Siquijor is the mystical island of the Philippines because of its reputation as the home of witches, sorcerers, and magic and love potions. I grew up without seeing any travel photos and would often hear from the elders that I must be kind to strangers because they might curse (“kulam”) me with a voodoo doll from Siquijor.
A big thank you for travel blogs and the whole modern traveling social media, and I was able to see Siquijor from a new fresh perspective. I remember seeing Cambugahay Falls on Instagram and the pristine clear beaches on blogs. It was a beautiful town that must not be judged by its reputation at all!
SiQUIJOR Facts
Siquijor Island is not quite in the tourism game yet due to the witchcraft myth surrounding it. So its tourism office decided to embrace this reputation by introducing the Healing Festival, where healers and witches show their powers and adding a trip to a healer in the tourist’s itinerary.
Geography:
Siquijor is the third smallest province in the Philippines, with only 327 square kilometers of land area. The province is between Negros and Cebu in the west, Bohol in the east, and Zamboanga Norte in the south. Siquijor is predominately hilly, thus the numerous cliff around.
Climate:
Siquijor has two climates – wet and dry seasons primarily dependent on the tropical monsoon. The dry season starts in February until mid-May, and the wet season is the remaining months of June to January. It is best to go during the summer or dry season.
SIQUIJOR TRAVEL GUIDE
Under Municipal Order No 665, smoking is prohibited to the whole island of Siquijor. No one sells cigarettes in the island and the rule is strictly implemented.
There’s only 3 ATMs – Allied Bank, Metrobank & Landbank, in the whole Siquijor. It is advisable to bring cash before going to the island. P5,000 is already a lot of a 3 day stay here.
Most of the beach resorts are in San Juan, Siquijor which is where the nice beaches in the province are.
Most of the beach resorts offer food as well. There are also a lot of karenderyas around, and also a Jollibee fastfood branch in Siquijor town.
Motorcycles are the best and cheapest transportation vehicle in the island. You can even learn to ride one since there’s not much cars around too.
You can see the whole island just in a whole day but I advice you to spend the night so it will be not a very jampacked tour.
Siquijor doesn’t have any nightlife or parties. There are only beach resort with open mic nights where you can have some alcohol while chattin with friends or strangers. It is a laid back island.
Telecom and internet coverage are weak and almost close to none.
How to go to SiQUIJOR
FROM MANILA:
There’s no direct flight from Manila to Siquijor province. The easiest and shortest possible route to Siquijor will be through Dumaguete. Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific offer daily flights to Dumaguete from Manila for around 5,000 PHP regular fare.
From DUMAGUETE/CEBU/BOHOL/DAPITAN:
You can travel to Siquijor from its neighbor cities – Dumaguete, Cebu, Tagbilaran, and Dapitan by sea. If Dumaguete flights are not on sale, you can also check flights to these other cities where you can ride a roro to Siquijor as side travel.
P.S. We took Montenegro Lines on our way to Siquijor and Oceanjet on going back to Dumaguete. I prefer Montenegro because it is less shaky and bigger even though it is slower. The Oceanjet is faster, but I tend to be seasick every time I ride them. If you’re prone to motion sickness, then the Oceanjet ride will be a challenge for you.
(all prices listed below are one-way fares)
Dumaguete to Siquijor
Ride a roro from Dumaguete Port to Siquijor Port. It will take 1 – 1.5 hours depending on the roro.
Oceanjet (1 hr travel): P250 – P380
GL Shipping Lines: P140 – P200
Alesson Shipping Lines: P120 – P200
Montenegro Shipping Lines: P130
Tagbilaran to Siquijor
Ride a roro from Tagbilaran Port to Larena Siquijor. Travel time is at least 1.5 hours via fast craft.
Oceanjet (1 hr travel): P860
Buy ticket via Klook.
Cebu to Siquijor
Ride a fast craft scheduled at 7AM or earlier to Tagbilaran Port then catch the fast craft to Siquijor scheduled at 10:20AM. Cebu to Tagbilaran: P680
Tagbilaran to Siquijor: P860
From South Cebu Bus Terminal, ride a Ceres bus bound to Dumaguete City. From Dumaguete, ride a roro to Siquijor. This will take 7hrs depending on Cebu’s traffic.
Ceres bus + roro ride to DGT: P320
Oceanjet to Siquijor: P380
Dapitan to Siquijor
Ride a roro from Dapitan port to Dumaguete Port. Then from Dumaguete port, catch another roro to Siquijor. Travel time will take almost 4 hrs.
Dapitan to Dumaguete via Montenegro: P440
Dapitan to Dumaguete via Fastcat: P450
Dapitan to Dumaguete via Alesson: P400
Getting Around SiQUIJOR
The number one and cheapest mode of transportation in Siquijor is by motorbike.
