Suroy Surigao City

Heading to Surigao City. Cut across any of these three to get to Surigao City:

Sky. There are daily flights to Surigao City from Manila (via Philippine Airlines) and from Cebu (via Cebu Pacific).

Sea. From Maasin (Southern Leyte) or from Cebu, cross the sea via Cokaliong Shipping Lines. From Liloan (Southern Leyte), take the FastCat to Lipata, Surigao City. From San Ricardo (Southern Leyte), take Montenegro Shipping Lines to Lipata, Surigao City.

Soil. There are buses to Surigao City direct from Butuan and Davao. Vans also ply between neighboring cities (such as from Tandag City in Surigao del Sur) to Surigao City.

Tourist bunks in Cokaliong's M/V Filipinas Maasin

History in the Heart of the City. You know you're in the heart of a city in the Philippines when you find the City Hall with a park or plaza nearby.

Surigao City Hall. Every city hall must have the country's flag flying outside. But there is only one city hall that has a marker reminding every passerby that on this site on December 26, 1898 was where the Philippine flag was first raised in Mindanao.

Luneta Park. Like Manila, Surigao City’s Luneta Park also has a statue of Dr Jose Rizal. Unlike Manila, Surigao City's Luneta Park has a colorful giant boot, a tourist assistance office, and the Battle of Surigao Strait Museum. The giant boot, according to MindaNews, houses a generator to power the nearby city hall, police headquarters, fire department, and public market during power outages; and a siren that goes off on a daily schedule and during emergencies. (I peeked and saw dust and junk. Maybe the generator was under all that junk.) The boot, according to the lady in the tourism office, was created in honor of Imelda Marcos who had donated the land and that the other boot, the left one, is in Tacloban. (To anyone who has spotted the left boot in Tacloban, please send me a photo!)

The giant boot at Luneta Park
Photo by Brennan Mercado of Baktin Corporation

Hungry in the City. These are the three things not to miss when in Surigao City:

Sayongsong. Sayongsong is Surigao City's delicacy. It is made of sticky rice, coconut milk, and sugar, and wrapped in a banana leaf like a cone. What does it taste like? To me it tastes like baye baye from Iloilo, but a lot softer. To my friend it tastes "like brains!" I wonder whose brains she had eaten.

Sayongsong
Photo by Brennan Mercado of Baktin Corporation

Isaw. Because I think Surigao City has the best isaw! But what is isaw? Uhh...chicken intestines. "Ewww," you say? Ewww to isaw from other places, but yum to Surigao's isaw! Surigao's isaw are cut down the middle, cleaned, and grilled to a slight crisp. Isaw can be had at any of the barbecue stalls just outside the Port of Surigao City.

Seafood. I never had the taste for crabs, but all that changed when I visited Surigao City for the first time, about 12 years ago, and my friend set down a platter of fat crabs on the table. For our recent visit to Surigao City, we sniffed our way around for some seafood and found Babielyn's Kitchenette, a carinderia in the Public Market, and Ocean Bounties Restaurant just across Babielyn's. Babielyn's offers seafood in addition to the usual carinderia fare; seafood dishes cost Php120 per order. We splurged at Ocean Bounties and spent about Php 450 each for a very satisfying lunch of clam chowder, half a kilo of grilled fish, and half a kilo of garlic chili crab.

Clam chowder, grilled fish, and garlic chili crab at Ocean Bounties

Heading Away From the City. But not really. When stifled by the heat emanating from concrete structures of the city, head on to the beaches of Surigao City, just a 30–minute ride away.

Mabua Pebble Beach. The clear waters of Mabua will make you want to jump right in. Its smooth stones will give your feet a massage as you walk on them. The open cottages on the beach can shelter 10 persons and cost from Php 250 to 300 per cottage. To get to Mabua Pebble Beach, hire a tricycle for Php 200 (up to 6 persons) or take a jeepney to the crossing for Mabua (Php 18) and then a habalhabal to Mabua Pebble Beach (Php 10). Going back to the city, if you can catch a tricycle, would only cost Php 20 per person.

