Our second night was spent at the Asmara Urban Resort in Baniladad. This beautiful, boutique hotel is in the center of town with about 15 rooms. Each room is influenced by the Italian owner’s long history in the wood industry, leading to impeccably decorated rooms designed with natural wood. The hotel is well thought out and ingeniously crafted which is evident in its environmentally conscious design as some of the balconies are built around trees that were present when the hotel was constructed. The hotel has an attached tennis club, squash courts, and a restaurant and bar that was hopping with live music and a vibrant local scene.

While in Cebu City, we had breakfast at the Seda Ayala Center Hotel. This hotel is great if you want to stay in the heart of the city as it is attached to the Ayala Center Mall, making it convenient for shopping and taking advantage of tourist attractions. The breakfast buffet on the club level of the hotel was cozy and intimate. A traditional Filipino breakfast consists of puto maya (steamed glutinous rice) with a cup of rich, thick hot chocolate called sikwate. Since this was a buffet, we couldn’t resist trying the bibingka (Filipino rice cake), puto (another form of rice cake), chorizo (spicy pork sausage), tocino (sweetened pork belly), and all the lovely tropical fruit.

With full bellies, we headed out to explore the city and started with the Cebu National Museum. This archive depicts Cebu through all stages of history. You will see natural history from flora and fauna to rocks and minerals, pre-colonial finds, burial finds, old celadon, tapestries, 15th-century iron spears, and so much more. Then you move through Cebu’s rich ocean history from 13th-19th-century shipwreck finds, to artillery and the history of fishing including local traditions, rituals, and seasonal methods. Finally, the top floor is dedicated to art with a huge tribute to the Cebuano artist Martino Abellana who was versed in so many different mediums from vivid charcoal to vibrant pastels.

From the museum, we wandered over to the Carbon Market. This is a massive outdoor night market that opens at 6pm and was built in 1909 when it was a coal depot for the Cebu Railroad. Today, there are hundreds of booths with fresh-cut flowers, fresh fruit and vegetables, fresh fish and vendors grilling meat. This market gets so busy that many patrons will hire a motorcycle or motorized tricycle to drive them through the streets stopping at only the booths they need.

When you make it to Cebu, I highly recommend that you eat at The Chocolate Chamber located inside the Robinson’s Mall. This little café will allow you to enjoy a symphony of flavors with chocolate as the star ingredient. Cacao de Bola, a secret to the café’s amazing food, adds dimension and rich flavor from the divinely fermented, exquisitely roasted fresh cacao beans that will allow you to experience chocolate in both savory and sweet forms. It will open your eyes to new combinations like cacao-infused pizza or cacao nib linguini. Then if you can walk out without purchasing a few boxes of mango chocolate or chocolate-dipped cacao beans, you have more willpower than I do. 

To complete our city tour we visited Sto. Nino Church, Museum of Sto. Nino, the Cebu Heritage Monument, San Diego Ancestral House, Fort San Pedro, a Taoist temple, and the Sirao Flower Farm. Sirao Flower Farm has some of the most Instagram-worthy spots in all of Cebu. We finished the day with an incredible meal at Circa 1900, known for Cebuano and Filipino homestyle cuisine with upscale ingredients, it is elegant fine dining in a historic building. Everything we ordered was spectacular. I had the ribs and they did not disappoint. The meat fell off the bone and the marinade was wet, tangy, and sweet pairing well with the salty fried potatoes. The portions were large and everything was seasoned to perfection. 

We continued our trip south and stopped in the city of Carcar to taste the most popular dish in all of Cebu called Lechon. Lechon is a whole roasted pig that is slowly rotated over an open charcoal grill to achieve a crisp skin and succulently tender meat. Lechon Cebu-style has kicked it up a notch because they stuff the pig with garlic, onions, lemongrass, and other aromatics to enhance the flavor. We ate it on the street in the market, dipping it in sukang pinakurat (a spiced vinegar) along with puso, hanging rice steamed in coconut leaves. On the way out we grabbed a bag of chicharrones (deep-fried pork skins) from Mat-Mats and some dried mango from the street market.

Next, we headed to Moalboal, a small resort town in the southwest part of Cebu known for its rich marine life and colossal schools of sardines, making it a favored spot for scuba divers and snorkelers. We stayed at the Turtle Bay Hotel where we enjoyed the warm pool and paths that led right down to the sea for snorkeling right behind the resort. Next door was the Magic Resort and if you’re a diver I recommend this hotel as they have scheduled day and night dives, allowing you to bond and explore with fellow divers. We scheduled an island-hopping snorkeling tour that took us out to swim with the giant sea turtles and sardines. My only regret is not renting one of the available Go Pros because the guides were fabulous at filming tourists interacting with the ocean wonders. 

The other highlight of our trip included swimming with whale sharks in Oslob. This was a two-hour drive from Moalboal to the other side of the island. We were hesitant to do this due to the early wake-up call at 3am, but it was well worth it. I am aware that swimming with sharks is controversial, but the government does a good job with education and making sure no one touches the animals. This was a mind-blowing encounter. These friendly fish are so graceful in the water despite their size, averaging 30 feet long and 20,000 pounds. Swimming with them will get your adrenaline pumping. There is so much to do in this area like canyoneering to Kawasan Falls, exploring the tourist area, and relaxing on the beach. Plus, you don’t need to worry about transportation, there are many tricycles (motorcycles that are outfitted to carry 3-4 passengers) for hire.

