Discovering Siquijor - How To's and Places to Eat

If you’d happen to ask a person or a group of people which islands in the Philippines they're aiming to visit, you’d get the most obvious and common answers —- Palawan, Cebu, Bohol, Boracay to name a few. Though admittedly three out of four I’ve mentioned where places I have already visited, there are still thousands of islands yet to be and must be explored.

From the many islands we’ve got, there’s one of the very few islands that make folks slightly twitch or irk when suggested. Let me give your irks or eerie opinions a few notches less today, as I share my experiences from the place known as the “island of fire”, Siquijor.

Most of the people I know have a negative impression when you’d ask them to travel in Siquijor. Reality bites, some won’t even consider this as part of their priority or bucket list. For the sake of others' curiosity of why such an impression, it has been said to be mystical as this has been a residing area and place for folks who do healing or spell rituals. There are even stories where black magic can be done here by some of the residents. But then again, I’m not blogging on this to prove if they exist or not. This will definitely be more of my personal experiences from the trip to Siquijor.

To and Fro

There’s no direct flight for now to Siquijor. From Manila, the most common route is via plane from Manila to Dumaguete, Negros Oriental and then ride a fast craft or RoRo (ferry) from Dumaguete to the Port of Siquijor. All in all, it’ll take you 2.5 to 3hrs. There are other options for transpo but seems this route I took is the shorter and easier one.    

Mine took an extra hour though from usual cause my flight on Day 1 got way delayed and even my flight heading back, thanks to typhoon Betty. Yeap, one of the strongest storms in 2023 was close to screwing my trip (but definitely not me lol).

For the ferry ride from Dumaguete, you need to ride a trike from the airport going to Dumaguete Port (Php150-200). From there, you need to get the next available trip and pay for your ticket. You may either end up with the fast craft or the roro type. Better just get what's the next one cause the gap is either 2-3 hours depending on the weather and sea situation. As you arrive at Siquijor port, there are trikes or habal-habal (motorcycle transpo) which you can ride on towards your destination within the island.  

During this trip, I traveled via Montenegro Line's fast craft which costs at Php457 (approx USD8).

Heading back home to Manila, I used the same route --- roro or fast craft from Siquijor port to Dumaguete, then trike to Dumaguete airport.

  

Where I Stayed

There are a lot of nice, quaint places to stay in Siquijor. I was quite lazy to explore each and every one, so thanks to a friend's referral, I was able to book at Tropical Funtasea Resort. Less than an hour from Siquijor port, you can avail of a trike or habal habal (motorbike, similar to Joyride or Angkas) upon exit at Siquijor port.

credits: siquijorprovince.com

credits: siquijorprovince.com

Most resorts are fronting the beach, so if you wanna swim first thing in the morning, no biggie. I was able to book for my own room with the usual essentials for a resort. I must say if you’re not that picky or you ain’t one with high maintenance, the rooms are decent enough for less than a $50/night with Wifi, your own room and shower. Though they also have their own resto within the resort, Tropical Funtasea doesn’t offer free breakfast. They’re accessible to cafes and a convenience store, so you can opt that too. Since I was already informed prior to my trip that my package doesn't have free breakfast, I brought with me my basics for breakfast. 

What’s your breakfast pack when on travels?

Tours

When I travel within the country, I always make it a point to book for a local tour to be able to explore and enjoy the place’s famous spots, for convenience and safety. All the more when I’m on solo travels, I would opt to be a joiner as my way to mingle and meet new folks. However, ‘twas a private tour intended just for me. No joiner packages that time I visited. Well, it's to my advantage anyways cause I get to choose where I can go at my own pace and not wait for a few folks before we move on to the next.

And since I'm also on solo travel, I ended up being on a motorbike the whole time. I'm not a fan of it when I'm in the metro (sorry not sorry for motor ride apps), but I had to cause there's no other option for me. If you're in group tours in Siquijor, it's either you'll be in a trike or riding a van.

