Here are some tips for travelers who want to visit and buy dried fish at the Tabo-an Market in Cebu. Marketing can be done in less than 30 minutes if you already know what you want to buy and what to do.
1. Plan to go there in the very early morning. Preferably before breakfast
2. Wear you oldest clothes or your shirt that you don't plan to wear again during your trip.
3. Go to the market wearing your slippers. Its really dry and clean at the market, but you will be able to easily wash your slippers after the trip rather than your shoes.
4. Just bring enough cash, just bring your bill fold not your wallet (you know why after)
5. Have the salesladies segregate your dried fish into 1/8 kg or 1/4 kg or mix then they will wrap and package it in a box for your ready for check in at the airport.
6. When you go back to your hotel place it at the concierge.
7. Take a bath and then roll and wrap all the clothes you wore in a plastic bag and seal it. Even your undies will smell of fish. You will not realize this until way after you get back.
8. After clean up you can have breakfast.
And oh the bills-- make sure you use your bill fold otherwise your purse will smell like dried fish. It was a good photo walk and "pasalubong" adventure.
A local resident mentioned that these are not really from Cebu but the dried fish are sourced from Pagadian or Zamboanga.
very good "vacuum" packing of the dried fish or squids. In the photo are danggit, squids, and fish tapa.
dried octopus anyone?
