I know this is 5 months overdue but in my defense, I really thought I already blogged about our Siquijor trip last October! Waaah! Tried searching it on Google coz was looking for something but nothing came up. So ayun na nga, hindi pa pala. Haha. So finally, here it is! :) Flew to this mystical island with a few family and friends to celebrate Nico's birthday. Since he's a merman (or baka isda talaga) in his past life, he wanted another beach trip (last year we spent it in Bluewater Sumilon naman). We wanted to go somewhere we've never been before or only a few people frequent, so my cousin Rjae suggested SIQUIJOR! So we all booked our flights, researched for weeks and off we went to one of the best beach trips of our lives. Read on for photos and stories...
There are no direct flights to Siquijor from Manila, so you have the option to fly to Dumaguete or Bohol and then ride a ferry to the island. The cheapest and fastest is from Dumaguete for just 50 minutes travel time and fare is only P250-P380. Be careful when planning your itinerary and always have a back-up plan because they only offer 1 trip to and from Siquijor per day. Tip: Book the earliest flight so you'd have enough time in between for adjustments or whatsoever. We took the 7 am flight so even if there are delays, we'd still make it on time.
Once we stepped foot in the island I already felt its power-- power to completely enchant us and make us fall in love with this place. Upon arrival we were greeted warmly by friendly locals and on our way to town, we were struck with awe by its rich natural, unspoiled beauty and wonders. The place was truly mysterious, magical, raw yet perfectly dumbfounding. It was just our first day, but we were already completely charmed. Of course, we also talked to a few people and researched about this mystical place before our trip.
I highly recommend JAP INN if you're looking for a nice place to stay in Siquijor! The rooms are well maintained, service is impeccable, owner is nice and friendly, location is convenient (near the beach, market and food places) and they also arrange tours. More than worth it for the price! Imagine, their family room that we booked (that fits 6 people) is only priced at P2488 a night! One of my best finds in AirBnb. Hehe.
We headed straight to the port after, returned our motorbikes, took a quick lunch and boarded our ferry back to Tagbilaran. We parted ways at the Tagbilaran port 'coz some of us had to go back to Manila, while 4 of us decided to stay for a night in Bohol. Here are photos from our quick Bohol sidetrip! :)
After our cruise, we returned out motorbikes and rode a tricycle going to the airport! Our 5-day Siquijor-Bohol has finally come to an end. Super bitin! But more reasons to come back right? Nico is planning to go back to Siquijor this year with his brother and if I have no work I might go too. Anyway, hope this travel guide inspires you to visit and experience this pristine paradise. Happy travels!!! :)
Team Siquijor!
People usually get to Siquijor via Dumaguete, but we went there via Tagbilaran, Bohol!
Seatmates
After an hour, we finally landed at the Tagbilaran airport!
Once we got out of the airport, someone approached us and offered van service going to the Tagbilaran port for only P100 (divided by 7 so we paid P15 each)! Cheaper than riding 2-3 tricycles.
Just a 10-minute drive from the airport!
Headed straight to the Oceanjet ticketing counter to claim our tickets which we paid and reserved via KLOOK! Super convenient! We didn't line up with the others na.
There's a terminal fee of P20
Here is Oceanjet's daily schedule going to and from Bohol, Cebu, Dumaguete and Siquijor! As you can see, there's only ONE trip from Tagbilaran to Siquijor so you have to plan your itinerary talaga.
We bought the Tourist Class aircon! Price is P850 if you book via Klook though. It's an extra P150 but at least less hassle and secured your slot.
Book your Bohol-Siquijor ferry ride here:
Mirrorfie muna while waiting for the others
After almost an hour (we got there early), boat is finally here! Woots! Excited!
Halooo lovebirds
Comfy naman inside! Didn't explore na din so didn't see their emergency exits. But meron naman siguro lelz.
The whole ride took 1 1/2 hours. Didn't notice it though coz fell asleep in between. Hihi.
After almost 90 minutes, we finally reached Larena Port!
I expected the port to be old and ragged but it was actually nice!