I’ll be sharing a separate post for the spots I’ve visited during the whole day tour.

Food

Siquijor may be a separated from the main islands in the Visayas, but the accessibility to food and the influences to continental cuisines didn't make me miss Manila at all. In the place where I stayed, there are nearby restaurants and cafes that also serve non-Filipino dishes. There are some good cafes which would need a ride (too far to walk them out) and I was a bit lazy to . Since I wasn't able to do food tripping that much, here are those what I've tried.

Dagsa-an Restaurant - Lala-O, San Juan, Siquijor

*Open Daily: 10AM - 9PM

Personal opinion, unless you've got food allergies, eating seafood or fish dishes is a must when you travel especially in the Visayas. Since there are numbers of continental themed restos already in Siquijor, I still made sure to eat in a Filipino themed one. 

Though they have the usual Filipino dishes in their menu, I opted for their grilled scallops and eggplant salad. Surprisingly, the cost for the scallops wasn't too pricey compared when I would each such in Manila. From my experience, the food and the atmosphere that time was good, though the service was just ok (quite slow and slightly less accommodating, not sure if it was because I was a solo customer compared to others who came in groups).

Shaka Cafe - Siquijor Circumferential Road, San Juan, Siquijor

*Open Daily: 7AM - 7PM

Originally from Siargao and with another branch in the metro (via Bonifacio Global City), I only discovered they have one in Siquijor too thanks to my walks near the resort.

credits: happycow.net

This cafe offers healthy meals and drinks, as well as coffee and tea. I tried their Pitaya Elixir smoothie bowl and iced latte. I must admit it's quite pricey for a snack, amounting to around Php500 (approx USD9). The smoothie bowls though, in my opinion, is already good for two. In fact, I ended up just having cup noodles for late dinner cause I was still full from that snacking. Also, it was compensated with the facilities of the cafe, the friendly staff and the view fronting the beach that time.

Haven't tried eating in their branch in BGC, but if you've got the access to do so, at least give it a try. 

Tawhay Resto Cafe - San Juan, Siquijor

*Open Daily: 7AM - 10PM

This one is definitely a fave and I could recommend when you visit Siquijor. They offer continental dishes. What's nice is that they don't just serve Western food but also Asian food. Their meals are ranging between Php250 - 350 (approx USD4-8) which already quite similar of the rates here in the city. Their place is spacious and cozy. Also, if you're in the mood for booze with some jamming, they offer cocktail drinks and live acoustic music at night time. Though the waiting time is around less 30mins, it was compensated by the accommodating staff and that this resto is just right across Tropical Funtasea Resort. 

credits: siquijorprovince.com

credits: siquijorprovince.com

Going back to the food, for the two dishes I ordered from them, both didn't disappoint me. I ordered Nasi Goreng Babi one dinner time and Beef Rendang on my last night at the island. I must say in terms of taste both were somewhat close to what I usually eat in Asian restos within the metro and the serving portions were good enough for 1 person.

Nasi Goreng Babi, anyone? :)

A Few General Tips and Tricks When In Siquijor

> Convenience stores aren't in close proximities or locations, so pack at least a few of your fave toiletries and snacks in your baggage.

> Have cash on hand as cash payments are the more common transactions there. There are only a few who use card payments and Gcash / Maya.

> Most modes of transpo are what they call habal-habal (motorcycles) in the island, so safety is key.

> While the island is generally safe, it wouldn't hurt to be a lil extra careful in how to deal with of people and other living things. That is whether you believe in superstitions / other elements of nature or not.  

     

Overall, this trip to Siquijor changed my perceptions about the island, thanks to the place and its people. Good thing, I still gave it a go wherein my only hesitation was due to Typhoon Betty. There are really just some places that flip our first impressions when we already get to visit them. My part two for Siquijor will add up why.

Have you had the same experience in an island or country you've visited? Let me know if you've had one.