This is a long overdue trip. We’ve been planning to visit Siquijor last year but we did not have the chance to do so. But at last, in the busy month of June where I tried a lot of things for the first time including freediving, visiting this mystical Island was part of the awesome list.

In every trip I’m embarking, I always inform my parents where I’m going. I know that they are very supportive in my endeavors and I don’t want them to worry so much. And so, Informing them does not always mean I’m asking for their permission but just a mere update where the heck is their daughter.

As I called my mother, “I’m going to Siquijor this weekend”.

“Siquijor? Be careful, there are a lot of sorcerers in that island.”

As we all know, Siquijor is a place of sorcery or magic. And good thing I belong in this generation that does not believe in superstitions anymore. I have the courage to explore this beautiful Island full of magic.

For this trip, the itinerary and things to do was under Hernan’s responsibility. I was pretty happy since I was still a bit stressed out when I did an itinerary during our last trip in El Nido, Palawan. He found this really cool itinerary maker called pebblar. You can try it!

 We had 3 days and here’s how we did it.

 

Going to Siquijor

It was a very long way going to Siquijor. It was 12 midnight and we took a bus from Cebu City to Liloan Port in Santander for a 3-hout trip. We arrived at 3:00AM and the ticketing office is still closed. We waited until 4:00AM to buy the tickets. Then the ferry took off at 4:30AM going Sibulan. At 4:45AM we arrived and rode a jeepney to Dumaguete port . Getting a ticket going to Siquijor was a bit frustrating since there were fixers in the area and some people did not fall in the line properly. It took us an hour to get our turn and finally, around 7:00AM we were on our way to Siquijor.

How to go to Siquijor Guide:

Easiest way to go to Siquijor is via Dumaguete:

• By Air– There are available flights to Dumaguete. Direct flight are available from Manila and Cebu. You can check Cebu Pacific Air flight Map for the direct flights.
• By Land– Like we did.
  • Cebu City to Liloan Port, Santander – Aircon Bus ticket cost is Php200.00. Travel Time: 2.5-3 hours. Then take a ferry to Dumaguete.
• By Sea– Ferries are available
  • Cebu to Dumaguete – Longer hours and it cost more
  • Liloan Port, Santander to Dumaguete – First trip is 4:30AM. And the boat come almost every 30 minutes. Ticket cost is Php62.00. Travel Time: 15-20 minutes.

*From Sibulan to Dumaguete Port take a jeepney/multicab for Php15.00.

Other Ways via Ferry:

• From Tagbilaran to Siquijor (book ocean jet here)
• From Dapitan to Siquijor
• From Iligan to Siquijor

Book flights and transportations here:

 

My Packing List

Clothes

• Packing cubes
• Toiletry Pouch
• 3 Pairs of swim wear
• 1 Rash guard
• 4 Bottoms
• 4 Tops
• Slipper

Gadgets

• Phone
• Go pro
  • Floating monopod
  • Go pro case
• Powerbank

 

Accommodation

We stayed in James Homestay. It was very affordable for only Php800.00. Inclusion: Wifi, Own comfort room and they have breakfast meal available.

We also rented a bike from them for only Php300.00 per day.

You can look for more Siquijor accommodations through Booking.com  and Airbnb.

Other Options for less than Php1000 per night:

• Tori’s Backpacker’s Paradise
• Paliton Guest House
• Chelle’s Guesthouse and Backpackers

You can book here:

Booking.com

 

Getting around

• Via Motorbike – We rented a motorbike for Php300.00 per day. It is a better option for us.
• Via motorcycle – It will cost Php1000.00-Php1500.00 to roam the island for a day. It depends on the driver so always haggle.
• Via multicab – It will cost Php1800-Php2000 for a day.

CONTACT: Romeo Lo – ‭(0906) 796 2205‬

Where we went?

Day 1

Century Old Balete Tree

After we settled in our accommodation , had lunch and rented a motorbike. Our first stop was the Balete tree.

We paid Php10.00 each for the entrance fee and Php5.00 for the Parking Fee. They have a fish spa, which was scary at first since I haven’t done it before. But mostly it was ticklish. The small fishes (paitpait) were nibbling my foot but not just them but also the bigger one like tilapya. They were not cute anymore and I was very afraid that they might suck my toes or eat it like in the movies full of piranha. Maybe I was just over reacting but overall. It was fun.

Lagaan Falls

We were just driving around and saw a sign board that lead us to this Falls. The Lagaan Falls was a bit new, according to our guide it was opened to the public last December. Going to the falls, we walked for 15 minutes. It was not crowded so it was nice. It has a swing like in Cambugahay and it’s for free. It has a little cave where we climbed and jumped on the other side. At the center it has a curve side for sliding down. The Php50.00 fee was justifiable. Also, the falls has paitpait, the same fishes in Balete Tree. So I continued my foot spa there. This time, I was not scared. Thank God, we visited Balete tree fish spa because I might have freaked out the moment I realized there were fishes nibbling my foot!

You can check this post for more waterfalls in Siquijor: The Secret Waterfalls Of Siquijor – A Complete Guide!

Paliton Beach

Just before sunset, we went to Paliton beach. There were just a few people around, so we just kept on fooling around, trying to make a decent photo, and making some videos for my YouTube channel. It was low tide so, we did not swim. We went to the other side of the beach with a warning sign of “No Trespassing” . Afraid to commit a crime, we did not ask, but the people around insisted that we can go to the other side of the beach. They were very kind, and the good part, it was for free. The best part? We saw a beautiful sunset.