Random Musing: Not all of us believe in the supernatural but for safety, we followed all of our friend's advice like bringing ginger to counter spells, pat back when someone randomly pats you, always be nice and friendly. Success naman ata but I don't know why after our trip Nico and I are always sick! Until now. It might be because of our lifestyle but I couldn't help but think the trip might have contributed to it. Everyone was super nice and friendly all throughout the trip so I don't know. Baka the Balete Tree? I am still looking for a reliable faith healer to counter or reverse anything. If you have a reco please message me! :)
Headed straight to the motorbike rental shops outside the port!
We rented our bikes here! You can take note of the numbers in the poster for reference.
We shared bikes, so rented a total of 4 for P350 per day! Not bad! You must have a valid driver's license ha.
And we're off!!! Favorite ni Nico mag motor sa island so happy kid sha. Haha.
On our way to San Juan where we'll be staying, we passed by this sign. So picture muna!
Group pic!
So here are the different areas in Siquijor and the important spots you have go to--
Larena (where the port is located) - Guiwanon Spring Park, Butterfly Sanctuary
San Juan - Capilay Spring Park, Lugnason Falls, Paliton Beach, Tubod Marine Sanctuary
Lazi - Old Balete Tree, Oldest Convent, Cambugahay Falls, St. Francis of Assisi and St. Isidore de Labrado Churches.
Maria - Salagdoong Beach
There are still so much places to see in the island so just do your research and plan your itinerary based on the activities you're most interested in!
After 45 minutes of motorbiking (d pako nagbeach maitim nako agad haha), we finally arrived at JAP INN which we booked via AirBnb!
This is Ate Jo-Ann's place which I discovered sa AirBnb. It's open (no gates), fairly new and located along the main road.
So chill
We booked their Family Room for only P7,682 total for 3 nights. We paid P1280 each for our whole stay. Such a steal!
We even have a tiny veranda. Hihi.
Room tour!!!
Our room has 1 double bed, 1 double deck, 1 single bed. All 6 of us fit inside!
Full sized mirror! Sorry hulas na haha
Ensuite toilet and bath!
I love that the toilet and shower is separate so pwede mag toilet or toothbrush muna ung iba while someone is taking a bath etc. Saves time!
View from our room window. The main road and a few steps away is the beach!
We also have a refrigerator (they refill it with free bottled water everyday) and table inside. Plus another veranda!!!
May pa slippers
Cabinet where we kept our things! May fresh towels din!
Lounge area sa garden
If you want to book our room, click here!
Get up to P2,200 free AirBnb credits by signing up using my link below:
Wanted to try this resto but it was closed that time. Huhu.
How to get around:
1. Motorbike - you can rent for just P350 per day! Best way to explore the island especially if you want to DIY. We went around riding motorbikes and while it could be a challenge (d nakakaganda ng hair and nakakaitim talaga so wear longsleeves! hehe), it was one of the highlights of our trip!
2. Rent a tricycle - you can just rent any tricycle coz they charge a standard rate. Not sure how much but it's more affordable than renting a van.
3. Van - if budget is not a problem and you're after comfort, then just rent a van! :)
Our motorbike view everyday
Our favorite food place! ALOHA's GRILL and RESTOBAR is just a few minutes away from our accommodation.
Open air resto with a nice view of the sea
They serve local Pinoy food
For our first meal on the island, I ordered chicken barbecue and amplaya! I think I paid P80 for the meal. YUM!
Photo-op after eating!
Perfect weather. Wearing The City sandals :)
After eating lunch, we went back to our room freshened up and rested for a bit before heading out again to go to our first stop: LUGNASON FALLS!
Bikers ready!!!
If you're renting a motorbike, don't forget to wear your helmet okay?
Lugnason Falls is a 15-20 minute ride from the town proper
Aside from Lugnason Falls, you could also visit the Zodiac Falls!
Gusto ko sana puntahan to but we didn't have enough time! Baka dito na ang fountain of youth haha.
Show-off si Kuya. Hehe joke. But seriously, met some really cool locals! Anyway, you could also jump from here!
