Siquijor: island of mystical beauty. That is how it was described once, long ago, and it’s true. Rolling green mountains, cascading waterfalls, and some of the friendliest people I’ve come across here in the Philippines. It is so beautiful and magical that we returned for a second time, to explore and discover even more of what this incredible island has to offer.

We stay at Villa MarMarine because the cost is reasonable, the accommodation gorgeous, the food is lovely, the staff are all so wonderful and helpful and the vibe of the place is great – chilled out and relaxed.

The resort is quaint and rustic. Cottages vary in design but feature wood fixtures and a bit of topsy turviness. There is hot water in the showers and comfortable beds to rest tired bones at the end of long days of exploring.

The beach is clean and remote. During the day the tide goes out bringing the reef to the surface. We spent hours exploring, voyeurs intruding into this hidden world; curious to meet and learn about the community of sea critters who live there.  Small fish, sea-stars, sea cucumbers, sea slugs, and starfish of all shapes and sizes. Octopus, sea urchins and bright coloured coral bring wonder to small eyes and sensory exploration to the daring. Treasure hunting on the sand brought great treasures of beautiful tropical sea shells, the kind you see in books. So incredible to hold in your hand.

The afternoon and mornings bring in high tide with rolling waves that crash through the walls and lull your weary body into sleep. That lullaby, I can never get enough of it.

One of our favourite days was when some of the staff took us out onto the exposed reef to look for sea urchins. They showed us how to cut them open and eat the roe. SB and BB loved this while FB and I explored the reef, finding giant starfish. SB would collect razor clams while snorkelling and the kitchen cooked them up for him and BB to eat. They made us a local dish – seaweed salad and it tasted of the ocean. It was divine. It is these memories we hold dear of our time on Siquijor.

On our first trip we stayed in what I termed the ‘hobbit house’, it was round, whitewashed with exposed beams. A staircase took us up to the top where our room was, and a balcony encircled it, offering views that you wanted to dive into and never return from. The balustrade was made from branches of wood intertwined together and I would run my hands along them feeling the natural curves of the wood.

In the evening the crashing waves felt as though they were breaking down the walls. We would sit out on our balcony in the pitch blackness of night listening to her, with the chirping crickets, cicadas and tuko geckos in accompaniment.  Occasional flashes of lightning on the horizon warned us that rain would be coming through the night. And then we would succumb, letting her lull our weary bodies into sleep.

The freshly exposed reef brings new adventure. It is drizzling and really humid so we are drenched in a combination of rain and sweat. BB and I head to the beach to explore the newly exposed reef. It is teeming with life and as we meander across exposed coral we meet an abundance of starfish crawling along the shallow rock pools, huddled together. Sea stars clamber to find new shells and rocks to hide under. Sea slugs seem to not care where they are going or what they are doing and the Sea urchins are so black they stand out like beacons.

Getting Around Siquijor

There is a lot to see on Siquijor and when you get the tourist map you can choose how you want to see the island. You can hire scooters or hire a trike. On our first visit we hired a trike for a few days. Neolito our driver is a native of Siquijor. His father is a bike mechanic, as are his two brothers. Neolito rides the trike to take tourists around the island, showing them the sites. There are definitely benefits to this. The comfort of someone else driving, they know where they are going and can fill you in on details.

On our first visit we hired scooters for one day and loved it. And so on our second visit we hired scooters for the entire time. Taking scooters means it really is a ‘pick your own adventure’ tour, being able to stop whenever and wherever you like. It also means a little more confusion, not to mention that it is quite a decent sized island.

There is also the tendency to get lost when you ride yourself around, which isn’t so bad. It means you get to discover the discoverable. Sometimes it is awesome, sometimes not, but either way it is still an adventure. Who knew scooters could go ‘offroad’. Actually, I’m not sure they are meant to, but we did it, nearly got us killed in the process but the kids loved it. We were heading to Kagusuan Beach, which had been closed on our first trip due to burglaries. It was still closed on our second trip but were told by locals in the area about a different beach called Bacong Beach. The road eventually turned to a dirt track which turned into rocky track and all the while we were zooming through the forest. It was gorgeous, surrounded by thick trees and leaf litter scattered all over the ground. We had to hit the accelerator to zoom up and over rocks and turn sharply around trees. We found the beach, but after the adventure of getting there, it was a rough fishing beach and not suitable for swimming. FB loved the ‘offroading’ and said while she was a little scared, she really loved it.

Scooters are good if you have kids with adventurous hearts. If you are a nervous driver and your children are nervous on a bike – don’t do it. At the moment in Siquijor, most roads are rough, in dire need of repair with giant potholes and uneven surfaces. Another large chunk are being re-surfaced, so there are a lot of roadworks going on which means driving on unsealed roads, often down to one lane. If you do take scooters, always wear helmets, always take it easy, and slow right down on the sharp curves around the mountains.

