GOING AROUND SIARGAO (As of July 2018)
Tours
There are a lot of operators offering island hopping tours and guides to explore Siargao and nearby islands. Always ask questions and trust your gut. If you’re not satisfied with the service early on, drop the booking and look for a more responsive, customer-oriented operator. After all, you are going on a vacation as a paying customer. Traveling on a budget does not imply you have to be treated less of a customer and get stressed about it.
Make sure to do prior research before booking to know the full schedule and inclusions.
- My Siargao Guide
We were supposed to do all our tours with them for the ultimate island experience albeit on the pricey side (food and drinks are included). However, after the influx of people during Holy Week (March 2018), they decided to completely revise the tour schedule. During the Labor Day weekend, they limited their tour to joiners for the 3 islands and Sugba Lagoon only. So we ended up joining the May 1 island hopping (Naked, Guyam, Daku) tour and had a very memorable experience 🙂
At Php 1000 per head, we were roughly 20 in the group, had 2 big boats, our own hut, a boodle feast, lots of drinks, fruits, games (beer pong, jenga), snorkel masks, music, own cups where we wrote our names, and tour guide/photographer. We really enjoyed the day where someone else did everything for us and all we had to do was enjoy! Happy days, indeed!
Contact: Dominique (+63 9217972791) via Whatsapp | mysiargaoguide@gmail.com
2. Kuya Bebot – We booked all other tours from Kuya Bebot because as recommended by other bloggers and friends. His packages are very affordable, but there’s a catch (keep reading)! We only discussed everything via FB messenger and he gave us set tours to choose from. Having faith in him with consistently positive reviews online, we believed he would take care of everything for us and personally guide us for the tours. That’s where we were wrong.
We initially booked 3 full days – Sets A, B, D for April 29, 30, May 1. I think almost everyone on the island and tourism office knows the name “Kuya Bebot”. He’s pretty popular and has a wide network.
On the first day of our Bebot tour, he sent someone to pick us up from our hotel. His name is Kuya Erbie. So far so good. We had Sugba Lagoon and Magpupungko Rock Pools planned for the day and there were 6 of us.
STRIKE 1.
However, things changed (and escalated quickly) when our driver, whom we thought knew Siargao more than we do, did not know how to get there! Apparently he’s also from Manila and visiting Siargao that same week. He was just asked a favor to bring us to our destination because the original driver backed out or something. Good thing one of my friends Louise had been to Sugba Lagoon before and remembers taking a boat going there. After asking for directions from a couple of people, we finally got to the ticketing office. It was not Kuya Erbie’s fault he got involved in all of these. Obviously, it’s poor planning and coordination from Kuya Bebot (KB)! We were left alone to figure out what to do next after getting out of the car. Furious, I immediately asked KB why he did not even advise us that he won’t be able to personally tour us and that the person he sent was also not a local guide.
STRIKE 2.
So we found our own way to Sugba Lagoon and also decided to book a side trip to Kawhagan Island. We were told that eating inside Sugba Lagoon is not allowed and we assumed that we can buy food in our 2nd destination. To our surprise, all they had was “fresh catch of the day” which were very small fish (not much flesh) and of course, quite expensive since they were the only sellers there. We were really not prepared that day and did not enjoy our afternoon because we were starving. What other groups did was buy from the market and had them paluto on the island. But how would we know – we did not have a tour guide with us!
KB did inform us ahead of time that he does not arrange food, but at least he should have given us alternatives or a guide to come with us the whole day. We were aware of the food scarcity in Sohoton Cove, but not for that Sugba Lagoon day. It’s basically like we paid him to arrange an Amazing Race for us, where there were stations and we had to decode the ‘clues’ to get to our destination!
STRIKE 3.
The following day, the same thing happened to us in Sohoton Cove. We woke up early and got to the General Luna market at 6am to buy ingredients for lunch. KB was actually there to meet us, and we really thought he will join us for the day. But I quickly figured he was just there to collect our payment and mindlessly entertain a lot of other groups at the same time (over the phone and in person). I was really disappointed in the quality of ‘service’ he gave because not only was it hard to reach him via FB messenger and mobile but he was also always in a rush to leave. As a paying customer, I did not feel valued at all.
