When my boyfriend told me that surfing is on the top of his bucket list, I’ve been scouting for good surfing spots in the Philippines since then. Then I stumbled on a Siargao vlog on Youtube and decided that it’s the place to be!

Siargao is known as the surfing capital of the Philippines. Blessed with huge waves for the surfing pro and gentle waves for the beginners wanting to try their luck at playing with the seas, Siargao is definitely crowned that title for all the right reasons.

Getting to Siargao from Cebu

Undoubtedly the easiest way to go to Siargao is taking a plane from Cebu. You can take Cebu Pacific or Philippine Airlines flights from Mactan International Airport to Sayak Airport in Carmen, Surigao Del Norte, which is an hour away by land transportation from central Siargao.

We were able to book with Cebu Pacific during a seat sale promo last December and bought our round trip tickets for only Php 2,046.00 each.

The Accommodation

If you are going to Siargao with the intent to go full-on surfing mode, I would definitely recommend staying at Point 303 Resort. The resort is just in front of Cloud 9 and you couldn’t get any nearer. Point 303 might not be a high-end resort with its very basic amenities but we couldn’t complain as we got the room at a very cheap price and we were out during the day anyway. And again, the location is very commendable!

Cloud 9 is quite far from Sayak Airport so we arranged a land transportation with Kuya Bebot. We were picked up by a multicab that would fit us all since we were 10 in the group. Multicab rental rate is Php 1,000.00.

We booked with Agoda and scored a fan room for 2 for only Php 2,230.00 to cover for 3 nights. That’s around Php 372.00 per night, per person.

For The Foodies

We only tried a few of the many famous restos in Siargao as we were there at a very limited time and were mostly out on a tour with packed foods or we ate at carinderias to save on money (hehe).

Harana– Luckily for us, Harana was only a walking distance from the resort that we stayed in. Harana’s main charm is the wonderful ambiance of the restaurant and the breathtaking view at the shore. Plus the food are really worth trying. It’s safe to say Harana met my expectation with all the hype from tourists and vloggers.

La Carinderia- This small charmer is not to be missed! But be there early as they are always packed with people and the space isn’t big enough to cater huge crowds.

Mama’s Grill- Think about grilled meat and seafood! Yum right? This is the perfect place to satisfy your cravings for grilled delicacies! Be there early too, both local and foreign people flock to this place each night.

Shaka- This is the favorite among surfers and people who need to freshen and power up after a tiring day surfing or just going out and about the island. Totally a must try! Such healthy food selections!

For The Non-Surfers (Like Me)

If you are worried that you won’t be able to enjoy Siargao since you are not a surfer, maybe this blog will convince you that there is more to this paradise than just surfing!

Sohoton Cove National Park Tour- I am so amazed with this tour! I wasn’t expecting it to be that eventful, but oh my! Sohoton blew me away! Despite being very far from Siargao, and by far I mean a 2-hour pumpboat ride to Socorro, Surigao Del Norte , so much await when you finally arrive at the destination. The place was teeming with with huge rock formations and there were lush of greens everywhere!

And kudos to the tourism office in Socorro, I have never seen a more organized tour than what they offer!

On the right is the dining area where our boatmen were waiting for us with our food ready on the table! We were so amazed with these guys amazing hospitality!

The Activities:

The Sting-less Jellyfish Experience
Jellyfishes are scary creatures to behold and they could be very deadly when they sting, but Sohoton has a whole sanctuary of sting-less jellyfishes that you can even hold it without having to worry about being harmed! What made this activity more special is you get to ride a bangka alone with a professional bangkero that will take you to the sanctuary. Picture VIP treatment with your very own tour-guide!

Hagukan Cave
This cave is called as such due to its snoring or “haguk” in Bisaya sound. For you to be able to get inside the cave, you would have to swim underwater to find the cave’s entrance. Expert tour guides will be your guide and all you have do is breathe underwater for 8 seconds. Nothing too scary right?

Magkukuob Cave- Thankfully, this cave won’t require you to breathe underwater for such a loooong time! But it has an amazing surprise at the end! For you to be able to exit the cave, you need to jump on a cliff and onto the deep water! Such a thrilling experience!

Tri-island Hopping (Daku, Naked and Guyam Islands)
Next to surfing, this is the most common activity tourists do. Get to see the beauty of the three small islands that surrounded Siargao. Daku is the biggest island among the three and it is inhabited by a few locals. Naked is the smallest with only just a strip of white sand stretching out. Perfect for suntanning as you won’t find shade anywhere to keep you away from the sun! Haha!

Magpupungko Pool Rocks
This place has awesome rock formations and pools that are only accessible during low tide. So make sure you ask a local what is the best time to go.

Sugba Lagoon
Going to the lagoon aboard a motorized bangka almost felt like being in Coron, at least based on the pictures that I’ve seen of it. The dark green waters will surely lure you in for a swim! Famous activities in the lagoon include board diving, stand up paddling and riding the bamboo raft. We rented the stand up paddle at Php 500.00 for unlimited number of hours.

 

Surfing Sessions- Even if you don’t surf, you should at least try to! What’s going to Siargao and not trying to surf? It’s called passing up the opportunity! At Php 500.00, you get your own instructor and an hour surfing session.

 

The Budget

Airfare: Php 2,046.00
Accommodation: Php 1,115.00
Airport to hotel transfers: Php 400.00
Tri-Island Hopping Tour and Sohoton Tour*: Php 1,115.00
Magpupungko and Sugba Lagoon Tour*: Php 1,175.00
Surfing Sessions: Php 500.00

Total: Php 6,351.00 exclusive of food and other land transpo

*We booked our tours with Kuya Nicolas “Bebot” Salgado. I will surely recommend him as it was very convenient most especially for large groups like us. Contact him at 09064598679.

Siargao has become one of my favorite destinations in the Philippines! The wondrous places, sumptuous food, and warm locals are all enough to lure me back to Siargao anytime soon! But for now, this blog ends here!