Siquijor Island Adventure Tours: Philippines Travel Diary
Travel Diary for Day 9-11:
After our two-day (Day 7-8) adventure with the whale sharks in Southern Cebu, and our encounter with the turtles and the sandbar in the province of Negros, we continued our adventure (Day 9-10) to Siquijor Island, located in the Central Visayas region of the Philippines. On the next day (Day 11) we moved forward from Siquijor back to Dumaguete, and across the Island towards Bacolod, the capital city of Negros.
Day 9: How do we Explore the Tourist Spots in Siquijor Island?
1 March:
We started our day (Day 9) at 7:30 in the morning by traveling from Dumaguete Port to Siquijor Port. Situated approximately 30 kilometers away from Negros Island, we went from Negros Island to Siquijor by ferry during this trip.
We were warmly welcomed by our local driver, who showed us around Siquijor Island. This trip was pre-arranged by our local friends in the Philippines.
As the “mystic island of Central Visayas”, Siquijor is not only known for witchcraft and arts of unusual healing, but also an island of remarkable beauty. It is a perfect adventure spot for travelers looking to relax and reconnect with nature and the Local Culture.
The fish spa was the first stop of our Siquijor trip. Next, we went to see the St. Isidore Church and Convent, Asia’s biggest convent, then got a refreshing swim in the cool waters of Cambughay Waterfall, a three-tiered waterfall- which are both located in the town of Lazi, Central Visayas.
We moved towards St. Francis de Assisi Church, our last itinerary before leaving Siquijor Town. The church was built by the Spanish in the 17th century, and is believed to be one of oldest churches in the Philippines.
Knowing the top places to visit in Siquijor will surely make every traveler’s adventure to the island fun and memorable.
Are you planning to visit Siquijor soon? Be guided with our ultimate travel guide to the Philippine mystical island.
After the tour, we checked into the family-run Buco Beach Resort located in the municipality of Maria, Siquijor. The Belgian owner Rudy is a great guy who always has fun stories to tell. With its few bungalows, the resort is located directly by the shore and is a definite recommendation for budget travelers and backpackers.
It’s more fun to travel when you follow the best travel safety tips when traveling to the Philippines for smooth and safe adventures.
Google My Maps Siquijor Island Travel Adventures: Day 9-10
If planning a trip to Siquijor Island, check out the Google My Maps below to experience activities and adventures, and get to know different routes and directions, accommodations to stay, attractions to visit, and restaurants to dine in. Visit Siquijor Island Google My Map to learn more about our Philippines Travel routes and adventures.
What are the Best Accommodations in Siquijor Island?
Despite being a small island, Siquijor does not fall short in providing tourists with an amazing experience. No matter what budget or preferences you may have, Siquijor has one for you.
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How to find the best Backpacker hostels on Siquijor Island?
Finding affordable accommodation in Siquijor is easier now. The influx of tourists visiting the island, in the past years, has improved the island’s local tourism sector.
Backpacker hostels on Siquijor island are mostly located by the beach. For as low as PHP 450 to USD 9 per night, you can find a decent place to stay and wake up to the sound of the waves and the beautiful view of the ocean.
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What is the average cost of budget hotels in Siquijor Island?
It is a pleasant surprise to find out that budget hotels in Siquijor island don’t give tourists a ‘budget’ feeling at all. A hotel room with a private bathroom can cost around PHP 700 or USD 14 a day.
Aside from the incredibly affordable rates, budget hotels often come with free breakfast and sometimes free access to the swimming pool.
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What is the average cost of luxurious hotels on Siquijor Island?
If you have a modest budget for accommodation, go for one of the luxurious hotels on Siquijor island. At around PHP 6,500 or USD 130 per night, you can enjoy a heavenly stay in luxury 4-star and 5-star hotels and resorts on the island.
At this price, you get a beautiful room with complete features, a majestic view to sleep and wake up to, a buffet breakfast, and usually access to the beach and scuba diving and snorkeling.
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What are the accommodations of Airbnb in Siquijor Island?
If you want a reasonably-priced beachfront house for an extended stay, look at the listing for Airbnb in Siquijor island. You’ll find entire houses, cabins, and apartments, with beachfront views.
These properties are also fully furnished and complete with kitchen, dining, laundry, and bathroom facilities. Owners or caretakers are usually there to help out and can provide cleaning services if you need them.
Where is the Best Resto Bar in Siquijor Island?
We decided to have pizza for dinner and went to Dagsa, a great resto bar decorated in bamboo-style. The pizza was made in a wood-fired oven and had its own very unique style. The atmosphere was great, with a reggae band playing live music. Tipping in the restaurants in the Philippines is increasingly common especially when they provide a good service.
Visit some of the best places to eat on Siquijor Island for more food options.
On our way to the restaurant, Zak had to do a dangerous maneuver on his XRM and drove into an approaching tricycle to avoid hitting a dog and save both of their lives.
Day 10: How do we Explore Siquijor Island by Renting a Motorbike?
