Cebu Will Always Have a Place in my Heart

Last October 5-9, I was in Cebu for the JCI Philippines National Conference. It's probably the craziest trip I've had there so far. We were not able to do some nature or beach trips, but we had so much food trips and parties. Haha! Let me share with you this video of our Cebu NatCon experience. :)

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How an Overnight Cebu Trip Turned 5 Days

Even I can't believe it. I didn't even have plans of joining my friends but I ended up staying there for almost forever. I was dragged by a friend straight from a Saturday night party  to the airport to catch the earliest flight to Cebu. Since the first flight was fully booked, we had to take the next one. We bought our plane ticket there and we didn't even get a ticket back home.

Instead of posting a lot of photos here, I just made a video of the trip. Feel free to comment below if you have any inquiries. 

#CebuHits from Roycie S. on Vimeo.


Here's a rundown of all our activities in that 5-day trip:

Day 1

We left first thing on a Sunday morning, went straight to our friend's hotel, the Big Hotel to check-in and take a nap. Then we had breakfast at the hotel resto. Right after breakfast, we were informed that our JCI friends from JCI Mandaue have prepared a boat party so we joined them. We went on a food trip and we had crazy drinking games while on board. 

We rushed back to the hotel to prepare for JCI Womandaue's induction and turnover ceremonies. After the event, we had drinks at the hotel bar. Then some of our JCI Cebu Inc. brothers invited us for a karaoke party at the KTV located next to the hotel. It was at around 1am when we moved to our friend's acoustic bar/KTV lounge, Open Mic, where we continued our craziness until 3am! That was a really crazy night.

Day 2

We all had lunch at a restaurant in SM Cebu. Then we chilled at Ibiza Beach Club at Movenpick Hotel and Resort in Mactan 'til after sunset. For dinner, we headed to a restaurant owned by our friend, Ampersand, wherein we had the best steak in Cebu, and all other sumptuous dishes and drinks.

A photo posted by Roycie S. (@royciepoisie) on Mar 18, 2016 at 12:34pm PDT

Day 3

We had our lechon fix at Rico's during lunch then we visited a new acquaintance's auto shop, Euro Technik for coffee. It was a lazy afternoon so while some of our friends headed to the airport to go back home, me and some of our Cebu-based friends indulged on a 1.5-hr foot and back massage at the Park Mall. It's my first time to try a massage conducted by blind people, and it felt so good. For dinner, we've gone to a local restaurant (like a big carinderia -- which I forgot the name of) that's known for their native chicken. After dinner, we had tea and dessert at Tinder Box. But just when we thought our night was over, we craved for wine and cheese so we headed to La Vie en Parisienne to satisfy our cravings.

Day 4

And out of our spontaneity, at 3am, after our wine sesh, we headed to the port to catch the first barge to Bantayan Island. That was a 2.5-hr drive, which can usually take 4-5 hours during the day. Anyway, we we're only able to catch the 2nd barge at 6:30am and it took us an hour and 15 mins to cross the water to Bantayan Island. In Bantayan, we had breakfast by the market, then we shopped for really cheap seafood. How cheap? Like Php 20/kilo of scallops. OMG! We headed to SantaFe Beach Club, where we checked in. We had the seafood we bought at the market cooked in the hotel and that's what we had for lunch. We were extremely full that we fell asleep after. We failed to wake up in time for our trip to the cove so we just headed out for dinner at Chef Panyang's. The food there were really cheap and yummy. If I come back to Bantayan, it would probably because of two things: the beach and the food. We got free dessert c/o the restaurant's manager. We were also able to have a JW Gold Label we just bought from a store nearby. We continued our drinking sesh at our hotel by the beach front while watching a movie on laptop.

