DAY 1 AND 2
I have finished my blog about all the other places I’ve been in order to write this piece for my 22nd birthday. It is such an overwhelming experience to be able to travel independently. I always keep in mind that I have to forget about all the stress the city life gives me before I go to Siargao, Surigao del Norte, Philippines.
There’s a lot of places, beaches, islands, resorts, activities to discover, but I chose this place. I am not a good swimmer, but I managed to do cliff jumps and snorkeling without a life vest.
There’s just a lot of people and tourists who watch you conquer your fears. This place, I suppose, is a combination of all the other places in the Philippines. Palawan (Puerto Princesa, Coron, and El Nido), Cebu, La Union or Baler for the surfing experience. Though Siargao has the most impressive waves and this is where I was able to witness the 24th national surfing cup personally!
On September 28, and every time of this year until the first week of October, they hold the international surfing competition and we have our own representatives here in PH as well. It is the time of the year that they hold the competition as it’s the perfect time for high tides and big waves.
There are locals from Siargao who had been practicing the whole time as they can have the island to themselves when it’s not time yet for the surfing cup. This is an advantage for them. Though the winner was from San Diego, CA, @maramatokong from Kermit Surf Resort (a friend of the ‘gwapitos’) landed second place, I’m still proud I was able to witness it with my own eyes.
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| At the opening of the 24th surfing competition. |
On the first day...
All the surfers were just walkig to the cloud 9 beach with their bare feet, shorts, sexy body, and surfing boards. Only Skyjet and Philippine Airlines offer a direct flight to Siargao though and it might get a bit expensive if you book it like a month or week before your flight. Some of those people that I was able to be with in the island hopping activities booked their airfare for only Php2, 400.00 to Php3, 000 roundtrip with PAL from Clarke Pampanga, as they were on sale and it was their first time to do the direct flight. Since I was not able to catch that promo, I booked with Cebu Pacific around two months before the flight which had cost me Php6,958.00 in total for my round trip. There’s a transit in Cebu. So from Manila, NAIA terminal 3, I boarded to Mactan Cebu airport at 5:30am then waited at the Cebu airport for 3 hours before my flight to Siargao.
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| Photo taken by: @grybxx (insta) |
Good thing you can sit down at one of the cafes at the aiport and review your itinerary. So far, I was following a tight budget. Php12, 000 was my pocket money. There's no atm machine in the island! If there is, it's going to be far for sure. So make sure you withdraw enough cash once you're at the airport.
At exactly 12:00 PM, I was at the Sayak airport already. There’s going to be vans lined up and everyone knows where Villa Solaria is or wherever you booked your stay with. It will be Php300.00 per way. It was a one hour ride to the place. You’ll be able to pass by General Luna where everything that I’ve researched for in the internet came to reality!
The Shaka Cafe, Kermit Surf Resort, Bravo Beach Resort, Kokai Resort, Viento Del Mar, Bleu Resort, Barrel, Souvenir shops and tattoo bars, Primitivo, White Banana Beach and Harana (which are just beside Villa Solaria) were all happening on the first day! There’s not a part of the road where you cannot see coconut trees! It is true the coconut trees were lined up as if someone really planted them with their own hands. I was too overwhelmed with where I was. Everyone will be.
It is also inevitable that when you plan out of town trips, there will be friends who won’t be able to make it therefore leaving just a few in the actual travel experience. But I had to go, I had my leaves fixed, my mood set, and my eyes ready to witness whatever there is to see in this place everyone had been talking about.
When I talk about going to this place, everyone would be in awe and would envy me. Because it’s every city person’s dream (wink).
Of course, it was the opening of the competition, so I went to Cloud 9 beach. It was just a 10-minute walk from Villa Solaria. Entrance was free due to the event. Beside the famous Cloud 9 was the Jacking horse, most common beach for beginner surfers. Rate is Php500.00 with instructor. Php200.00 if you’re just renting the surf board for an hour and Php400.00-500.00 for the whole day.
After that, I looked for whatever’s looking for at night, a place to chill. There’s the famous Shaka Cafe near the Cloud 9 but it only serves breakfast meals from 7am-5pm so I went for a mexican cuisine near Cloud 9 then headed to Harana (just passed by) as the party during Friday nights are at Octopus and Jungle disco according to the locals. Then I found White Banana Beach Club, it was serenity and peace that I found there, the beach is right in front of you and there were couches everywhere. Beach couches I mean. so I settled down and listened to the live music. I love local artists in the islands, they’re incredibly great!
On the Second day...