What to See on Siquijor

Siquijor is the island of magic and for me, the magic is in the natural environment. Waterfalls, forest, mountains and coastline. Here is our list places to check out.

Waterfalls

The falls here are simply stunning. We have seen our share of falls in the Philippines, these are by far some of the best so far.

Cambuganay Falls

On our first visit we went to the big touristy falls – Cambuganay Falls. 135 steps down, and big steps too, not small ones, tall ones, the ones that really let your thigh muscles know they are working. At the top of the staircase, next to the road vendors sell sweet treats. Peanut turon is a delicacy here and it tasted so good we wanted more. You may need the energy for the climb.  

With a guide, you climb down the staircase and end up at the first of ‘three’ falls. You can swim here; these falls are 15-17 feet deep. You can pay 50p for the ropes to swing and drop into the water. Then you get led to some rocks to walk up. The rapids pummel down over your feet and legs as you figure out your footing. You walk across the top of the first falls holding on to the almost not held together bamboo balustrade. It is here you find falls number two. They are not so deep, about chest height. Then you climb the side of the falls to falls number three. Varying in depth, between 5-7 feet, it is mostly chest deep, but a bit of shallow for the kids. The falls are gorgeous and you can swing off these too. Or, you can jump off the top of the rocks into the deep.

There is a folktale about these falls. The story of three sisters. Now here is the thing, there are actually four falls – the top falls are number four, you cannot swim there, it is too shallow. But you can walk up to them and take some photographs. They are stunning. Here is the folktale in a nutshell:

Once upon a time there were three beautiful maidens who lived in the Barangay of Cangclaran. These girls were considered vain, snobbish and up themselves.

One cold evening an old lady came to their home under a huge cliff. She begged to be let in for the night but the three sisters ignored her and showed contempt. They told her to go away.

The old woman mysteriously disappeared and soon after the earth shook and a large waterspout fell over the cliff where the girls lived. The cliff was lost in the mass of water, as were the three maidens. In the place of the cliff where the maidens lived, appeared these gorgeous three-tiered waterfalls. Some believe they are to remind people of the existence of the three mean girls.

La Gaan Falls

La Gaan Falls were our favourite falls on our first visit. Discovered and planned for opening early 2017, a team of 28 locals spent one month cleaning the area and retaining it to turn it into a tourist attraction. We arrived to the carpark and found local guides waiting patiently for visitors. A makeshift checkers board was carved into a bench seat and bottle tops were the pieces. They guys were hanging around, smoking, talking and playing the game.  

We struck up conversation with Rex who acted as our guide. A young guy with a beaming smile and sparkly eyes, he worked there with his two brothers Jo and John. They actually grew up at these falls, spending time swimming, and were in the crew to set it up ready for visitors.

The walk down to the falls is short, the path uneven but not too steep. It takes you deeper into the forest and you are surrounded by the beautiful lush foliage. You are surrounded by a tree canopy and it feels like you are embarking on some grand adventure into the wilderness. You arrive in a valley and find yourself looking at the falling waters, sunlight sparkles jumping off the rapids and the jungle canopy overhead protecting you from the harsh sunlight.

The area is very well kept and the falls will take your breath away. With varying depths, generally they are chest deep, with a deep basin at the base of the falls themselves. You can use the rope to swing off the rocks (no charge), or you can slide down the rocks through the falls. We all had a go at that. BB loved sliding down the rocks and did it over and over again. His face, after the first try was beautiful. Lit up with excitement, pride, surprise – every emotion. FB was not so happy about it and decided it was not for her.

The fee for the guide is up to you, but be generous. Remember these guides do not get subsidised by the tourism department.

Locong Falls

On our second trip we went to Locong Falls. These are lovely as well and for our second visit got the top rating from us. The local community welcome you in and are clearly proud of what they have to offer. Once signed in and the fees paid you walk through the village, past cottages with flower gardens and chickens with their baby chicks scratching around. The local kids loved our two children and followed us down to play. The falls are beautiful. Two pools, one with the rope swing from the tall tree branches, the other with the waterfalls and small cave under the falls. The water is not too deep, almost six foot at the deepest point. The local kids were jumping off the rocks, sliding down and pretty soon our BB and FB were doing the same. This trip FB was really adventurous and did not hesitate to follow suit. They loved every minute of it. Both kids loving the thrill of the tall swing and large drop down into the water. The area is clean and bamboo seating and tables are spaced around. Large trees provide shade and small rapids flow further upstream where you can walk up and look around.