Day 5

The next day, we woke up late again. We felt guilty for having the boatmen wait for 1.5 hrs for our island hopping. Our first stop was at Hilantagaan Island where we bought fish, rock lobsters, and crabs for our lunch. Next stop was at Virgin Island and I super loved it there. It's a lot better than Boracay. While we did some snorkelling, our boatman prepared our lunch. After lunch, we just rested for a bit and headed back to our hotel in Bantayan to catch the soonest flight we can get back to Manila as we still have a formal event to attend to in Taguig. At the airport, we bought our plane ticket and while waiting for boarding, we had our last dinner together.

A photo posted by Roycie S. (@royciepoisie) on Mar 16, 2016 at 11:25pm PDT

That Cebu trip was probably the best and most spontaneous trip I've ever done! It's so exciting to not have exact plans, not even a return flight because it gives you a lot of freedom. Just remember to overpack (while packing light -- to avoid paying for extra baggage) a bit. Be sure that you have extra clothes for any activity -- casual (shorts, tank tops, shirts, skirts), beachwear (maxi dress, short summer dress, cover up, swimsuit), smart casual (polo and pants), footwear (flats/sneakers, flipflops) -- so you won't have a problem.

SINULOG 2012!

January 13-15 - It's my very first time to attend a Festival in the Philippines...so it's also my first time in Sinulog!:) All I know about Sinulog is that it's crazy haha! A lot of my friends have been there and they have been telling me the same stories.

At first, I was hesitant to go because I wasn't able to book early so flights were really expensive. But 3 days before the Sinulog weekend, I realized that a lot of my friends were going there and so I found myself booking a Php5000+ worth of Round Trip flight via Air Philippines. Actually there's also a connecting flight via Bacolod so I went Manila to Bacolod and Bacolod to Cebu.

I took half day at work 'coz my flight was at 3:40pm. Since I had to rush a lot of work in the office, I was only able to leave Quezon City at 2pm and I found myself rushing to the airport. I arrived at 3pm, 10 mins earlier than boarding time, but I had to go through a lot of stops before getting to the boarding gate. It was another Amazing race moment for me! The worst part...flight was delayed! Due to runway traffic, we're an hour delayed. Around 40 minutes of that was spent inside the plane waiting for our plane's turn for take off. Good thing I saw a friend there who chatted with me while waiting to board the plane.

We landed in Bacolod at past 6pm so I didn't wait that long for our connecting flight to Cebu at 7:20pm. The plane from Bacolod to Cebu was so small, even smaller than a bus. No aircon at first, but it was turned on as the cabin doors were closed. It was so funny 'cause 15 mins after our take off, the pilot announced that were already on our initial approach for landing; so we were only inside the plane for 30 minutes haha! When I got to the Mactan, Cebu Airport, I waited for my bestfriend who flew in from Manila the same time I left Bacolod. However, since all flights from Manila were delayed, i waited for her for 1.5 hours. When she arrived, we took a regular meter cab to our hotel, The Hotel Elizabeth. 

 instant room! haha

While checking in at the reception, there were performers at the lobby, doing the Sinulog dance. They were entertaining. We proceeded to our room, which was actually sponsored by PLDT. It's an executive room originally good for two since it only had 1 queen-sized bed but we converted the sala into another room for two by adding two single beds. It was so cool! haha! Got 2 flat screen TVs, 2 T&Bs, an office desk, and a dining area. After resting for a bit, we had dinner at the restobar across the hotel and went back to the hotel to prep up for the party. At 12:30, we went to Vudu for the PLDT WiFi Zone launch. Yes, Vudu is offically a PLDT WiFi Zone now!:)  We got a table somewhere at the corner but the club was too crowded and smoky so after a bottle of Vodka, my bestfriend and I went ahead and proceeded to Penthouse to meet our friends and arrived there past 3am. The event was hosted by Styles Entertainment, with DJs Ace and Scratchmark, sponsored by Smart Netphone and Vans Philippines. After partying for a bit at the DJ's booth, we left before 5am and had pizza and pasta at Mamma Mia's. And finally at 5:30am, we're reunited with our beds! The best feeling ever!:)

 Vudu

 Penthouse

Unfortunately, I had to do a bit of work while I was there; though it wasn't actually required. I was just OC for my upcoming event in Cebu on February. haha! So I had a meeting there around 11-11:30am then we went to Casa Verde (the original) where they serve the best steak in Cebu.