KUYA BEBOT’S ISLAND AND LAND TOURS
So I was lucky, upon going out on my first day, there’s this one woman who approached me after settling down in a small room if I had booked for my tours already which I was exactly looking for. It was Php 1700.00 for the first set of tour for my birthday, three island tour (Naked island, Daku Island, and Guyam Island with Sohoton Cove – a cave hike adventure with underwater cave swimming experience and cliff diving) and Php1,600.00 for the second set, the day after my birthday, at Sugba Lagoon in Del Carmen with Magpupungko Rock Pools.
So I said yes instantly as it was within my budget expectations.
First stop was in Sohoton cove, it was a 2-3 hour boat ride. Here, I proved that if there’s an airplane jet lag, there’s a boat jet lag. For real!
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| I'm smiling but jet lag is real! |
First activity was going to the cave underwater. It’s just a 6 minute boat ride from Sohoton stop, where you have to wear an engineer’s cap (LOL) for the stalactites and stalagmites. First was we had to swim undewater for 15-20 seconds with a guide holding your neck down and dragging you to swim underwater in order to enter the cave.
The first time for me was unforgettable, I almost was not able to breathe but thank God I made it! So make sure that you breathe slowly and properly before asking the guide to drag you down the waters. It’s too delicate to just go under without breathing properly you might get drowned. It's a 15-20 second underwater pass for God's sake.
Second was climbing up a cave to the diving platform. It was my first time to jump in a platform, it’s the only way out, so you have to jump!
Third was riding in a very small boat, good for only two persons, so it’s just me and the bangkero whose name’s Raul. He willingy took photos of me, gave me one of his pastries as I told him I was hungry and it’s my birthday (LOL) and that he even thought it was my eighteenth birthday! Haha.
We headed to the jelly fish area. There’s not much to see here, I was more impressed actually with the very blue water that even a white jelly fish can be seen! And there’s the brown jelly fish while we were paddling, I enjoyed my unsolicited photoshoot with kuya Raul.
I gave a tip, it’s what he deserves and my genuine smile of course. He said I was his fourth boat passenger of the day and that he loves all of his customers. Wow!
After that small boat trip, the most awaited part, the buffet meal! It was exactly 12:00 NN when we finished the activities. I ate all the seafoods available, because, I won’t be able to eat them everyday in Manila.
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| The Naked Island |
After lunch time, we already headed to the three famous islands. It took us around 2 hours from Sohoton Cove to the Naked Island. Literally, this island is bare. And it’s so hot it strikes your skin inside. Please make sure you have a sunblock lotion at least with SPF 50-150. It will help with the burning of the direct heat of the sun.
The three islands were just a few minutes boat ride apart. So the next was Daku (meaning big) Island. The biggest of the three. Beside it was a private resort but they let us enter at the the area and you can ask the boat men to order you a fresh buko juice for only Php40.00.
The last island was the Guyam Island. It’s where I witnessed the most beautiful sunset ever in my life.
It was 6:00pm when the tour ended. Then I immediately took a bath as I had to prepare for my birthday night. I decided to go to Bravo Beach Resort at 8:00pm and ordered the most delicious Creme Brulee with Mango. I jammed with the local artists with my song Down the Road. Everyone welcomed every artist and I was so happy with the crowd at that night. This is the first birthday gig I had and it was so pleasant! One of the artists invited me to jam for the second time singing Love Story of Taylor Swift. Of course!
The signal for internet is slow, so since I had to do a ‘mass thank you’ in social media as almost everyone who knew me greeted me on my very special day, I had to thank them. You’ll get to know lot of people and you’ll know who really cares.
After the dinner and jam, I watched the moonlight at the beach, it was a calm night, full moon, and breezy. I walked at the beach with a new friend Louie and he told me about the party schedules. The party at that night was at Harana, just beside my place so we went there, all vehicles and motorcycles were there, a lot of people partying. So we opted for a more quiet place, the beach front and drank beer together talking about tattoos and music and life.
I believe you’ll get to realize how simple life can be and how being happy can be as simple in an island full of beautiful and kind people.
The night ended solemnly with Glynn, who said “hi” to every beautiful girl, Louie, who accompanied me in my song, gave me party schedules and experience island vibe at night, and his brother who played the guitar for me at the jam as well.
It was a very long day that I had, and I’m in love with this kind of celebration.
Thank you for taking the time! Did you enjoy it? Then visit the island as well!
If you must need contact information, get ate Gladys’ number at 09493098866. She will immediately contact kuya Bebot and include you in the amazing tours!
See my third to fifth day on my other article:
Siargao – Sugba Lagoon, Magpupungko, Bend Tree, White Banan Beach club Experience.
IG: @chasingmeagan
FB: @ Meagan Mangoma
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