The children had so much fun we returned on our last day. We arrived early in the morning before anyone else had, and the waters were crystal clear. We could see the stony ground and the water was pale turquoise. It didn’t take long for the mud to be churned up turning the waters cloudy again. But for that brief moment, sunlight twinkles on the smooth surface, it was perfectly majestic.

Costs: Parking: 10p

Entry Fee: 50p each

Guide Fee: 500p

Kawasan Falls

These falls are free to enter, you are just expected to pay a tip to the guide and they are pretty but crowded with local kids who use it as a swimming hole. I wondered how it would be if it was a holiday season with the numbers of people visiting each day. There is a swing and you can jump off the rocks as well. The area did not seem as well kept and we did not stay as long. While it was pretty to visit, we much preferred Locong and La Gaan Falls.

Lugnason falls

These falls form part of the Zodiac Falls, a series of twelve falls connected by one mountain river.  

The falls cover just under two kilometers and you can walk from one to the other. When we went the recent rains had made the area very wet and the rapids quite strong, and walking to each was not viable with the children. To get to Lugnason Falls, take a short walk through the forest. It is a lovely area and an easy path. The falls are around 15 feet high and the pool is around three meters deep so jumping off is good for the adventurous amongst us. When we went the rapids were huge from the rains that had fallen and it was too dangerous for the children. SB however went for it and did a jump off the top. He looked like a tiny ant amongst the water, it was so huge.

These falls are not one of the top rated falls. They have had a lot of intervention to make them swimmable, with the building of retaining walls around the basin to make it a deep pool, and they  need regular dredging to remove built up mud. However it is so peaceful here. You can sit and listen to the sounds of nature, enjoy a picnic and explore the area. So if you have time, take a look.

Caves

There are a few caves you can visit on Siquijor. We had time only for one, and were told this is perhaps the best.

Cantabon Cave

Our first trip to Siquijor was after rains and the caves were all closed for safety. On our second trip we got to visit Cantabon Cave which has an underwater lake flowing through it.

Now, firstly we don’t really know how we found the place. The tourist map isn’t the most accurate and we were so confused riding around the mountains. But we made it and found a well set up business. At the Barangay Hall we got our helmets, headlights and our guide and set off down the road to the drop off point. You know one thing is certain passing through small villages like these here in the Philippines – karaoke.  So we walked down the road being serenaded to The Corrs ‘Breathless’ which I proceeded to have stuck in my head the rest of the day. Anyway, the cave itself is a hole in the ground, into which you climb, then you scuffle along bent over due to the low ceiling. If you are claustrophobic it is not overly fun. Then the ceiling becomes higher and you can stand straight and start to breathe again. Pretty soon the lake begins and you are walking through ankle to thigh deep water for most of the time. You will marvel at the stunning stalactites sparkling in the dark, and the rock formations all around. The water is cool and little catfish swim around your ankles and nip at your feet. It is really kind of cute.

It is very slippery and very wet in the cave, the one guarantee is you will get wet and covered in mud, so take protective covers for cameras and phones and wear suitable clothes. I do recommend wearing proper shoes, you won’t feel the cuteness of little catfish nipping your feet but you’ll also be less at risk of slipping and breaking your neck. We wore thongs and it was hard going. One of the things I love about Siquijor is how lovely, friendly and helpful the locals are. They will literally give you the shoes on their feet – as experienced in this cave when my thongs snapped in half from the rocks. Not only did Kuya give me his thongs to wear through the cave, he let me keep them as they were the only pair of shoes I brought with me to the island. We paid him handsomely from gratitude.

The cave is 800 meters in length, but we only walked about 300 meters to the small swimming pool. We stayed here enjoying the pool for a time before heading back. The walk beyond that was going to be harder and there was already plenty of ‘danger climbing’ the kids enjoyed. I did not want them put in harm’s way.

Costs:

Guide 600

Eco 20 each 

Head Lights 30 each 

Bugs and Insects

Who doesn’t love a bit of insect action. Siquijor is the ‘island of fire’ because of the fireflies, but it is also filled with many other beautiful specimens.

Butterfly Sanctuary

Dante P. Jumapit runs this butterfly sanctuary. He used to work for the government and became passionate about the declining numbers of butterflies. So, he studied entomology and set up this sanctuary to breed and conserve the beautiful creatures. Forty percent of the butterflies born here are returned to nature. It is a lovely little tucked away place, down a muddy pathway and past Dante’s house. This is a labour of love, Dante is largely self-funded so please, make the effort to stop by, the kids will really love it, and leave a generous donation. We cannot lose our beautiful butterflies, imagine how sad the fairies will be, not having butterfly wings to paint.

