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| Cebu City Tour The City of Cebu (Cebuano: Dakbayan sa Sugbo, Filipino: Lungsod ng Cebu) is the capital of the Cebu province in the Philippines and is the second most important metropolitan center in the country. Cebu City is dubbed the Queen City of the South. Cebu City is the center of a metropolitan area called Metro Cebu, which includes the cities of Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu, Talisay, and Naga. Cebu City is a chartered city and thus is actually independent from Cebu Province. There are a number of significant Spanish colonial buildings in Cebu City, including the Basilica Minore del Santo Nino, Fort San Pedro, Casa Gorordo Museum and Magellan's Cross. Cebu City is a significant cultural centre in the Philippines. The city's most famous landmark is Magellan's Cross. This cross, now housed in a chapel, was supposedly planted by Ferdinand Magellan when he arrived in the Philippines in 1521. It was encased in hollow tindalo wood in 1835 upon the order of the Augustinian Bishop Santos Gómez Marañon to prevent devotees from taking it home chip by chip. The same bishop restored the present template or kiosk, located at the present Magallanes street between the City Hall and Colegio del Santo Niño. Revered by Filipinos, the Magellan's Cross is a symbol of Christianity in the Philippines. A few steps away from the Magellan's Cross is the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño (Church of the Holy Child), an Augustinian church which was elevated to the rank of Basilica in 1965 during the 400th year celebrations of Christianity in the Philippines, held in Cebu. The church, which was the first to be established in the islands. It is built of hewn stone and features the country's oldest relic, the figure of the Santo Niño de Cebu (Holy Child of Cebu). There are a number of shopping centres in the city, the most popular of which are the SM City Cebu, Ayala Center Cebu, Robinsons Plaza and Gaisano Malls. There are also other smaller shopping centres and stand-alone department stores. Throughout the years however, the establishment of large shopping centres offers some sort of a town centre environment which have become popular. Recent development and expansion of existing shopping centres have also given the shoppers a new variety of choices in the city such as SM Cebu's "Northwing", a multi-level annex building with multilevel parking and Ayala Center Cebu's "Leisure Oasis", a development that consists of redefining Cebu's shopping experience through the newly re-designed Ayala Shopping complex. There is also the Carbon Market, a farmer's market in the city and the famous "Dried Mango" food. Away from the city, is the Cebu Taoist Temple, a Buddhist temple situated in Beverly Hills. The Taoist Temple gives a commanding view of Cebu City and the nearby cities of Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu. Views of Cebu City can also be seen from villages and gated communities located on the mountains. The Cebu Reggae Festival is a popular Filipino Reggae and Roots music festival, now one of the Philippines's largest annual Reggae Festivals, in Cebu City. The city also has a sport institution, the Cebu City Sports Complex which exhibits sporting and festival events. Click here for packages available Cebu Tops Tour Situated high on top of cool Busay Hills, an excellent sight seeing spot which offers a breathtaking view of Metro Cebu and the islands of Mactan and Olango. Cottages are available for daytime picnics and instant evening parties. A pleasant vantage point from where to survey the land – or the lights depending upon your time of visit – is the hilltop Tops (P100 entrance fee). Have a picnic basket made up at delicatessen Tinderbox (tel: 234-1681) and head to this open lookout point from where, with a foaming San Mig in hand, you can survey Cebu City, Bohol and the mountains to the north. In the evenings, you will find families, lovers, students and tourists sitting atop the encircling wall enjoying the cool dusk breeze. Here you'll find snacks, drinks and little stone alcoves arrayed in a semicircle if you wish to have a roof over your head. There's also an iron bell that, according to lore, is rung "once for firm partnership, twice for lasting friendship or three times for never-ending love." Start counting. The winding drive up the hill takes around 30 minutes from the city. A taxi will charge around P150 per hour and a motorcycle hubel-hubel upwards of P25 per passenger. |