8 Tips on How to Go to the Temple of Leah – A (2018) Guide

As a symbol of love and unceasing devotion to his wife, Teodorico Adarna thought of building an architectural edifice for his wife, Leah.

Temple of Leah Cebu City is the latest addition to the list of “must see” sights in Cebu; among them are the Taoist Temple, Sirao Flower Farm, TOPS Skyline Garden, Lantaw Native Restaurant, and the Bagacay Lighthouse.

What makes the temple unique is its architectural design, which has a great resemblance to the ancient Greek architectural styles that are famous for its temples.

Resembling the ancient pantheons of Greece, Teodorico had the palace built like a Greek temple with gigantic lions on each side of the stairways leading to the doorstep. The staircase itself draws attention with its brass angels where a 9-ft. A bronze statue of Queen Leah awaits. Underneath her throne is a verbatim of her husband’s words of describing her.

Gigantic statues of golden lions stand as guards on the side of the doorstep. At the same time, the temple holds an art gallery, a museum, and a library where Leah’s favorite things are displayed.

 

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With all these beautiful sights you can behold, it will truly be worth it to know how to go to the temple.

Construction of the temple began in 2012. Though it is still under construction as of this writing, the Temple has marveled many of its visitors after seeing it. The temple opened its doors to guests in August of 2015 and charges 50 pesos /guest as entrance fee.

Currently, the entrance fee to the place is still the same. For those who want to have it as a venue for professional photography that is intended for wedding and events, management charges Php 2,500 as venue fee.

The temple is open to all visitors on a 24/7 basis, so it does not matter if you go to the place during daytime or nighttime. Some guests would prefer nocturnal visits, as the lights of the place provide a romantic ambiance as compared to daytime when hordes of people surround the place walking around or taking their groufies or selfies.

Once you get to the premises, you will find a lobby surrounded by full-sized porcelain maidens. This serves as the reception area. At the center of a lobby are naked maidens and horses. On the side of the balcony are benches for guests to sit and take a rest. There are also food stalls that are positioned close to the entrance.

 

Other Recommended Travel Guide that we have written to help you in your vacation! We have written a guide on the Places That You Need to Visit When You Are in Dumaguete. 

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8 Tips and Experience that our Featured Influencers can share on Temple of Leah Cebu City!

#1 From Glaiza Bernaldez

As a person who loves history, art and literature, Temple Cebu represent the beauty of Greek-Roman architecture that influences not the only Philippines but many cities in Europe and another part of the world.

The ancient Greek architecture has a profound effect throughout the ages. There is a lot of symbolism behind the choice of architecture and Temple is a great example.

It was built by Teodorico Adarna for his wife, a symbol of undying love. I describe Temple beautiful (although not finished yet) and romantic place with a nice overlooking view of the Cebu city.

We had our engagement shoot there that makes this place a wonderful memory.

For me, the best experience we had was the great photos from our engagement shoot. We haven’t tour the area because we had limited time.

Tips for me, if you wanted to have your engagement shoot visit on weekdays with the lesser crowd. Make it early in the morning or late afternoon. Packed some snacks, especially water to stay hydrated.

Although, we found the place expensive for a prenup shoot. The fee is PHP2,500 for 2 -3 hours, we still enjoyed this place.

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#2 From Bon Aserios

What I know is that this temple is a monument built on a mountain overlooking Cebu as a symbol of an undying love to his wife. Same idea with the Taj Mahal in India.

Going there is kind of tricky when using public transport. Much better if you have a private vehicle with you, but if you are a bit adventurous, you can hire a habal-habal along JY Square going up there.

Much better if you go there early so that there will be a few people/tourists and have nice photo ops without people on your background. This place is also perfect to view Cebu during dusk.

 

#3 From Eden Morales

A place to see the entirety of Cebu City. A place that can transport you to a different era, country, and architecture.

Ask a taxi driver to drive you around town. They know the ins and outs of the city and it’s relatively cheap!

 

#4 From Thaddeau Engaling

A mausoleum that immortalizes the love one man has for his deceased wife.

The Temple is known as either the Taj Mahal or the Parthenon of Cebu.

Website: wonderfulcebu

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wonderfulcebu/

 

#5 From Maria Sigrid D. Lo

What is Temple(Place) for you? The Temple Cebu City is a must-see attraction in Cebu. The pictures do not do it justice. It is a huge place that when you get to it,you get the Europe feels (cept the humidity). Construction in some parts in still ongoing so I am excited to see the completion of this temple. It’s full of adoration for Leah.

