Every time a seat sale comes up on my Facebook news feed, I always try to see if I can score a great deal to any destination I have never been before. When I checked Last November 2017, I got two return tickets to Siargao for PHP1,860! I timed it for August on our anniversary. ❤️😂
I did some research weeks before the trip for recommendations on day trips, restaurants, transportation, etc. I even plotted our daily itinerary in Google Sheets!
We arrived on Wednesday afternoon since Cebu Pacific changed their flight schedule from morning to afternoon. We did not have any pickup arranged so we took the van going to Cloud 9 and General Luna (GL). We shared the van with five other passengers and paid PHP300 each. We got dropped off at our accommodation in GL, Hanigad Homestay, before 5:00 PM. After fixing our room, we headed out to Hanigad Bar, which is right at the beach and has a full view of Cloud 9. It was Happy Hour! Cocktails were at PHP150 each, and beers were PHP50 per bottle.
Transportation
Airport Transfers
Ask your hotel or accommodation to make arrangements for airport transfers for when you arrive and leave Siargao. Still, you can take any of the vans going to and from the Siargao Domestic Airport. As soon as you get out of the airport terminal, you’ll be greeted by a man with a sign that says “Cloud 9” and “General Luna”. Going rate here is PHP300 per person. Expect to share the van with at least five other people. The vans are air-conditioned and are relatively new.
Tip: Ask for your driver’s contact details if you want to arrange for a ride back to the airport. If they can’t take you, they will ask one of their fellow drivers to pick you up from a designated place.
Going Around Siargao
You have three transportation options when going around Siargao. The first option is taking one of the many tricycles (motorcycle with a side car attachment). Tell the driver your destination (e.g. Cloud 9, specific restaurant, ATM) and you’re on your way. Expect to pay PHP20 per person, per trip.
The second option is a habal-habal or a motorcycle-for-hire. Each habal-habal can take on two passengers at a time. I’m not sure how much each trip costs because I’m too chicken to try this.
Finally, you can rent a scooter or an automatic motorcycle to go around the island. Depending on where you get them, the daily rate can be anywhere from PHP400 to PHP500. If you want or need a second helmet, that will be an extra of between PHP30 to PHP100. That is if they still have any available to rent out. Gas is on you. You can go to a Petron station or gas up from any of the stores that sell gasoline in 1-liter softdrink bottles. The price ranges from PHP49 to PHP60.
Dining
There are a lot of dining options in GL that suit your mood or budget. I looked up a lot of travel blog posts for recommendations. Here’s my take on some of them:
Barrel Bar
I listed this in our itinerary as our dinner destination on our first night in Siargao because they are open 24 hours. We went at around 8:00 PM on a Wednesday and the place wasn’t packed yet. The place started to fill up around 9:00 PM, just as we were about done with dinner.
We got the Jack Daniel’s Beef Burger with egg and the Barrel Chicken Burger with a side of fries. We’ve had better burgers, but it was okay. Dinner (and a glass of pure Calamansi juice) was PHP594.
Tip: Barrel Bar is a self-service establishment. Order from the counter (near the grill area) and pay as you order. They will, however, still take your order to your table when they’re ready.
Shaka
Luckily, Shaka was just across the street from Hanigad Homestay. After watching the sun rise from the Cloud 9 boardwalk, we headed over to Shaka for some of their Instagram-worthy power bowls. They’re open from 6:30 AM. I got the Bom Dia bowl because I love mangoes! Boyfriend got the Cloud 9 Kook, which had peanut butter and banana, among others. Each bowl is PHP250, but I got mine as a combo with a cup of cappuccino for a total of PHP300. Breakfast total was PHP550.
Mama’s Grill
When you’re up for some barbecued batikon (gizzards) or isaw (chicken intestines), then you’re in for a treat at Mama’s Grill. They also have pork barbecue skewers, grilled pork chops, liempo (pork belly), grilled squid, fish, chicken thigh and wings, and vegetable skewers. The batikon and isaw are at PHP20 per stick, while the pork barbecue is PHP25 each. Pork Chop and chicken were at PHP75 each, while the squid was priced PHP350 at the time of our visit. They open at 6:00 PM, but when we got there at 6:30 PM on a Thursday, the place was packed and the order queue was long! We missed the last of the isaw so we got the batikon, pork barbecue, pork chop and chicken thigh instead. You have an option to choose among sweet, spicy, or a combination of both for your sauce. We chose the combination.
They also serve fruit shakes and smoothies. A large (mason jar) fruit shake costs PHP90. We got mango and ube shakes. It was a little bland and I didn’t really taste the mango.
For 7 sticks of batikon (5 for takeaway as pulutan with beer later), 4 sticks of pork barbecue, 1 pork chop, 1 chicken thigh, and 2 large glasses of fruit shake, we paid PHP610.
