Tower Hotel is located, walk towards Metro Gaisano Shopping Mall that you can see from afar. Cross Colon and continue walking past Jollibee (next to Gaisano along Osmena), cross five more intersections until you reach the gate of Basilica Minore del Santo Nino, to your right. See Map below.
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| Fort San Pedro |
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| Magellan's Cross |
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| Fort San Pedro Gate |
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| Basilica Minore del Santo Nino |
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| Cebu Cathedral |
Now, for those of you who like extreme adventures, this particular destination is a must-to-see in Cebu City.
Sky Experience Adventure at Crown Regency
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| Edge Coaster in Sky Adventure of Crown Plaza |
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| Ayala Business Park seen from 38th floor of Crown Plaza |
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| Panoramic view from Sky Adventure of Crown Plaza |
You are riding an edge coaster that not only goes around the edge of 38th floor of the tallest hotel in the Philippines but it also tilts up to 55 degrees literally holding you from falling 130.84 meters below.
How To Get To Crown Regency From Colon?
By Jeepney - Ride a jeepney with any sign at the loading area along Osmena Blvd between Colon St and Sanciangko St. Just remember, you're going to the opposite direction of Fort San Pedro and all other spots near it. Fort San Pedro is to the south, Crown Regency is to the north. So, this time, you will be riding jeep at the northbound lane of Osmena Blvd. Most jeepneys stop just outside McDonald's located at the corner of Colon and Osmena. Pay minimum. Crown Regency is 40-storey. It's situated to the right of Osmena Blvd just before Fuente Osmena Circle. Just get inside the building and inquire at the front desk. The Sky Adventure opens 2 pm.
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| Crown Plaza seen from GV Tower |
Fuente Osmena Circle
Fuente Osmena Circle is a big roundabout in uptown Cebu where a lot of commercial establishments, new restaurants, casinos and bars are situated.
Fuente Osmena Circle is a stone's throw away from Crown Regency and a focal landmark of Cebu City.
Cebu Capitol Building
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| Cebu Capitol Building |
Cebu Capitol Building is both a pre-war vintage and a replica of the official residence of the President of United States which is the White House. It is located at the north end of Osmena Blvd. You can get there from Fuente Circle or Crown Regency by riding a jeepney with signs in the front like "Ayala Center", "Guadalupe", "Gorordo", etc. See map below to have a bird's eye view of how the Capitol Bldg, Fuente Circle, Crown Regency and Colon Street are situated along the stretch of Osmena Blvd. Click the red pins to reveal information.
In the map, all four destinations lined up along Osmena Blvd. Top your two fingers in the map and move downward to see the first. Tap the red pins to get names of each spot.
In the map, all four destinations lined up along Osmena Blvd. Move the map downward to see the first red pin. Tap all red pins to get names of each of the spots.
Taoist Temple
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| Taoist Temple Cebu |
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| Taoist Temple Cebu City |
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| Taoist Temple |
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| A view of Cebu City skyline from Taoist Temple |
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| The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints |
As you can see in this map, there are scores of habal-habal at the intersection of Gorordo Ave and Sudlon St. The red arrow is the direction habal habal takes to get to Taoist Temple. The red pin here is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
Heritage of Cebu Monument
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| Heritage of Cebu Monument |
By Jeepney - You can get here by riding a jeepney with 01K number on its body. The wordings on both sides of the jeep should be "Urgello Colon SM North Terminal". Wait for this jeepney along Colon Street. The jeep will turn left at the east end of Colon. Heritage Monument is immediately to the left before the jeep turn right onto the next street. By now, you know that Colon Street runs from west to east. Osmena Blvd intersects it from north to south.
By Walking - Heritage of Cebu Monument is only about 700 meters from the corner of Osmena Blvd and Colon Street. Walk towards east or the lane in front of Metro Gaisano. Turn left at the end of Colon. There you'll see the mammoth Heritage Monument.
