Despite the heavy downpour this morning, we had an appointment at the top of a mountain on the outskirts of Cebu City, just 12 minutes drive from the Capitol. I had climbed this mountain before, about 3 months ago, climbing about 1.5-2.0 kilometers in distance and up to roughly 350 meters (1,000 feet) in height. I thought I would die at the time, worse than a stairmaster in a hot gym, but actually, I managed to do the climb in about 1 hour using really narrow trails and a walking stick. This time, thank goodness, there is a new road under construction that climbs all the way to the peak. If you are from Cebu, can you guess where this photo up top is taken from? Another clue, in this second photo taken from the Marco Polo Hotel, is the same mountain from a distance… and I am standing from the highest peak of the range….
The view of the City of Cebu, the island of Mactan, and the distant islands and mainland of Bohol is superb! Breathtaking during the day, brilliant during the night. This is the site of a new residential development and I am standing on what will be the future clubhouse of the village. What is also spectacular is the view to the BACK of the mountain, a verdant stretch of watershed forests and mango trees that are protected from future development. These are where the famous Guadalupe mangoes of Cebu come from. In the months ahead, as the development gets further along, many folks in Cebu should take a ride up to the top if only to get a birds eye view of the city, it is utterly spectacular!
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are you in the trans central highway? great view MM! im missing Cebu already…
Nope, not in transcentral highway, the road construction here is totally new and only for this development… Just 12 minutes from the Capitol or Fuente Osmena area…
My guess is you are on top of one of the mountains in Guadalupe ( near Sitio NAPO?) Did I get it right? I’m judging from the perceived distance from where you are standing to the end of the Mactan Channel. There’s this huge real property develpment covering several mountains which is a joint venture with a landed family from Cebu and a big time developer. If this is it I heard this will be the biggest in Cebu. (covering 8 mountains or is that just an exaggeration?) What a magnificent view. I hope I can save up enough to get a piece of this.
Ah, I was hoping for a price or at least a discount! Should I say the project’s name or just the location? Hmm, I better be quiet or I might not get a space there. hehehe. A cousin who’s into real estate development just mentioned this over get-together dinner 2 weeks ago since he heard I was planning to move to Cebu or at least maintain a crib there. It sure is a good investment.
Gorgeous view! I haven’t been to Cebu in so long so I can’t guess…It’s lovely though :)
Oh gosh! I hope this will not destroy the mountains. There was talk last year that the cause of the severe flooding in Calamba, Laguna was due to the real estate development in Mt. Makiling. How it contaminated the water system and people got sick of infectious diarrhea. Hope this doesn’t happen to Cebu.
wow…..I’m speechless…
a great way to get away from all the pollution. Sorry, never been to Cebu…but with you posting about this wonderful island, I might be on my way there… =)
Is it on top of the mountain owned by the Xxxxxxxx Family and is being developed by the same people as Punta Fuego?
Marco Polo Hotel — isn’t that in Beverly Hills?
can’t wait to go to cebu this october! especially when i got my ticket for only P1.00… oh well, good luck to me :)
Tinsi, Tulip and Mangaranon… you got it. It’s called Monterrazas de Cebu, by the Landco group that did Punta Fuego in Nasugbu, Batangas, and the views are stunning from this Cebu development. corrine, I hope that doesn’t happen here either! Malou, maybe its time for a visit to Cebu! suzette, I hope you have a good trip in October.
That’s another great thing about Cebu: in 15 minutes you can be up in the mountains, several degrees cooler and the air so much cleaner, or 15 minutes you can be at the beach. Me, too, hope that development doesn’t come at the expense of the environment. MM, thumbs up for the rainbow pics and musings in the previous post.
I’ve heard a lot of good things happening in Cebu. I definitely have to stop by when we visit next Summer. Great views by the way, MM. I bet it’s quite breathtaking during the night with flickering city lights in the distance.
Can I bid for the bibingka concession on top of the mountain?
Malou See, too late, Cebu is quite polluted. But of course, not as polluted as Manila. But one thing sort of peeves me everytime I go there is their drivers =(
Sister by all means you can have the bibingka concession by the hilltop without going through the bidding process. If I need to go out there and secure handwritten petition, I will be glad to do it for you. Just for you! The future house of the clubhouse has spectacular 360 degrees view of the area! Good thing the other side of the mountain is protected for future development – will keep the lush greenery view.
Do these clubhouses accept guests for the day or do you have to be a resident or a guest of a resident to go there?
great view! there is this place in Cebu called TOPS, where one can also see the entire view of the city. I dont particularly like the place so never came back there after my first visit.
i’ve been to cebu for a couple of days pero matagal na yun and when i was there, i was lucky to see cebu on a helicopter courtesy of a friend who works for the phil air force. the island was so spectacular and no pollution talaga, i hope it stays the same. brenda, ive been to TOPS also, got a nice view of the city. i’d like to go back and visit the carbon market like MM, when i was there my friends didnt want me to visit carbon because its crowded and hot. although i was able to eat at sutokil (tama ba? please correct me if i am wrong) similar to the dampa in paranaque and libis : )
aside from the view, the most awesome in the post is you MM..ha ha ha! next time you face the camera man. The most enjoyable in Cebu ofcourse the Chicharon in Guadalupe, Mangoes, daing na pusit,danggit (LAMI) in carbon. Pasyal ka naman minsan sa Pampanga MM. more power!
MM — I guess I deserve one of your kalamansi marmalade for guessing the location in Cebu. I know the owners and the developer.
MM – do I get a kalamansi marmalade for correctly guessing where you where standing? My sister is pining for your marmalade.
been 7 years last time I visited Cebu.. One day soon I hope this time I wont cancel my trip
lojet, at the moment, the development is still under construction, so prospective buyers can go up to the clubhouse area to see the view… brenda, Tops is more into the Busay area, this mountaintop is a little more south, titashi, a helicopter tour… that sounds fantastic! Yuan, you just have to pick the picture with the best angle…hahaha. Mangaranon, excellent answer but I am out of marmalade… Is your sister in NY or in Manila? If the latter, it is pretty easy to make a small batch if she is adventurous… sha, you gotta hit “home” soon…
Hi MarketMan. I just started reading your blog and im VERY happy that you enjoyed your stay in Cebu.
Im a food blogger too although only a month old: http://www.thecebuanadines.blogspot.com
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