We were infuriated the most in Sohoton Cove because there were 2 other groups who were part of “Kuya Bebot tour” were accommodated immediately with reserved boats, but we did not get the same treatment. Why? When we asked, apparently it’s because we booked a private tour. Silly, right? What’s the purpose of the private tour?! Kuya Bebot did not give us nor the boat men any instructions on what to expect, what to do, upon reaching the destination. When we asked the other groups, they shared the same sentiments. 🙁
STRIKE 4.
Next, our boat left the port late because they did not have enough oil so again, we were behind schedule and got to Bucas Grande late. Due to that incident, we almost did not make it to the jellyfish sanctuary with the influx of tourists and slow registration process! Plus, they only had 10-15 paddle boats for all the visitors!
I think you get it. It was such a bad experience. If I knew early on, I would have just arranged everything myself instead of getting the services of Kuya Bebot. In the end, it all boiled down to resourcefulness and pakiusap with the tourism staff to maximize our time in Sohoton Cove and be able to do all the activities. We did not travel 3 hours by boat to just wait in line. After those encounters I decided to ditch KB and go with My Siargao Guide for May 1 island hopping.
Conclusion: To be honest it was a complete waste of time dealing with the stress, early call times, and (almost) missed adventure. I personally would NOT recommend Kuya Bebot for such poor service and unclear communication. He double booked most groups and delegated the responsibility to others.
Other tour providers are:
- Kermit Siargao Activities – Kermit Resort also helps arrange tours to the popular destinations. Sample tour package here.
- Galatea Siargao – They arrange private charter or shared tours but you have to rent the whole boat starting at Php 12,000 / day. It’s a really comfortable boat with bean bags and chairs perfect for large groups – can fit up to 20 people! Lunch is separate at Php 550/person.
Contact: @GalateaSiargao on Facebook
- Peter Pan Boat – they are a boat service you can use to go island hopping, fishing, etc. Similar to Galatea, they have a huge motorboat with foam seats with a max capacity of 24 people. They can take you to places like Sohoton Cove, Mam-on Island, etc.
Contact: @PeterPanBoat on Facebook | Stephanie : +63 9394318886 | Peter : +63 9294228821
- Siargao Island Getaway – name it, they have it! Siargao Island Tours offer packages to tourist spots on the island. Check their website for details.
Contact: info@siargaoislandtour.com
Transportation
- Siargao Rent-a-Car– They’re one of the major car rental operators in Siargao and you’ll see their orange signages everywhere! A Toyota Wigo costs Php 2,500 while a Toyota Avanza would cost you Php 2800 – 3000 to rent for a day. Prices are for self-drive and exclusive of gas. They also offer cars with driver/tour guide but of very limited availability. I think they have several pick up locations along General Luna and in Dapa.
Book at least a day in advance for them to accommodate your request.
2. Binggo Ride – If you want a unique mode of transportation, Binggo is another option for you. For only Php 1,200 per day, you can drive it on your own wherever you want (Php 1500 with driver but you have to reserve days before)! Take note that the engine is manual motorcycle, and quite tricky to operate if you’re not familiar.
3. Tricycles are your best friend for a quick and way to move around GL. Would you believe we actually rode a trike from the airport to General Luna? Took us roughly 1.5 hours but only cost us Php 700 for 2 trikes. The standard price of tricycle as of April 2018 is Php 20 per head from morning until 7pm. Prices usually go up to Php 50-60 per person after 9pm.
4. Habal-habal / motorcycle – Just like in Bali, you can navigate the roads and go up the mountains using motorbikes. It’s a fun way to take it slow and get a full view of the scenery.
Contact: Kuya Norman (+63 907 4931913)
5. Van (Airport Transfers) – No need to worry since there are usually 12-seater vans lined up right outside the Sayak Airport waiting for tourists. If you want to reserve your slot ahead of time, contact any of the kuya’s below.
Contact: Kuya Bordoy (+63 947-2222304) | Kuya Dodong (+63 921 5111009)
Wanna know more about Siargao ? Read the complete travel guide
This post was last modified on November 8, 2018 10:45 AM