Yap-Sandiego Ancestral House
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| Yap-Sandiego Ancestral House |
Casa Gorordo
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| Casa Gorordo |
Yap-Sandiego Ancestral House is to the right of Mabini Street, the road where you would alight from the jeep. Just walk past Heritage Monument until you see the ancestral house to your right. It is exactly located at the corner of Mabini St and Lopez Jaena St.
Casa Gorordo is situated along Lopez Jaena St, just walk from the corner of Mabini where Yap-Sandiego Ancestral House is situated. Walk further past Ramon Aboitiz Bldg which is to the right of Lopez Jaena until you see Casa Gorordo which is located to the left of the street at the corner of the street perpendicular to the left. See map below.
Note: You're using mobile. If you only see 2 red pins in the map, tap your two fingers in the map and drag the map toward bottom, the other pin will be seen. Click each pin to reveal their names.
As you can see in this map, all you need to do is walk along Colon and then go left when you get to its east end. Heritage Monument is already there and the other two spots are also walking distance from the monument. 01K jeepneys turn left at the end of Colon and then turn right onto Zulueta Street.
Mactan Shrine aka Lapu-Lapu Monument
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| Magellan Monument at Mactan Shrine |
Located in Mactan Island past Mactan Cebu International Airport, here's how to get to Mactan Shrine from Colon. Ride a jeep with 01K on its body or these wordings: "Urgello Colon SM North Terminal". Aside from this jeepney, there are other routes bound for SM City Cebu. You can also take any of them.
As you can see in this map, the jeepney you are going to ride comes from M. Logarta Ave. This is the road it takes from Mactan Island. The jeepney will unload passengers at this corner. Wait for one to arrive as this is not a terminal. You might wait long, just be patient. The jeep will take Sergio Osmena Blvd on the way back to Mactan Island. Read the continuation of this direction below the map.
The terminal of "MEPSA Lapu Lapu City Cebu City Vice Versa" jeepney in Mactan Island is located at Mactan Marina Mall which is situated at the corner of Quezon National Highway and Airport Road.
Seventh tip: If your flight back to Manila is scheduled in the afternoon and your check-out time in your hotel is 12 noon, you might consider going to Mactan Shrine hours before your flight. You know, traffic along the way back to Cebu City after Fernan Bridge is not favorable. For those who carry heavy luggage, there's Luggage Depository at Mactan Cebu International Airport. You can leave your luggage there for a fee, complete your tour of Cebu by going to Mactan Shrine and then get back to the airport afterwards. Just remember, you must be at the airport 2 hours before your flight. Here's the amount of cost of depositing luggage in Depository: 1 to 2 hours - Php 75, 2 to 4 hours - Php 150, 4 to 10 hours - Php 250, 10 to 24 hours - Php 350. Price is good for only 1 luggage. Below is the map of Cebu with Mactan Cebu International Airport and Mactan Shrine.
As you can see in this map, Mactan Shrine is near Mactan Cebu Int'l Airport. It just makes sense to visit Lapu-Lapu Monument and Magellan's Monument hours before your flight back to Manila.
Ayala Center and SM City Cebu
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| Ayala Center Cebu |
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| SM City Cebu |
Going to both Ayala Center and SM City Cebu is a breeze from either Osmena Blvd or Colon Street. There are lots of jeepney routes that go to these malls. In Colon, eastbound lane, wait for jeepney with "SM City" words on its signs. In Osmena Blvd, northbound lane, ride a jeepney with "Ayala Center" or "SM City" words on its both sides or its sign in the front.
Cheap Hotels in Cebu Near Colon and Osmena Intersection
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12 Mar 2012
The Mind Museum Driving Directions
There are four main roads headed to Bonifacio Global City in Taguig that can be taken from different locations around the urbanized district where The Mind Museum is located to its western part. These roads are: Lawton Ave, McKinley Road, Kalayaan Ave, and C-5.
Before I give you different driving directions to the Philippines' first world class science museum via each of these main artillery roads, I will first show you where to park your car nearer to its location. There are two parking areas adjacent to The Mind Museum. First is across 30th St (north of The Mind Museum), second is across 28th St (south of The Mind Museum). These are the two roads that bounded The Mind Museum to its north and south sides, respectively. See the map below to familiarize yourself with the parking areas' locations and the flow of traffic around The Mind Museum. Please observe the one way traffic along 3rd Ave and Rizal Dr. You can view two more location maps of The Mind Museum at the end of this post. For Commute Directions, go to The Mind Museum Commuters' Guide.
