I was able to book a round-trip ticket to Cebu last Feb 2016 at 1200.00 pesos per person. Travel date was February 5-9, 2017. We stayed in Cebu from Feb 5 -7 and transferred to Bohol for the succeeding days. Around May of the same year I booked another flight from Tagbilaran to Manila for 699-per-person one way because we decided not go back to Manila via Cebu and moved the date to February 10.
Day 1: We arrived at Mactan International Airport around 9:00 in the evening since our flight was delayed for 2 hours. In the arrival area of the airport, there is a Jollibee store where you can have a quick meal. The available food items on the menu though is limited and more expensive than those branches outside the airport.
We took a cab from the airport going to Gran Tierra Suites near Dalan Osmena Bldv. for 200 pesos. We got their family room for 2300 for 2 nights, good for 4 persons. They consider children age 5 and above as adult so we had to pay another 200 pesos per night for additional person with bed. The room is clean and worth the price.
You can order food in the hotel from 7am to 10pm only since they don’t have a cafe inside.
As for the city tour, we booked Kuya Danny that cost 2500 for 8 hours city tour. The said rate is the cost for a van rental with driver.
Day 2: On our second day in Cebu, we went to Tab-oan market first before Nero, the van driver and also the tour guide, arrived. We took a jeepney with a “17D” signage that passes near the hotel to Tabo-an market. Dried fishes and squid cost around 700-800 per kilo at that time. Unbranded dried mango on the other hand cost 350 per kilo. Dried fishes like danggit, espada or lapu-lapu was more expensive than the last time we visited the market back in 2014. I was able to buy 300 per kilo of espada dried fish.
Then we returned to the hotel from the market when Nero arrived around 8am as agreed.
The first tourist spot we visited was the Taoist Temple. There is no entrance fee in the temple. You just have to be quiet and not take photos of Buddha inside the temple.
Next spot was the Temple of Leah. Entrance fee is 50 pesos per person. Discount can be availed by senior citizens. Just present the senior citizen ID.
There is also a room inside the temple where antiques are displayed and kept. But this room is not open for the public.
Lantaw is just across the Temple of Leah so we stopped by for lunch. The view is very nice. You will see the entire city of Cebu. We ordered 2 ginataang monggo, pork sisig, lechon kawali and 2 bowls of rice. The waitress told us that one order is good for 3-4 persons but when the food arrived it was good for 6 persons already. So we requested for what was left to be placed in a take-away bag.
After eating lunch we went ahead to Mactan Shrine. Souvenir shops are available there.
We passed by the Phillipine Mango plant to buy pasalubong. But I find the price more expensive than those in the market.
We decided to return to the hotel since it was around 3pm and we were already tired. We bought lechon cebu from Zubuchon near Robinson Place in Fuente Osmena Cirle. Titay’s and Shamrock are also nearby.
Day 3: We went to Bohol and took Ocean Jet in Pier 1 in the morning. The cost of one way ticket was 520 pesos. We asked Cathy, our tour guide in Bohol, to buy it ahead for us. She sent a SMS with ticket numbers. Just present the SMS with ID to Ocean Jet so that they can provide you a printed ticket. Big luggage must be checked-in at their check-in counter without charge for convenience since they have an area at the back of the ferry for the luggage.
Bohol travel kwento is available here.
For accomodation and tour mentioned in this blog, please contact Gran Tierra Suites at grantierra_suites@yahoo.com OR (6332) 412 4562/(6332) 253 3575. FB: https://www.facebook.com/grantierrasuites/?fref=ts
Van rental and tour: Kuya Danny +639061534659 or +639224633757
A day to day life 