I booked a promo flight last August going to Cebu. It was my first time there but I’ve heard great things about it saying that it’s a dead ringer of Manila and Makati. I have to admit that that was a relief since I am forever a city girl. I love nature but it’s something that I know I’ll eventually get tired of after some hour. I like tall buildings, noisy places, lights, and fast-walking people.
2 weeks before my trip, I booked an apartment via Airbnb and my host is a Costa Rican guy living in Cebu for his architectural business. He’s been featured in New York Times, Vogue, and Elle Italia to name a few. I thought that was really cool! He messaged me saying that he and his girlfriend won’t be in Cebu during my stay so instead of just owning a single room, I own the whole house. It was supposed to be my first time travelling alone but my family and friends scared me that I might see a ghost in the house (I’m a freaking scared baby, don’t judge!), I decided to bring my sister instead. That was a lot of budget since I’ll be paying for her trip, food, and accommodation but it was okay. We had fun!
Our original flight was 12:25PM but AirAsia texted me that our flight was moved to 3:40PM. And no, I can’t take bullshit like that so I immediately called them and asked to be booked to an earlier flight. The customer representative confirmed our 10:50AM flight but when we got there, the check-in personnel took forever to process our request. Thankfully, what could’ve been a 4/5-hour delayed was processed. I was wearing a black lipstick so they’d know that I’m not taking shit from anyone. LOL. Our 10:45AM flight was delayed and we departed arround 11:30AM but that’s still okay. We arrived safe and sound. I love Mactan-Cebu airport! NAIA is shit compared to their airport.
We arrived at the airport so tired and hungry that we went straight to a restaurant inside. It’s called Cafe Cesario and I shit you not, one of the worst restaurants I’ve tried. Bad service, long wait, subpar yet expensive food, and most of all why are there flies around? Disgusting.
We then proceed to our home and slept until 6pm. We were hungry again so we decided to go to Ayala Center Cebu to have our lechon. It was super traffic and I can’t believe it’s worse than Manila’s. We arrived at the mall after 45 minutes so imagine our dismay when all lechon places told us they’re already sold out. We were so disappointed but we gotta eat so we chose a Thai restaurant called Banana Leaf. I know, I know, it’s a popular restaurant in Manila but it’s my first time to try it. We loved all the food so much! OMG! I especially liked their Satay, Thai Tea, and Roti + Curry. I highly suggest you visit the Banana Leaf Cebu branch because they have the nicest and most hardworking manager that I know. Look for Dexter and he will give you a 5-star experience.
We went home and had a good night sleep.
We woke up around 8 in the morning to catch our 9am city tour. We visited lots of places and the tour guide’s really smart, funny, and overall nice. We booked our tour via Shore 2 Shore Travel, by the way. It’s 1600 per person for a whole day tour and buffet lunch.
Those were just some photos from the tour. We loved every place we visited but our favorite would be the Yap- Sandiego Ancestral House which was built circa 1600s. It has this eery vibe to it and I swear, when I went inside the bedroom, I just can’t stand the gloomy feeling. Creepy.
We asked to be dropped at the nearest Zubuchon but since we’re already full from the buffet, we just ordered lechon with no rice and a kamias shake. The shake was the bomb.com! Freaking try it. As for the lechon, we didn’t appreciate it that much and we thought it was too salty. We realized it’s because it should be eaten with rice. We took it home and planned to eat it before our early flight back to Manila but since we were already late, we ate it when we arrived in our house. We’re happy it’s still fresh! We ate it with puso rice we bought from the mall.
Overall, it was a fantastic weekend vacation and I can say that this wouldn’t be my last time. I love Cebu! I just don’t like the extreme traffic, flies even inside the mall, and be aware that not everyone can speak in English or Tagalog. They converse using their own dialect so be respectful when asking.
As for the budget, I spent 10K per person. Not bad. It was worth it and I’m looking forward for my next trip! 🙂