Depending on your location, take any of these roads:
Lawton Avenue - the road that continues Sales Road across Osmena Highway aka SLEX. This is the raod to take to The Mind Museum from Newport City, Resort World Manila, NAIA 1-2-3, Andrews Ave, Baclaran, Airport Road, Aseana City, Solaire Resort & Casino, SM Mall of Asia, Tramo, NAIA Road, Duty Free Philippines and other areas nearby.
You can also take these road from Cavite via Coastal Road and Cavitex. If you need a detail route from your specific location, leave a comment below this post.
Take Andrews Ave all the way past NAIA 3 and Newport City until it turns left and road name becomes Sales Rd.
Stay to the middle of Sales Road, avoid Skyway ramp, and cross SLEX via Sales Bridge. After the bridge, the road becomes Lawton Ave.
Once in Lawton Ave, stay there and drive all the way until you reach the gateway of BGC where tall building of Fifth Avenue Place condominium is located. Road name becomes 5th Avenue and it widens with center island.
Take the wide road of 5th Ave and drive past Fifth Avenue Place which is to your right.
Cross McKinley Pkwy, first intersection with traffic lights inside BGC. Cross 26th Street, second intersection with traffic lights, then turn left onto 28th Street.
Turn right onto 3rd Ave where The Mind Museum is located to your left now. The nearest parking area is past 30th St intersection. Cross 30th St and turn left onto the parking entrance.
You can drop off your passengers first before heading to the parking lot. Drop off point of The Mind Museum is just few meters after you turn right onto 3rd Ave from 28th St.
See maps below this post.
McKinley Road - the road that continues Ayala Avenue across EDSA in Makati. You can take this road if you're coming from Ayala Avenue, Glorietta, Greenbelt, SM Makati, Oakwood Premier Makati, Ayala Triangle Gardens, Ayala Tower 1, The Enterprise Center, Raffles Manila, New World Hotel, Peninsula Manila, Intercontinental Hotel, Legaspi Village and other locations inside Makati CBD. You can also turn left from EDSA's southbound lane to McKinley coming from Gil Puyat Ave corner EDSA. Likewise, you can turn right onto McKinley coming from northbound lane of EDSA.
Next intersection with traffic lights along McKinley is 5th Ave. Turn left onto 5th Ave and drive all the way to 28th Street, make left.
Turn right onto 3rd St and The Mind Museum is at your left. Drop off your passengers or companions then head toward parking area. You can park your car at the Parking Area located across 30th St. See maps below this post.
Kalayaan Ave - the road that runs perpendicular to EDSA's northbound lane next to MRT-3 Buendia Station. Kalayaan Flyover also runs above it. This is the road to take if you're coming from Rockwell Center, Powerplant Mall, Makati City Hall, J.P. Rizal, Makati Coliseum, A Venue, Century City, Makati-Mandaluyong Bridge, Estrella Mandaluyong, Greenhills, Tomas Morato, Timog Ave, Gilmore, New Manila and other areas around these vicinities.
Just head toward the intersection of J.P. Rizal and Estrella St. Turn right onto Estrella from Guadalupe bound lane, drive all the way and turn right onto EDSA. Drive to the leftmost lane of EDSA and make a U-turn at available U-Turn slot before MRT-3 Buendia Station.
Turn right onto Kalayaan Ave and turn right again onto 2nd Ave, the first intersection to the right of Kalayaan Ave.
You can also take this route from areas of CAMANAVA as well as all areas along the stretch of EDSA such as Megamall, Starmall, Shangri-la, Boni-EDSA, EDSA-Shaw, etc. Just make a U-Turn before MRT-3 Buendia Station. In 2nd Ave, drive past 31st St and turn left on 30th St.
