Ask any Filipino about Cebu, they’d describe one of 3 things:
- Sinulog Festival- a festival on the 3rd sunday of January to celebrate the Feast of Santo Niño when millions of people from all over the country travel to watch the colorful mardigras
- Dried Mangoes and Guitars- reportedly the best in their own rights
- Basilica Del Santo Niño- a 450 year old church which, sadly, is a very popular tourist spot.
- White sand beaches- numerous beaches line the cebu province coastline, including this one:
credits to ScubaDivePhilippines
These three may be reasons that makes Cebu a great place to go to. However, there are tons that travel guides don’t tell you.
1. Colon Street– the oldest street in the country, it may seem line any other street but as soon as you get there, you’d see that it’s a place with it’s own pulse. You can find different kinds of people doing different kinds of things. Also, you’d find souvenirs, among other things, at extremely low prices (around 3 times cheaper than the ones sold in malls). Most importantly, you’d get to have the Cebu Experience, unplugged.
credits to MyCebuBlog
credits to MyCebuBlog
2. Simala
I know it looks more like a European inspired castle, but it’s not. It’s actually a church located in Southern Cebu. It is very popular with people who :
- are sick
- are about to take exams
- are thankful for passing exams
- are thankful for being healed
- want to visit the Crying Virgin
A place with great scenery, it is no wonder that thousands visit this place everyday.
3. IT Park and Mango Avenue
credits to AsiatownItPark.com
These places are perfect for those seeking decent nightlife. As the name suggests, IT park is currently a place full of call-center buildings. However, the recent years have seen an addition of numerous clubs that turns it into one of the many places in cebu that never sleep.
There you have it. Sights and sounds of Cebu. Right off my places to go list. 🙂
I was very fortunate to be able to experience Cebu for 1 week only in 2010 when I visited my sister and nephew there. Originally I was born in Davao but have lived all my life in New Zealand. I used to visit Davao with my family when I was a child but if I had a choice now I would choose to return to Cebu again. There may be nicer places but I felt at home there.
that’s great! personally, I was born in Manila, lived in Agusan most of my childhood but I was fortunate enough to live in Cebu for a while. Till i moved to Abu Dhabi. i don’t know but there’s something about Cebu that makes it such a wonderful place!