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When tourists plan a trip to Cebu Island, most immediately think of whale sharks and waterfalls. But what if you’ve already seen the island’s main hits or simply want to bring back the most unusual, vibrant photos from your vacation?
In this article, the Werdana Travel and Tours team has prepared a list of Cebu’s hidden gems for you. We will head into the cool mountains to see “Little Amsterdam” and the Philippine Taj Mahal, touch upon Eastern philosophy, and sail away to a tiny island inhabited by sharks with incredibly long tails.
Ready to see Cebu from a completely different perspective? Let’s go!
If you want to blow up your Instagram with bright shots, you definitely need to head to the mountains above Cebu City. That’s where the famous Sirao Flower Garden is located. Originally, local farmers grew celosia flowers (cockscomb) here for sale, but when the plantations bloomed into a bright red-and-yellow carpet, they became a magnet for photographers.
Today, Sirao is a full-fledged amusement park for fans of beautiful shots.
What awaits you: In addition to endless flower fields overlooking mountain gorges, dozens of photo zones have been built in the park. The most famous of them is the Giant Palm, reaching out over the precipice. You will also find Dutch-style windmills, swings over the abyss, nests, and bridges.
Tips for tourists:
💡 How to get there: The Sirao Gardens are located high in the Busay mountains, where regular buses do not go. Taking a one-way taxi is risky—you might not find a car back. At Werdana Travel, we offer a comfortable “Cebu Mountain Tour”, which already includes air-conditioned car transfer and visits to several locations from this list!
Just a few kilometers from the Sirao gardens lies one of the most grandiose and romantic structures in the Philippines—the Temple of Leah.
Expecting to see Asian architecture here? Think again! The Temple of Leah is a massive palace built in ancient Roman style, with massive columns, marble staircases, and statues of lions and gladiators.
This place is called the “Philippine Taj Mahal” because it was built not for religious purposes, but in the name of love. Local businessman Teodorico Adarna erected this palace in 2012 as a symbol of undying devotion to his late wife, Leah, with whom he was married for over 50 years.
What awaits you: The temple is located on a hilltop, so its huge plaza offers arguably the best panoramic view of the entire Cebu City metropolis and the ocean. The sunsets here are simply incredible. Inside the temple, there is a library, an antique museum, and a 10-foot gold statue of Leah herself.
💡 Itinerary idea: The Temple of Leah and Sirao Gardens are on the same road. This is an ideal half-day combination that will allow you to escape the city heat and take luxury photographs.
Returning from the mountains back to the city, be sure to stop by the elite Beverly Hills neighborhood. Yes, Cebu has its own Beverly Hills, and that’s where the majestic Taoist Temple is located.
It was built in 1972 by the Chinese community of Cebu. The temple rises 300 meters above sea level, and 81 steps lead up to it (symbolizing the 81 chapters of the sacred Tao Te Ching scripture).
What awaits you: The temple’s architecture follows the outlines of the Great Wall of China. Dragon statues, red pagodas, ponds with golden carp, and manicured gardens are everywhere. This is the quietest and most peaceful place in bustling Cebu.
Every Wednesday and Sunday, you can witness traditional Taoist rituals here. Anyone can make a wish and drop special wooden blocks on the floor: if they fall on the right side, your wish will surely come true.
If you are ready to head to the far north of Cebu province, a reward awaits you—the tiny but world-famous island of Malapascua. Its size is only 1.5 by 0.6 miles, there are no cars here, and the sand is as white and fine as on the famous Boracay.
But people come here not only for the ideal beach vacation. Malapascua is the only place in the world where divers can observe the rarest marine inhabitants every day—Thresher Sharks.
What awaits you: These sharks are famous for their huge eyes and an incredibly long tail that accounts for half of their body length. They use the tail like a whip to stun schools of small fish. Thresher sharks live at great depths, but early in the morning (around 5:00 AM), they rise to the Monad Shoal underwater plateau so that small cleaner fish can clear their skin of parasites.
Diving with thresher sharks is a hypnotic sight that brings divers from all over the world to Malapascua.
Tips for tourists:
💡 Difficult logistics are no longer a problem: Getting to Malapascua on your own is quite a quest (bus to Maya port, then a boat that leaves only when fully filled). Let us take care of the worries! Werdana Travel organizes individual tours to Malapascua, including hotel-to-port transfer and private boat rental.
Cebu Island is too diverse to be limited to just standard routes. Mountains, palaces, dragons, and the rarest sharks are waiting for you!
If you don’t want to spend hours of your vacation studying local bus schedules, searching for taxis, and negotiating with boatmen—entrust your holiday to professionals.
Write to the Werdana Travel and Tours team right now. We will provide a free consultation, select the best excursions for your interests, and make your vacation in the Philippines truly flawless!
