I have been in a long distance relationship for 8 years now. As they say, if you truly love someone, you'd cross the oceans for them and we literally did! To beat the record, we've been flying for 12 times in 11 months (woah! I can't even believe this lol). Being in a LDR is definitely expensive. You have to spend round trip tickets and save pocket money just to be with your special someone. If you're lucky enough, you'll patiently wait for the promo fares. I would like to share with guys one travel hack - avail Airlines' travel cards in which you can earn points as you fly to your next destinations. Just this month, we flew to Siargao for free!
Siargao Island has really been on top of my must-visit-places for this year and spending our 8th anniversary there makes me kilig. All thanks to our Cebu Pacific Get Go points for letting us #FlyForFree. Visit www.getgo.com.ph to learn more information.
Siargao Island has really been on top of my must-visit-places for this year and spending our 8th anniversary there makes me kilig. All thanks to our Cebu Pacific Get Go points for letting us #FlyForFree. Visit www.getgo.com.ph to learn more information.
No wonder why people left their hearts in Siargao Island "The Surfing Capital of the Philippines". This place has too much to offer to everyone. Perfectly for solo travelers, barkadas, couples, families, backpackers, and luxurious travelers. Everything in this island is worth the visit. Not to mention the massive waves, chill vibes as surrounded by coconut trees, laid-back beaches, instagrammable cafes, entertaining night life, stunning destinations, good food, amazing people, and admirable culture. These are just some out of the uncountable reasons why I love this paradise. Staying there for 4days and 3nights was too short. How I wish I could've stayed longer but one thing's for sure, I'll definitely be back. This island is surreal.
How to get there?
You have two options - either by land or by plane. The cheapest route by plane is if you will have a layover in Cebu to Siargao via Cebu Pacific. Great news for Manileños! Philippine Airlines now offers direct flights to the island. For the cost of the plane tickets, regular rates are usually 6-8K round trip. So, better stay tuned for promo fares and it'll cost you around P1,000-1,200 for a round trip ticket! *winks*
If you plan to be adventurous, you may take the land trip option. From Cebu, you have to ride a boat going to Surigao and travel time takes around 9 hours. I have only asked 2Go for the fare and it costs Php 900. If you're travelling from Mindanao, you may travel from Davao City to Surigao (via Butuan). Bus tickets cost around Php 750. From Surigao port, you're gonna take a 2-hour barge ride going to Dapa Port for Php 250 each. Schedules are only 5:30AM and 12 noon. From Dapa Port to General Luna, you may opt to ride a van for Php 300 or a motorcycle for Php 200.
Just a heads up, folks. Habal-habal is the only ride available in the island. Rides cost Php20/pax during daytime and Php30/pax at night time. If you want to save some cents and if you know how to drive a motorcycle, you may rent one for Php350/day minimum of 3 days. No need to worry about the gas. It's convenient and cheap! In our case, I decided not rent one because I want him to give him a break. Just pure vacation feels.
Where to Stay?
As I told you earlier, it accommodates everyone. There's a variety of places to stay from budget or backpacker types to luxurious accommodations. Prices range from 350/night for bed bunk beds to 2,500/ night for standard bungalows and rooms. 15,000/night for a grand stay. It took me a month to look for a place and it was such a struggle because most of them are already fully booked. So you better book your rooms in advance especially if you're going during the peak season. We ended up staying in a fan room at Villa Solaria for Php 1,050 per night. It doesn't have a beach front but it's only 8-minute walk to Cloud 9, located beside Harana, and a walking distance food places like to Shaka, Kawayan Gourmand, and Filibeans Espresso. We didn't really need a fancy one since we know that most of our time are spent outdoors. Good find, right?
Here's a list of accommodations you could check out. (These are the places that I previously researched and saw (mostly located near the road) while roaming around)
Kermit Surf Resort and Restaurant
Harana Surf Resort
Tiki Bungalows & Bar
Emerald House
Buddha's Surf
Bamboo Garden Bar and Lodging
Kubo House
Bravo Beach Resort
Siargao Bleu Resort & Spa
Isla Cabana
Greenhouse Siargao
Arka Hayahay
Dedon Island
You may also check out airbnb.com. They offer good deals too!
Where to eat?
One of the reasons why I was enticed to visit Siargao aside from surfing, is to do some food trips! There are numerous restaurants and cafes to eat. From pastries, coffees, Italian foods, Seafoods, Vegan, etc. Name it and you can find it there (except for fast food chains! Which I think is great.) Some eateries might be a bit pricey but swear, they're worth every cent *winks*. If you're in a budget travel, you may also cook your own food. There's a public market in Dapa which is 30 minutes away from General Luna.
