Formally known as Mactan-Cebu International Airport, is the airport destination of Tutubi about 10 years ago and has since become his most visited place outside Luzon.

Herewith is a Guide to Mactan Cebu International Airport based on accumulated "wisdom" of Tutubi, thus these tips and other information for the traveller.

For newcomers to Cebu City, herewith is map of Mactan-Cebu International Airport (browseable map by OpenStreetMap



Flights to Cebu Airport:

Cebu City is the second largest and busiest airport in the Philippines, there are many direct flights to most domestic destinations plus several international flights.

How to get out of Mactan Cebu Airport:

Coupon taxis are available at the arrival area gates with fixed taxi fare listed on a fare matrix. Yellow metered taxis are also available with PhP70.00 flagdown rate to any destination in Cebu.

Metered taxis can be flagged down by arriving passengers at the departure area. To get regular taxis, cross the street from the arrival area gate. A little to your right is a short stairway that leads to the departure area where metered taxis drop off departing passengers.

Travel time from cebu Airport to Cebu City center and downtown area is just around 30 minutes, taxi fare is around PhP200.00 to PhP300.00. Taxi drivers here are less notorious than the taxi drivers of Metro Manila.

Restaurants, Eateries, Coffee shops and duty-free shopping:

At the domestic departure area there's only one restaurant/eatery serving full rice meals (Cafe Wien) but it closes at 7pm (Tutubi learned this the hard way). For snacks, there's Fruit Magic (with teeny-weeny sandwich and pasta), Dunkin Donuts, and Coffee dream and several snack counters and pasalubong stores. Duty free shops at the international departure area.

How to get to Mactan Cebu International Airport:

Wishing to commute to Cebu Airport rather than take a cab? at the City center take multicabs going to Opon then drop of at Marina Mall. At Marina Mall look for with yellow multicabs with signboard Lapu-lapu City to Airport (LLC-PUBMARKET-MCIAA-VV).

From Mactan Cebu International Airport to the City by Public Transportation:

At the arrival area, walk towards Airport Terminal road and look for the same yellow multicabs going to marina Mall then transfer to another multicab to your destination (e.g. SM Cebu, Ayala Center, Mandaue et al).

From Cebu City onwards, suggest you go to SM City Cebu then ride jeepneys, multicabs or vhires (vans/fx) as it's a public transporation hub with lots of terminals. You can also proceed to Cebu North Bus Terminal (e.g. for bus trips to Bogo, Bantayan Island or Malapascua Island) or Cebu South Bus Terminal (e.g. Moalboal) to catch buses to your destination.

From Cebu Aiport to Moalboal (South of Cebu City)

From the aiport, ride the multicab to Marina Mall, transfer to a multicab going to Mandaue. In Mandaue, ride the jeep to One Citilink. At One Citilink, take vans going to Moalboal.

Labels: Airports, Cebu, Cebu City, Metro Cebu

One of recommended restaurants in Cebu City visited again by Tutubi to partake of the famous pochero, Cebu's version of the Tagalog's bulalo, a soup made of beef and one of Tutubi's favorite comfort food.

the homey ambiance of the Abuhan Dos on Ramos St. near Fuente Osmena downtown Cebu City.

The pochero (price: P350.00) came in one big bowl with one order good for 2 to 4 persons, still steaming hot, the way it should always be.

What makes Cebu's pochero distinct from Batangas Bulalo? It's the presence of white corn!

a close up view of pochero oozing with "utak," actually bone marrow, goodness. (Shot in dim light and hundgry stomach thus blurred output)

a motion-blurred picture of Tutubi's buddy from Batangas to add scale to the pochero bowl. He's about 5 feet 10 inches tall and 190 lbs and he wasn't able to slurp all the marrowy goodness of the pochero

Even with Tutubi's hefty companion, they weren't able to finish one order of Abuhan pochero, so they requested for the soup and bones be taken out and eaten at breakfast the next day...Abuhan pochero, ka-lami gyud!

Abuhan Restaurant Information:

Abuhan Uno
F. Ramos St., Cebu City
Telephone Number: +63.32.253.1881

Abuhan Dos (Restaurant branch is Open 24 Hours)
176 F. Ramos Street, Cebu City
Contact Number: +63.32.253.5774

Abuhan Tres
PIPC Tower, Asiatown IT Park
Lahug, Cebu City
Contact Number: +63.32.253.1151
Remarks: open 24 hours and near Waterfront Lahug Hotel

How to get to Abuhan Dos Restaurant:

it's just near Fuente Osmena, if you take a taxi just request the taxi driver to take you to Abuhan Ramos (it's on Ramos St, that's why)

Related Posts:

CnT Lechon Cebu
Golden Cowrie Native Restaurant
Port Seafood Restaurant

Labels: Cebu, Cebu City, Cebu Restaurants, Central Visayas, Metro Cebu

A return visit to the historic site of the battle between the natives led by Lapu-lapu and the Portuguese explorer in the service of Spain Ferdinand Magellan where Magellan met his death, mostly due to his ineptness as a general.

