Siargao is a small island in Philippine Sea, located in the province of Surigao del Norte. This island is widely known for its big surfing waves & stunning nature views. It used to be popular only to foreign & local surfers & adventure seekers until the island was featured in a local film last December 2017. Boracay’s closure also led to more people diverting their planned vacations to this island. The increasing accessibility of Siargao these days is slowly transforming the island into a popular tourist destination. Hubs like Cebu, Manila & Clark are now connected to Siargao via a growing number of daily flights to the island.
My friend Geof at Sugba Lagoon
3 weeks ago, my friend Shiela & I flew to Siargao check out what this island has to offer. Friends told us that this island is beautiful & one of a kind. We didn’t put our hopes up & let the island surprise us. Let me share with you what happened in our 4 days in Siargao.
Beautiful view from Cloud 9’s Boardwalk
Plane Ticket
I’ve always wanted to go to Siargao but I can’t due to very expensive airfare. Last February 14, Cebu Pacific Air had a ₱143-base fare sale. Promo seats on the direct flights from Manila ran out fast. We had no choice but to get the tickets with a layover in Cebu.
Shiela & I paid ₱2,837.64 each for a return ticket from Manila to Siargao via Cebu. That’s 4 flights in total for less than ₱3,000. What a bargain! Check out the flight details below.
Shiela & I paid ₱5,675.28 for 2 people – that’s ₱2,837.64 each! Bargain.
Cebu Layover
Lechon Cebu for lunch ~ yum!
We had a 4-hour layover in Cebu on our way to Siargao. Since there isn’t something to do in the airport plus my friends working there don’t have work, Shiela & I went to nearby Rico’s Lechon to have lunch. We had their famous Lechon Cebu (of course!) with rice, vegetables & a bottle of Tsingtao beer. Yes, that’s a bottle of beer for lunch! We headed back to the airport after eating to catch our connecting flight to Siargao.
Lunch at Rico’s Lechon near Mactan Cebu International Airport
Accommodation
Had a nice stay in Bravo Beach Resort Siargao!
Accommodation choices in Siargao range from the most basic & simple dormitory beds to luxurious & spacious hotel rooms. We opted for the mixed one – simple & shared dormitory beds, but with a touch of luxury. We stayed for 4 days & 3 nights in Bravo Beach Resort Siargao. I made a separate post about our stay at the resort, head over to this link for more details.
Bravo’s surf bunk room – our room for 3 nights!
Getting Around Siargao
Another photo of the Cloud 9 Boardwalk – only ₱20 pesos to go here from GL
Getting around Siargao is very easy. The most popular way is by motorcycle. Daily rental rates range from ₱350 to ₱500. I will recommend this to people who will really go around the island for the whole day or for those who will explore the island by themselves. If you’ll only use the motorcycle for a few times, then best not to rent one. You can hop on a tricycle or motorcycle (locally known habal-habal) for ₱20 per person (during the day until around 10:00 pm; rates go higher from late night to after midnight – could go as high as up to ₱60 per person) to anywhere in General Luna. These tricycles & motorcycles are also available for rent; make sure to inquire how much the daily rental costs.
Inland & Island Tours
Just like any other place in the Philippines, Siargao also has island & inland tours offered to visitors. We only had limited days in the island so we opted for the locals say the best tour provider – Siargao’s Best – Tour Organizer. The company is owned & managed by Mr. Nicholas “Kuya Bebot” Salgado.
Sohoton Cove – the highlight of Package A
Kuya Bebot offers 2 group tours – Sohoton (Bucas Grande) & Tri-Island Tour (Package A) which costs ₱1,550 per person & Sugba Lagoon & Magpupungko Tour (Package B) which costs ₱1,500 per person. The tours are open both to private groups (minimum of 8) or to joiners. Rates include all transportation & boat fees, lunch, entrance & environmental fees, group cottages & paddle board or kayak rental in Sugba Lagoon. Call time in the morning is at 6:00 am at General Luna Public Market. Tour groups leave at exactly 7:00 am until 5:30 pm for Package A & around 4:00 pm for Package B.
Shiela & I took both group tours. We took the Sugba Lagoon & Magpupungko Tour on our 2nd day with my friend, Geof (plus his friends, now also our friends) who was also in Siargao that time. We took the Sohoton Cove & Tri-Island Tour on our 3rd day with some of the people we met on the 1st tour.
Sugba Lagoon & Magpupungko Tour
Sugba Lagoon 😍
Our group left the public market at 7:00 am & headed to the Port of Del Carmen by land. The land trip took about an hour. We then transferred to a small motor boat (small groups of 6 to 7 people) & took an hour trip to Sugba Lagoon. We spent 2.5 hours in Sugba Lagoon swimming, jumping from the diving board, paddling our boards & kayaking.