Shaka Bowls
You'd be wanting for more of their colorful smoothie bowls and pressed juices. Don't forget to order Cloud 9 Kook and Boom Dia bowls. Deliciouso!
You'd be wanting for more of their colorful smoothie bowls and pressed juices. Don't forget to order Cloud 9 Kook and Boom Dia bowls. Deliciouso!
Kermit Surf Resort and Restaurant
Best pizzas in town! Their Kermit pizza is a must-try. We were supposed to have dinner at Kermit on our 2nd night but we arrived too late that their pizza doughs were already sold out. We decided to be back the next day. This place gets easily jampacked, so be sure to book a reservation. By the way, if you arrive later than 6:30PM, your reservation will be void. Better be there on time.
Best pizzas in town! Their Kermit pizza is a must-try. We were supposed to have dinner at Kermit on our 2nd night but we arrived too late that their pizza doughs were already sold out. We decided to be back the next day. This place gets easily jampacked, so be sure to book a reservation. By the way, if you arrive later than 6:30PM, your reservation will be void. Better be there on time.
Must try restaurants:
*Mama's Grill - For cheap and scrumptious grill dinner
*Aventino's Pizza, Pasta and Vino - They deliver to your place. Yaz!
*Kawayan Gourmand
*Bravo Restaurant
*La Carinderia - For Filipino and Italian comfort foods.
*Pleasure Point Cafe -The place to be right after you surf.
... and there's a lot more to mention in the list!
Based from my research, a lot of resorts and agencies offer different tour rates to the top destinations in the island and the sum will cost you around Php6,000-Php7,000/pax. Thankfully I found Kuya Bebot. Because of him, we only spent a total of Php 2,450/pax to the following destinations:
Sugba Lagoon
Magpupungko Beach Pilar
Bucas Grande Sohoton Cove Tour (Jellyfish Sanctuary, Bolitas Cave, Diving at Magkukuob Cavern, Hagukan Cave, and Club Tara sight-seeing)
Guyam Island
Naked Island
Daku Island
*All in. Inclusive of all the the environmental fees and lunch.
* Above rate is good for a group of 9.
P.S. You may join other group's tour to save more. This is one of the things I love about travelling. You get the chance to meet new people.
You may contact him through the following numbers: 0930-974-9974/0906-459-5679 or you may simply search him on Facebook.
For our surfing lessons, you may contact Kuya Joseph. We just met him nearby Cloud 9 during our Day 1. He's a good teacher and he offers free rides back to your accommodation. Book him now through 0947-946-4161.
For your habal-habal driver, Kuya Ritchel is at your service! He's a kind guy and he even gives you discounts. Thanks, Kuya for speeding up just for us to catch our flight back to Cebu (haha). Contact him through 0910-681-7279.
Recommended people to look for your activities.
For the tours, proudly presenting the one and only Nicolas Salgado a.k.a Kuya Bebot.Based from my research, a lot of resorts and agencies offer different tour rates to the top destinations in the island and the sum will cost you around Php6,000-Php7,000/pax. Thankfully I found Kuya Bebot. Because of him, we only spent a total of Php 2,450/pax to the following destinations:
Sugba Lagoon
Magpupungko Beach Pilar
Bucas Grande Sohoton Cove Tour (Jellyfish Sanctuary, Bolitas Cave, Diving at Magkukuob Cavern, Hagukan Cave, and Club Tara sight-seeing)
Guyam Island
Naked Island
Daku Island
*All in. Inclusive of all the the environmental fees and lunch.
* Above rate is good for a group of 9.
P.S. You may join other group's tour to save more. This is one of the things I love about travelling. You get the chance to meet new people.
You may contact him through the following numbers: 0930-974-9974/0906-459-5679 or you may simply search him on Facebook.
For our surfing lessons, you may contact Kuya Joseph. We just met him nearby Cloud 9 during our Day 1. He's a good teacher and he offers free rides back to your accommodation. Book him now through 0947-946-4161.
For your habal-habal driver, Kuya Ritchel is at your service! He's a kind guy and he even gives you discounts. Thanks, Kuya for speeding up just for us to catch our flight back to Cebu (haha). Contact him through 0910-681-7279.
Now, I'd like to present to you guys our 4D/3N Suggested Itinerary.
Day 1
8:00 AM - 8:30 AM: Arrived in our accommodation and settled our stuff
8:45 AM - 9:15 AM: Breakfast at Shaka
9:20 AM - 10:30 AM: Strolled around Cloud 9 and chilled at the Boardwalk tower
10:40 AM - 3:00 PM: Sleep (because Sleep is life and vacation leave means more sleep! haha)
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM: Late lunch at La Carinderia
5:15 PM - 6:00PM: Sunset watching at Cloud 9
8:00 PM - 9:00 PM - Late dinner at Mama's Grill
10:00 PM - Time to hit the sheets.
