SE Asia: The Philippines' Camiguin & Siargao

Camiguin's tranquil tropical splendor from the White Island sandbar.

After being blown away by the beauty of the Central Visayas region, we had high hopes for part two of our Philippines adventure (post on part one here). The plan was to spend a few days exploring the tiny island of Camiguin, which is dubbed the "island of fire" for its many volcanoes, and then head somewhere with waves, so we could spend our last two-ish weeks in the country surfing. 

Camiguin ended up being the highlight of my time in the Philippines. Majestic volcanoes, secluded waterfalls, thriving exotic marine life, and immaculate white and black sand beaches covered in shells. Its serene, unspoiled nature almost defies imagination. 

Sunset surfers at Secret Beach in Siargao.

Finding a satisfying surf spot in the country was harder than expected though, and had us bouncing from one side of the country to the other. Siargao in the southeast is considered the Philippines' surf capital, and in hindsight we probably should've gone straight there, but I'd written it off for a few reasons. For one thing, the internet warned that getting on and off the island could be difficult due to weather conditions sometimes halting flights for up to a week at a time. Plus its beaches are known for having reef break, meaning sharp coral is right under the waves. Not a big problem for experienced surfers, but not ideal for newbies like myself. 

A colorful building in La Union.

With that in mind and the Taal Volcano having died down, we decided to circle back to the north, which is home to two surf locations with sandy beaches that get a little less attention, La Union and Baler. The latter is actually the birthplace of surf in the Philippines. Back in 1979, Hollywood left a few boards behind after producing the war-cum-surf film Apocalypse Now, and the rest is history. Since then locals have taken up the sport, and made it their own. I was excited to see what these less touristic spots had to offer.

Sadly, La Union was a letdown. So much so that we left after just two nights. Why? Well, first and foremost, the lack of surf. It was the right season--there was even an international competition planned that week--but mother nature decided she wasn't in the mood for waves anytime soon.

Our board in Siargao was abt. €4/day.

The second reason we left was because of how expensive it was to rent equipment. Every single shop wanted nearly €20 a day for a board, which is 3x-4x the price in Siargao. Apparently, rental companies in La Union recently banded together and agreed on a major price hike, which meant that we wouldn't be able to afford having a surfboard the entire time even if waves did eventually turn up. We were both feeling pretty disappointed, since this was probably the only country on our trip where getting in surf practice was even a possibility.

The view from a nice, but pricey guesthouse in La Union.

Were it not for La Union's lackluster accommodations and general atmosphere, we probably would've stayed and just enjoyed the beach. Most hostels and guesthouses were more rundown than laidback though, and not cheap. We were quoted €80 a night for a room in one of the nicer places, which is 3x what we paid anywhere else in the Philippines!

We did find a few fun restaurants in the two blocks in front of the main surf area, including one fabulous sushi joint, but there wasn't much beyond that, and there were no options to rent scooters to explore the surrounding area, because tourism just isn't as much of a thing there. So, deflated, we decided it was time to leave La Union. 

Some street art in La Union's two more happening blocks by the beach.

With surf conditions looking equally poor in Baler in the near future, we decided to take our chances on Siargao. Another couple we'd met while traveling was already there and loving it. In the end, we lost three full days simply getting to the island, because our flights got cancelled a few times due to poor weather, as the internet predicted, but it was worth the extra time and cost. 

Spent lots of time in airports getting to Siargao.

Secret Beach in Siargao on a perfect day. 

Given how little time we spent in La Union, I've decided to focus this post solely on Camiguin and Siargao--both places I really enjoyed and would recommend. As usual, I've broken everything down into three main sections: 

• Our itinerary (including the route I wish we'd taken);
• Impressions of Camiguin & Siargao; and
• The budget breakdown.

Itinerary

Our route this time was a little bonkers (see left image). At the time, going north to surf seemed like a good decision, but we ended up circling back to the southeast when our plans didn't pan out (over 1,500 unnecessary kilometers). 

In hindsight, I wish we'd headed straight to Siargao and skipped La Union (see right image). If you do go to Siargao though, plan a few days buffer around getting on and off the island, because flight cancellations are a very real possibility. And pick the earliest flight that day when booking, because it will be the first one to get rebooked.

