Siquijor is the 3rd smallest island province in the Philippines. Commonly known to be associated with witchcraft and sorcery, tourists would normally have second thoughts visiting this wonderful place. But with the rise of social media and commendable effort of the Tourism Industry, Siquijor is now known for its awesome beaches and pristine waterfalls aside from it rich historical background.
Our 2017 Siquijor Travel Experience:
Since we were home for the holy week our point of origin was Bantayan Island. And after spending some time in our home town we took the 1st trip of the roro vessel that would take us back to Cebu City. Upon arrival, we headed directly to Cebu South Bus Terminal and were able to catch a bus directly bound for Dumaguete via Bato (Port) – Tampi (Port) route.
Arriving in Dumaguete City at around past 5PM, we hurried to the Port hoping to still be able to catch a trip to Siquijor. Unfortunately the next trip for Siquijor was already scheduled on the next day so we had to stay for a night in Dumaguete.
On the next day we were not able to catch the earliest trip bound for Siquijor, Siquijor so we opted to take the next earliest trip of the Fast Craft Vessel bound for Larena, Siquijor scheduled at 9:40AM.
At Larena Port, there are already plenty of tricycle drivers welcoming the passengers and offering their tour packages. Day Tour packages in Siquijor are already standardized so there is no need for you to haggle with the driver/guide for the price. Since we were only four in a group we availed of the tricycle tour for php 1000. The tricycle can actually accommodate a maximum of six persons.
Places we visited:
Lazi Church
San Isidro Labrador Parish Church commonly known as Lazi Church was built out of sea stones and woods in 1884. It was declared as a National Historical Landmark by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines in 1984 and was also declared as a National Cultural Treasure in 2012 by the National Museum.
Salagdoong Beach
As explained by our guide, Salagdoong Beach got its name from the two word salag meaning nest, and doong, a specific kind of bird that frequented the place. The beach is located in Maria, Siquijor and is famous for its two cliff diving spots.
Cambugahay Falls
A three-level waterfall with light green waters, Cambugahay Falls in Lazi is also one of the famous tourist attractions in Siquijor.
Enchanted Balete Tree
Located just along the Circumferential Road in Lazi, Siquijor, this balete tree is believed to be more than 400 years old. It is famous not only for its age and size but also for the cold spring streaming into a pond on its base where people can enjoy an instant fish spa by just dipping their feet in the water for a fee of php10.
Capilay Spring
Capilay Spring is a public spring park located in San Juan, Siquijor. Located just along the road and just across San Juan’s Municipal Hall, this park is frequented by locals because of its clear and refreshing natural spring water.
Cang-isok House
Located along the shore just a few meters away from the Circumferential Road in Brgy. Libo, Enrique, Siquijor, Cang-isok House is considered by the locals to be the oldest surviving house in the province believed to have been built in the mid 1800.
Siquijor Mangroves
I am not sure the exact location of this area in Siquijor but after we passed by Cang-isok house we saw these two cute mangrove trees so we requested our guide to stop for a while for us to take pictures.
Expenses:
FARE:
Tricycle in Dumaguete – php 8/head/destination
Oceanjet Fast Craft (Dumaguete-Larena/Siquijor-Dumaguete) – php 230×2= php460
Terminal Fee (Dumaguete-Larena/Siquijor-Dumaguete) – php 15×2= php30
TOUR:
Tricycle Tour – php 1000/4= php250/head
Entrance Fees:
Salagdoong Beach – php 25/head
Cambugahay Falls – php 10/head
Enchanted Balete Tree Fish Spa – php 10/head
Parking Fees:
Salagdoong Beach – php 25
Cambugahay Falls – php 20
Guide Fee:
Cambugahay Falls – php 100 (depends on the group how much you will give)
Siquijor definitely have so much to offer and a day tour is just not enough to experience the wonder of this island. But since we were still going to have a Dumaguete City tour on the next day, we traveled back to Dumaguete right after our day tour.
Wandering Lav 