To get to Bantayan Island, you'll have to board a bus from the North Bus Terminal to Santa Fe in Bantayan, and here is where you will take the RoRo, a kind of cargo ship. The RoRo fare starts from ~S$4.54 (PHP170) and there is an admission fee of ~S$0.80 (PHP30) for visitors.

There are many transportations options to choose from when you're in Bantayan Island such as the classic Filipino jeepney, tricycle, or Pedicab, but do be wary of scams! Before agreeing to hop on a ride, get a final price from the rider so they don't try to change the rates later on. This was what happened while we were there, as we were first offered rates for a two-way trip, only to be told later on when we reached the destination that we had to pay extra to go back.

There are a few tourist hotspots in Bantayan, and one of them is Kota Beach. Located right in front of Kota Beach Resort, the beach is free to access and everyone can enjoy the long stretch of fine white sand! It's also not crowded at all.

Another place we visited was The Ruins. It's actually the remains of a house, which destruction was caused by Typhoon Yolanda in 2013. Just a few feet away from The Ruins is a 20-feet cliff, and this place also makes for gorgeous pictures.

Sirao Flower Garden is a great place to snap amazing pictures for the gram. Everywhere you turn, it's a different sea of colour, from the beautiful celosia to bright yellow sunflowers!

This place is also known as Cebu's 'Little Amsterdam, and while I think the resemblance is not that straightforward (to me), I can't deny how gorgeous it looks. This has to be one of the prettiest flower farms I've seen!

Entrance fees cost ~$2.67 (PHP100)/person, which is super affordable as well.

Lechon in Cebu is one of the most delicious in the Philippines and this is because Cebu Lechon has this crunchy golden-red skin and tender flavorful meat. While there are many places you can go to have great-tasting Lechon in Cebu, the one we visited was called House Of Lechon and we decided to go there because it was the highest-rated in the area.

House Of Lechon is a well-known restaurant that provides an elegant dining experience in a classy yet tropical-like atmosphere. The staff were very friendly in attending to our requests, and we enjoyed the food as well.

House Of Lechon also has their distinct and famous sauce which comes from the Lechon itself while being roasted. It's extremely flavourful and I poured it all over my meal!

Dubbed 'Cebu's Taj Mahal', the Temple of Leah was built by this guy called Teodorico Soriano Adarno for his late wife. Entrance fees cost ~$2.67 (PHP100)/person.

We took a Grab up to the temple, but there's almost zero connectivity on the hill so you won't be able to book a Grab back. There are a few motorcycles parked outside the temple with riders eager to fetch tourists down the hill, but I wasn't very keen considering I just got into a motorbike accident in Bali a few months prior. You can choose to walk all the way down, or like in our case, asked a group of locals with a car if we could kindly hop on.

While the temple can be considered gaudy and a bit much by some, it is still a must-see for many who come to visit Cebu. After all, it cost tens of millions of dollars to build.

Two gold lions guard the main stairs to the entrance of the shrine, which features a nine-foot bronze statue of Leah.

The temple is often crowded but there are lesser-crowded areas with picturesque spots too.

Inspired to visit Cebu yet? You should! I had a great time when I was there because everything was so affordable and I also felt quite safe wandering around. The locals are relatively friendly, and although their English level is not the most proficient at this part of the Philippines, there was no major communication difficulty. Next time you plan to visit the Philippines, skip the touristy areas and come to Cebu instead - you'll have a much more peaceful, relaxing, and eye-opening vacation.