Actual travel dates Jan. 27, 2020 though Feb. 25, 2020. N/A--Not available as travel days. 

Camiguin: A Remote Ecological Paradise

Camiguin's many volcanoes give the island a dramatic silhouette.

Although the Philippines' second-smallest province by landmass and population has a tiny domestic airport, we got the ferry to Camiguin. After a few hours of chugging along the open ocean, with a cold beer in hand and a podcast in my ear, a mountainous island serving some serious Jurassic Park vibes appeared on the horizon. Thick green jungle enveloped striking peaks that jetted up nearly 2,000 meters above sea level, and signs of civilization were sparse. 

Camiguin's fertile soil and unique geological formations are thanks to its many volcanoes. There are so many in fact that they outnumber municipalities seven to five, and earn the island the distinction of having the highest density of volcanoes in the world. Thankfully only one is still considered active, Mt. Hibok-Hibok, and its last eruption was back in the 1953. 

The eco beach resort where we stayed.

With mountainous jungle taking up the island's interior, most towns remain situated on the perimeter and development is fairly limited. But that's not to say you can't find nice places. On the contrary, we found some real gems! For the first few nights, Thore treated us to a fancier eco resort on a black sand beach with a swimming pool, and we later moved to a cheaper, but perfectly nice family-run guesthouse nearby. We also happened upon a lovely rustic inn while dinning one night that had a beautiful ocean view.

Me lounging in the hammocks at one of the eco resorts.

A candle-light dinner of roasted local veggies.

My favorite find though was Kurma, an eco beach lodge slash free diving place with a killer kitchen. They use fresh local ingredients to make Filipino fusion cuisine, and offer a menu that is 70% vegetarian. We tried grilled banana hearts and sautéed ferns, along with a pork ragu, and mango milkshakes. Coconut "meat" burgers were also popular, but we didn't end up trying those. We enjoyed the place so much that we probably ate here once a day during our stay. It was the perfect afternoon and evening hangout, complete with WiFi that reached the hammocks, a sunset view, and a cozy wooden bar inside where they put fresh flowers on the tables and light candles at night. 

A stunning sunset from Kurma.

But the reason Camiguin won a place in my heart isn't the food or the eco resorts, it's the island's nature and peacefulness. We were astounded at the amount of different nature attractions on such a small island (approx. 240  km²). And there were never more than a handful of tourists around us, so we always felt like we had the place to ourselves. 

My favorite excursion hands down was our afternoon trip to White Island, an idyllic uninhabited sandbar that's a five-minute boat ride from shore. It is the whitest, cleanest stretch of beach I've seen in my life. With crystal blue waters and the dramatic backdrop of Mt. Hibok-Hibok, it was pinch-yourself beautiful. A gorgeous conch shell just lay washed up on shore. I felt like we were in a screen saver. And perhaps best of all, most of the time, we only had to share it with a single fisherman.

Will you just look at that water!!! 

Happy as a clam soaking up sun.

Since there's literally nothing on this "island", no water, no food, nothing, you have to pack accordingly and agree on a pick-up time in advance (everyone is kicked off by 5 pm). Thankfully the boats taking you there and back also rent out umbrellas, so we secured some shade. Thore isn't a big sun bunny though, so we left after two hours. I could've stayed all day though, provided I had enough sunscreen and snacks. 

These colorful boats take you to and from White Island.

The cross was only added in 1982.

The next best thing we did was snorkel the Sunken Cemetery. The experience was much less spooky and more magical than I expected. From the surface, all you can see is a huge cross erected on lava commemorating a graveyard that dropped below sea level following the volcanic eruptions of Mt. Vulcan in 1871-1875 and then again in 1948. I, for one, pictured eerily preserved tombstones and ruins under the water's surface, but the reality was pretty different. Almost everything in the cemetery was already covered over by beautiful coral reef that was exploding with marine life. 

Because the area is protected, you need to pay to have a guide take you through the site. Ours carefully navigated through the shallow waters that were packed with schools of vibrant fish, pointing out hidden bits of the old cemetery that I'd definitely have missed. He also took us by some very impressive psychedelic-colored giant clams. We left feeling the snorkeling was worth far more than we paid.

