102
{
}
DAY 2
Head downtown for a walking tour
of Old Cebu, starting at the country’s
oldest street, Colon. Further down is
the Basilica del Santo Niño, where
you’ll find women offering prayers
with a chant, a wave of lighted
candles, and a dance inspired by the
ebb and flow of the tides. They are
happy to teach you the basic dance
steps of the Sinulog, Cebu’s world-
famous feast of its patron saint, the
Santo Niño. This is widely considered
the country’s biggest street festival.
Just beside the basilica is
Magellan’s Cross, where the explorer
Ferdinand Magellan planted the first
cross to claim the Philippines for
Spain. Towards the direction of the
domestic port – the go-to point to
catch a ferry to neighboring islands
like Bohol, Camotes or Leyte – take
processing plant cans, pur
ée
s, freezes
and dries up to five million pieces of
fresh mango a day, and is responsible
for up to 80 percent of the countries
mango processing. They’ve recently
opened their doors to lead guided
tours (PHP200 per person) through
the museum and factory. Stand on the
observation deck to gain a view of how
each of the 6,000 workers peel every
fruit by hand at a record six seconds
per mango and stop by the gift shop
for some sweet souvenirs. Canned
juice, tamarind-mango fruit balls and
dried green mangoes are some of the
favorites.
For dinner, drop by a culinary gem
that fans seem to want to keep a secret.
Kusina ni Nasing (
AS Fortuna, Banilad,
Mandaue City; tel: +63 32 514 1838
)
serves only eight items on their menu,
including pork liempo (roasted belly,
PHP180) infused with lemongrass.
All dishes are based on the recipes of
owner Merelyn Chua’s mother, Nasing.
Average bill for for a hearty meal that
serves five is PHP130 per person.
Shoestring budget for
Day 1:
About PHP1,000
per traveler
Clockwise from
top left: Kusina
ni Nasing owner
Merelyn Chua
preparing the
pork belly roast;
the Basilica
del Santo Niño;
Tabo-an, along
Colon Street in
dowtown Cebu, is
where you’ll find
all kinds of fresh
and dried seafood
specialties