Fireflies

Fireflies are temperamental things. First of all, it isn’t their butts that shine, it is their abdomens. Kind of takes away from the cute cartoons we see of them. Secondly, they are temperamental – they like humidity, but don’t like the rain, and they don’t like the bright moon. Personally they just seem to be high maintenance to me. Honestly, we tried to visit the famous tree so many times on our first and second trips it was crazy. Here’s the thing. There is a super easy way to see fireflies. Just go to the Baha Bar for dinner or just some drinks. Go upstairs and take a right at the top of the stairs and find the balcony overlooking the beer garden. Sit there, and the giant tree right in front of you has fireflies, which come out when it is dark. Now you can tick that one off your bucket list.

Snorkelling

There are so many places to snorkel around Siquijor, most of it is marine sanctuary. One day we just pulled over, walked up the beach a little to some mangroves and got in. SB found a huge cowrie shell, the size of my hand. Have you ever held and felt the weight of a live cowrie? Have you ever had his big juicy lips talking to you while you admire the shiny, smooth surface of his shell? It was amazing and the children got to experience that too. Here are a couple of snorkelling picks for you to consider.

Paradise Cove

This place is a bit tricky. We learned about it on the tourist map. It says to go to the fishing village and get a boat to take you. Well, we drove up and down the village so many times, stopping and asking repeatedly for directions to Paradise Cove, and fully expecting there to be signs – there aren’t. Finally a kind man named Tito said he would show us and it turns out there is a tiny dirt track that goes through a field, off the road. You cannot even see it from the road. You follow this a short way to the top of a cliff, then look down. That is Paradise Cove, part of the marine sanctuary. Problem is, there was a wobbly, makeshift and super unsafe looking ladder to scale down the cliff. We said no, Tito said no, kids are not allowed and he had a mate in the fishing village who would take us on his boat. So that is what we did. The waters were deep turquoise, really beautiful. We got out of the boat onto the rocks along the shore to get changed into swimwear then went in for a bit of a snorkel. The rocks are really sharp and you do need reef shoes for this.

Caticugan Marie Sanctuary

Located close to the main strip of San Juan, there is some beautiful snorkelling to be seen here. You can hire equipment and a guide to take you out if you need to. Entry is only about 50peso, and you jump into crystal waters and go in search of giant clams and other sea creatures. There is a makeshift changeroom there, and a little shelter, but personally I would not leave belongings unattended.

It is not marked on the tourist map, so if you are travelling on your own with scooters, get your resort to mark it for you. There are signs along the road, but you need to know where to look for the big turn off.

 

Apo Island Tour

You can’t really go to Siquijor without a trip to Apo Island. We booked a tour through Coco Beach Resort, who own a small resort on Apo itself. We decided to stay overnight and it was amazing. The accommodation itself on the island was completely disappointing – except for the on the beach part. Run down, no running water, no light in the bathroom, which looked like it belonged in a prison, and the beds were mouldy. It is clear Coco Beach Resort don’t feel they need to invest in this part of their business. I must say however that the service and the food were very good.

Anyway, if you can get past the accommodation, to spend a night on the island it is definitely the way to go. It gives you more time to explore and enjoy without the crowds.

Apo Island is 74 hectares and surrounded by marine sanctuary. It is known for its turtles and abundant sea life and has been voted in the past, as one of the top dive spots in the world. We left early on a boat which took us directly to the island. Each family or pairing of people had to have a guide to show us where to snorkel and make sure we did not try to touch the turtles. To get up close to these magnificent creatures was simply beautiful.

We were the only ones staying at the Coco Resort that night, and so we had the entire strip of beach to ourselves. The children played in the water and climbed rocks, I searched for sea glass and we sat out under the stars listening to the peace and quiet of the island. The next morning, completely alone in the water, SB was able to snorkel with the turtles. It was a wonderful experience. From Apo island we hired a banka to take us back to Dumagete where we caught our flight home.   

 

And Finally…

The Enchanted Balete Tree

We went, we saw. Ten peso for entry and you can stick your feet in the water to be nibbled on by fish. All I could think about was this poor ancient tree who really just wants to be left alone. Instead, tourists flock and harass her. Thankfully there are guards who prevent thoughtless jackasses (like the ones there the last trip letting their kids jump all over her magnificent roots) from getting too close. You can probably tell I am not a fan and you can easily give it a miss. Or, just drive past, pull over and look at her free of charge and get your photograph. She sits roadside.

Mystical Healing

The biggest reason people are intrigued by Siquijor, is the healing. The island is full of mystical healers who range from massage to herbal remedies, to spell casting, to the very fascinating Bulo-Bulo healing. Yes, I went, but that is a story for another post… 

Getting to Siquijor

Getting to Siquijor is easy. Fly to Dumaguete and catch a ferry over. If you take a fast ferry it will be about 45 minutes travel time. If it is the big slow one, around an hour and a half.