Me at the base of Mt. Vulcan surrounded by lush tropical forest.

One of the many stations with statues along the way.

Not far from the cemetery, there's a short hike that takes you up the volcano that put the graves under water. On the way up, we passed various stops depicting Jesus' ascension on the cross. It's a popular pilgrimage among the island's catholic population, but for us it was more about the views from the top. 

 The view from Mt. Vulcan: Can you spot the Sunken Cemetery and surrounding ring of coral?

Thanks to the humidity, the 30-minute hike actually had us sweating bullets, so our next stop that day was much needed. We headed to the beautiful Tuasan Falls, which is hidden away in a valley between two volcanoes. Taking a cool plunge there was so refreshing, and, unlike the falls in Siquijor, there was hardly anyone there, which made the visit much more enjoyable.

But getting to the falls on scooter was honestly half the fun. Warm air whipped past us, as we followed narrow roads that took us through small communities of friendly locals, with homes tucked away in the forest. Palms towered overhead and the thick unruly green vegetation was smattered with accents of vibrant yellows, oranges, purples and reds. In spots where the forest parted, you'd catch a glimpse of the surrounding volcanoes, and the end of the road took us through a small ravine. 

Bright foliage and flowers jumped out wherever you looked.

The road to the falls was filled with views like this where mountains peak out from palms.

On our last day in Camiguin, we headed to the other side of the island to catch a small boat to another islet called Mantigue Island. Mantigue is slightly bigger than White Island and inhabited by a handful of families who are said to all be related. As we arrived, the skies were looking dark, but the rain clouds didn't hang around long, and we enjoyed a sunny afternoon on the beach. Too sunny perhaps, as I left the island with a bit of a sunburn.

I blame my sunburn entirely on the island's exquisite snorkeling. With your head underwater there it's easy to loose track of time. The beach isn't the most comfortable to lay on though, because its made almost entirely of broken bits of coral that have washed up from the surrounding reef. I did find some beautiful shells on the shore though. You can also get something to eat and drink there, but we decided to headed back before I turned into a tomato. 

Mantigue Island offers clear waters, a fantastic reef, and some shade.

In the end, five days weren't even enough to do all the activities that Camiguin has to offer. We skipped out on hiking the famous Mt. Hibok-Hibok, which required a guide, and we didn't make it to any of the island's hot and cool springs, but we left the island feeling so lucky to have seen what we did. My main hope for Camiguin is that as tourism picks up the island doesn't loose it charm. 

Siargao: A Buzzing Spot For Surf & Sundowners

Palm-rimmed Secret Beach in Siargao is ironically a pretty popular surf spot.

Siargao's skies remained stormy for a few days.

As much as I liked Siargao in the end, things didn't get off to a great start. The stormy weather that got our flight to the island cancelled two days in a row carried on into the first few days of our stay, leaving streets a muddy mess, and making beach days pretty unappealing. 

Between bad weather and the failed trip up north, I began doubting my decision-making abilities, and wondered if coming to Siargao was a mistake. As we sat in a restaurant on night one with muddy legs, looking out onto a torrential downpour, and consoling ourselves with pricey nachos and beer while 20-somethings around us ordered shots in a way that only 20-somethings can, my thoughts spiraled. Will the rain ever stop? What if the reef break I read about tears me to bits? Am I too old to be here? And more importantly, how am I going to afford two weeks here if this is the price of snacks and beer? 

Our scooter had a board rack.

After a few days though, the weather and my mood improved, and things began to fall into place. We secured ourselves a surfboard and scooter with a board rack for a great price, and scoped out the best surf spots for beginners. There were basically two options if you are staying in the main town, General Luna: Jacking Horse, which was right by the main drag and next to the famous pro surf area called Cloud 9; and then a place called Secret Beach, which was about a 30-minute drive outside of town.

Secret Beach ended up being our favorite (see image at top of section), despite the drive and it definitely not being secret (see image below). You'd park along the road, and make your way through forest for about five minutes to a thin stretch of palm-rimmed beach where you were greeted by a friendly locals renting boards and pretty consistent, small waves.

The surf spots were definitely crowded at times.

Me up on the board!