Mabua Pebble Beach

Looc Pebble Beach. A little bit of exercise is required to reach Looc Pebble Beach. From Mabua Pebble Beach, climb 380 steps over and down a hill to find Looc Pebble Beach, where the pebbles have significantly diminished, not in number, but in size; but where the waters have remained just as clear.


This article is now available as a mobile app. Go to GPSmyCity to download the app for GPS-assisted travel directions to the attractions featured in this article.

Siargao and Bucas Grande: Itinerary and Expenses

In case you wanted to know the sequence of events...

Note: Island hopping in Siargao can be done in half a day. Magpupungko can also be visited in just half a day. 

I usually don't do Amazing–Race–paced trips so I spent a day for each.

...and how pocket holes were made.

Note: I did not include the airfare from Cebu to Siargao. I got the ticket at a promo price. Regular one way airfare starts at around Php1200.

Three Days in Siargao:
In and Around Siargao Island
La Isla Siargao Bar and Grill
Magpupungko Then and Now
Three Little Islands
Skales Greek Restaurant

Siargao's Neighbor, Bucas Grande:
Balanghai Kanlunes in Bucas Grande Island
Lagoon, Lake, and Caves

Siargao and Bucas Grande: Itinerary and Budget (you're here!)

Bucas Grande: Lagoon, Lake, and Caves

Our sole purpose of going to Bucas Grande Island was to see Sohoton Cove and its neighboring lake and caves.

The first stop of our tour was Sohoton Cove. It was almost noon on a Saturday when we got to the Sohoton Cove Visitor's Center to register and pay some fees:

• Entrance fee Php 25
• Environmental fee Php 25
• Docking fee (per boat) Php 100
• Tour guide for the Sohoton Cove tour Php 330
• Small pumpboat for the Sohoton Cove tour Php 500
• Paddleboat and guide/paddler for the Jellyfish Sanctuary (per guest) Php 100

Sohoton Cove Visitor's Center

There were already about half a dozen groups and we had to wait our turn for the tour. Pumpboats have to wait at the Visitor's Center and guests have to transfer to a smaller pumpboat for the tour. Only small pumpboats can get into the cove because the entrance to it is through a low–ceilinged cave. Sohot is a Visayan word meaning to pass through a small opening, thus Sohoton Cove.

 

The tour visits two caves: Hagukan Cave and Magkukuob Cave. Guests are encouraged to swim inside Hagukan Cave. For those who don't know how to swim, lifevests can be rented at the Visitor's Center or trust your guide to lead you into the cave. Hagukan Cave is named for the snoring sound the water makes when it hits the opening during high tide. Haguk is Visayan for snore. One would expect the inside of the cave to be pitch black, but it actually isn't. Too bad I didn't have a waterproof camera to take photos of the inside of the cave.

Entrance to Hagukan Cave

It is a short walk to get inside dark Magkukuob Cave (not to worry, your guide is a Boy Scout, he'll have a flashlight with him), then a bit of climbing to get to the exit. It is also known as Diving Cave because you have to jump off a platform to exit. You can actually trace your way back to the entrance but it's easier to just jump off than navigate your way down the slippery cave.

The exit is 15 feet above the water

After visiting these two caves, we were taken back to the Visitor's Center to transfer to a paddleboat for the Jellyfish Sanctuary. Only one guest per paddleboat and paddler/guide. I asked for an extra paddle from my guide and started paddling. My paddling was taking us anywhere but the jellyfish lagoon. I eventually just hummed a tune and pretended to paddle.

Paddling to the Jellyfish Sanctuary

The shallow entrance to the sanctuary

The jellyfish are stingless. One can touch them but not take them out of the water for more than a minute or they die. The jellyfish appear from March to July and are abundant around April. It is best to go to the sanctuary when the sun isn't too high up—the jellyfish hide when it's hot, at least that's what my guide said. Swimming is strictly prohibited at the sanctuary.

