Siquijor is the cutest little island and was my favorite part of our Philippines trip. The island is home to some pretty excellent dive sites (including underwater caves), hikes to swimming holes, cascading waterfalls and the best Halo Halo we found in the Philippines :).
We adored everyone we met in Siquijor - truly a special place that stole our hearts.
Siquijor Highlights:
- Rent Scooters -
Scooters are the best way to get around the island and they’re dirt cheap (~$6 USD/day)! You can travel the entire island in about 2 hours without stopping but give yourself 2 days to see all the attractions at a leisurely pace. The island is easy to navigate, just make sure you have some form of map with the stops you want to hit marked off and you’ll be good to go. There are plenty of gas stations if you need to fill up (pictured right :)) and locals were super helpful with directions, etc.
- Swim in Cambugahay Falls -
This place is an all natural water park complete with rope swings, rock slides and wooden rafts - plus you can swim underneath the waterfalls into caves. It gets very crowded here so go early! We didn’t have to pay to get in but there was a small fee for parking scooters up the hill (you have to hike down quite a few stairs to get to the falls).
- Get Halo Halo at M’s Place -
Halo Halo is a traditional Filipino dessert full of odd ingredients that don’t exactly sound like they’d pair well together. Give it a try though, we found halo halo to actually be pretty f-ing delicious and M’s place was the best we had.
- Stay at Treasure Island Beach Bungalow -
The above view from our room says it all. Boutique hotels and glamping sites line the beach and were a joy to stroll by during sunset - make sure to stop for at least one happy hour! If that wasn’t enough, the restaurant/bar at Treasure Island was awesome and the ladies working there were fun and welcoming - they even came out with us the last night we were in Siquijor and we’ve stayed in touch via FaceBook!
- Jump from Lugnason Falls -
You can either jump from where the boys are perched OR from a rope swing which is the option I chose. Pretty exhilarating for sure but lots of fun :). Just drive your scooter here on your tour around the island. Beware of locals wanting to “take you on a tour” for a fee - this is not necessary for Lugnason Falls (same goes for Cambugahay Falls). Don’t leave your belongings unattended like anywhere else in the world.
- Get a pedicure under a 400 year old tree -
That beautiful tree is a 400 year old Balete Tree and is said to have spiritual powers. Locals constructed a pool at the base of the tree which has loads of Garra Rufa swimming around which are fish that eat your dead skin. This didn’t feel as good as I expected it to but was a totally cool experience and worth doing. Pay a small entrance fee to get in.
- Scuba dive -
We went through Last Frontier Dive shop which was run by a German diver who spoke great English. Our dive master was incredible and took us to underwater coral caves, sharks, eels, turtles and more. The diving was off the charts and is a must if you’re in Siquijor.
- Check out the nightlife -
These pictures do not give this evening the justice it deserves.
We happened to meet some locals who told us about the “Miss Gay” contest going on. It was an awesome experience - basically a Filipino drag show in a school’s basketball court full of fans of all ages cheering on the performance. The authenticity and spontaneity of the evening was the best part.
Be sure to check out Czar’s Place - a super fun outdoor/indoor nightclub with live music which EVERY single local who parties will be at.
- Stay longer than we did -
We only had 3 days here (one of which was entirely dedicated to scuba diving). We all agreed we could have spent 5 at least. The people are incredibly friendly, there are zero American tourists, tons of hidden spots to explore and everything is so damn cheap.
Happy travels!