Siargao's reef break had me nervously sitting on the sidelines at first though. While I'd caught waves before at a week-long surf camp in Portgual, surfing over sharp coral seemed much more dangerous. I eventually worked up the courage to get in the water though, after seeing numerous local "instructors" take out other beginners without incurring any injuries (I use the word instructors loosely, because it was largely just local surfers trying to make cash by pushing tourists on boards into waves at the exact right moment to catch them rather than actually teaching surf skills). The key to avoiding reef it seems is simply to only go out at high tide, and make sure to fall flat instead of jumping down into the water. Not ideal, but a surmountable challenge that only left me with a few small scratches.

This place in town was pretty in the day, 
but loud evenings and didn't have a real kitchen.

We also moved from the "trendy" part of town with hostels and evenings of booming bass to a quiet bungalow with a kitchen further out of town. I was overjoyed at finally being able to cook my own food again for the first time in months. To our delight, the hosts also offered free breakfast. These two things helped us drastically cut down costs while eating very well. While the supermarkets had a pretty limited selection of items (mostly highly processed and canned foods, think SPAM and chips), you could get a decent selection of fresh produce from stalls alongside the road.

Me stocking up on all the fresh fruit and veggies for cooking.

The white sand and blue water doesn't get old.

It wasn't long before we fell into an enjoyable routine on the island. Mornings, we'd wake up to freshly prepared fluffy banana pancakes and hot coffee. Thore would go off for a morning surf, and then I'd write on this blog, or workout. Around noon, I'd cook us lunch, and then we'd both go surfing again, hang out at the beach, or running errands like restocking the fridge or finding sunscreen and bug repellant. Some evenings were spent in, but a few times a week we'd venture out to enjoy a meal and drinks. More often than not, we found ourselves at a beach resort called BRAVO, which had nice food, lounge seating, and a buzzing atmosphere. 

You'd often find us here at BRAVO.

The perfect spot to relax with a beer!

Lush landscaping at a beach resort.

Looking back, we definitely could have done more to explore the island, but our goal was simply to surf and recuperate after many months of travel, and I can say that we definitely accomplished that! While I think there are better, less crowded places to learn surfing than Siargao (Peniche, Portugal is at the top of my list), it still fit the bill. And despite the island being more touristic and catering to a slightly younger crowd, we still had a blast and the relaxed tropical atmosphere really grew on me. 

Spending Breakdown

*Costs reduced by traveling as a couple.

Spending for the second half of my Philippines trip was much like the first half in a few ways: 

• Transport costs continued to take up a huge chunk of total spending (nearly 40%);
• Food costs remained at about €10-€15 a day; and
• Accommodation costs also stayed pretty consistent at about €26 per day (€13 per person).

While we definitely lost money bouncing from location to location, I'm not kicking myself because of it. As I mentioned in the last post, I think the Philippines is a country that makes it incredibly hard to have a perfect travel plan laid out ahead of time. I'd highly recommend anyone traveling to the country to add a buffer to their transport budget for unexpected costs. 

Southeast Asia: The Philippines' Central Visayas

The water clarity there is incredible.

The Philippines is unlike any country I've visited before. This is in part due to its staggeringly gorgeous tropical nature. Outside of its major cities, you're hard pressed not to encounter pristine white sand beaches and turquoise waters teeming with colorful coral and sea-life. Lush palm trees and glowing green rice fields hug the sides of roads. I could easily go on about its beauty (and will below), but for now I'll just say it's synonymous with paradise for a very, very good reason. 

A scene snapped in Siquijor from my scooter.

The other thing that left a huge impression on me was that the Philippines is a country of islands. It's made of up 7,641 to be exact, but only around 2,000 are inhabited. While I knew archipelagic states existed, little ol' American me had yet to see any first hand. Flights and ferries keep people and goods moving between islands surprisingly fluidly. Witnessing the interconnectedness of a country so geographically fragmented is incredibly impressive. 

A snorkeling spot in the Central Visayas.

One downside to visiting such a beautiful and dispersed  country though is that travel planning is not easy (yes, a first-world "problem" if there ever was one). There's so much to see and do in different regions, and the best spots can take a while to get to. Did I want to visit the iconic limestone cliffs and enchanting blues lagoons of El Nido in the west? What about some trekking across peaceful rice terraces and mountain villages in the north? Or maybe catch waves in Siargao, its surf capital in the southeast? And then there's the exceptional snorkeling in the Central Visayas region. My head was spinning trying to come up with a month-long itinerary. 

