Off to Siargao – Complete Travel Guide (6D5N)

Siargao has long been known as the surfing capital of the Philippines. Now, it is quickly gaining popularity from all the Instagram-worthy destinations, virgin beaches and teal blue waters, and feature articles. It’s been on everyone’s bucket list and I now see why– it’s a natural paradise, our home away from home, and what I call the Bali of the Philippines.

OVERVIEW – 6D5N

	Friday	Saturday	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday
	April 27	April 28	April 29	April 30	May 1	May 2
Highlight	Skyjet: Manila T4 - Siargao Sayak Airport	Pacifico and Burgos Beach	Sugba Lagoon, Kawhagan Island, and Magpupungko Rock Pools	Sohoton Cove and Bucas Grande Island	Island Hopping (Daku, Naked, Guyam)	Skyjet: Siargao - Manila
Tour Group	N/A	Self	Kuya Bebot	Kuya Bebot	My Siargao Guide	N/A

WHAT TO DO

11 things you should not miss

Go “Cliff” jumping in Sugba Lagoon

Sugba Lagoon is a must-visit in Siargao. It’s similar to Kayangan Lake in Coron with its aqua-colored waters but less of the crowd. The lagoon is huge and you can find your own little paradise to swim, paddle, and take photos. At the docking area you’ll find a two-storey structure where you can rent a table for Php50. Beside it is the famous diving board made of plywood which is quite an attraction. People really queue up (including us) to either jump or take photos.

How to get there: Sugba Lagoon is located in Del Carmen, Surigao del Norte, around an hour away from General Luna. Go to the ticketing office where you can rent a motor boat. Rates will depend on the destination you choose. The boats are good for 6 pax.

• Sugba Lagoon only: Php 1800
• Sugba + Kawhagan Island: Php 2300

NOTE: Effective March 2018, eating within Sugba Lagoon premises has been strictly prohibited to maintain and preserve the beauty of the place.

Stand up paddle board at Sugba Lagoon

Another popular activity at Sugba Lagoon is paddle boarding. You may opt to rent a bamboo raft, kayak, or SUP boards from the local guides. We enjoyed paddling and wading in the waters and stayed here for more than 1.5 hrs. After this tour, my shoulders were already so sun burnt I could not even carry my own shoulder bag! LOL!

Insider tip: It’s way cheaper to rent the paddle board from the ticketing office for only Php 500 / day (versus the Php 300/hr rate in Sugba). It is tiring to continuously paddle around the lagoon anyway, so take turns with your friends and share the rental fee.

Surf at Cloud 9

We did not get to do this because of the unpredictable weather but if you can, wake up early to catch the sunrise at 5am and surf the morning waves. If Cloud 9 gets too crowded, try Jacking Horse surf break which is another accessible wave for beginners. Just be extra careful not to hit other people and the jagged rocks which line up the shore.

Walk the famous Cloud 9 boardwalk

The board walk just reopened to the public last April 29, 2018. We were coincidentally there for the inauguration. Previously, entering the pier was free of charge but after several renovations, they now charge a Php 50 entrance fee per head. It’s still worth it, though. Not only do you get front seats to the pro surfers riding waves but you also get to admire the sunset and moonrise happening at the same time (east and west).

Island Hopping

Bask under the sun while enjoying the clear blue waters and white sands of Siargao’s beaches. The three popular islands are Naked, Daku, and Guyam.

Guyam is a small island filled with coconut trees. Our group (c/o @mysiargaoguide) came here to chill and take some photos.

Naked island is literally just a naked sandbar with one or two palm trees on top. Great place to hang around with friends, do some yoga poses, and go for a dip. The water was pretty cold when we were there, but perfect under the scorching sun.

Daku is the biggest of the three islands and a great place to swim, snorkel, and have lunch. There are small huts you can rent and tall coconut trees you can chill under. Just find your spot, spread a beach towel, and bum around. We enjoyed a Filipino boodle spread (sans the banana leaves) prepared by our friendly tour guide: grilled fish, pork liempo, chicken, kinilaw, fresh fruits, and a few shots of alcohol.