 

Photo by D. Ogabang

After Sohoton Cove and the Jellyfish Sanctuary, we proceeded to Tiktikan Lake, Bolitas Cave, Crystal Cave, and a newly explored cave, Tundan Cave (thanks Glen for the info). All three caves are in the same area.

An entrance fee of Php20 is collected at Tiktikan Lake. To go to the lake, we had to follow a path that ascends then descends. Cottages for overnight stay and open cottages for picnics dot the area around the lake. It was too quiet at the lake, I don't think I'd want to stay the night there. :-)

 

Entrance to Tiktikan Lake

 Two sad pawikans in a pen by the entrance :-(

A wooden sculpture of the tiktik bird (left) halfway to Tiktikan Lake (right)

After the lake, we boarded our boat and were taken to another area where Bolitas, Crystal, and Tundan Caves are. To explore the caves a guide and flashlights are required. No guide fees but tips are always welcome. Flashlights can be rented for Php20.

The first cave we went into was Tundan Cave. It took us almost an hour in and out of it. There were portions where we had to crawl, tuck our stomachs in, and wriggle our way through. After this exploration we were drenched in sweat and covered in mud.

Inside Tundan Cave (left) and Crystal Cave (right)

Crystal Cave was easy to explore. No wriggling and shrinking yourself required. After the two caves, where we saw shiny, sparkly formations inside, we didn't bother going into Bolitas Cave (the entrance to Bolitas is a narrow passage by the mouth of Crystal Cave). It was already dusk when we emerged from Crystal Cave. We were grimy, muddy, stinky, and exhausted.

For Php3000 we were picked up from Socorro, taken on a six-hour tour of caves and lakes, and, the next day, taken to the mainland (Brgy. Hayanggabon, Claver, Surigao del Norte) to catch a van (1.5 hours, Php120) going to Surigao City.

 Hayanggabon port (left) and the van terminal just outside the port (right)

Boat transfers/tour was arranged thru:
Balanghai Kanlunes / Fredie Rosillo
0935 418 3244 / 0946 696 3120

Three Days in Siargao:
In and Around Siargao Island
La Isla Siargao Bar and Grill
Magpupungko Then and Now
Three Little Islands
Skales Greek Restaurant

Siargao's Neighbor, Bucas Grande:
Balanghai Kanlunes in Bucas Grande Island
Lagoon, Lake, and Caves (you're here!)

Siargao and Bucas Grande: Itinerary and Expenses

Balanghai Kanlunes in Bucas Grande Island

One can explore Sohoton Cove in Bucas Grande Island as a day trip from Siargao. Since we intended to stay a night in Bucas Grande, we passed up on the 4500-peso day trip. Instead, we took the passenger boat from Dapa in Siargao at 8AM to Socorro in Bucas Grande. The 1.5-hour boat ride to Socorro costs Php100.

We already had a contact in Bucas Grande who would pick us up at Socorro. Otherwise, we could have just looked for a pumpboat in Socorro that could take us to Sohoton. From Socorro, the father and son team whom we hired to take us to Sohoton Cove first took us to Balanghai Kanlunes where we would be staying in an open cabana for a night.

Son and father / Juvil and Max

There are about ten open cabanas for rent (Php1000 a night) at Balanghai Kanlunes. Each cabana has a mattress, pillows, blanket, mosquito net, and tarp (in case of rain). There are also air-conditioned cottages for Php2500 per.

The cabanas

Two toilets and showers are shared by ten cabanas. When the toilets/showers in the cottages are in use, the water at the common toilets/showers stops flowing. Our skin would glitter with salt before we get the chance to take a shower.

If you do not bring food, then the only option is to eat at Balanghai Kanlunes's own restaurant. The food there would cost an arm and a leg: our lunch of two kilos of fish (which looked like it was only a kilo) and rice for three persons cost us Php900. Drinking water though is free.

Wanna wake up to this?

On the upside, the best part about staying at Balanghai Kanlunes is getting lulled to sleep by the crashing waves, having everlasting aircon(tinuous) in the cabana, and then waking up with a view.

So we got robbed by two kilos of fish, grew salt glitters on our skin, and snoozed in the cabana. What else happened to us at Balanghai Kanlunes? We saw the clear blue sea and the islands from the window of an empty wooden cottage on a hill on one side of Balanghai.

We appreciated the calm and quiet of a smaller beach on the west side.

And took a photo of the cottages of Club Tara Resort. Guests of Balanghai Kanlunes can go sight-see at Club Tara Resort for free (non-Balanghai-guests have to pay an entrance fee of Php20). A pathway behind Balanghai leads to Club Tara. We did not take this path, instead dropped by during our boat tour.

Cottages at Club Tara Resort

Balanghai Kanlunes

Fredie Rosillo 0935 418 3244 / 0946 696 3120
* Boat transfers/tour was also arranged by Mr Rosillo


Three Days in Siargao:
In and Around Siargao Island
La Isla Siargao Bar and Grill
Magpupungko Then and Now
Three Little Islands

Skales Greek Restaurant

Siargao's Neighbor, Bucas Grande:
Balanghai Kanlunes in Bucas Grande Island (you're here!)
Lagoon, Lake, and Caves

Siargao and Bucas Grande: Itinerary and Expenses

Skales Greek Restaurant

Here's another place we tried in Siargao: Skales Greek Restaurant, a hundred or so meters from Happy Gecko Backpacker's Hostel. Quiet and deserted, it did not deter me from dragging along my friends. I have only tried Greek food once, years ago, and I wanted to reacquaint myself with such cuisine.

 

From the road, only the restaurant's sign that is nailed to the nipa roof of a waiting-shed-kinda-structure can be seen. We had to go up a flight of concrete steps to go to the small open-air dining area with white tables and blue chairs.

Breakfast at Skales Greek Restaurant ranges from Php 45 to Php 130; salads Php95-190; appetizers Php70-150; soups Php85; main dishes Php110-210; desserts Php50-85; and drinks Php35-65. They also have Filipino dishes for Php115-210.

These are what we ordered:

Left to right: Kotopoulo me gemisto, Politiko psari santo forno, chicken tandoori rolled in pita bread

Kotopoulo me gemisto is, according to the menu, "Greek style chicken in red sauce." It is served with rice, potato, or pita bread. After one bite, my friend said, "I could have made this myself."

Politiko psari santo forno is "Greek style baked fish with rice or potato." I would have loved this dish if it wasn't too salty.

Chicken tandoori rolled in pita bread. This one was nothing special. It was just like chicken in pita bread. Like chicken shawarma. Haha :-)

Now I wonder what they mean by "Greek style." Is it blah or salty?


How Skales made us money-less:
Kotopoulo me gemisto Php200
Politiko psari sto. forno Php160
Chicken tandori rolled in pita bread Php150



Three Days in Siargao:
In and Around Siargao Island
La Isla Siargao Bar and Grill
Magpupungko Then and Now
Three Little Islands
Skales Greek Restaurant (you're here)

Siargao's Neighbor, Bucas Grande:

Balanghai Kanlunes in Bucas Grande Island

Lagoon, Lake, and Caves

Siargao and Bucas Grande: Itinerary and Expenses

Three Little Islands

Siargao Island is not all surfing and reef breaks. Sandy beaches can be had too. Get away from Cloud 9 and find the beach in General Luna town proper. It is clean and inviting. This is also where pumpboats can be hired to go to the three nearby islands. The rate is Php500 for each island. Pumpboats can carry up to 15 people.

The beach in GL town proper

The three little islands off the southern coast of Siargao island are...

Naked Island

Don't be too hasty in tearing off your clothes as you near Naked Island...the island is naked, not the people. Naked in that it has no trees, no cottages, just a big mound of white sand. You will get scorched here. And fast.

Daku Island

Daku is Visayan for big. From the name itself, you can guess it's the biggest island of the three. You can bring along food to be grilled and cooked. People here are enterprising. They can cook for you for Php200. They can also let you borrow plates and utensils. And will even offer to get coconuts for Php20 apiece.

Open cottages for day use can be rented for Php200. There are also cottages for overnight stay (forgot to ask how much). Bring a volleyball, they have a net set up ready for a game.

If you can't live without surfing, take your board with you. There's a surf spot near Daku Island (just ask the boatman to bring you there on the way to Guyam Island).

Guyam Island

One side is all sand, the other side all rocks. And in the middle are a bunch of trees. A ten-peso entrance fee per person is collected here. Even if you just dock and don't step on the island.

The clear waters of Siargao

From Siargao, you can also hire a pumpboat to take you on a day trip to Sohoton Cove in the island next door, Bucas Grande Island. Take heed, the water gets very choppy from Siargao to Bucas Grande.

 

Click to enlarge

Three Days in Siargao:
In and Around Siargao Island
La Isla Siargao Bar and Grill
Magpupungko Then and Now
Three Little Islands (you're here)
Skales Greek Restaurant

Siargao's Neighbor, Bucas Grande:

Balanghai Kanlunes in Bucas Grande Island

Lagoon, Lake, and Caves

Siargao and Bucas Grande: Itinerary and Expenses

Magpupungko Then and Now

In 2006, we had to pick our way through those bushes (Photo by S. Yeo)

Magpupungko seven years ago: I clearly remember arriving in a place surrounded by wild grass, bushes and trees. We picked our way through the bushes and arrived at a rocky beach. The tide was out, just the way we wanted. We were free to roam and find our way to the swimming hole. No entrance fees. No directional signs. No man–made structures.

When we arrived at the pools, there were a handful of locals enjoying the natural pool. The pools were calling. And I heeded its call. But not before shamelessly putting on the arm floaters for kids that we had snatched from my friend's house (it was his nephew's floaters). Call me a sissy. But I was a sissy who was happily and lazily floating, while the others were treading water.

I remember seeing a sea snake and, in fright, hastily scrambled up the sharp rocky edge, scratching my knees in the process. It was either get skinned or get bitten. I picked the former.

Magpupungko now: A fence has been erected and bushes have been cleared. A booth, where a man collects an entrance fee of Php50 from every person who wants to go to the beach and the pools, stands guard at the gate. A concrete stairway off to the side has been built to give visitors easy access to the natural pools.

2013. Cottages, fences, and a collection/tourist assistance booth have replaced the bushes.

But the natural pools remain as I remember them years ago... beautiful, clean, clear. This time I ditched the arm floaters and brought a snorkel and mask which I found has given me confidence to swim in deep waters... just cause I can breathe. I wasn't born a fish. And, yes, sea snakes are still around, but now I have the courage to just stare at them from a few feet away and not scramble away in fright.

The swimming holes!

How did we get to Magpupungko?

The ride to Magpupungko is usually by habalhabal, and the lowest price you can get is Php700 for two passengers.

We were lucky we met Agnes, the owner of La Isla Siargao Bar and Grill, on the first night. During the course of our conversation, we mentioned we wanted to go to Magpupungko the following day and wanted to know where to rent a van or some motorcycles and around what time the tide would go out. (The rock pools, of course, only appear when it's low tide.) She offered to take us there using their van for only Php1500. We were seven and a van would be perfect. What a deal!

The road to Magpupungko when passing on the east straight to the municipality of Pilar is mostly loose soil, or mud during wet days. Though it is the shortest way to Magpupungko from General Luna, it was slow going because of deep muddy roads. Thankfully, Mike, the husband of Agnes, expertly maneuvered through it. We circled on the way back, taking the mostly concrete roads of the towns of San Isidro, Del Carmen, and Dapa.

Magpupungko

Oh, if you're wondering why it's called Magpupungko, it's because of that huge rock that has been sitting on a smaller one for years. Pungko is Visayan for sit.

Three Days in Siargao:
In and Around Siargao Island
La Isla Siargao Bar and Grill
Magpupungko Then and Now (you're here!)
Three Little Islands
Skales Greek Restaurant

Siargao's Neighbor, Bucas Grande:

Balanghai Kanlunes in Bucas Grande Island

Lagoon, Lake, and Caves

Siargao and Bucas Grande: Itinerary and Expenses

La Isla Siargao Bar and Grill

The Ice Cream Man

The first afternoon in Siargao was spent eating cones of rocky road strawberry ice cream (strawberry ice cream peddled on the rocky road of General Luna), going on a joyride with the ice cream guy (he let us hitch a ride to Cloud 9, thanks Mr Ice Cream Man), and trying to surf (Php500/hour for board and instructor). After all these activities, we headed home to Traveler's Pension House and Beach Resort to shower and have dinner. The pension house had no restaurant. Too hungry to look for a place to eat, we stepped into the first restaurant we saw. The restaurant nearest to the pension house happened to be La Isla Siargao Bar and Grill.

La Isla Siargao Bar and Grill
Catangnan, General Luna, Siargao, Surigao del Norte
0947 244 6460 / 0947 245 7063
Daily 11AM - 1AM

We stepped into La Isla with bare feet. Slippers and sandals were parked on the wooden steps of the elevated restaurant, we followed suit, of course.

It was a nice, laid back restaurant with wooden floors, a bar at the center, some tables and chairs on the side, and a low table in the right corner where guests can sit on the floor and stretch out their legs.

The menu lists a bunch of seafood dishes for less than Php150 each. Being so used to stingy portions in Cebu, especially of seafood, I had to ask the server how many shrimps were in the spicy garlic and pepper shrimps. I was skeptical when the server said it would contain more than eight pieces of shrimp. Less than eight or more than eight shrimps, the name sounded so good. Spicy garlic and pepper shrimps it is. Friends chose the deep fried seafood and sweet and sour shrimps. Each of our dishes comes with rice.

I was delighted when the plate was set in front of me. It did look like it had more than eight shrimps. In my disbelief I had to count them. Indeed, it was more than eight...fifteen to be exact. On top of the generous serving size, it was fresh, cooked just right, and tasty. My friends liked their food, too. The three of us agreed that, of the three dishes, the sweet and sour shrimps was tops. On top of that, a plateful of watermelon slices arrived on our table. Courtesy of the owner, Agnes. How generous!

Left to right: spicy garlic and pepper shrimps, deep fried seafood, and sweet and sour shrimps

On the second night, it was La Isla again. Seafood for less than Php150, I just couldn't resist. This time I had the spicy fish with orange zest and travel buddy had the kinilaw. The orange did give it a twist. And the kinilaw? I don't really eat kinilaw, but, hey, this was really good. It did not feel nor taste raw.

Spicy fish with orange zest (left) and kinilaw (right)

We usually don't go to the same restaurant twice because we want to try as many different places during a trip, but this was definitely worth going back for.

How two La Isla dinners bore a hole through Mustachio's and his friends' pockets:
Spicy garlic and pepper shrimps Php130
Sweet and sour shrimps Php130
Deep fried seafood Php120
Spicy fish with orange zest Php120
Kinilaw Php120


Three Days in Siargao:
In and Around Siargao Island
La Isla Siargao Bar and Grill (you're here!)
Magpupungko Then and Now
Three Little Islands
Skales Greek Restaurant

Siargao's Neighbor, Bucas Grande:

Balanghai Kanlunes in Bucas Grande Island

Lagoon, Lake, and Caves

Siargao and Bucas Grande: Itinerary and Expenses

In and Around Siargao Island

The Island

You probably know that Siargao Island is the "Surfing Capital of the Philippines" and you probably want to ride its waves. If you're not a surfer or a surfer-wannabe, you probably just want to laze around in this laid back little Southern Philippine island. Or see its neighboring islands/islets and its white sand beaches. Or swim in Magpupungko, that natural rock pool in the town of Pilar. Or maybe you're just bored and have nothing else to read but this little blog. Whatever the case may be, I will point you to Siargao.

Getting In and Out

 

Siargao Airport (left, photo by D. Ogabang) and Dapa Port (right, photo by C. Alvarez)

Siargao Island can be reached by flying or by floating. You don't have to do the flying or the floating yourself, of course. By air, Cebu Pacific flies direct to Siargao from Cebu. (It is the only airline that flies to Siargao as of the moment.) The airport is in the municipality of Del Carmen, about 30 kilometers from General Luna, where the surfing action is. By sea, you can get yourself to Dapa Port in Siargao Island by taking the fastcraft or roro (Php170-250) from Surigao City. Or, if you're coming from Socorro in Bucas Grande Island, by a 1.5-hour pumpboat ride (Php100). Dapa Port is about 15 kilometers from General Luna.

Habalhabal (photo by C. Alvarez)

Going to Where the Surfing Action is: Cloud 9, General Luna

From the airport, you have three options:

• van Php 300
• habalhabal (motorcycle) Php 100
• tricycle Php 100

From the port, you have two options:

• habalhabal (motorcycle) Php 50
• tricycle Php 50 (Php 35 if up to GL town proper only)

Going Around

Transportation around the island is limited to tricycles and motorcycles. (I saw a few jeepneys at Dapa Port but their route was, I am sure, not General Luna.) Tricycle routes are from town to town and there aren't many that go beyond the town proper's limits. It is easier to go around by motorcycle. The fare from the town proper of General Luna to Cloud 9 is Php20. And the fare around the Cloud 9 area is Php10.

Staying In

There are many inns and resorts, concentrated mostly in General Luna (both town proper and Cloud 9 area). We stayed in Traveler's Pension House and Beach Resort (located between the town proper and Cloud 9) the first night. Then by a majority vote, moved to Happy Gecko Backpacker's Hostel which was just a one-minute walk to Cloud 9.

Traveler's Pension House and Beach Resort

Tacbu, General Luna, Siargao (about 2.5km from Cloud 9)

Mila 0928 520 1205

 Photo by C. Alvarez

Pros

• If you're in Siargao looking for a place with a sandy beachfront then it's Traveler's for you.
• Rooms are affordable. We got the AC room for 6 persons for Php1800. The owner didn't charge us for the extra person.
• It's just a few steps from La Isla Grill Siargao Bar and Grill, which serves surprisingly affordable good food.

Cons

• If you're in Siargao for surfing, the action is at Cloud 9, 2.5 kilometers from Traveler's.
• The room has its own bathroom, but the door to it didn't have a lock.
• The bathroom looked like it needed a good scrubbing.
• Bed sheets looked like it needed washing—thrice.
• The room was dirty. We had to borrow a broom to sweep away all the sand and trash hiding under the beds.

The beach

Happy Gecko Backpacker's Hostel

Cloud 9, General Luna, Siargao

Browny 0999 188 9584 / Mel 0947 881 7328

Pros

• It's just Php250 a night.
• The rooms have its own toilet and bath.
• Each bed has its own locker.
• Right beside the hostel is a small eatery which rents out surfboards (Php200/hour or Php500/day), too.
• The hostel has a small kitchen if you want to cook your own meals.
• Cloud 9 is just a minute away by foot.

Cons

• Rooms are dorm-type. If you're not comfortable sharing a room with strangers then this is not the place for you.
• The lockers have no locks... you have to provide your own.
• No air-conditioner but an electric fan is provided. This is okay if your bed is by the window. If your bed's in a corner with no windows, it's going to be very warm, even with the fan on (unless the fan is facing you).

 

Cloud 9 Boardwalk

Three Days in Siargao:
In and Around Siargao Island (you're here)
La Isla Siargao Bar and Grill
Magpupungko Then and Now
Three Little Islands
Skales Greek Restaurant

Siargao's Neighbor, Bucas Grande:
Balanghai Kanlunes in Bucas Grande Island
Lagoon, Lake, and Caves

Siargao and Bucas Grande: Itinerary and Expenses