Bato Port in Cebu was one of the prettiest ports we went through.

Numerous travel blogs warned me how easy it is to fritter away time in the country in transit and spend more than expected on transport. I optimistically (foolishly?) figured I could steer clear of these pitfalls with some solid research and planning. Wrong. Well, at least sort of. Even though we whittled down our destinations and had a clear route in mind, there was also mother nature to contend with:

The ash drift from the air.

• Days before our flight to Manila, the Taal Volcano erupted, spewing dangerous ash into the air, halting flights, and causing devastation to the surrounding community, which is just 40 kilometers south of the capital. Experts warned that subsequent hazardous eruptions were imminent. The airport had reopened by the time our flight rolled around, so we cautiously took it after buying face masks to filter harmful particulate matter. After landing in Manila though, we changed our plans to stay in the north and immediately caught a flight south to avoid being in the ash drift and possibly stuck if the airport closed again. According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, the country has 24 active volcanoes, with the last dangerous eruptions in 2018 and 1991, so maybe tentatively keep that in mind if you plan to go!
• Wind and rain also saw our flights to Siargao cancelled two days in a row. We learned cancellations are actually very common, because the planes used for some domestic flights are smaller and less able to handle adverse weather than your typical 747. Leaving the island to catch an international flight left us crossing our fingers for good weather. Thankfully, it all worked out, but I'd give yourself a generous buffer to catch an international flight after a smaller domestic one.  
• On the less dramatic end of things, our plans to surf in La Union were also thwarted by a total lack of waves for the week we planned to be there, so we ended up leaving after just two nights. 

Flying to Iloilo wasn't planned.

These hiccups meant that we lost a few extra days being in transit, and even paid for a flight we didn't take. I mention these challenges not to dissuade anyone from visiting (you should definitely go!!), but because I think a little flexibility, financial and otherwise wise, goes a long way when traveling the Philippines. Because we were able to adapt our plans as we went, we had a truly fantastic time. The sea-life was out of this world, and the people were always very open and friendly. 

A seafood platter with a little veg.

My only mini gripe is that the Filipino cuisine, which leans heavily on American fast food, didn't really light my fire (heavier on meat, salt, fat, and processed foods, and much lighter on vegetables; here is a take on why). That said, we did have a few great local dishes, and, with a little restaurant research, I almost always found food I was happy with (with the exception of one very sad 7-11 meal I couldn't stomach). 

Since we spent roughly 40 days in the Philippines, I'm breaking down my blogs on the country into two. This post focus on our the Central Visayas Region, where we spent 11 days, and the next will cover Camiguin, La Union, and Siargao. Hope this gives you some ideas for future travels! Below you'll find:

• My itinerary, travel hiccups and all;
• Impressions of the islands of Cebu, Siquijor, and Bohol; and
• A spending recap.

11-Day Central Visayas Itinerary

We went south to the Central Visayas to avoid issues with the volcano near Manila.

Due to the eruption of the Taal Volcano, we abandoned our original plans to stay north of Manila and go surfing for a few weeks. Instead, we took a flight south to Iloilo the night we arrived in the Philippines to play it safe. We "lost" two nights in Iloilo scrambling to rearranging our itinerary.

*Tricycles are Filipino auto rickshaws. Actual travel dates Jan. 16, 2020, through Jan. 26, 2020.

The Island of Cebu: Making For Moalboal

Moalboal's main attraction is under water.

We flew into Cebu City planning to head straight to Moalboal, a smaller laid-back coastal town a few hours away known for amazing diving and specifically its sardine runs. Just off its shore millions of little fish dance together in synchronized swirling clouds all year round. But we almost aborted this plan mid-flight. The girl I sat next to on the plane informed me that a huge celebration was happening in Cebu City the following day, and if hotels weren't booked out we should absolutely stay to attend it. I'd been so focused on avoiding the volcano, I hadn't even thought about checking local events! 

Cebu City was decked out to celebrate Sinulog!