For our final three days, we stayed in Lapu-Lapu City. This is the resort area and there are many 5-star hotels ready to pamper tourists. We stayed at the J-Park Hotel, it was a bit pricey but had a colossal buffet breakfast, and an attached water park that my son thoroughly enjoyed. I have several hotel recommendations for you to check out in this area.

My first recommendation is Tambuli Seaside Resort and Spa, a resort where luxury meets nature in harmony. The resort is ideal for couples and families alike as each room has a washing machine, refrigerator, and little kitchenette.  They have four swimming pools, a gym, a playroom, and countless water sports available from their private beach. The hotel has a tropical vibe with a very modern design. It’s one of the hippest buildings that I’ve visited, the staff is friendly and very environmentally conscious. We had dinner in the Caverena restaurant, and from the ambiance to the food, everything was out of this world. The braised lamb shank was melt-in-your-mouth tender, and the braised short ribs with red wine au jus were rich and flavorful. The menu was balanced well with their signature cocktail the Choco Rum sour made with The Chocolate Chamber’s Hibiscus Chocolate, Don Papa Rum, and Amaretto amongst a few other secret ingredients. Try this restaurant for a romantic date or a family and friends gathering.

The second suggestion would be the Sheraton Cebu Macatan Resort. This 5-star resort has a beautiful beachfront and well-kept pools but, what sets it apart is the amazing DIP Nikkei restaurant serving Japanese–Peruvian fusion food where every bite was a flavor explosion that needed to be savored slowly. We scrupulously enjoyed everything we tasted and the passion the chef has for her craft was evident. Everything was breathtaking from the tuna tamarind ceviche and maki acevichado to the beef cheeks that were slowly braised for 8 hours in a chalaca salsa. Each dish was sweet, savory, aromatic, and tangy all in one delicious bite. The calamansi-yuzu posset for dessert is to die for. This citrus curd was exotic and tangy, yet creatively paired with cacao crumble, sesame seed crackers, and mixed berries completing the balanced flavor sensation. If you’re a gourmet, you must try this restaurant. 

Finally, I would recommend the Shangri-la Hotel Mactan. The Shangri-la offers an embassy rate, so if you e-mail them, you may qualify for per-diem rates based on your rank. This is an incredible way to experience a five-star resort well under published rates. The Shangri-la is very family friendly with a craft and playroom for young children, an arcade for teens, a golf course, a posh spa, lush gardens to stroll through, a beautiful oceanfront, fabulous pools, and they even have a special kids buffet where the trays are low so that the little ones can serve themselves. I enjoyed lunch at their restaurant Aqua which serves Italian food. The classic Margherita pizza had a crisp wood-fired crust, the Insalata di mare was beautifully plated, and the pollo al mattone was expertly seasoned. 

We just barely scratched the surface of all the things to see and do in Cebu. You can plan a trip to fit any budget with the vast number of accommodations available. What was evident in everything we did, everything we saw, and everything we ate was Filipino hospitality. Take advantage of the quick hop from Korea and book a trip to visit soon. Cebu is ready to welcome you when you arrive! 

Travel Resources

Learn about tourism in the Philippines: www.tourism.gov.ph

Philippine Travel Information System e-Travel: https://etravel.gov.ph/

Find Department of Tourism-accredited hotels to keep travelers safe: https://philippines.travel/

Learn about accreditation issued by the Department to a tourism enterprise that officially recognizes the institution has complied with the minimum standards for operating tourism facilities and services. Learn more about hotel accreditation: https://beta.tourism.gov.ph/accreditations/

Hotel and Resort Accommodations Listed

Waterfront Airport Hotel & Casino: www.waterfronthotels.com

Asmara Urban Resort and Lifestyle Village: www.asmaraurbanresort.com

Seda Ayala Center Cebu: www.sedahotels.com

Magic Island Dive Resort Moalboal: https://magicisland.online/

Jpark Island Resort & Waterpark: www.jparkislandresort.com

Shangri-La Mactan Cebu (Military Discount): Email: reservations.mac@shangri-la.com

Tambuli Seaside Resort & Spa Lapu-Lapu: www.Tambuliseasideresortandspa.com

Sheraton Cebu Mactan Resort: https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/cebsi-sheraton-cebu-mactan-resort/overview/

Other Resources 

National Museum of the Philippines, Cebu: https://www.nationalmuseum.gov.ph/

Chocolate Chamber Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thechocolatechamber

Sto. Nino Church and Museum: https://santoninodecebubasilica.org/

The Cebu Heritage Monument: https://philippines.travel/activities/heritage-cebu-monument

San Diego Ancestral House: https://guidetothephilippines.ph/destinations-and-attractions/yap-san-diego-ancestral-house

Fort San Pedro: https://kahibalo.com/fort-san-pedro/

Taoist Temple: https://www.travelcebu.ph/blog/taoist-temple-cebu/

Sirao Flower Farm: https://www.facebook.com/siraogarden/

Circa 1900 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CircaCebu/

Wonders Car Rental & Tours Cebu Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wonderscar/

About the Author

Alison Rock is a graduate of the University of Southern California. She lives in Korea with her husband and teenage sons. She enjoys cooking, painting, and jewelry design and recently started a YouTube channel reviewing K-beauty products. www.youtube.com/@AlisonRockUSA