Or here! :)
Saya niya ih.
Swam for about an hour. It was super hot that day so dipping in the cold water was super refreshing!
From Lugnason Falls, we headed straight to Paliton Beach for sunset!
Swimsuit: KILY
Siquijor sunsets are truly one of a kind
With my girls Marie and Jam
Sunset, me and you. Always.
Also met a new friend! So cute!
Dinner at ALOHA's again. Hihi. Sherep eh.
I had grilled liempo and Nico had grilled barracuda fish plus chopseuy! Sarap bes!
The next day... ready to explore the island!!!
Had our motorbikes filled up with gas for our 100+ km ride around the island!
Stopped for a bit to rest and regroup hehe. In front is the The San Isidro Labrador Parish Church, commonly known as Lazi Church.
Even if it was scorching hot, we enjoyed the ride because of the scenic view!
We got lost on the way and we had to drive back to get to Salagdoong Beach.
On our way back we passed by this beautiful mangrove along Siquijor Circumferential Road. Nico and I decided to stop for a while, enjoy the view and take photos!
The place is called Tulapos Marine Sanctuary located along the road in the town of Enrique Villanueva.
So glad we decided to separate from the gang to check out this place. It was beautiful! Swimsuit from KILY again.
It was super hot and there was no shade sa sanctuary so we left immediately after taking photos. From there, we used Waze to get to Salagdoong Beach!
If you want to stay there, you could book a room at the Secret Garden Resort
We paid P25 each for entrance fee and another P20 for our motorcylce
It's actually a developed tourist spot/resort :)
Step in! The water's so inviting!
In the area you could just chill, lounge around, go on a picnic, eat at the restaurant (this is where we ate lunch), cliff dive and swim your hearts out!
My favorite spot is this cove inside. I could just spend hours here!
My cousin Rjae jumped from here! This is their 7-meter platform, they also have a 10-meter.
Ako aura aura muna hehe
What a view! You could only jump if it's high tide though.
Cove from the top of the cliff. One of the clearest waters I've seen! Sarap magswim.
Salagdoong Beach is a nice spot to just chill, swim and enjoy the beautiful Siquijor waters and scenery. I suggest you go there early to avoid the crowd. Lots of people, tourists and locals, come here to unwind and bond. A few minutes before we left a group of students arrived and the area got a bit crowded. Don't miss this place if you're in the island!
Our IG spot where we also jumped hehe. Sarap!
Picture ko daw sha sa gitna ng daan haha
From Salagdoong, we headed next to CAMBUGAHAY FALLS in Lazi!
Parked on the side of the road and started our descent towards the falls
Concrete steps leading to the falls! Walk was bearable.
Thanks to our friend Manmig for this pic! :)
We had to cross this bamboo bridge to get to the other side where the Tarzan Swing is.
We all tried it! For just P20 unlimited swings na! :)
Water was cool and refreshing! We swam at the 3rd tier of the falls where most tourists are. If you want to swim at the least crowded area, go to the 1st level or 1st tier.
Natural spring
I really wanted to see the Old Enchanted Balete Tree (400 years old! Wow!) so we had to leave earlier so we could also make it in time for sunset. It was just along the road on our drive back to San Juan so perfect na din!
We parked outside where some shops and souvenirs stores are
We spent some time here just chilling and enjoying the free fish spa! Nag enjoy din sila sa kalyo namin haha!
It was really enchanting but was scared to dip my feet in the water 'coz it tickles and mejo malaki ung mga isda ha!
Favorite ng mga fish si Rjae hehe
Chasing sunsets was our peg during our trip (Siquijor has one of the best sunsets!) so our last stop that day was the TUBOD MARINE SANCTUARY in San Juan.
It was just along the road. You could just waze it. This entrance is just after the Coco Grove Beach Resort.
Entrance going to the beach!
Path to the beach
You would see Coco Grove Beach Resort on your left
Another day, another beautiful sunset in Siquijor. Scroll down below for more pics! We went back her here on our last day.