2 March:
For this day (Day 10), we got up early to watch the sunrise on the beachfront. But clouds covered the horizon, and therefore made the sunrise view experience less impressive. After that, we enjoyed a good breakfast and excellent service at the resort. We met Niko, who was a local in the Philippines but now lives in London with his girlfriend. The couple were looking to buy some land to put up a yoga/spa resort in the area.
We all drove on our rented motorbikes and XRMs up to the butterfly farm in Siquijor. It is located in Luyang-Poo-Lazi Road, Larena Central Visayas. The Butterfarm Sanctuary is near Cang-apa village, the highest point of Siquijor island.The butterflies were exotic and stunning.
After enjoying a close and personal encounter with the butterflies in this small but beautiful sanctuary, we made our way back to Buco Beach Resort and packed up our luggage. We returned our bikes to the harbor of Siquijor and planned to take the next ferry back to Dumaguete.
After returning the bikes, the locals informed us that the ferry had already left the Siquijor Port. So we had to change our plan of leaving the island. Fortunately, a tricycle driver told us about a speed ferry that was scheduled to leave from Larena port at that time. We rode a tricycle (motorbike with an attached sidecar) towards Larena Port. It is approximately a 10-kilometer or 45-minute ride.
Upon reaching Larena Port, we were informed that we missed the fast craft boat that had left half an hour earlier. Just a similar story in a different city. So, we had no choice but to spend another night in Siquijor.
Siquijor Island is made more beautiful with its warm and friendly local people. There are many travel options to get around Siquijor Island, such as renting a multi-cab, a van, or a motorbike. But, touring the mystical Island of Siquijor by a motorbike is the most flexible option.
What are the Top Things to do in Siquijor?
Tourists keep on coming back to Siquijor not only because of its white sandy beaches and crystal clear waters. There is also a diverse range of activities, locations to see, food to try, and things to do while on the island. Here are some of them:
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The Butterfly Sanctuary is a small eco-tourism spot in Cabilao Village, Larena Siquijor. It is just around a 40-minute drive from San Juan, the town of Siquijor. The sanctuary is home to approximately 25 species of butterflies, which makes it a popular destination for educational tours, for local and foreign visits. The journey getting there is spectacular because of the stunning view of the island and the ocean from a higher ground.
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The 400-year old Balete tree, which can be found in the barangay of Campalanas in Lazi, is Siquijor's oldest and largest tree. The natural spring flowing just beneath it, adds to the mystical atmosphere of the place.
If you want a quick foot spa, just dip your feet into the water, and experience the pleasure of having your tired feet be nibbled around by fish doctors. This popular tourist attraction is free and open to the public; however, visitors are requested to donate to help maintain the facility.
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Kanheron Ranch brings you to an old western movie, where you can see an ancient frontier with buck heads on the walls, cow skin couches, log vaulted cabin ceilings, and an authentic collection of 1800s appliances.
Guests are requested to pay a P100 or USD 2 entrance fee to roam around and take pictures of cowboy hats, boots, and belt buckles that are displayed all over the place.
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Paliton Beach lies approximately 4 kilometers away from San Juan, Siquijor. Local people call it “Mini Boracay” because of its white fine sand, pristine waters, and tall coconut trees around. Although it is not ideal for swimming due to lots of sea urchins inhabiting it, this is a must-visit destination because of its view of the beautiful sunset.
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If you are looking for an ideal swimming and cliff diving spot, Salagdoong Beach is the perfect place to be! Salagdoong Beach is a pretty rocky beach that is a short distance from the town of Maria, Eastern part of Siquijor Island.
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A tour to the magical island of Siquijor would be incomplete without stopping at one of the island's centuries-old Catholic churches. These churches reveal the religious pursuit of Siquijornons to their town's patron saint. The Church of St. Francis of Assisi, Lazi Church, Convent, and Sta. Maria Church is the most important Catholic relic on the island.
Day 11: How do we get from Siquijor to Dumaguete by Ferry?
3 March:
It was a new day (Day 11) for adventure and fun. We left early for the Port of Larena in Siquijor in Central Visayas to go back to Dumaguete. At last, we caught the Oceanjet speed ferry in the early morning, and took an approximately 50-minute ferry ride to reach Dumaguete on Negros. Fortunately, the trip was smooth and we did not have any problems this time. Aside from Oceanjet, there are also other ferry options to choose from based on your preference.
Upon arrival in Dumaguete, we immediately looked for a good place to have breakfast in the city proper. By chance, we found Le Chalet, a Swiss Restaurant that is conveniently located on Rizal Boulevard, Dumaguete City. We were served with Swiss “Zmorge,” a breakfast with Rösti, bacon, ham, and fried eggs.
It was a great breakfast in a wonderful restaurant. This restaurant also serves Swiss chocolate, Emmi cheese, and Swiss Thomy mustard (all original Swiss products).