About to jump from the lagoon diving board
After a few hours in the lagoon, we took the boat back to the port, transferred to our van & drove by land to Magpupunko Tidal & Rock Pool. We had our lunch then enjoyed the rock pool afterwards. We left the place at 3:30 pm & got back in General Luna a few minutes past 4:00 pm. Check out the photos we took during the tour.
Magpupungko during low tide
Magpupungko Tidal & Rock Pool from my friend’s drone 😍
Another Magpupungko Rock Pool drone shot from our friend Wilson 😍
We were so happy we were one of the first ones to arrive at Sugba Lagoon, we had the place to ourselves. The tour was just right – not rushed & everything was provided. They served a lot of food for lunch plus they gave us enough time to enjoy both places.
Sohoton Cove & Tri-Island Tour
Inside Sohoton Cove – beautiful place! 😍
We left the public market at 7:00 am & took a 3-hour boat ride to Bucas Grande Island, Surigao del Norte. We first went to the jelly fish sanctuary in Blue Lagoon by paddle boat, then to Sohoton Cove by motorboat. We went inside Hagukan Cave, or also known as luminescent cave. We splashed the water inside the cave & it turned into electric blue / green color. Surreal. We headed to Magkuku-ob Cave next; hiked up a few meters & jump from a 5 meter cliff back to the lagoon! We went back to Sohoton’s small port / tour office & had lunch.
View from the paddle boat to Blue Lagoon 🤩
Hello Mr. Jellyfish!
We left Bucas Grande Island around 1:30 in the afternoon & took another 3-hour boat ride back to General Luna. We dropped by Naked Island (no nice photo of Naked Island – sorry), Guyam Island & Daku Island along the way. If I remember it right, we spent around 30 minutes on each island. The tour ended around 6:00 pm.
That’s me & Shiela at Blue Lagoon / Jellyfish Sanctuary
A normal 6-hour 3-island tour costs ₱1,000 per person. For paying a few hundreds more, we were able to visit Sohoton Cove which is undeniably beautiful. The 3-hour boat trip to & from Bucas Grande may be too long, but the trip was worth it.
Not so good weather when we were in Guyam Island
Guyam Island – the smallest of the 3 islands!
I strongly recommend Kuya Bebot’s island & inland tours. The activities are worth the price plus you’re well taken care of. Feel free to contact him in the numbers below:
Tour Company: Siargao’s Best
Contact Name: Mr. Nicholas “Kuya Bebot” Salgado
Contact Numbers: 09064595679 / 09309749974
Facebook Page: Siargao’s Best
Surfing at Cloud 9 Area
The famous Cloud 9 Boardwalk
A trip to Siargao will never be complete without surfing. The island has long been a destination for local & foreign surfers. Cloud 9 is the most famous wave in the Philippines & this surfing area is one, or if not the most visited areas in Siargao. An hour-long surfing lesson with a guide costs ₱500. I didn’t have the chance to surf due to hangover, but I promise to try it when I go back.
Look at those big waves!
Siargao Party Nights
Party people, make sure to read this. One of the many good things about Siargao is that parties are concentrated in only 1 or 2 bars per night. That means other bars do not have the crazy party on days where the party is held in another bar. We were there for 3 nights & we partied 3 straight nights – that’s for sure. The Saturday night party happened in Harana Surf Resort, the Sunday night party was in Bravo Beach Resort (our accommodation) & the Monday night parties were held at Loose Keys & Rum Bar.
Party night at Harana Surf Resort – one of the 3 crazy nights we had!
Don’t forget to ask your hotel / hostel reception where the party will be during your stay. Visitors should go party in Siargao at least for a night.
Siargao is a paradise – can’t wait to go back!
This sums up our 4 days & 3 nights in Siargao. Our schedule was full; we didn’t have time to “relax,” if you know what I mean. We were able to visit the popular places to go to plus we met a bunch of new & crazy people. I don’t have regrets spending a lot on the day tours & alcohol. It was a memorable trip. Every peso spent was worth it, super worth it. I look forward to going back to this paradise island, to finally try surfing in the big waves & to relax.
Meet the Siargao Squad – no complete photo so I added 2 group photos! 😉
Are you flying to Siargao in the coming weeks or months? I suggest you take the tours offered by Kuya Bebot. You’ll definitely have a great time. Don’t drink too much at night so that you’ll have enough energy the following day. Do you still have questions about our trip or about Siargao? Feel free to post them in the comments below. Alternatively, you can shoot me an email to contact@thewkndtravel.com for suggestions. Feel free to also contact me via Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
One last photo of Siargao! 🤩
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank my friend Wilson for allowing me to use his Magpupungko Tidal & Rock Pool drone shots & one of our group photos above.
Thank you for reading & until the next post. ✌️ Safe travels wherever you’re going. 🙂