Tutubi again visited the place on the request of his peer who wanted to see the famous site of the "battle of mactan".

Ferdinand Magellan’s Monument

A coral stone obelisk Erected in 1866 in honor of Hernando de Magallanes). It bears the words “Glorias Españolas (Glory to Spain)."



The Lapu-lapu Monument, made of bronze, at dusk...



a closer view of the bronze monument...



the Mactan Shrine mural and historical marker. The Battle of Mactan mural wrongly depict Lapu-lapu in combat with Magellan. The marker states "Here, on 27 April 1521 Lapulapu and his men repulsed the Spanish invaders, killing their leader ferdinand Magellan thus Lapulapu became the first Filipino to have repelled European aggresion."




How did Ferdinand Magellan die? So many historical myths and hoaxes abound here but it's not really Lapu-lapu who killed him but a poisoned arrow to the leg. It was probably Lapu-lapu who dealt the final blow. He was killed due to his "stupidity" to charge at an enemy he didn't have any information on (remember Sun Tzu's Art of War?), and on the prodding of Rajah Humabon, an enemy of Lapu-lapu.

Rajah Humabon, who converted to Christianity earlier, later poisoned his Christian friends. What was left of Magellan's expedition later circumnavigated the world.

---
Travel Information on Mactan Shrine:

Mactan Shrine entrance fees: None but a donation box can be seen at the shrine entrance gate. Parking fee is at P10/vehicle.

There's also a Lapu-lapu Monument at Rizal Park in Manila (Luneta) "watching" the back of Jose Rizal Monument

How to get to Mactan Shrine / Lapu-lapu Monument, Lapu-lapu City:

Commuting from the Mactan-Cebu International Airport, you can flag a taxi to take you there directly or a jeepney, popularly called multicab, with signboard Punta Engaño. Tutubi also observed jeepneys with So-ong Maribago signboards passed by the place from Mandaue Highway. The Shrine is near Shangri-la Mactan Resort and Spa and the the famous Sutukil seafood restaurants. No information on jeepney fares but the taxi fare may be about P250 from downtown Cebu City.

Directions to Mactan shrine? It's just a straight drive from Mandaue City via Marcelo Fernan Bridge then right to M.L. Quezon Highway all the way to the shrine.

Labels: Cebu, Historical Shrines, History, Lapu-Lapu City, Metro Cebu, Monuments

Just a last picture of Cebu taken inside the van taking Tutubi to Mactan Cebu International Airport while about to cross the amazing cable-stayed bridge named after a prominent politician.

Marcelo Fernan Bridge is one of the two bridges crossing Mactan Channel separating Cebu Island from Mactan Island; the other is the older Mactan-Mandaue bridge.


Note that the dark clouds on the horizon were brought by typhoon Frank which was battering Manila at the time Tutubi was about to return there. It'sa good thing his return flight via Philippine Airlines was not canceled when all morning flights of Cebu Pacific Airlines and those of other carriers like Seair and Asian Spirit, using smaller planes were canceled.

Tutubi will be back in Cebu, that's for sure!

Labels: Bridges, Cebu, Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City, Metro Cebu

Fresh from wonderful snorkeling experience in Pescador Island off the coast of Moalboal, we headed to the upscale resort of Plantation Bay in Mactan Island.

To gain entrance to the facility, we informed the guards at the gates that we’re just going to eat inside. As we walked past the gates and into the well-manicured resort and hotel complex, we were informed that walking to our destination was not allowed and pointed us to free shuttle services.

As we got our butts warm at Kilimanjaro Restaurant, some of us ordered just deserts at touristy prices. Note: true to its being a 5 star resort, it has an astronomical price tag and no tipping policy of the resort.

After finishing our food, we took our time to take pictures of the man-made lagoons, beaches and swimming pools.

Overall, the resort publishes rates in US dollars targeting foreign tourists with nice facilities. For more information, pictures and rates, please visit the official website.

How to get to Plantation Bay, Mactan Island, Cebu:

Plantation Bay Resort offers complimentary shuttle transfers to and from the Cebu airport fprthose thosewho booked rooms rooms. It can also be reached by a short taxi ride at the airport, also on Mactan Island. Commuting there from the airport can be quite hard due to it's distance but still have to verify.

Plantation Bay Day TOur Rate/Entrance Fee: None, only proceed to the restaurants
but there may be a minimum consumable amount

Labels: Cebu, Central Visayas, Hotels and Resorts, Lapu-Lapu City, Metro Cebu, Resorts