The Mystical Island of Siquijor: An Overview

The original plan was this: tour the southern part of Cebu and the island of Bohol. We successfully did the former but failed to accomplish the latter due to some unfavorable events. