Summer it is! And for an island girl like me, it is always great to be in the island.
Thus for me and my friends out of town this year, we chose to go to Siargao Island.
Before I will detailed all our experiences, let us first know what and where is Siargao Island.
Siargao is a tear-drop shaped island in the Philippine Sea situated 800 kilometers southeast of Manila in the province of Surigao del Norte. It has a land area of approximately 437 square kilometres (169 sq mi). The east coast is relatively straight with one deep inlet, Port Pilar. The coastline is marked by a succession of reefs, small points and white, sandy beaches. The neighboring islands and islets have similar landforms.
The island is composed of municipalities of Burgos, Dapa, Del Carmen, General Luna, San Benito, Pilar, San Isidro, Santa Monica and Socorro.[according to Wikipedia]
HOW TO GET THERE
There is a daily flight to Siargao Airport from Cebu and Manila. It is a little bit more expensive than going through Surigao City but it will definitely eliminate the hassle and the long travel time.
If going to Siargao directly through air is out of budget, then you may take a flight to Surigao City.
And if you were not able to purchase a cheaper ticket, then buy a ticket for Cokaliong Shipping Lines. They have a daily trip from Cebu that leaves at 7PM in Pier 1 and arrives at approximately 5-6AM the next day. Though it is a long ride but you can still have a good sleep in the ship and stock some energy.
Us in Cokaliong Shipping Line ⛴
Upon arriving in Surigao City, proceed then to the port going to Dapa.
The tricycle that we hailed to take us from the Pier to the Port going to Dapa (yeah! It fits us 8!)
SCHEDULE OF FERRY FROM SURIGAO TO SIARGAO
- 5:30 AM via M/V Dapa Express 2 and arrives at 8:00 AM
- 6:00AM via M/V LQP Ferry and arrives at 8:00AM
- 11:00AM via M/V Dapa Express 1 and arrives at 1:00PM
- 12:00NN via Montenegro RORO and arrives at 2:30PM
SCHEDULE OF FERRY FROM SIARGAO TO SURIGAO
- 5:30AM via M/V Dapa Express 1 and arrives at 8:00AM
- 5:45AM via M/V Fortune Angel 2 and arrives at 8:00AM
- 6:00AM via Montenegro RORO and arrives at 10:00AM
- 10:30AM via M/V LQP and arrives at 1:30PM
If you arrive beyond this schedule, better charter a boat and negotiate for a good price.
In our case, we were able to arrive at the port at 6AM. Though the ferry did not depart yet but it was fullybooked. They told us that the next trip is at 10AM and will arrive at 1PM.
Having to wait for almost 4 hours is a big no-no for us because aside from the fact that the van we hired is waiting for us, it will also mean that the time we will spend touring the island will be wasted in waiting for the next trip.
Then a guy approached us and offer a deal to charter a boat. We negotiated with the boatman and came to a deal of Php4000 for the whole boat. The rate of a ferry is Php 300 each. Chartering a boat with this rate will cost us big time since we were just 8. Fortunately, there are other guests that arrived and we told them about it. When they agreed, we then informed the boatman. He was even hesitant with the rate and so our friend negotiated. Until he agreed! So the main point is never hesitate to negotiate. 😃
Then we proceeded to another port where his boat is docked. And we were expecting it to be big like the one used in island hopping here in Cebu. Though it is big enough for all of us (11passengers and 2boatmen).
The boat that we chartered! Just enough! 🙈
And the sailing started! 🛥⛴⛵️
After 3 hours, we then arrived at Dapa Port. We were met by Kuya Ayek (he is our driver for the land tour).
These were our activities during the 3-day vacation. And oh! Before I forgot.. You might be wondering why I titled this with Hugotero sa Siargao. It is because throughout the trip, we were exchanging hugots especially Jack. 😁
Day 1: Magpupungko Pool + Tayangban Cave + Cloud 9/Boardwalk