MOTORCYCLES
The cheapest way to roam the island is by renting motorcycles. There are multiple renting stores near the Siquijor port that only cost P300/day exclusive of gas.
MULTICAB
If you are in a group of more than three people, a multi-cab is suitable for you. Tour starts at P1,800 for a whole day tour.
TRICYCLE
The second cheapest transportation will be renting a tricycle. From Siquijor Port, it only cost P50/trip to bring you to your beach resort in San Juan, Siquijor. Depending on the places you want to see, they can also be rented for tours starting from P1,000 to P1,500. A tricycle can accommodate only up to 3 people.
VAN RENTAL
If you’re into comfort and have more than ten people in the group, it is better to rent a van. Tour starts at P2,500 and can reach P3,000 depending on the hours and places you’ll visit.
ACCOMMODATION
BLUE WAVE INN BEACH RESORT
Blue Wave Inn Beach Resort is in Siquijor, Siquijor. It is a pretty yet affordable beach resort that is just near the town. Since we were 11 in the group, we rented the two deluxe rooms for 2,400PHP and a superior room with an ocean view for 2,700PHP. Those rooms are just good for two, so we added extra beds since the rooms are already wide enough. The room rate includes welcome drinks, use of amenities, and breakfast.
What I love about this resort is its infinity pool. It is simple yet gorgeous. Blue Wave Inn also has this Kubo huts on the shore that, during high tide, it is like a floating hut where you can sit or lie down to enjoy the sea.
San Juan has the best place to stay in Siquijor. It is where the pristine beaches are.
Hostels
P500 - P1000per night
Love Shack Hostel - P500
SEE-KEE-HOR Hostel
Good Vibes Inn
Toris Backpacker's Paradise
Travis Post Homestay
Budget Hotels
P1,500 - P3,500per night
Blue Wave Inn - P2,400
Glamping Siquijor - P2,300
Treasure Island Beach - P2,200
Islandia Beach Resort - P2,000
Lazi Beach Club - P2,700
Luxury Hotels
P4,000 -P7,000per night
White Villa Resort - P4,500
Coco Grove Beach Resort - P6,000
Aquamare Beach Camp - P4,000
Salamangka Beach Dive
Infinity Heights Resort - P4,500
TOURISTS ATTRACTIONS
Cambugahay Falls
This fall is a famous tourist attraction in Siquijor. Go early morning to avoid the crowd, and don’t forget to try the Tarzan swing.
Entrance fee: P10 | Unli swing: P50 | Balsa: P20 | Lifevest Rental: P100
credits to Siquijor-island.com
Century Old Balete Tree + Fish Spa
This Balete tree is believed to be 400 years old and what makes it different is that it has a fish spa around it.
Entrance fee: free
credits to Siquijor-island.com
Capilay Spring Park and Hot Spring
Capilay hot spring is a public man-made pool, but its water is freshwater coming from nearby hills.
Salagdoong Beach
Salagdoong Beach is famous for its cliff diving. It has a 20 and 30 ft cliff diving for the adrenaline junkies.
Entrance fee: 75 PHP
credits to Siquijor-island.com
Lazi convent & Church
Lazi Convent has been the biggest convent in the country since the 80s, but it is now a museum. Across it is the Lazi Church which is a national historic shrine.
Entrance fee: free
St. Francis de Assisi Church + Welcome to Siquijor sign
St. Francis de Assisi Church is just a walk from Siquijor port. Across from it is the famous Welcome to Siquijor sign.
Faith Healing tour
There are faith healing tours offered in the town of Siquijor. They’ll bring you to Siquijor’s healers and shamans to experience their rituals. You’ll also be amazed and intrigued with their magic and love potions (around P300) sell around.
FOOD
Hapitanan Cafe and Restaurant
Hapitanan Cafe and Restaurant is the most famous food place in Siquijor. It is usually included in tours because it is where you can take that riding in a flying broom photo.
Jollibee Siquijor Town
The first-ever Jollibee branch is Siquijor opened in Siquijor town, making it only the fast food chain on the island.
Larena Triad Coffee Shop and Restaurant
If you’re a fan of overlooking restaurants, you should visit Larena Triad Coffee Shop and Restaurant. The road here is a little steep, but the view above is worth it. Food is good for sharing and somehow in the pricey range.
credits to Monkey Business Siquijor Facebook Page
Monkey Business Siquijor
Do you want something very Instagram-worthy? Head to Monkey Business Siquijor because this place and food are screaming aesthetic. They also have an open mic every 7 PM.
SIQUIJOR TRAVEL GUIDE