Drive past the sea of coconut trees going to Dapa / Pilar

On the way to Burgos Beach and Magpupungko Rock Pools we came across this beauty which locals call ‘top of the road’. After passing through a curved road on a cliff, the sea of coconut trees welcomed us. We were all in awe when we saw this stunning view. Watching the sun set was made even more majestic by the mountains and the palm trees! Whoever owns this plot of land, please don’t turn it into a commercial complex.

Ride a habal-habal to Alegria and Pacifico Beach

Almost desperate to spend the afternoon in a secluded beach on our 2nd day, we hired a motorbike (locally known as habal-habal) to get to Alegria and Pacifico Beach. The initial plan was to get there by either a binggo trike or rental car, but due to the high demand that week and poor LTE signal on the island, the best way was to endure a 2-hour motorbike ride to the tip of the island!

Here’s a map of Siargao island grabbed online (this is the same tourism map hung inside the Siargao Sayak airport departure area) to guide you geographically. Notice that Alegria and Burgos beaches are located at the northern tip of the island.

Go to Bucas Grande Islands for Sohoton Cove and Jellyfish sanctuary

Sohoton Cove sits within the Bucas Grande Island network where you’ll find several caves such as Hagukan and Magkuku-ob Cave. It is the Mindanao version of the lagoons in Coron and El Nido, Palawan sans the limestone rock cliffs. Waters are just as blue and clear. It is comprised of smaller coves and ‘islands’ which were breathtaking to see up close.

Once you get to the main receiving area / tourism center, they let you register and pay for the attractions. Choose whether you want experience jellyfishing or Sohoton Cove, or both and pay for the helmet and boat rental fees as well.

How to get there: Bucas Grande Islands is a 2-hour boat ride from General Luna, Siargao and is considered part of Surigao del Norte province in Mindanao. The easiest way to get here is to arrange a private tour with a boat operator or tour group like My Siargao Guide.

Large boats typically cost Php 15,000-16,000 inclusive of food and drinks. If you’re on a budget, there are local boatmen who can arrange this for you for only Php 5,000.

Hagukan and Magkuku-ob Cave

The waters near both waves is quite experiential in terms of temperature – I think it’s brackish water which is warm on top and gets colder below.

To get to the first cave, Hagukan, our boat had to pass through a small hole entrance. We didn’t quite expect to be WOW-ed inside the cave because we thought, “it’s just a cave”. But once we swam in, we were amazed at how the water seemed to be glowing from underneath. Look up and you see the rich stalactites formations.

Our talented Sohoton Cove guide used our friend’s smartphone to take all these photos and made sure he covered all angles. (Thank you kuya!)

On we went to the second cave which is Magkuku-ob Cave. The tricky part here is you get off the boat, wear a helmet to the cave, paddle through the knee-deep water, and make sure you’re up to the challenge because the only way out is to jump from a 15-feet wooden plank back into the lagoon where you came from!

Attend a yoga class

If there’s one thing I really wanna try, it’s getting up early in the morning and attending a hardcore yoga class on the beach/garden. The heat helps relax the muscles and increase flexibility. Plus, wouldn’t it be cool to meet fellow yogis from across the world in your own country?

I came across numerous signages offering yoga but I just wasn’t prepared this trip. I’ll definitely make sure to do that on my next visit. Some of the more popular yoga places are Lotus Shores, Buddha’s Surf, Greenhouse Surf+Yoga, and Sadhana Siargao (for ashtanga).

Party in General Luna 

Ask for the party schedule. The venue varies per day, depending on the theme – foam party, chill night, ladies’ night, etc. We only got to party in Bravo Resort and the placed got packed pretty early. There’s usually a pre-game location and the actual location, so ask your hotel staff so you don’t miss out.

Eat, eat, eat!

