“Will you draw me a star?”
Asked little Jonalyn during breakfast on the beach. Faced with her smile and the peaceful sea awakening right in front of us, it was impossible to say no. A few timid strokes and I ended up filling the page of her notebook with stars.
A few hours later, all those stars must have escaped to go up to the sky and give us a spectacular night. I even seemed to distinguish a poorly drawn one up there.
Because on this small island in the Philippines, still free from mass tourism, it seems like nothing ever happens, and yet extraordinary things occur, like the escape of stars or fishermen reaching their boats by walking on the water.
Walking on water must not be an easy task, which is why it seems children are taught very early and start with small, custom-carved boats that they take along the shore to practice this skill.
Because in Siquijor, life seems to revolve around the wooden and bamboo bangkas (boats). You see them everywhere; stranded on postcard-perfect beaches waiting for the fisherman to return and give them life;
suspended on the horizon in an enigmatic line between sky and sea; or as the perfect complement to a sunset.
And if you move a little away from the shore to observe inland, you just have to be patient to distinguish those special things that happen in Siquijor and fade into an apparent tranquility. This way you will see that motorcycles and tricycles run on Coca-Cola.
With a rented motorcycle and a couple of bottles of Coca-Cola, you can go around the island in a single day and venture into its interior. Asking the locals, who are always smiling, you will reach waterfalls that hide children full of vitality who jump from one side to another and challenge you with their gaze to imitate them.
In Siquijor, the quiet island, everything happens slowly, without haste, so you have all the time in the world to draw stars or admire the real ones, to read lying in a hammock, buy fresh fish from street stalls, cook it on a barbecue on the beach, go sailing in a small bangka called “Fin del mundo”, meet travelers who go around the world, discover hundreds of colorful fish… Indeed, it seems like nothing ever happens there. Hopefully, this island remains like this, hidden, intact, and surrounded by the mysticism that its inhabitants boast about.
Currency:
In the Philippines, Philippine pesos (php) are used. Approximately 1 € = 52 Php.
How to get to Siquijor:
Siquijor is a very small island within the Visayas. We flew from Manila to Dumaguete with the low-cost airline Cebu Pacific, and from there we took one of the several fast ferries that run daily with Delta (120 pesos + 15 port fees), which takes you to Siquijor in an hour. You can also arrive by ferry from Cebu with Ocean Jet in about five hours. This is the option we chose to leave the island, but it is much more expensive (1050 pesos + 14 port fees). This same ferry stops twice, once in Dumaguete and once in Tagbilaran (Bohol). We don’t give you exact schedules because they change often, so check them when you arrive.
Where to sleep in Siquijor:
Without a doubt, we recommend the place where we stayed for the five nights we were in Siquijor: Lorna’s Homestay (End of the world) A small family house on the same beach as the village of San Juan, about a kilometer away. For 500 pesos, you have a room with a kitchen, fridge, fan, and hot water (quite a luxury in the Philippines). If you want a room without a kitchen, it’s 400 pesos and Lorna lets you use her own. The price includes snorkeling gear, a boat to go in search of the corals, a barbecue in case you want to grill what you’ve managed to catch with the boat, and hammocks. The only thing missing is an internet connection, but very close by is Casa Miranda where you can connect for 15 pesos per hour and where they are also very kind.
We are leaving you Lorna’s phone number because, for now, they don’t have a website or email. We advise you to call in advance because it is usually quite in demand, although when we were there, they were doing construction work to expand the house.
Phone (063) 927 381 6377
What to do in Siquijor:
-Nothing: relax and enjoy.
–Rent a motorcycle for 24 hours for about 270-300 pesos to tour the island and stop at its beaches. In the interior, there are a couple of waterfalls, the most famous are the Cambugahay Falls but we enjoyed Lugnason Falls more. If you want to have these places to yourself, avoid renting the motorcycle on the weekend.
-Go scuba diving or snorkeling in one of the several marine sanctuaries that Siquijor has. We tried the second option at Tubod Sanctuary for 200 pesos per person if you bring your own snorkeling gear. Right next to the Coco Grove resort, past the town of San Juan, there is a diving office.
– If you get tired of the beach, in the center of the island is the Mount Bandilaan Natural Park, where there are also some caves that you can explore with a guide, such as Cantabon Cave.
– In the town of San Juan, they have free natural pools (Capilay Spring Park) where you can take a very cool dip without salt or sand. They are surrounded by grass, shade, tables, and there is also a small bar where we recommend you try a spectacular Ice Tea with ice cream for only 25 pesos. Additionally, on Friday nights they set up a small “disco”