My advice is to visit the Temple in the morning when it’s not so hot or late in the afternoon., You can have your lunch in the nearby Lantaw Busay area where there are native Filipino restaurants. And oh, it’s best to come here on a tourist bus or private vehicle. I don’t think you can reach this place by public transportation. It is a very high place so you would need a powerful vehicle.

 

#6 From Min Viloria

Temple is a work of art and an expression of undying love.

A tip to get better Instagram pictures: visit the place early in the morning or late in the afternoon to beat the crowds and avoid the scorching heat.

#7 From Nathaniel C. Uy

More than the beauty of the place, I likewise adore the back story of everlasting commitment and unceasing devotion.

Be there early! Crowds will not understand the importance of that picture perfect Instagram photo. 🙂 Either that or be there late afternoon, to capture the beauty of sunset amidst the cityscape. Also, bring extra clothes and water to hydrate! 🙂

 

 

#8 from Maricel Valeza

Cebu’s Taj Mahal, I love the fact that we can have our own Taj Mahal in Cebu or the Philippines. For those who cannot afford to travel abroad, they do not have to go to India to see something as iconic as Taj Mahal. We got our own! I went while construction was still underway. I’m pretty sure it’s much more impressive now. Be sure to check out the city view from the rooftop. Come early in the morning or later in the day to capture the sunset.

 

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How to Go to Temple of Leah in Cebu City

 

If you’re already from Cebu, you can opt for public commute or you can also take a private car going to Roosevelt Street, Barangay Busay where the temple is located.

1. By Public Commuting

There are three types of vehicles available for travelers and visitors who want to know how to go to the Temple. Once in downtown Cebu, one can either take a motorcycle, otherwise known as ‘habal-habal’ in the place; a shuttle; taxi; and on a public utility jeep.

The starting point of your journey to the temple is J.Y. Square. From there you can take a habal-habal or a taxi to get to you to your destination. JY Square can be found at #1 Salinas Drive Drive in Lahug.

A habal-habal or motorcycle could only take two passengers at a time, charging a minimum fare of 75 pesos per passenger. Waiting fee is 50 pesos. Just make sure that you and the motorcycle driver have agreed on the fare. The fare would normally be from Php50 – 100 per person, but there are times when some drivers would charge more than that depending on your agreement.

Another option on how to get there is to take the shuttle which parks in front of Dessert Factory in SSY Center, which is across Watsons at JV Square Mall. The shuttle charges Php 120 pesos/person, good for a round trip ride. Just check on the Temple shuttle service schedule so you can estimate your exact time of travel and arrival to the temple.

If you want a more comfortable way to get the Temple in Cebu, you can also opt to take a taxi cab. Normally the charge is for a fixed rate, as the entire trip would not be using the taxi meter. This is called a “pakyaw” agreement wherein the fees range from Php500 to Php800 round trip.

The difference in the fare can be well-compensated as you can sit comfortably during the ride in an air-conditioned vehicle. There are extra charges for subsequent hours covered depending on your agreement with the driver and based on the number of hours agreed upon.

 

2. By Private Car

Another option on how to go to the temple is by private transport; say in your own car or your companion’s. Just take the route to Busay and drive through Roosevelt Street. This street is the same road that leads to Mountain View and Lantaw Restaurant.

You need not worry about parking when you get to the temple as there is a parking area for visitors, as well as parking barkers within the same area to provide assistance to drivers when it comes to parking. The temple charges Php 100 as parking fee. It is offered free outside of the premises but only for a limited number of cars.

Learning how to go to the temple is all that easy.  You only have to take note of certain landmarks to get your way to Barangay Busay, which you can find in the mountains.

In remembering how to go to the Temple, the first thing to keep in mind is that you need to get off from JY square which is supposed to be the route in going to the mountains.

On your way up you will pass by Cosmopolitan, Marco Polo, and Chateau Busya. Turn left towards Mountainview Resort; the same road that leads to Lantaw Busay but the restaurant is on the right side of the fork while the way to the temple is on your left. You will then find the Temple at the end of the road once you see a big structure and many vehicles that are on the side parking.

And if you come from the other provinces, many domestic flights would take you to Cebu, and then you can start your journey going to the Temple.