Once at The Mind Museum, you can easily decide which Parking areas to use. You might decide to drop off your companions first and head towards any of the Parking Areas mentioned earlier. See maps below this post.
C-5 aka Carlos P Garcia Ave - This is the counterpart of EDSA to the east of Bonifacio Global City. This is the road to take if you're coming form Alabang, Sucat, Taguig, FTI, Bicutan, Festival Mall, Metropolis Starmall, Filinvest City, Pasig, Eastwood City, Libis, Tiendesitas, Cubao, UP Diliman, Ortigas Center, Julia Vargas and other areas nearby.
You can also take this road from provinces of Batangas, Laguna, Quezon, Bulacan, Pampanga, Bataan, etc. For detailed route from your location, leave a comment.
From the southbound lane of C-5, cross Kalayaan Ave, and turn right onto 32nd St. From northbound lane of C-5, which is coming from Alabang and SLEX, Skyway and Osmena Highway, take the rightmost lane of C-5 that leads to 26th St.
Turn left onto the bridge that crosses C-5 toward 26th St. In 26th St, stay to the middle, drive all the way, cross 5th Ave and turn right onto the next street which is 4th Ave. Drive past 27th St then turn left on 28th St that leads to The Mind Museum.
In 32nd St, drive all the way, cross main intersection of McKinley Pkway and other small intersections that follow, then turn left on the main intersection of 5th Ave. Turn right onto the first intersection which is 30th St.
You can either park your car or head towards drop off point of The Mind Museum to unload your passengers or companions. To park your car, turn right onto the next intersection of 3rd Ave where you will immediately see the entrance of Parking Lot to the left. To drop off your passengers first, cross 3rd Ave, turn left onto one-way Rizal Drive and get around The Mind Museum by turning left on 28th St and 3rd Ave where the drop off is located. See maps below.
Vicinity Map: The Mind Museum and different streets that served as immediate access roads from various locations within Bonifacio Global City.
Location Map: The Mind Museum and the main artillery roads from various locations outside Bonifacio Global City that motorists can take depending on where they are coming from.
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| The Mind Museum in Bonifacio Global City Taguig |
As you can see in this map, you can drive around The Mind Museum counter clockwise. Rizal Dr and 3rd Ave are one-way while 28th and 30th streets are two-way. So, you can always park your car after dropping off your companions by crossing either 30th Street or 28th St.
How To Get To The Mind Museum By Car
Depending on your location, take any of these roads:
Lawton Avenue - the road that continues Sales Road across Osmena Highway aka SLEX. This is the raod to take to The Mind Museum from Newport City, Resort World Manila, NAIA 1-2-3, Andrews Ave, Baclaran, Airport Road, Aseana City, Solaire Resort & Casino, SM Mall of Asia, Tramo, NAIA Road, Duty Free Philippines and other areas nearby.
You can also take these road from Cavite via Coastal Road and Cavitex. If you need a detail route from your specific location, leave a comment below this post.
Take Andrews Ave all the way past NAIA 3 and Newport City until it turns left and road name becomes Sales Rd.
Stay to the middle of Sales Road, avoid Skyway ramp, and cross SLEX via Sales Bridge. After the bridge, the road becomes Lawton Ave.
Once in Lawton Ave, stay there and drive all the way until you reach the gateway of BGC where tall building of Fifth Avenue Place condominium is located. Road name becomes 5th Avenue and it widens with center island.
Take the wide road of 5th Ave and drive past Fifth Avenue Place which is to your right.
Cross McKinley Pkwy, first intersection with traffic lights inside BGC. Cross 26th Street, second intersection with traffic lights, then turn left onto 28th Street.
Turn right onto 3rd Ave where The Mind Museum is located to your left now. The nearest parking area is past 30th St intersection. Cross 30th St and turn left onto the parking entrance.
You can drop off your passengers first before heading to the parking lot. Drop off point of The Mind Museum is just few meters after you turn right onto 3rd Ave from 28th St.
See maps below this post.