Google My Maps from Dumaguete to Bacolod Travel Adventures: Day 11
If planning a trip from Dumaguete to Bacolod, check out the Google My Maps below to experience activities and adventures, and get to know different routes and directions, accommodations to stay, and restaurants to dine in. Visit from Dumaguete to Bacolod travel Google My Map to learn more about our Philippines Travel routes and adventures.
How do we get from Dumaguete to Bacolod by Bus?
We made our way to our last accommodation in Dumaguete, and picked up the equipment that we left behind before leaving for Bacolod, located in the Northwestern part of Negros Occidental Province, Western Visayas region.
We stayed at Harold's Mansion, a budget friendly hostel in Hibbard Avenue, Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental. The rooms were okay for the price, but the services needed some improvements.
We took the local provincial Ceres bus from Dumaguete Ceres Bus Terminal to Bacolod City South Terminal in the Negros Occidental province. Dumaguete is approximately 220 kilometers away from Bacolod, so the travel time is expected to be around 5 hours by provincial bus across the Island of Negros.
When we arrived in Bacolod, in the Northwest part of Negros, we checked into the Royal Am Rei Hotel, located in Bacolod Downtown. We had dinner at a restaurant called Nenas Rose, which offers typical Filipino food. We had Inasal chicken, a Filipino way of preparing chicken using a special type of marinade. This type of food originates in Bacolod but can be found anywhere in the Philippines. Of course, we had to try Inasal in the place it originated from.
It is the best place to eat in Siquijor Island.The food was incredible and world-class, and the experience was great. You should not miss out on the barbequed pork – world-class! The experience was great, especially with the friendly and approachable locals that we met.
Did you know Filipino cuisine varies from region to region? Discover the best Filipino food in the Philippines and their diverse taste of flavors.
Google My Maps Philippines Travel Diary: Day 1 to Day 51
Check out the Google Maps below, to have an overview of the entire 51 days of Philippines travel adventure including exciting attractions and activities we did, destinations we explored, and travel directions in the Philippines.
Philippines Tour Adventures from Day 1 to Day 51
Adventures and fun times are unlimited when you visit the Philippines. Our encounters with the country’s attractive scenery and people were unforgettable. Here is a complete overview of the Philippines Travel Diary experience for our 51 Days trip to the different destinations in the Philippines in 2017:
Day 1-2: Manila Adventure Tours
Day 3-4: Bantayan Island Adventure Tours
Day 5-6: Cebu City & South Cebu Adventure Tours
Day 7-8: Southern Visayas Island of Negros Adventure Tours
Day 9-11: Siquijor Island Adventure Tours
Day 12-14: Guimaras Island Adventure Tours
Day 15-17: Gigantes Island Adventure Tours
Day 18-20: Philippine Visa Extension & Food Tours in Metro Manila
Day 21-23: Puerto Princesa Adventure Tours
Day 24-25: El Nido Adventure Tours
Day 26-27: El Nido Motorbike Adventure & Puerto Princesa Island Hopping Tour
Day 28-29: Baguio City Adventure Tours
Day 30-31: Sagada Adventure Tours
Day 32-33: Buscalan, Kalinga Adventure Tours
Day 34: Banaue, Batad Rice Terraces Adventure Tours
Day 35-36: Pangasinan Adventure Tours
Day 37-38: Hundred Islands National Park Adventure Tours
Day 42-47: Metro Manila Adventure Tours
Day 40-41: Leyte Eastern Visayas Adventure Tours
Day 48- 50: The Bamboo Paraiso Beach Resort & Hundred Islands Adventures
Day 51: Best Tour in Pangasinan & Back to Manila
Why do we Create the Philippines Travel Guide?
Zak and Dani created the Philippines Travel Guide while on 51 days Philippines travel adventure in 2017. Focused on the idea to explore travel routes and documenting location information by using the Google Maps application in the Philippines.
We created a detailed Philippines travel diary each day about our Philippines eco-adventure traveling experiences, including the production of pictures and videos of our trip through the Philippine archipelago.
Philippines Travel Guide is passionate about helping other self-minded adventure travel lovers, to make the best out of the trip to the Philippines by providing real information that passionate travelers and enthusiasts need to know about the archipelago.
Philippines Travel Guide is an ongoing process to work out public shared and detailed Google MyMaps of the entire Philippines to provide easy navigation for travelers.
This website also contains a collection of interesting authentic insights and travel tips and tricks and destinations in the Philippines.
SUMMARY: Adventure Tours in Siquijor Island & Bacolod
Bacolod has become a top tourist destination in Visayas because of its unique festivals, famous Chicken Inasal and landmarks.
In this four-day adventure, we were able to visit Asia's biggest convent, enchanting butterfly sanctuary, and oldest church in Siquijor by a motorbike. From Siquijor Island, we headed to Bacolod, where we met fun-loving people and tasted the famous Bacolod’s Inasal.
Siquijor Island offers a perfect mix of culture, history and urban life that keep visitors wanting to come back for more. Are you getting to Siquijor soon?
For the next 3 days in the Philippines adventure diary (Day 12-14), we went to the best adventure tours in Guimaras Island.
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