Tip: If you can, go early so you still have more food options. Getting a table will be a challenge, especially if you come in as a group. Their staff, however, are very accommodating and will help you get a table when they can. Expect to wait for your food to be ready. Take this time to talk about the day’s events or the plans for tomorrow instead.
Laida’s
Another recommendation I got is Laida’s Store. The store is located across the entrance to the Cloud 9 boardwalk. We had breakfast here on our last day in Siargao. There were not a lot of options when we got there at 8:00 AM. We had two eggs cooked sunny-side up, a piece of fried fish, some pork dish, and a cup of rice. All in all, we paid PHP155.
Bake X Siargao
I just found out that this is owned by Binibining Pilipinas Universe Rachel Peters. And no, we didn’t see her while we had our lunch. LOL The people here were very nice, though.
We chose to stay here while waiting for our ride to the airport. Our contact advised us that the van could not pick us up from Hanigad. Bake X Siargao was a welcome respite from the hot midday sun. For lunch, we ordered Beef Tapa and the Patismansi Pork Belly with Kimchi Rice. Our lunch total was PHP610.
Kermit Siargao
Nothing but good vibes here. On our last night in Siargao, we went to Kermit for our anniversary dinner. This place comes highly recommended and it did not disappoint. We started with some buy-one-get-one Kermit Mojitos. We also had to get the famous pizza, of course. We added onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, bell peppers, ham and gorgonzola to our pizza base. The boyfriend also got the Kinilaw a.k.a. Kiniloy – cubes of raw fish in coconut milk and spices. For dessert, I could not resist the Mango Float with vanilla ice cream. Everything was so good!
Our dinner total was PHP1190, plus tip. It was worth it. The staff were also very nice. A very good experience, overall.
Tip: Go early! They start serving pizza at 5:00 PM, and the Main Entrees, Pasta, and Seafood dishes at 6:00 PM. So if you can, go there by 5:00 or 5:30 PM, just before the dinner crowd arrives. On Fridays, happy hour is from 4:00 PM until closing. That’s buy-one-get-one on all their signature cocktails.
J-Kat (Pilar, Surigao del Norte)
On our way to Magpupungko Rock Pools, we realized we were “too early” to enjoy the low-tide pools. We decided to take an early lunch in J-Kat in Pilar. The place was clean and the owners were very friendly. We chatted a bit until we continued on to Magpupungko.
For lunch, we ordered Pork Spring Rolls, Pancit Canton and Nilagang Pata ng Baboy. Our order, together with a cup of rice and drinks came to a total of PHP385.
Attractions
Sugba Lagoon
Searching online for an arranged tour to Sugba Lagoon can set you back at least PHP2,000 per person that includes lunch, van transfers and boat transfers to and from Sugba Lagoon. We decided to DIY our tours.
If you took the scooter to Del Carmen, the jump-off point for Sugba Lagoon, parking fee is PHP10. A boat to Sugba Lagoon is at PHP1,600 and is good for six people. We were lucky to have met two ladies who agreed to share a boat. Entrance to the Lagoon is at PHP50 each (Filipinos), more for foreigners and allows you to stay for three hours at the Lagoon. Renting a Stand-Up Paddleboard (SUP) will set you back PHP300 to PHP600 for one hour. The bigger SUP costs more. Table and chairs can be rented for PHP50 for the whole three hours you will be there. You may leave your things on the table, just make sure not to leave your valuables unattended.
Magpupungko Rock Pools
We took another DIY trip and this time to Magpupungko Rock Pools. Motorcycle parking is PHP20 and entrance fee is PHP50 per person, regardless of nationality. You may stay as long as you like, or as long as it is safe for you to do so. The pools are only accessible during low tide. The waves are also huge here, so they do not advise swimming beyond the rock pools.
List of Expenses
Some Helpful Tips
- Don’t forget to bring and put on sunscreen/sunblock. Before getting on a motorbike, slather on some sunscreen.
- Bring some mosquito repellent lotion with you and apply generously on exposed skin.
- Bring an insulated water flask with you. Make sure it’s empty when you pass through airport security.
- Pack a pair of your beach shoes or aqua shoes. Your feet will thank you.
- If you’re staying for more than 2 days, buy a five- or six-liter purified or distilled water. A six-liter bottle of Absolut water costs PHP150, while a liter of Nature Spring water costs PHP35. You can then fill your flask when you go around Siargao. We also used it to brush our teeth with since our accommodation did not have potable water. They had seawater coming out of the tap.
- There is only one ATM in General Luna. On our last day, however, it was off. And I mean “no power” off. Siargao is also cash country, so make sure you bring more than enough cash with you.
- If needed, you can ask somebody to send you money to the island through M. Lhuillier, Palawan Express, or Cebuana Lhuillier.
- Don’t forget to have fun! Chat with the locals.
One Step At A Time 