Cebu City was fascinating but exhausting, and for our second day we headed for the hills. Tops Lookout is a popular tourist attraction, albeit one that’s entertainingly tricky to get to. However nearby is another place that hasn’t yet made most of the “Things to Do in Cebu” lists, yet is one of the oddest sights I’ve seen on my travels.

It is of course possible just to flag down a taxi and ask to be taken to Tops Lookout. Taxis will often drive slowly alongside tourists, beeping their horns and yelling cheery greetings, but when we were lost in the city nobody would stop for us and we had to use (and pay) a middleman to hail a cab for us. So instead we opted to travel halfway in a “jeepney”.

These brightly-painted buses are so called because they were originally made from jeeps left behind when the US armed forces left after the Second World War. They’re a cheap and cheerful way of getting around, if you can work out which one goes where, and don’t mind squeezing in with everyone else.

However, they don’t go all the way to Tops Lookout. The jeepneys stop at JY Mall in Lahug, where we were immediately pounced on by motorbike riders eager to take us to the top. We brushed them off and wandered around in the hope of finding an alternative, but in the end, under the blazing midday sunshine, decided to brave the bikes. It was a hairy but hilarious ride to the top of the mountain, two of us and a rider on each motorcycle.

Tops Lookout- there’s not much there really…

Tops Lookout itself is no more than a broad concreted area with views of the city, ringed by small shops and cafes. The views were impressive, and it was interesting to see the urban sprawl all along the coast which we had driven through on the way to Moalboal. Most of all it was pleasant to be out of the craziness of Cebu City.

… but the views are impressive.

Our riders had offered to wait for us, and there was a little awkwardness when they asked to be paid waiting time which we hadn’t agreed previously. The subsequent haggling at one point involved us walking away saying we’d make our own way back, after which we speedily reached an agreement.

I was glad we had too, as the road down to our next destination was long and twisty, with cars speeding round blind corners. But the trip was well worth it.

I had spotted the Temple of Leah on the maps, rather than discovering it online. Construction began in 2012, and is still ongoing, so it’s little known as yet. “Leah” was Leah Albino-Adarna, wife of a wealthy local businessman. When she died, he began planning for her monument, a vast pseudo-classical shrine in her memory.

It’s a testament to the extraordinary power of love, money, and bad taste. In the main hall there is a gilded statue of Leah, enthroned like a Roman goddess. Most of the temple can only be seen through the windows, as her collections of ceramics, paintings, and knick-knacks are moved in and unpacked. There’s even a dusty bar, with rows of bottles destined never to be opened.

It’s hard to picture what the finished Temple will look like. But if you visit Cebu, you shouldn’t miss it. I can only hope though my wife doesn’t start getting ideas. The best I could manage would be a shed…

Photos: Andrew Killeen, Karen Killeen

After a week of sunshine and sea life at Moalboal, we headed for a couple of days in Cebu City. Cebu entered world history on March 17, 1521, when Ferdinand Magellan landed there during his circumnavigation of the globe. Magellan didn’t live to complete his journey because, although he befriended the first tribe he met and converted them to Christianity, another local tribe attacked and killed him the following month. This, and more of the city’s history, is commemorated in Cebu’s Monument.

Opposite the Monument, Constanleo Barellano has a message for the world

Before his death Magellan gave a statue of the Christ Child, the Santo Niño, to the queen of the converted tribe. When the Spanish returned to Cebu to stay in 1565, the conquistadors burned down the village, as was the way, and found the statue preserved in a chest amid the ashes. The Santo Niño is now the Philippines’ most revered relic, on display at the historic Basilica. When we visited shortly after Christmas the queue for the chapel was so long that we decided to forego seeing the statue itself, but the Basilica is well worth looking around, as is the nearby Cathedral.

The Basilica del Santo Nino is a calming place to stroll around amid the madness of the city

We also checked out the nearby Diocesan Museum. Some of the exhibits are only of interest to devout Catholics, such as robes belonging to a former Archbishop, but there are also some fascinating examples of religious art. (Though the kids were less fascinated than we were, it must be said.)

This Santo Niño is less elaborate than Magellan’s, but is similarly dressed like a 16th century Spanish prince

A stone press for making communion wafers

The car used by Pope John Paul II on his visit to the Philippines

Our preferred way of exploring a city is on foot, where we have time to take in the sights, sounds, and smells. However walking around Cebu City was challenging. With the broken or non-existent sidewalks, heavy traffic, and numerous beggars, it was easy to see why most people use bikes or the brightly-colored jeepneys. We’ve lived in China for nearly four years now, and traveled extensively around Asia, so I don’t think we can be accused of having lived a sheltered existence, but nonetheless I have to admit that we found the poverty in Cebu City distressing. Even so there was much to discover.

