Five Chill-out Places in Cebu to Stay in to Beat the Rainy-Day Traffic

If you love board games, then Vault Board Game Cafe is one place you can go when you get stranded during a heavy downpour. As its name implies, the main attraction of the café is their board games. Customers can play all they want for a minimum purchase of PhP150 for adults and PhP90 for children aged 13 and below. The café has a good variety of board games available, including Scrabble, Monopoly, Settlers of Catan, and Ticket to Ride. It is not surprising if screams of delight or despair can be heard inside the café, depending on the outcome of the game.

The café offers a good selection of food items on its menu. These include fish and chips, Tokyo dog, and tuna carbonara. Prices are between PhP120 for their French fries and PhP260 for the fisherman’s bowl. Vault Board Game Café also has a variety of hot and cold drinks for coffee lovers and non-coffee lovers alike. These include cappuccino, Americano, latte, mocha frappe, hot and cold tea, and milkshake. Prices for drinks range from PhP90 for the espresso up to PhP220 for the matcha green tea milkshake.

Address: Ground Floor, The Greenery, Pope John Paul Avenue, Mabolo, Cebu City

Operating hours: 3:00 PM to 11:00 PM Tuesday to Thursday; 4:00 PM to 12:00 AM Fridays, 12:00 PM to 12:00 AM Saturdays; 12:00 PM to 10:00 PM Sundays and Mondays

When the rain falls, many people just want to stay indoors and watch a movie or two. Hello Hans Movie House is one place where you can do this. It is the first private DVD room in Cebu with a video library of 4,000 original movies which customers can watch on an 80-inch screen.

Regular rates are at PhP350 per movie for two persons. Students pay PhP250 per movie for two persons. There is a fee of PhP50 for every additional person in the room. Hello Hans Movie House offers a 50% discount off the regular rate for the fifth movie. They also give out free popcorn for the third and eighth movie.

Address: CJRS Building, I.T. Park, Apas, Cebu City; 2nd Floor, Parkmall, Ouano Avenue, Mandaue Reclamation Area, Mandaue City

Operating hours: 1:00 PM to 6:00 AM Monday to Thursday, 12:00 PM to 6:00 AM Friday to Sunday (IT Park); 10:00 AM to 12:00 AM Mondays to Sundays (Parkmall)

Melvin’s Reef Blacklight Mini Golf is a mini golf course where you can wait out the rainy-day traffic. The nine-hole course at Melvin’s is a feast for the eyes. The black light and ocean-inspired interiors give you the feeling of playing underwater golf. Since shoes are not allowed while playing, make sure to wear socks before going to the place. Customers can practice their putts and swings amid fishes, crabs, starfishes, and other colorful marine life.

Address: 18th floor Tower 2, Club Ultima, 819 Osmeña Boulevard, Ramos, Cebu City

Operating hours: 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM Mondays to Sundays

Cat Cafe Philippines is the first cat café in Cebu City. It first opened at the corner of L. Bacayo Street and V. Rama Avenue in Guadalupe, Cebu City before they transferred to SM Seaside City Cebu. Cheech, Cotton, and Smoke are among the cute felines who will greet customers at the café.

The gentle purring of the cats at the café offers a therapeutic effect on people with certain ailments. Listening to a purring cat can lower blood pressure and stress. Research also shows that cat owners are around 40% less likely to experience a heart attack compared to those who do not own a cat.

While the cats are the highlight of Cat Cafe Philippines, customers can also enjoy a wide selection of food and beverages at the place. These include grilled sandwich, tuna sandwich, taco salad, frappes, coffee, and shakes. Prices of the food items at the café are from PhP25 for the truffles up to PhP240 for the taco salad. The drinks cost between PhP40 for the four seasons juice drink and PhP120 for the mixed fruit shake.

Address: Skypark, SM Seaside City Cebu, Cebu South Coastal Road, Cebu City

Operating hours: 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM Mondays to Sundays

Boards & Bites Board Games is another uniquely-themed café in Cebu. Similar to Vault Board Game Cafe, the café has 200 board games which customers can play for a PhP100 fee.

While playing the board games, customers can also munch on some of the food offerings of the café. These include beef pares (braised beef meal), nachos, and Kabuki chicken. They can pair these off with the blue raspberry lemonada (lemonade) or mango iced tea. Prices of the food items start at PhP60 for the popcorn explosion up to PhP180 for the premium pork sisig (sizzling pig’s head and liver). Drinks cost between PhP80 for the mango iced tea and PhP160 for the special matcha green tea frappe.

Address: 2nd Floor, The Space, A.S. Fortuna Street corner P. Remedio Street, Banilad, Mandaue City

* Prices may change without prior notice.