McKinley Road - the road that continues Ayala Avenue across EDSA in Makati. You can take this road if you're coming from Ayala Avenue, Glorietta, Greenbelt, SM Makati, Oakwood Premier Makati, Ayala Triangle Gardens, Ayala Tower 1, The Enterprise Center, Raffles Manila, New World Hotel, Peninsula Manila, Intercontinental Hotel, Legaspi Village and other locations inside Makati CBD. You can also turn left from EDSA's southbound lane to McKinley coming from Gil Puyat Ave corner EDSA. Likewise, you can turn right onto McKinley coming from northbound lane of EDSA.
Next intersection with traffic lights along McKinley is 5th Ave. Turn left onto 5th Ave and drive all the way to 28th Street, make left.
Turn right onto 3rd St and The Mind Museum is at your left. Drop off your passengers or companions then head toward parking area. You can park your car at the Parking Area located across 30th St. See maps below this post.
Kalayaan Ave - the road that runs perpendicular to EDSA's northbound lane next to MRT-3 Buendia Station. Kalayaan Flyover also runs above it. This is the road to take if you're coming from Rockwell Center, Powerplant Mall, Makati City Hall, J.P. Rizal, Makati Coliseum, A Venue, Century City, Makati-Mandaluyong Bridge, Estrella Mandaluyong, Greenhills, Tomas Morato, Timog Ave, Gilmore, New Manila and other areas around these vicinities.
Just head toward the intersection of J.P. Rizal and Estrella St. Turn right onto Estrella from Guadalupe bound lane, drive all the way and turn right onto EDSA. Drive to the leftmost lane of EDSA and make a U-turn at available U-Turn slot before MRT-3 Buendia Station.
Turn right onto Kalayaan Ave and turn right again onto 2nd Ave, the first intersection to the right of Kalayaan Ave.
You can also take this route from areas of CAMANAVA as well as all areas along the stretch of EDSA such as Megamall, Starmall, Shangri-la, Boni-EDSA, EDSA-Shaw, etc. Just make a U-Turn before MRT-3 Buendia Station. In 2nd Ave, drive past 31st St and turn left on 30th St.
Once at The Mind Museum, you can easily decide which Parking areas to use. You might decide to drop off your companions first and head towards any of the Parking Areas mentioned earlier. See maps below this post.
C-5 aka Carlos P Garcia Ave - This is the counterpart of EDSA to the east of Bonifacio Global City. This is the road to take if you're coming form Alabang, Sucat, Taguig, FTI, Bicutan, Festival Mall, Metropolis Starmall, Filinvest City, Pasig, Eastwood City, Libis, Tiendesitas, Cubao, UP Diliman, Ortigas Center, Julia Vargas and other areas nearby.
You can also take this road from provinces of Batangas, Laguna, Quezon, Bulacan, Pampanga, Bataan, etc. For detailed route from your location, leave a comment.
From the southbound lane of C-5, cross Kalayaan Ave, and turn right onto 32nd St. From northbound lane of C-5, which is coming from Alabang and SLEX, Skyway and Osmena Highway, take the rightmost lane of C-5 that leads to 26th St.
Turn left onto the bridge that crosses C-5 toward 26th St. In 26th St, stay to the middle, drive all the way, cross 5th Ave and turn right onto the next street which is 4th Ave. Drive past 27th St then turn left on 28th St that leads to The Mind Museum.
In 32nd St, drive all the way, cross main intersection of McKinley Pkway and other small intersections that follow, then turn left on the main intersection of 5th Ave. Turn right onto the first intersection which is 30th St.
You can either park your car or head towards drop off point of The Mind Museum to unload your passengers or companions. To park your car, turn right onto the next intersection of 3rd Ave where you will immediately see the entrance of Parking Lot to the left. To drop off your passengers first, cross 3rd Ave, turn left onto one-way Rizal Drive and get around The Mind Museum by turning left on 28th St and 3rd Ave where the drop off is located. See maps below.
Vicinity Map: The Mind Museum and different streets that served as immediate access roads from various locations within Bonifacio Global City.
Location Map: The Mind Museum and the main artillery roads from various locations outside Bonifacio Global City that motorists can take depending on where they are coming from.
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