The graffiti art was… strange

Uplifting messages on a staircase leading up to a bridge

The dress code for students is strict

Roadside shrines are common, like this one with San Roque showing the plague sores on his leg

For our second day in Cebu City though, we needed to get out, and headed for the hills.

Photos: Andrew Killeen

You might have heard of the world-famous Boracay tourist island in the Philippines, which, at the time of writing, has been closed by the government for rehabilitation. Fret not if that was your target for your next beach adventure this summer, because the country has a bunch of other destinations. Island hopping has never been so fun as when you do it in the Philippines!

As recently as 2017, there are over 7,600 islands (during low tide) in the archipelago but only about 2,000 are inhabited and 5,000 others have not been named yet! And many of the islands are still in pristine condition.

Last week in our (Island) Hop Till You Drop series, we visited Bohol Island. Let’s continue our island hopping and travel to our next destination, Cebu.

Cebu Island

Overall fun rating: ★★★★☆

There’s so much culture and nature on the island of Cebu, just north of Bohol. Cebu, where Spanish colonizers brought Christianity to the Philippines, is now a trade center and a major pit stop on our Philippine island hopping tour.

Newcomers to the island capital of Cebu City can visit the usual first-day stop of Magellan’s Cross and the Santo Nino Basilica, just within walking distance of each other. If your family is into Mardi Gras-style festivities, go there in January during the Sinulog Festival.

Whale sharks are the world’s largest fish.

Gentle Giants
Oslob town is accessible via a two-hour boat ride from Tagbilaran City. When you arrive at the town port, you’ll need to ride a tuk-tuk to reach the coastal village of Tan-awan where the world’s largest fish, the whale shark, can be found. This endangered shark species is about 26 feet long on average, but don’t be frightened as they are docile.

Swimming with whale sharks is a controversial tourism activity since local fishermen feed the fish. There are conservationists who remarked these tours are unsustainable and affect the local marine ecosystem. I talked to several guides and they explained that the fees to the park (PHP 1,000 for 30-minutes of swimming with the whale shark) are used by the local government to develop the marine area, as well as to pay for the salary of the fishermen who became fish feeders and guides after the species appeared in late 2011.

The Kawasan Falls has a clear aquamarine natural pool.

Fall into Waterfalls
Already got a perfect selfie with the whale shark and posted it on Instagram? Your Cebu family adventure doesn’t end there because going northwest will bring you to natural swimming pools. Continue your day trip in Oslob and go to the picturesque Tumalog Falls before lunch via a 10-minute tuk-tuk ride. If falling into Tumalog isn’t enough, head further northwest to the Kawasan Falls, situated between a small canyon. Getting there takes about an hour of light trekking (1.5km from the main road), but everything’s worth it when you see the two sets of falls, a higher one at 131 feet, and another wider but lower one at 66 feet. Fresh spring water in the lagoon of Kawasan is comparable to the clear turquoise found on Alona Beach or Boracay, albeit cooler.

From Kawasan, it will take you roughly 5 hours (130km) to go to Cebu City, your gateway to more destinations in the province. Roughly a mile from the city is the island of Mactan where the province’s airport is situated. From there, we can continue our island hopping to our next destination: Palawan.

Suggested itinerary: I arrived at Port of Cebu from Tagbilaran City, but that’s only one way of going to the island. I recommend entering Cebu from the southern town of Oslob (two hours by boat from Panglao), then make your way up to Cebu City.

Where to stay

Movenpick Hotel Mactan Island Cebu
From PHP 8,000 (atrium view room for two) to PHP 13,600 (family suite). www.movenpick.com (+6332 492 7777, hotel.cebu@movenpick.com)

Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino
From PHP 4,125 per night (deluxe room for two) to PHP 15,600 (family suite). www.waterfronthotels.com.ph (+6332 232 6888, wcch@waterfronthotels.net)

Sascha’s Resort Oslob
From PHP 1,300 per night (twin sharing room for two) to PHP 2,200 per night (family room for five people) www.sascharesort.com (melissasilangan95@gmail.com)

*PHP 8.16 = RMB 1.00 (as of May 2018)

This article appeared on p20-23 of beijingkids June 2018 issue
Photos: Photos: cb_agulto, Klaus Stiefel, Marion Paul Baylado via Flickr