There were so many food choices in General Luna it was hard to actually stay in good shape for those bikini photos! HAHA! Most places serve Italian, Spanish, and Filipino dish. If appetite and budget is not much of a concern for you, try anything and everything while in Siargao. A decent meal costs Php 300-500 per person on average.

Tip: Have dinner by 6pm to get good seats and try out most items on the menu.

Another thing I appreciated about the food here is that they’ve started to embrace and offer healthy food options like smoothie bowls and vegetarian-friendly meals for the more health-conscious ones like me. On some days it’s nice to indulge but most days my gut gets grumpy and would prefer to stick to fruits & veggies, chia seeds, and fiber-rich diet.

In case you’re wondering, seafood is not abundant on the island primarily because of the surfing industry (of course it would be hard to go fishing on such huge waves). But yeah, there are a lot of new cafes and restaurants being constructed as we speak, so all the more reasons to go back to Siargao!

Jellyfish Sanctuary

Tip: Jellyfish season is sometime between February – June. If you want to maximize your time here make sure to leave General Luna as early as 6AM to avoid the crowd and have better chances of having calm waters to get to the sanctuary.

When we were here, the boatman told us that local government no longer allows people to swim in the jellyfish lagoon because unnecessary disturbances may also kill these harmless creatures. In fact, there are now significantly less stingless jellyfish swimming in the sanctuary so they might be at risk of extinction if not protected and nurtured. I’m happy that our government and the locals are cognizant of these conservation practices.

Download the full Travel Guide here

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WHERE TO STAY

We were 7 people in our group and one thing I realized while searching for comfortable and budget-friendly accommodations on the island was that most hotel rooms can only fit 2-3 people max. You’d either have to rent 3 rooms or spend more for extra beds. Book early if you are a group of more than 3 pax to get good deals. Lucky for us, we found Kokai Resort!

Location is perfect because it is right in the middle of General Luna, near beach front and the main road- only a 5-minute walk from Bravo Resort – the place to be in Siargao for chilling and partying (more on that below). Just a few steps outside and you can easily hail a tricycle or habal-habal. To your left are restaurants like La Carinderia and Kermit, while Cloud 9 and Shaka Bowls Cafe are 2.5 km to the right.

We chose to stay in Kokai’s Duplex Cottages (Dee 1 & 2) with enough storage cabinets, an AC unit, private bathroom with heater, toilet paper, towels, and bed linen. There’s a loft inside for additional bed/s. We also had a private terrace with table, chairs, and clothes line facing the garden and the reception area. Rooms supposedly come with a ceiling fan for added ventilation. However, during our stay there was only a stand fan in Duplex Dee 1 because the ceiling fan had to be repaired.

Overall we had a pleasant stay at Kokai Resort! The staff were very warm and friendly- even helped us book our airport transfers and give us tips going around the island. They also provided a water dispenser in the resort, which is a huge plus for us health-conscious people since all we had to do was refill our water bottles before heading out. For 5 nights we only paid Php 4,143 per head.

Other Siargao Accommodations (Budget-friendly)

1. Harana Surf
2. Buddha’s Surf Resort
3. Patrick’s on the Beach
4. Reef Beach Resort
5. Viento del Mar
6. Siargao Inn Beach Resort
7. Bravo Beach Resort
8. Arka Hayahay
9. Kawili Resort
10. Kermit Surf
11. Greenhouse Siargao

Upscale Resorts

1. Isla Cabana Siargao
2. Siargao Bleu
3. Kalinaw Resort
4. Kawayan Siargao Resort
5. Bayud Boutique Resort
6. Dedon Island (now renamed to Nay Palad Hideaway) – this will cost you more than Php 30,000 ($600) per person per night + taxes

WHERE TO EAT

• La Carinderia – A bit on the pricey side but they do serve fresh, authentic Italian dishes. They are also eco-friendly because they do not use any plastic products to customers — that includes bottled water! Average serving time is 30 minutes.
• Mama’s Grill – We ate there on our first night and ran out of pork BBQ (too bad) due to the influx of customers. Instead, we got the blue marlin, grilled chicken and squid, chorizo, hungarian sausages, and porkchop– all in the same savory, sweet and spicy sauce. Oh and there’s a fruit shake stand right beside Mama’s Grill to pair with all the grilled food. Yumm! This was probably the most affordable meal we had at only Php 200-250 per person.