*We were supposed to surf on the first day but since we woke up late, we opted to do it in the morning. Best time to Surf is between 6AM-7AM or 2PM-5PM.
Day 2
6:00 AM - 7:00 AM - Surfing Session at Cloud 9
8:00 - 8:30 AM - To Dapa Port
8:30 AM - 9:00 AM - Quick breakfast at Dapa
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM - Boat ride at Mangrove Protection & Information Center to Sugba Lagoon
10:00 AM - 1:00 PM - Lunch and Activities at Sugba Lagoon
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM - Sugba Lagoon to Mangrove Protection & Information Center
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM - To Magpupungko
3:00 P - 3:30 PM - Quick dip at Magpupungko Beach Pilar
5:00 PM - Arrived in our accommodation
7:00 PM - 8:00 PM - Dinner again at Mama's Grill
10:00 PM - Get some shut-eye
* We arrived at the wrong time in Magpupungko because it was already high-tide. We were able to witness the still pool formation for around 3 minutes only. Despite that, we still took a quick dip to the clear water of Magpupungko even if it means risking our lives due to the strong current. When I say strong current, it was the type of current that could drown you. This is why it is advisable that the best time to visit here is during low tide.
Day 3
7:30 AM - 9:30 AM - To Club Tarra and stayed for 20 minutes to take some insta-worthy posts
10:00 AM- Arrival at Sohoton Cove and Blue Lagoon, Bucas Grande Island
10:00 AM - 1:30 PM - Lunch and Sohoton Tour Activities (Jellyfish Sanctuary,Bolitas Cave, Diving at Magkukuob Cavern, and Hagukan Cave)
1:30 PM - 3:30 PM - 2-hour boat ride back. This time for the the island hopping
3:30 PM - 5:00 PM - Three-Island Hopping (Naked Island, Daku Island, and Guyam Island)
6:30 PM - Arrived in our accommodation
7:30 PM - 9:00 PM Dinner at Kermit
10:00 PM -11:00 PM - Night life at Jungle Bar
*Sohoton Cove Tour should be checked in your list if you're going to Siargao. Make sure to have enough time because it's a 2-hour boat ride from Dapa Port. You'll be sailing through the big waves but you will be in awe with how the Earth shows off its beauty.
Day 4
6:00 AM - Quick stroll and chill at Cloud 9
8:00 AM - Departure to the airport
8:45 AM - Departure to Cebu
* Just a heads up, General Luna is an hour away from the airport.We almost missed out flight because we were having too much fun at Cloud 9 that we forgot we have a flight to catch (hahaha). We, I mean I, panicked that I begged kuya driver to speed up. We arrived just in time the aircraft landed! Good thing is the check in area wasn't yet closed and it's not much of a queue. Learn from our mistake (haha).
Expenses
(Per head for two. Airfare and other personal expenses excluded)
Day 1
200 - To Villa Solaria
1500 - Half payment for accommodation
20 - Ride to Shaka
250 - Breakfast at Shaka
20 - To La Carinderia
250 - Lunch
20 - Ride back to VS
20 - Ride to Mama's Grill
150 - Dinner
30 - Ride to VS
Total: Php 2,460
Day 2
200 - Breakfast
500 - Surfing (Good for an hour with trainer plus the surf board)
1,200 - Sugba Lagoon and Magpupungko Tour
20 - Ride to Mama's Grill
150 - Dinner
30 - Ride to VS
Total: Php 2,150
Day 3
150 - Breakfast
1,250 - Sohoton Cove, Bucas Grande Tour and Island Hopping (Naked Island, Daku Island, and Guyam Island)
20 - Ride to Kermit
340 - Dinner at Kermit (Shared with a group of 9)
350 - Dessert at Yeah! Yeah! near Fatlips (Anniversary treat for our fun group)
30 - Ride to Jungle Bar
150 - Drinks at Jungle Bar
30 - Ride back to Accommodation
Total: Php 2,270
Day 4
200 - Breakfast
300 - Souvenir key chains and magnets (This is optional) P.S. Gwapitos shirts are great souvenirs too! Price ranges Php 800-1,500.
200 - Ride to the airport
150 - Terminal fee
Total: Php850
Grand Total: Php 7,730.00
Check out more of our Siargao Adventure in my Facebook account for the full video.
♡ ♡ ♡
Sincerely, Bethel
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