All tanned out but happy. We were allowed to use the beach huts for free. :) Super nice the locals. :)
Ate dinner at DALAHIKAN GRILL MASTERS just across Aloha's para maiba naman hehe
Wasn't able to take a photo of what we ate but ordered fried bangus and barbecue hehe
We just chilled on our last day in the island!
Woke up at around lunch time and headed to Marco Polo Italian resto to eat lunch
View
They even have a chill out area!
No ligo look hehe
Cottages with tables
Menu! A bit pricey but it was okay
Chillin' while waiting for our food
Birthday boy with the lover este bff haha
YUM! Serving was a bit small but nabusog naman kami hehe
We ordered pizza and pasta
After lunch, we went back to our Airbnb rested for a bit and freshened up! Had to shoot something for an IG post so Nico and I headed to the beach across the street...
Island girl hehe
Love this beach but water was too shallow
After shooting for content, we followed the gang to Tubod Marine Sanctuary where we spent the rest of the afternoon just lying around, listening to music, chatting, drinking and waited for the sunset...
Back in TUBOD!
Swimsuit: KILY
No filter. Worth it :)
Just WOW.
Ate dinner at BAHA BAR
Menu!
Food was afforable naman
We ordered the Seafood Platter! For P2,000 we all went home super full! Hehe.
Checked out early the next day to catch the ferry back to Tagbilaran. But before that, we first checked out Guiwanon Spring Park!
Potions being sold by our AirBnb. Interesting!
Souvenirs are also sold at the reception area of Jap Inn!
Will miss our home in Siquijor!
Guiwanon Spring Park is a mangrove preservation and is a protected area managed by the locals, DENR and ADB.
Entrance fee is only P10
Bamboo walkway and native cottages which you could rent if you want to stay there for a night or two.
Love this place!
We had to leave quickly coz we have a ferry ride to catch. Wish we could have stayed longer! Next time. :)
Also found this nice spot overlooking the ocean. We miss you, Siquijor!
Girls who ride. Chos. Hehe.
Booked a room near the airport! We also rented a motorbike for P500 per day.
Our room! Not bad for P900 a night.
Visited BACLAYON Church :)
Always love coming here
Gawa na the clock tower! :)
We ate meryenda across the street
ihaw ihaw galore
Sunset view:)
Happy kids
The next day, we visited the Philippine Tarsier Sanctuary in Corella. If you want to see these magnificent creatures up close, you should go here because they really take care of them.
Entrance fee was P60
There are guides inside who will guide you where the tarsiers are. We had to whisper super softly or not talk at all once we were inside.
Hello beautiful. :) We can't go near them. I had to really zoom in my camera for this.
Last stop before heading to the airport was the Loboc River Cruise!
Decided to eat lunch here na din so we paid P550 for the cruise + buffet lunch
Sarap ng food in fair!
We were the first ones aboard so first dibs kami sa food hehe
Enjoying the view!
Stopped here to watch locals perform
Nico even joined in the fun. wala lang ako pic haha.
BUDGET per person in PHP excluding airfare:
Van to Tagbilaran Port = 15
Ferry from Bohol to Larena via Oceanjet: 850
Environmental Fee = 20
Motorbike rental: 350 x 3 = 1050/2 = 525
Airbnb accommodation = 1,280
Day 1 food budget= 200
Gas for motorbike for 3 days = 500 / 2 = 250
Salagdoong entrance fee and parking = 35
Day 2 food budget = 250
Cambugahay falls Tarzan swing = 20
Day 3 food budget= 600
Guiwanon park entrance = 10
Day 4 food budget = 200
Miscellaneous = 200
_____________________________________
TOTAL = P4,455 for 4 days!
Additional Bohol expenses:
Bohol accommodation = 900 / 2 = 450
Motorbike = 250
Food Day 1 is Day 4 of Siquijor = 0
Baclayon Museum entrance fee = 50
Tarsier entrance fee = 60
Loboc River cruise with buffet = 550
Miscellaneous = 200
___________________________________
TOTAL = 1,560
* Budget depends on traveler's preference and spending habits. :)
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