• Shaka Bowls (@shaka_cafes) – We were all surprised by the generous serving here! One order is actually good for 3 people to share. Our orders were the Bom Dia!! (Acai, banana, mango, pineapple, coconut) and Cloud 9 Kook (peanut butter, banana, cacao, coconut) bowls at Php 250 each. I don’t eat peanut butter so I only got a photo of the best-selling Bom Dia bowl. Look how colorful and zesty it is!
  

The smoothie bowls made our tummies extremely happy and satisfied. It’s like detox from the grilled food we gorged the night before. Plus, we did not feel our stomach growling until 1pm in the afternoon.

Tip: Go early at around 8am to get good seats facing Cloud 9.

• Harana Surf (@haranasurf) – They serve Filipino food. The kare-kare and chicken joy with gravy are a must-try! We got there past 7pm so most items on the menu were already sold out. I also heard their halo-halo is the best one on the island.

Trivia: This is where the movie Siargao filmed the party scene of Erich Gonzales and Jericho Rosales. 

• Kalinaw Restaurant (@kalinawresort) – Great setup and good food! Probably the best supper we’ve had in Siargao. A bit underrated but they do have the best pizza and pasta (Kermit’s come 2nd)! It may be intimidating to visit given the restaurant is located in an upscale resort, but price point is affordable at about Php 500 per head.
  • Our orders: Artichoke and Campagnola di parma pizza
  • Assorted tapas
  • Truffle risotto
  • Linguine ai frutti di mare – seafood pasta
    

The only downside here was the slow service – it took them more than 15 minutes to sit our group even if we had prior reservation. It also took them a while to serve our orders and refill our glasses with water. Nonetheless we all loved the authentic Italian food and I’ll definitely be back for more!

• Kermit (@kermitsiargao) – Another Italian restaurant famous for its make-your-own pizza and homemade pasta, and buy 1 take 1 cocktails from 6pm onwards. Most people claim they have the “best pizza” – now even reaching Manila with its newly opened branch in Poblacion, Makati. We ordered the Tagliatelle al Tartufata (pasta), Gnocchi alla Sorrentina (pasta), and two pizzas. Their cocktails were epic! Priced at only Php 160-170, you get 2 glasses of mojito / margarita for you and your friend.

• Bravo Resort (@bravosiargao) – The night we ate at Bravo was also the day we were really starving. Our group just came from an island tour (Sugba Lagoon, Kawhagan, and Magpupungko Pools) and we did not have a clue there wouldn’t be food stalls selling real food on the islands. All we had for baon were a couple of canned goods and skyflakes. So when we got to Bravo.. BAM! we ordered almost everything available on the menu.The restaurant mainly serves Spanish cuisine and we were really bummed to have missed their tasty paella because it got sold out early! At 6:30 pm the place was already full. We loved their croquetas, teriyaki chicken skewers, jamon serrano, and tuna tataki. The peri-peri chicken thighs were just so-so for me.

Food at Bravo was relatively pricey for its serving size — we had to order 2-3 of each dish for a group of six people. And because we were deprived that day, we spent Php 700 per head (including drinks) for dinner! Don’t miss the red sangria pitcher which we got for only Php 400. A really good deal if you want to party the night away and still catch your 6am island hopping tour the following day. To top if off, get the banoffee cake for dessert.

And this is the point I realize that I do not have a single photo taken that night at Bravo because we literally devoured everything served on our table! (I was also kinda drunk that evening hehe)

• Arka Hayahay (@arkahayahaysiargao) – A contender for healthy breakfast options, this boat-shaped resort also serve power bowls and vegan food. We got the Peach Perfect and Hapitaya bowls (Php 280). Hapitaya contains mango, pineapple, dragon fruit (pitaya), coconut shavings, and banana. Peach perfect bowl has pineapple, mango, peach, banana, coconut shavings in it. All bowls come with chia seeds and granola. Their spam fries (Php 190) was surprisingly good too!