It was the 40th annual Sinulog festival, a cultural and religious celebration honoring a statue of baby Jesus (Santo Nino) brought to Cebu in 1521 by the Portuguese explorer Magellan, which paved the way for christianity in the country. There'd be dancing, costumes, parades, and street parties. It sounded so fun, and just as we were entertaining taking another financial hit to rearranging plans yet again, our internet stopped working. Turns out, it wasn't just mine. Police had blocked signal for the entire city for security reasons over the festival weekend. Dumbfounded and unable to sort out logistics online, we decided it was a sign to stick with our original plan and make for Moalboal. 

Snack options at the bus terminal.

We fought our way to the bus terminal through blocked off streets packed with sweaty crowds of people holding small statues of Santo Nino. Groups of children were already decked out in costume and music blasted from massive speakers set up along the streets. At the bus terminal, we purchased some snacks and waited on benches in sticky heat until they could gather enough passengers to pack us into a minibus like the sardines we were hoping to see in Moalboal. They refused to leave until the van meant for 12 was packed with 16 people and their luggage.

The three-hour ride to Moalboal was cramped, but at least we had aircon.

This was one of the wealthier homes in Moalboal. 

After taking in a relatively upscale airport, malls, and familiar fast food chains in Cebu City,  the pockets of poverty we past on the way to Moalboal caught me off guard. While poverty in the country is decreasing, the poverty incident is still about 20% according to the World Bank (read more here). We drove by small communities surrounded by forest where the majority of homes were a patchwork of wood panels, sheets of metal, and thatching. Despite the signs of financial struggle, I felt a strong sense of pride and community shining through though. Homes were often painted cheerful colors and bright flowers were almost always planted in front. Every few kilometers, you'd come across a communal space with a rusting basketball court where kids were shooting hoops, a favorite Filipino past time and an influence from earlier American occupation. This resilience and joy for life was something we saw throughout the Philippines. 

Once we pulled into Moalboal though things looked a little different. Tourism had pulled in enough money for a few fun little restaurants, hostels, bars, and cafes selling smoothie bowls and espresso shots. It was far from a lap of luxury, but there were even guesthouses with private pools. Closer to shore, we found a handful of well-run and highly professional dive shops, and locals politely asked if we'd like to join this or that tour to see waterfalls in the area or go canyoning. 

The mural didn't make false promises.  I saw turtles!

While we didn't take them up on any tours, we did pay for a dive! There was an unbelievable amount of beautiful sea-life and coral, but the sardines stole the show. Getting to peacefully float below enormous schools of tiny fish swirling in  fluid formations as light shined through was nothing short of magical. It was a mix of being in some sort of National Geographic documentary and an underwater dance scene from The Little Mermaid. I'm gutted I don't have any pictures!

The small strip of beach in Moalboal.

But truth be told, I don't think you need to drop the cash to dive there. Snorkeling is almost as good, and 50 times cheaper. We waded into the warm waters off the small stretch of rocky beach near the dive shops and entertained ourselves for hours nearly every day! I saw my very first sea turtle, a blue and black stripped sea snake, lion fish, a moray eel, and lots of little nemo fish. I'm sadly picture-less, but the dive shop we went with has this video clip of the marine life there if you're curious. 

Chicken adobo with double veggies.

When we weren't in the water or sunning ourselves, we were at restaurants eating out, or more often than not, waiting to eat. After waiting over 1.5 hours for food a few times, we realized the trend and started showing up a solid hour before we were hungry. I have to say this ended up being necessary throughout the Philippines. When the food arrive though, it was generally tasty. I tried my first chicken adobe, where they braise the meat in a soy sauce, vinegar, and garlic mixture. There was also a wood-fired pizza joint, and a place with ocean views that we visited again and again called Lantaw Restaurant, which serves Filipino, Indonesian, and Thai food. I can highly recommend their seafood platter if you ever find yourself in town! There were a few places to grab drinks, and bars were generally buzzing with backpackers, couples on vacation, and diving enthusiasts. 

All in all, we found ourselves thoroughly entertained for four days, without doing any of the recommended side trips. You have sea-life, an OK beach, a selection of very reasonably priced food and accommodation, and enough tourists to give the tiny town some atmosphere without it being grossly overrun. I think it's a great stop if you're planning to visit the Central Visayas.