Day 2

Salagdoong Beach

We started our day, going to the other side of the island. On our way, I greeted my Mother since it was her Birthday. Surigao del Sur is quiet far so I did not come home for her birthday. I know she understand, so don’t judge me. Haha.

After an hour drive we arrived in Salagdoong beach. We paid Php25.00 for entrance fee each and Php20.00 for parking fee. I don’t want to be negative in this blog but I just want to be honest. I know that Salagdoong beach is one of the must visit places in Siquijor but for me, the long drive was not worth it. The beach was nice but not inviting. The cliff jump was okay but I did not try. Maybe it was due to some bad circumstances, but for now, that’s what I have to say about the place.

Kagusuan Beach

We went to this undeveloped beach in Maria, Siquijor. I may have started with a bad description but Kagusuan Beach is one of my favorite. It was not crowded. The water was very clear.  Come on, look at my picture! It was really beautiful and I did not expect it. Also it was affordable, entrance fee was Php30.00 each.

San Agustin Church and Convent

Already pass lunch but we did not eat yet. Then we found ourselves in San Agustin Convent. As we walked towards the door we passed the three kids trying to build a home for a small bird they found. They said it can’t fly yet. It was sad, but these kids were really nice trying their best for the bird.

We went inside the convent and it was under construction. It was huge. If you don’t know, I like old structures, like Hispanic architecture. I kept on telling Hernan that I want my house to look like this. Haha. He said “You should have gone to sisterhood.”

The moment we got out of the convent, we realized that it was supposedly close. This time, we did trespass but not intentionally.

Cambugahay Falls

The must visit in Siquijor. I was quite surprised the they did not have an entrance fee but they gave us a guide. I know that guides are not necessary since the way to falls was very obvious, but it was fun to have one.

First we went to the upper part of the falls, where it has a cave in it. Then in the lower level of the falls, we rode swing which I was very afraid to do it  because I know my strength and my arms are weak so it was a good reason for me to be worried. But I still did it. The swing cost Php20.00 each for unlimited try. As of the moment Cambugahay has 3 swing areas available. One on top and 2 swings on the lower level.

You can also check this post for more waterfalls in the Philippines.

Day 3

On our last day we were supposedly go to Mount Badilaan and the nearby Tourist spot like Cantabon Cave and Butterfly Sanctuary, but it rained very hard, so we decided to stay in our place and just wait for the rain to stop.

It was already afternoon when the rain stop so we decided to pack our things and go home. Bid farewell to the magical place and promise to go back again.

Dumaguete

We arrived late in the afternoon and we did not have proper lunch so we ate in Sans Rival before going to Sibulan to take a ferry to Santander, Cebu.

Additional Tips:

• Motorbike is the best way to go around in the island.
• Lugnason falls was in our list but they said the falls doesn’t have water anymore.
• Friday night is party night in San Juan
• Food recommendation: Roch Cuisine and Gaay’s Grill both are in San Juan
• Try their Pan Bisaya – You can buy it near the cock pit area in Lazi. Or better ask the locals where you can buy it.

Our Itinerary

Day 1

• 0000 Bus from Cebu City to Liloan Port, Santander
• 0300 Arrival at Liloan Port, Santander
• 0400 Ticketing Office is finally open
• 0430 Going to Sibulan (First Trip)
• 0445 Arrival in Sibulan – Took a cab to Dumaguete Port
• 0500 Arrival in Dumaguete Port
• 0600 Bought Ticket to Siquijor
• 0630 Breakfast
• 0700 Going to Siquijor, Siquijor
• 0900 Arrival in Siquijor
• 0930 Settle in James Homestay
• 1200 Lunch
• 1445 Century Old Balete Tree
• 1530 Lagaan Falls
• 1730 Paliton Beach
• 1800 Dinner at Roch Cuisine

Day 2

• 0900 Going to Salagdoong Beach
• 1000 Arrival at Salagdoong Beach
• 12:30 Kagusuan Beach
• 1300 San Agustine Church and Convent
• 1430 Late Lunch at Lazi
• 1530 Cambugahay Fall
• 1630 Bought Pan Bisaya
• 1730 Back in James Homestay
• 1900 Dinner at Ga-ay’s Grill

Day 3

• 0900 Cantabon Cave
• 1030 Mount Bandilaan
• 1130 Butterfly Sanctuary

*It was raining so we did not pursue the above destinations so we just went to Dumaguete with the schedule below

• 1400 Going to Dumaguete
• 1545 Arrival in Dumaguete
• 1600 Late Lunch/ Early Dinner at Sans Rival
• 1700 Going to Sibulan
• 1750 Going to Liloan Port, Santander
• 1825 Going to Cebu City
• 2225 Arrival in Cebu City

Do you want to book a tour instead?

Siquijor Cambugahay Falls and Heritage Day Trip

• Experience a safe and hassle-free journey starting from and ending at your hotel in Dumaguete
• Enjoy a private tour around Siquijor Island along with roundtrip ferry tickets
• Visit centuries-old churches of Siquijor and peek into the religious traditions of locals
• Take a dip in the turquoise waters of Cambugahay Falls and see the famous 400+-year-old Balete Tree
• Visit the famed Triad Cafe for a stunning ocean view, with Negros and Bohol on the horizon

BOOK HERE

Watch the Video for more!

Overall

Siquijor was truly a magical place. Amazing waterfalls, beautiful beaches, affordable food and nice people. I will surely be back for more.

It took me a year to visit the island, but I hope you won’t!

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Have you been to Siquijor? Share your experience with me and comment below.

Haven’t been here? Go and experience the magic with others! Share this post to your friends.

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