• Pan de Coco – Not a lot of tourists know about the ladies who bake the best pan de coco and pan de surf in front of General Luna church. Ate bakes the dough in a portable makeshift oven. It’s quite an experience to watch how they cook it right in front of you. Rumor has it she’s there for an hour only (3-4pm) so we were lucky to have passed by her on our way home. Ask the locals or your friendly habal-habal driver and they’ll point you in the right direction. The bread was priced at Php 10 each.

• Pleasure Point Cafe (@pleasurepointcafe) – My friend had been raving about this coffee shop since it’s listed as one of the best coffee spots on the island. So on our last day, we finally paid a visit. It’s quite far from the main road so take a tricycle to get here. For breakfast, I had the veggie crepe (Php 180) with avocado (+Php 30). It tastes clean but also filling. The highlight of our visit: COFFEE! I’m not a coffee person, but I really loved their french press coffee! The serving was generous – I just ordered ‘small’ but it’s actually good for 2-3 people. I liked that the acidity was low so I had no stomach problems after and the mouthfeel was just right. All I added was a little bit of sugar to taste. They have other options like ice cafe au lait, flat white, all using beans from the Philippines. I spent Php 240 for this breakfast.

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BUDGET & TRAVEL GUIDE

Category	Amount	Remarks
Accommodation (5 nights)	₱29,000	Kokai Resort
Food	₱21,259
Rental Fee	₱1,000	Paddle board, cottage
Tours	₱20,500	Magpupungko Rock Pools Sugba Lagoon Kawhagan Island Sohoton Cove and Bucas Grande Island 3 islands: Guyam, Naked, Daku
Transportation	₱7,280	Trike rides, airport transfers, habal-habal rental
TOTAL	₱79,039 ₱13,098 per person	Not everyone arrived on the same day so it's not equally divided.

Itinerary Guidebook

GOING AROUND SIARGAO

More about Siargao Tours and Transportation in this post

GENERAL TIPS

Six days in Siargao actually felt very bitin for me and I wished I could have stayed a bit longer just to chill on the beach, read a book, and appreciate the good life. If you have the luxury of time, spend 7 to 8 full days on this island.

•  If you want to be where the action is, stay within or close to General Luna so you also save on transportation and time. It is a municipality in Siargao where most resorts are located and accessible to popular restaurants as well as Cloud 9.
• Magpupungko Rock Pools generally get crowded in the afternoon. Go as early as you can. In my opinion, it can be an optional trip since there are other spots and beaches you may find small rock pools and secret beaches to enjoy all to yourself.
• For low tide schedule and wave prediction: Refer to Magic Seaweed
  • This is helpful if you want to know what time to leave for Magpupungko Rock Pools where the pools will only be visible during low tide. Back in April, low tide was between 11am-1pm. In June, it can be as early as 4am.

• It pays to be early. For our April 2018 trip, I started booking hotels in December but to my surprise, most of the ones I inquired were already fully booked. Especially if you’re going with a group of 3 people or more, reserve those rooms early!
• For tours, make sure you’re 100% comfortable with the contact person. When in doubt, call them to clarify, email, or look for a Plan B.
• Weather in Siargao can be unpredictable and erratic. One minute you can’t stand the heat of the sun then suddenly it rains. Be prepared and bring a light parka / raincoat with you.
• If you need to work, Kalinaw Resort’s wifi is pretty decent and fast. Bravo Resort Restaurant is usually full so the internet is not as stable. Harana Surf also has a chill vibe with their banigs and cozy lighting, plus adorable dogs too!

There you have it! Thank you for reading my long post and I hope this has been helpful for you to plan your next vacation!

I’ll come back for you, Siargao! See you in December!

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