After lunch, all roads were already closed for the solemn procession along Fuente Osmena Ave.; so we had no choice but to walk. Along the way, we bought hats and accessories, took photos, and kept laughing haha! When we got to Basilica de Sto. Nino, people were not allowed to enter. So, we just had lighted candles outside the church. Then we decided to see the Magellan's Cross. It took us more than an hour to get there since there were lots of people and lots of closed roads. Plus we took a 30-minute rest at a food stall where we just played iPhone games haha! After a minute of taking photos at the cross, we're off to SM to watch the fireworks. It was so hard to find a cab, even a jeepney! So we had to walk again, trusting the directions that we see on Google maps haha! Then after more than 30mins of walking, we finally found a cab! However, on our way to SM, my friends realized that they have an event/meeting so we just dropped by another accessories store and went back to the hotel; and that involves a lot of traffic in between!

 pat bought a hat, watta rhyme!:))

 scary masks haha

 black Sto. Nino

 what can you say to their "coldiest" beer haha

 wow!

 praying...

 Basilica de Sto. Nino

Magellan's Cross

After dinner at Chikaan, where the meeting happened, we went to The Terraces in Ayala. Our friend from Smart, Abbie, treated us to dessert in Casa Verde. I love their 'Death by Chocolate' ice cream cake! After a fun girl bonding, our friends from Vans picked us up then we proceeded to Vudu again for another PLDT Wifi Zone night! This time, super VIP! We had the biggest table with lots of couches and of course, sponsored drinks!:) So cool that Gerald Anderson and some PBA friends like James Yap were also there. So I got back at the hotel at 5:30am and went planking on the bed haha dead tired!:))

Death by Chocolate

Thanks Abbie!:)

 Vudu VIPs

 Gerald Anderson and Young JV

 James Yap

I woke up at 9:30am 'coz I didn't want to be late for my 12:15 flight. After fixing up, we had breakfast buffet at the hotel and I left for the airport at 10:30am. Good thing there's no traffic and the way to the airport was on the opposite  side of the Sinulog parade. I love arriving at the airport early 'coz it gives me time to relax. That time, I had a "ME" time in Bo's Coffee haha! Flight was delayed for 15-mins but it's okay. I finally landed in manila at 1:30pm and immediately headed home to sleep!

I just wished that I have stayed 'til  Sunday night so not to miss the parade. However, I had no choice but to work on a Monday. But at least, I was able to experience the festival even just a few days; plus I got to bond with my friends too. Next year, I'm SOOO gonna plan an ultimate Sinulog (Cebu)-Dinagyang (Iloilo) trip! haha!:))))

VIVA PIT SENYOR!!!!!:)

This is Why I Love CEBU...

The first day of my first time ever Cebu visit was already elaborated in my previous post. Now let's get down to the other activities I did while I was there.

Of course I wouldn't try Skywalking and riding the Edge Coaster at Crowne Plaza 'coz I've got fear of heights haha! I think, 80% of the things I did in Cebu was EATING!!!! hahaha!=))

Being a city girl, I can't live away from the city for a very long time. I really like Cebu City 'coz it just looks and feels like Manila. haha!=))  From malls to the streets, to its hangout places...it doesn't really look far from Manila. I'm not talking about all that's positive here ok? Because just like Manila, they also got cab drivers who were acting as if they're driving a Golden Taxi haha.=)) I think I spent more than a thousand bucks in taxi rides (even if most of my cab rides were shared with friends).

My favorite mall now is The Terraces, an Ayala Mall in Cebu. Yes I like it more than Mall of Asia and other Ayala Malls here in Manila. It's like a fusion of Trinoma, Glorietta, Greenbelt, Mall of Asia, and Alabang Town Center. haha!

inside the mall

garden outside

Every single day of my 3-day stay there, I never failed to go to this mall. haha! It's where I had really good lunches! First was at the food court (i forgot the name of the stall) where I have tasted yummy Bopis and Kinilaw. My meal costed me less than a hundred bucks.

