If you’re still trying to figure out where to go for your summer vacation, don’t forget to consider the wonderful Island of Siargao! Why? Simply because, even after travelling to different parts the Philippines, we can still say that it’s one of the best places in the country. This teardrop-shaped island, known as the surfing capital of the Philippines boasts not only of its waves, but also its very friendly locals and never-ending nature trips. Even though our main purpose for flying to the island was not to travel,  as we really went to volunteer for a week in the Gawad Kalinga Bayani Challenge, we were still able to visit some of Siargao’s best, as we decided to stay for an extra two days.

If you want to book hotels or inns ahead of time on the island, here’s a list that you  might want to look into.

Habal-habals and the tricycles are the main modes of transportation for commuters in Siargao. The habal-habal may be more expensive, but it gets you to your destinations of choice faster, and is also way more fun to ride.

Money-Saving Tip: Hop on the tricycle if you’re not in a hurry, as it will save you hundreds of pesos as long as there are other people riding with you.

Cloud 9

In an island known for it’s waves, one must never leave Siargao without surfing in Cloud 9. It is a well-known surf spot in the Philippines, and one of the most visited areas in the island. It is located in a town called General Luna, which is about 45 minutes to an hour away from the airport.

When we got there, we decided to coordinate with Hippies Surf Shop because of their good rates. Most of the surf shops in the area charge the same, so it’s just a matter of using you haggling skills to get the best prices. We spent 300 Php for a two-hour board rental without lessons, as we’ve tried surfing before. If you are a beginner, don’t worry! There are tons of places in Cloud 9 that provide surf lessons. In Hippies, they offer this for just 500 Php, which includes a one-hour board rental and an instructor.

Safety Tip: Get lessons from legitimate surf shop instructors as there is a rule on the island that teaching is prohibited, unless you are an actual surfer. 

Once we got on our boards, we automatically understood why Siargao was deemed as the surfing capital of the Philippines. The waves were just so great and big, that it made us want to stay longer than we were supposed to. We just couldn’t get enough of it!

Another thing you can do in Cloud 9 aside from surfing, is visit the boardwalk. This beautiful walkway bridge built on water is the perfect place to just sit down and enjoy the view of the beach. It’s not just great for taking pictures, but also a wonderful place to go to if you just want to find a peaceful spot on the island to relax.

Del Carmen Mangrove

Although Siargao is mainly known for its surf spots, it’s important to note that it is also home to one of the largest mangrove forests, not just in Mindanao, but in the entire country. In the past, residents of Del Carmen used to make a living out of cutting their mangroves down to make charcoal. Fortunately, since the election of their new mayor, this was no longer allowed and people were taught to plant and take care of this wonderful area instead.

The Del Carmen Mangrove also serves as a sanctuary for the endangered crocodylus porosus or the salt-water crocodiles. Don’t worry, according to the locals, they don’t swim anywhere near the town, and there have also been no incidents of tourists getting into any crocodile related accidents either. This is because boats have designated routes to take when tourists want to look around. If you’re lucky, you may even see the crocodiles, but only from a far distance.

Sugba Lagoon

If you’re looking for something fun to do in Del Carmen, you can head over to their tourism office and inquire about Sugba Lagoon. Sugba is a Bisaya term, that when translated in English means “to grill”. The lagoon was given this name because of its thick morning fog, similar to what you get when you’re out grilling.

The boat ride to Sugba Lagoon costs 1,600 Php. There, you are awaited with various activities that you can enjoy.

Money-Saving Tip: When going to Sugba Lagoon, it is advisable to go in a big groups, or to ask the tourism office if you can join smaller groups so you don’t have to pay the whole 1,600 Php fee. Also, you can choose to bring your own cooked food or have it cooked there to save cash.

Paddle Boarding

For only 250 Php, we were able to spend an hour paddle boarding around the lagoon. Since it felt like we were in the middle of no where, with zero signal in the area, and only natural beauty around us, we felt a sense of serenity while doing the activity. Don’t worry about tipping over or falling off, as these boards were made to balance well in the water. You can choose to paddle while sitting down or standing up, whichever you prefer.

Snorkeling

For 50 Php, we also got to enjoy snorkeling, which we did simultaneously with our paddle boarding experience. Once we went underwater, we were able to see different types of fish. At some point, we reached an area that was so deep that we could no longer see the bottom, and if you’ve seen the Disney movie “Nemo”, this particular sight resembled what they called the “drop off”.

Diving

Another activity that you can try in the lagoon, is diving, not from a cliff, but from a diving board. This activity is absolutely free! In fact, you can jump off as many times as you like, and trust us, most people who visit the area just don’t stop jumping from their arrival to after they’ve tried out other activities. To some, it might be scary at first, but it’s really worth the risk.

Magpupungko Beach and Tidal Pools

The Magpupungko beach is located in the city of Pillar. It was given it’s name because the English translation of the word “pungko” is “to sit”, and in that beach, rocks naturally seem to just sit on top of one another. The place is  amazing, especially during low tide. In high tide, it is a normal beach with interesting rock formations, but in low tide, tidal pools appear and you can see the underwater beauty of the ocean, without even having to swim, snorkel or scuba dive. That’s how clear the water is.  For only a 50 peso entrance fee, as well as a 50 peso parking fee, you can see this beautiful place.

If you want to know more about Magpupungko, tour guides are also available to assist you. You’d be amazed to hear how much the guides know about the area. Aside from their great story-telling skills, they are also good photographers and offered to take tons of photos of us.

The activities you can do in Magpupungko beach include jumping off the rock formations and into the tidal pools, and swimming.

Since we only had 2 days to go around, we didn’t really get to visit all the must see places or try all of the fun activities on the island. If ever you have time, you might also want to go island hopping, visit the Sohoton Caves, go drunken carabao riding (drunk people riding carabaos up to the countryside) and even go deep sea fishing.

The Gawad Kalinga Bayani Challenge

If you’re wondering why we never mentioned where we stayed or where we ate in the duration of our stay, this is because again, our primary purpose was to go to Siargao for the Gawad Kalinga Bayani Challenge. We slept on classroom floors, and ate anywhere that wasn’t expensive around the area. We helped repaint Del Carmen, to be specific, their port area, their church and the Numancia Elementary School. We also had clean-ups, built houses for the up and coming GK villages, and did Paraisong Pambata, wherein we had tons of games and prizes prepared for kids. There was also a kitchen, which gave food to people in need, and tons of other activities. We were stationed at Del Carmen, but the same things were being done by another group in General Luna.

Check out the Gawad Kalinga website to find out how you can help out in something as amazing as the Bayani Challenge!

The whole experience was so humbling and added to why Siargao is now one of our favorite islands in the Philippines. It wasn’t just the beauty of the place that we fell in love with, but also the memories made in island that will always make us want to come back.