Cebu Escapade (Day 1)

Last June, our friends Ernest and Ann invited me and my boyfriend to tag along in their pre-wedding vacation in Cebu. Cebu is not actually in my travel bucket list. However, since Ernest proposed to shoulder the expenses, I answered a resounding YES! :) We also did a mini-prenup so I was in charge not just of the itinerary but also of the props and photo shoot concept. Boyfie was the photographer. Yes, it's a 2-man team. If you wanna see how we did it, read on. :)

Day 1

Upon arrival at Mactan Airport, we immediately looked for the white metered taxi stand and queued up. There are two types of metered taxis present at the airport -white and yellow taxis. The flag down rate for a white metered taxi is Php 40.00 while yellow metered taxis start at Php 70.00. You have to cross the street in front of the arrival gate and climb up the stairs to reach the waiting area for the white taxis. Still, the yellow and white metered taxis are way cheaper than the private taxis waiting just outside of the arrival gate. 

It took us 10 minutes before we were able to ride a cab. Our fare was Php 320.00 from the Airport to Robe's Pension House where we are checked-in. 

At the waiting area for white metered taxis

Shoe selfies! :)

Accommodation

I highly recommend Robe's Pension House located in Cebu City. For 2 deluxe rooms, we paid Php 2,400.00 for 2 days and 1 night. It has budget-friendly rates, accommodating staff, clean and cozy rooms, and good location. It's situated in the heart of tourist attractions within Cebu city. They also have strong wi-fi connection. The only downside is that they have no elevator which is a bummer if your room is located on the upper floors. They’re pretty transparent with this minor setback which is reflected in their website. I forgot to take pictures of the rooms but the photos in their website are quite accurate.

Our rooms are located on the 2^nd floor.

Itinerary

The itinerary I prepared was not followed because we were all jaded from the flight. We crossed off some destinations especially the museums since we just wanted to unwind and not be stressed with all the traveling. 

We had brunch at Jonie's Sizzlers & Roast @ SM City Cebu. Due to hunger, we got there a little too early oblivious of the mall opening hours. Haha.

Better test that selfie pod. :)

  

Roasted Chicken and Sizzling Sisig

I fell in love with their Roasted Chicken.

Four burps and bulging tummies after, we went to the department store to buy more materials and clothes for the prenup. We went back to the pension house to rest for awhile and to give the couple some time to prep up. 

Our first destination was Fort San Pedro. 

Fort San Pedro is the smallest and oldest fort in the Philippines and is also declared a National Shrine in Cebu. It was built by Spanish and indigenous Cebuano laborers under the command of Spanish conquistador, Miguel López de Legazpi and the Spanish Government in Cebu.The fort’s name was taken from Miguel Lopez de Legazpi’s flagship “San Pedro” which sailed the Pacific Ocean in 1565.

What used to be a fort is now a beautiful park which is a favorite spot for weddings, picnics, and photo shoots. There's also a museum inside which houses memorabilia from the Spanish government like old scriptures, coins, paintings, and century-old cannons. 

Admission Fee at Fort San Pedro is Php 30.00 each. 

Facade of Fort San Pedro

Fort San Pedro Mark

There was a wedding when we got there so we did our photo shoot at the 2nd level of the Fort where the merlons and canons are.

 Bought these cutesy letters at Papemelroti

We bought some balloons at the mall and rented the guitar from a blind man at the park. Talk about resourcefulness. ;)

Another lovely photo of the couple

The matching colors of their outfits were unplanned, really. :)

After the shoot, we went back to Robe's to freshen up. 

Next on our list was Tower 3 of Crown Regency Hotel for the famed Sky Experience Adventure. We availed of the package inclusive of Dinner Buffet, Edge Coaster, Sky Walk, and 4D for Php 950.00 each.

First agenda of the night, Dinner Buffet! 

The Sparkz Restobar on the 37th floor offers Asian/International and Filipino food. The ambiance is perfect for a romantic rendezvous.

From where we were seated, we could see people doing the Skywalk which made me lost my appetite. Haha.

What could be more romantic than a dinner buffet overlooking Cebu city's nightscape?

After a scrumptious dinner, we then registered for the Edge Coaster, signed a waiver, and deposited Php 200.00 for a locker (no stuff is allowed inside the ride). Be sure to check the spelling of your name since this will be their basis for the certificate they will be handing out after the ride. Process is the same for Edge Walk.

I enjoyed Edge Coaster the most! :) Although I screamed at the top of my lungs when our seats where tilted, the adrenaline rush made this ride a favorite. The Edge Walk, on the other hand, was not so thrilling. We just walked around the tower in a super safe harness and with guides at that. We finished at 10:30pm since the group before us was a large one.

We paid Php 300.00 for the 2 souvenir photos below. 

Edge Coaster

Edge Walk 

The 4D theater was closed already when we got there since it's open only until 10pm . But the staff reopened the theater when we asked for a refund. And so we had the theater all by ourselves. :) We chose the adult ride “The Lost Island.”

"It tells the story of Mike, a geographical magazine photographer who encounters an aircraft crash and falls on an uncharted island. Action and fright begin when he tries to find his way out the almost pitch black, gloomy and terrifying jungle. Just a few of the frights along the way is a ferocious Bengal tiger, spike-wielding tribal Aborigines and a fierce and enormous Anaconda."

Lookin' swaggy in them 3D glasses

We also checked out the Sky Observatory which offers some of the best views of Cebu with their coin operated binoculars and telescopes.

Relishing the night

Trying out the Sky Experience Adventure is indeed the best way to end the night! :)