Next day's lunch was at Hukad, which means "hain". We ordered Bicol Express, Grilled Pusit, and Sinigang na Hipon. The best part: UNLIMITED RICE!=)) The place looked posh but actually, it's very affordable. It only costed us P554, and we were three who shared.

The third lunch I had there was at Casa Verde. It actually had a main branch but we only tried the one at the mall. It's known for its sumptuous yet very affordable Ribs and Steak. Imagine, Bryan's Ribs only costs P188 and The Dax (Steak) only costs P250 when each serving is good for two already. It was actually the longest longest lunch I ever had haha! Oh yeah, overeating at its best haha!=))

Bryan's Ribs

The Dax

Casa Verde's cozy interior

I also had good finds for dinner. First night's dinner was at Manila Foodshoppe, which looked like North Park. Three of us shared in a single order of Buttered Chicken (12pcs) which costs P115. Really affordable.

menu

buttered chicken

black vinegar

For the second night's dinner, a friend of mine from Manila who moved in to Cebu brought us to a place of Ihaw-Ihaw called Larshan. It had a series of stalls of grilled meats and fishes. What's very unique about this place was people eating using their hands wrapped in plastic. But in my case, since I found it hard to eat using hands wrapped in plastic and since I am eco-friendly, I just used my bare hands to eat. Another must-try there was their rice called "puso". It's actually rice cooked inside a woven pouch made from young coconut leaves. Each "puso" costs around P2.50 or P3.00. We were served a basket of "puso" wherein we could get as much as we want to. They wouldn't lose count of how much "puso" we've eaten 'coz they already knew how many pieces they put in the basket they served us. To open it, just find the sliced part and pull the wrapper away. Not to mention, I had 5 servings of "puso" hahaha!=))

Larshan

"puso"

this is how you do it!=)) 

models are over-eaters haha!=)) 

For the third night, we just had late dinner and a few drinks at Pier One in Park Mall.

shrimp sinigang and baked oysters

my favorite: weng-weng!=P

We actually did a lot of hanging out there. We bought some stuff at Robinson's Place, (I didn't like the place actually), we had coffee and wifi at Gloria Jeans  along Escario St. (looks like Buendia hehe), strolled around Terraces and Park Mall. We saw SM City Cebu but we've never been there haha. We didn't go to Magellan's Cross and Plantation Bay 'coz my friend has already been there before. But I was glad to have heard an English Mass at a church there, which I dunno the name.=p

billiards at Pipeline

Of course we wouldn't leave Cebu without buying Danggit, so we went to Tabo-an Dried Fish Market where I bought Danggit, Dilis, and Dried Mangoes.

Just for the sake of taking photos at the beach, we went to Maribago in Mactan Island where there were a lot of beach resorts. Actually, the original plan was to go to Bantayan Island, but we didn't have much time to take a 4-hour travel just to get there. And so we ended up at Maribago White Sands Resort, even if it costed us P500 just to get there.  Yeah I knew that the cab driver's overcharging but we didn't have a choice 'coz were in a hurry trying to catch the sunset. Day swim there costs P500 (P300 for swimming and P200 consumable food & drinks). Swimming time was until 6pm, but for in-house guests, they can swim 'til 9pm at the pool. It's already 5pm when we got there so we begged that they allow us to swim 'til 9pm too. And fortunately, they agreed! haha! Unfortunately, it rained!!! It's too cold to swim so we never attempted to haha! We just took a lot of photos to compensate haha!=P

So that's my super unplanned visit to Cebu in a nutshell. Three days was quite short. There were a lot of places there which I haven't visited yet so I think I really need to go back! haha! Next time, I'll stay longer. I hope my pocket would be cooperative by then haha!=))