The bus stop in Moalboal is along a main road and about a 30-minute walk from shore.

The Island of Siquijor: Sorcery & Sand 

This beach next to Sijuijor Port isn't even considered one of the nice ones.

Hopping over to Siquijor from Cebu took almost a full day of travel, but it was absolutely worth it. Without an airport, the only way to arrive is by boat. We ended up taking a bus to a port, then a ferry, and then a rickshaw to another port where we boarded our final ferry to Siquijor. It was a bit of a pain, but I think the extra effort required to get to this remote place is what's kept it such a gem. That, and it's strict ban on single-use plastic! 

One of Siquijor's historic churches.

The island, which is home to about 100,000, is known for its idyllic beaches and being shrouded in legends of magical healing and witchcraft. There's even a 2007 horror movie called Siquijor: Mystic Island. These tales seems to have taken hold around the time of the Spanish conquest when the island was situated along a trade route. It's thought that stories of dark magic were spread to deter invaders, and that its reputation as a place of healing came from sick sailors recovering with the help of traditional medicine. Nowadays, you can still buy herbal potions or seek out one of the few remaining traditional healers, but the island has a hospital, and you're more likely to come across one of its roman catholic churches than any sorcery. 

But if you're looking to be put under a spell, I have a tip: rent a scooter. A well-paved road circumnavigates Siqiujior, connecting the sleepy little villages dotted along its shores and cutting through verdant hills with swaying palms and brilliant red and yellow flowers. Locals wave and smile with a genuine warmth that's disarming. After just 10 minutes of taking gentle curves through the jungle under blue skies, I was grinning ear to ear and utterly enchanted.

Catching sunset over the jungle from a tucked away family-owned guesthouse and restaurant.

A scooter is also by far the best way to unlock all the adventures the island has to offer, and there are many! We stayed in the most touristic of the towns, San Juan, given its selection of restaurants and accommodations, but a 20-minute drive east took us to a 400-year old balete tree, which is nice enough by itself, but also has a little spring at its base with a fish foot spa. Having fish nibble at my feet had me in fits of uncontrollable laughter. A strange, but entertaining experience for about 20 euro cents! Sadly, my feet weren't much better off for it though. I'd need hours there to see a difference!

If you continue counterclockwise around the island another 15 minutes, you'll come to the sleepy town of Lazi, which has a striking historic roman catholic church and covenant from the island's Spanish colonial era.

The town is also home to the very Instagram-able Cambugahay Falls. Its milky turquoise waters cascade down three tiers into swimming holes in the middle of thick jungle. You can launch yourself into the water Tarzan-style from various rope swings. Don't expect to have the place to yourself though. It draws a crowd. Local lifeguards were taking turns showing off double flips and twists to a cheering crowd when we stopped by. 

If you press on another 30 minutes past Lazi, you'll get Saladong Beach, which is home to an abandoned resort and two cliff-diving platforms (about 7 and 10 meters respectively). It isn't someplace I'd stay all day as its also draws crowds, but the drive out was beautiful and the adrenaline rush from the big plug was something! My nasal cavities were definitely cleaned out after that. To get back on the rock you climb up a tiny metal ladder on the cliff and then a little bit of nearly sheer rock face, so not for the faint of heart. There was a lifeguard on duty though.

If all that sounds a little intense and too far from the main drag, I can recommend Paliton Beach. It's just outside San Juan, and close to a fabulous pizza place (yes, I do talk a lot pizza, I know). I'm so glad we went. As we walked up, a local selling fresh coconuts with a splash of rum for two euro a pop shouted, "Welcome to paradise!," and that it was. White powdered sand, super clear water, a few patches of shade from palm trees, not a scrap of trash, and only a handful of other people on the beach. We took turns snorkeling in the marine sanctuary just in front of the beach. 

The Paliton Marine Sanctuary is just behind me. 

Thore liked it so much in fact that he swam off and out of sight for a little longer than I'd have liked. After no sign of him for an hour and a half, I started to worry and asked the coconut man if the current was strong in the area. Before I knew it, he and the local lifeguard were scanning the horizon with binoculars and telling me not to fret, they'd find him. A group of fishermen were just putting their boat in the water to scan the area for him when we saw a carefree Thore making his way back to shore. Apparently he got carried away looking at some giant clams. But that was just one example of locals' genuine kindness that we encountered while there. 

