Cebohol 09 - Summer's Last Hurrah I

Summer has definitely ended and me and the family tired to squeeze in a few days to get a glimpse of those few, precious remaining sun scorching days. We've planned this way back January on where to go, places to see and of course number crunching for the budget on such a trip. Finally, we collectively decided to go to Bohol to spend our summer vacation. I thought of going into a nice beach resort, enjoying the sun,sea and sand. But with more places than the beach itself. With Chocolate Hills, tarsiers in mind we decided it would be best to go to Bohol. I've been to Bohol about 5 years ago before, when I was with my former company, but that was purely work and I never really got to enjoy what it has to offer. I told myself that the next time I'll be going there it would be with my wife and 2 kids and get the most out of Bohol.





The Plan

The "plan" was simply to get the most out of the trip (enjoy the view, beach,etc.) at the lowest possible cost. Easier said than done I know, but we decided to canvas the resort we will be going to, airfare, local transpo, places to visit(entrance fees,tips,etc.) A very big help was Calvin's blog site (www.calvinshub.com), he has some great tips for Bohol travel itineraries, packages, etc. We tried to book a round trip flight from Manila to Tagbilaran and vice-versa but the cost was quite high then, especially from Manila to Tagbilaran so we decided to get a flight for Manila-Cebu for only P 1952 for 4 pax(www.zestair.com.ph). Then a day trip to Cebu City was in the works as well.

Hence the Cebohol 09 escapade was on....


Day 1 - Cebu City Day Tour

We were up early for our flight to Cebu, we were at the old domestic airport awaiting our Zest Air plane scheduled at 750 AM, but as expected took off at 900 AM. Since they claim to be Asia's most refreshing airlines, I was intrigued as to what will be our refreshment on board :-)

It's Zest Air....so it gotta be Zest-O

The flight took about an hour so we were at Mactan Cebu Intl Airport at about 1000 AM.

Mactan-Cebu Bridge

We took an airport taxi (the one on the second level of the airport purely metered charges) to our hotel/inn Pacific Pension (www.pacificpensionne.com) for our check-in. Since we won't be spending most of our time in our room, we decided just to take a simple air-conditioned family room which is just P1,000/night. The room is clean and comfy. The location is good as well, since its in the main thoroughfare of Osmeña Ave. Quite near to all of those tourist spots (Magellan's cross, Fort San Pedro, etc.)After freshening up, we took our lunch at a student canteen-type food outlet just in front of our hotel. Since we are near most of the universities/colleges around Cebu City many carinderias have sprung up in that location. We got to try some budget meals which are already ok compared to those in Manila.

Spots :

Magellan's Cross:

Magellan's Cross is a Christian cross planted by Portuguese and Spanish explorers as o r dered by Ferdinand Magellan upon arriving in Cebu in the Philippines on April 21, 1521.This cross is housed in a small chapel next to the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño on Magallanes Street (Magallanes being the Spanish name of Magellan ), just in front of the city hall of Cebu City. A sign below the cross claims that the original cross is encased inside th e wooden cross that is found in the center of this chapel. This is to protect the original cross from people who chipped a way parts of the cross for souvenir purposes or in the belief that the cross possesses miraculous powers.

To get there we took a jeep bounded for Carbon (or better yet ask local folks around) and alight at the City Hall, not much to do but take pictures.


Basílica Minore del Santo Niño:


The Basilica of Santo Niño, also called Basilica del Santo Niño, Basílica Minore del Santo Niño and formerly known as the San Agustin Church prior to its elevation as a Basilica Minore, is a 16th century church in the heart of Cebu City, Philippines. It is purportedly built on the exact spot where the image of the Santo Niño, a sculpture depicting Jesus as a black Holy Child, was found by Spanish conquistadors in 1565 preserved in a burned wooden box which was left behind during the 1521 Magellan expedition.

To get there we just walk past the kiosk of Magellan's cross and you're there...


Plaza Independencia:


Cebu’s Plaza Independencia was formerly called “Plaza Libertad”. Strategically located between Fort San Pedro and the building that used to house the old Gobierno Provincial, it now becomes the most favored spot for picnics and trysts. Dominated by the obelisk of Legaspi, Plaza Independencia is Cebu’s most historically significant plaza.

To get there walk to the direction of another spot Fort San Pedro, it is in front of the fort itself. From the Magellan's cross we went walking about 2 blocks eastwards.





Fort San Pedro:


Fuerza de San Pedro is a military defense structure, built by Spanish and indegenous Cebuano laborers under the command of Spanish conquistador, Miguel López de Legazpi and the Spanish Government in Cebu. It is located in the area now called Plaza Indepedencia, in the Pier Area of Cebu City, Philippines. The smallest, oldest triangular bastion fort in the country was built in 1738 to repel Muslim raiders. In turn, it served as a stronghold for Filipino revolutionaries near the end of the 19th Century. This served as the nucleus of the first spanish settlement in the Philippines. The fort is triangular in shape, with two sides facing the sea and the third side fronting the land. The two sides facing the sea were defended with artillery and the front with a strong palisade made of wood.


My kids enjoying the old cannons of the fort


To get there walk past the obelisk of the Plaza Independencia, there's a new construction on-going in front of the fort a tunnel system to lighten up the traffic in the Port are of the city. There's a minimal fee of P20 for adults and P12 for kids.



Cebu Taoist Temple:


Built in 1972, the Cebu Taoist Temple is located in Beverly Hills Subdivision in Cebu City. The temple was built by Cebu's substantial Chinese community. With an elevation of 300 meters above the sea level,the temple is a towering, multi-tiered,multi-hued aatraction accessible by three separate winding routes. Unlike the neighboring Phu Sian Temple, the Taoist temple is open to the worshipers and non-worshipers alike. A ritual among devotees is where one prays to the gods to grant one's wish. The ritual includes washing of hands, going inside the chapel barefoot and dropping two blocks of wood. If the blocks of wood are both face up then one could make a wish. If not then it is not yet the time for one's wish to be granted and one has to come to the temple some other time. There is nothing much to do in the temple. One could enjoy moving around the temple in an hour. The entrance to the temple is a replica of the Great Wall of China. The temple includes a chapel, a library, a souvenir shop and a wishing well. The spacious balconies offer a scenic view of the downtown Cebu. Also noteworthy is the giant dragon statue.



The kids mimicking the statues and the view from the balcony of the temple..awesome....



To get there take a cab from Fort San Pedro, cost is about P 65-70 depending on the traffic situation, tell the driver you're going to the Taoist Temple, the place is in Beverly Hills Subdivision (home of the rich and famous). Be aware of the rules of the temple and try to abide by it. The guards are quite strict especially when taking pictures inside the altars. No fee for this.


It was almost 5 pm when we left the temple. We went back to our hotel, and on the way our cabbie mentioned about the Crown Regency hotel sky ride which is just adjacent to our own hotel. We tried to check it out but due to budget constraints( remember we still have 4 days to spent in Bohol) we skipped it and will plan it the next time we are here. Entrance good for 2 is P380, taking the ride additional P500.

For more details... crown regency sky ride

The Cebu City Day tour was really something with historical and scenic values all together...will publish the Bohol part on my next post.