All smiles after a day of adventures.

After long days of exploring, we spent most evenings catching the sunset with a beer. I can highly recommend Hidden Valley Glamping Bar & Resto and Jungle of Peace Bar & BBQ, both of which are situated on hills and offer a great lookout and relaxed atmosphere.

When the time came to leave Siquijor, I was definitely a little sad! I felt like it was such a special island, and could easily have enjoyed a few more days. The port in the tiny town of Larena gave us a beautiful send off though! 

The Island of Bohol: Tarsiers & Chocolate Hills

The Chocolate Hills: A unique geological formation in Bohol. 

Bohol is a much bigger island than Siquijor, both in terms of land mass and overall population. The town of Tagbilaran where we stayed has a bigger population than the entire island of Siquijor. Because of its international airport, Tagbilaran also gets a decent amount of tourists who flock to the surrounding resorts and beaches for parties and all-inclusive holidays. While there's certainly more infrastructure in and around town, the tropical vibes come with a side of pollution and crowds. 

We passed some super vibrant rice fields in Bohol.

Once you get out of city though, the rest of the island is beautiful and pretty sparsely populated with limited infrastructure. For this reason, I'd still recommend staying in or near the main town, and simply renting a scooter or car to go out adventuring. We opted for a scooter to see three of the island's main attractions: the tarsiers, the chocolate hills, and a man-made mahogany forest. It was a nice, but a pretty exhausting day, because the distances are bigger in Bohol and the pollution irritated my lungs. 

Tarsiers have the largest eye-to-body ratio of all mammals.

Our first stop, the Tarsier Sanctuary, was probably my favorite activity of the three and only about 45 minutes outside of town. The tour is very brief and completely hands-off though. A guide gives you about 10 minutes to walk through  a path in the forest  where eight of the tiny primates are hanging in trees. You must  keep a distance from them and maintain absolutely silence, because they are nocturnal and shouldn't be disturbed during the day. They are only 4-6 inches in length, so a little hard to spot, but so cute when you do locate one! I learned the little guys can jump up to 40 times their length. Bummed I wasn't around to see that!


The ride to the Chocolate Hill took us through the lovely man-made forest, but dragged on for another hour and a half--a little more than my butt was prepared for. We had to take a few breaks to shake out our legs, and it was challenging to find anywhere to eat lunch along the way. The unique geological formations were a sight though. There are more than 1,000 cone-shaped hills, which turn chocolate brown when the grass on them dries out. Since we arrived after rain though, they were more green than brown. It was fun to see, but after about 15 minutes of appreciation and photographing, we sat out sore butts back on the scooter for a looonng ride home. 

On the way back, we came across a local parade. I wish I knew what they were celebrating, but I never did find out. We also saw some other unexpectedly beautiful spots like the river below and the colorful little statue to the right. While we certainly didn't see all of Bohol in our short time there, I have to say I wouldn't go back or necessarily recommend it if you have limited time. I enjoyed what we saw, but I simply had a better time in Moalboal, Siquijor, and in the other spots we visited later in our trip.

Spending Breakdown

*Costs reduced by traveling as a couple.

For 11 days in the Central Visayas, I spent just over €600. A huge chunk of that was transport costs. While flights and ferries were relatively cheap, moving from island to island just adds up, and to truly unlock the full potential of most places, you need a scooter. I'm sure we also paid a premium for having to book last-minute flights out of Manila and to Cebu because of the volcano. Under normal conditions, it looked like you could get short- and medium-distances domestic flights for around €20-€30. In general though, I think it probably is safer to budget for unexpected transport costs while traveling the Philippines. 

While the cost of accommodation varied a little from island to island, we paid about €25 a night on average for a room and split that cost between us (€12.50 per person). 

For food, we got by on about €10-€15 per person a day, excluding any alcohol while always eating lunch and dinner out.

Most activities and sights were very cheap, but if you wanted to scuba dive the costs were on par with international prices, so about €40 per dive. I needed a refresher course, so mine cost at little more than normal. Hope that helps anyone trying to budget for a trip!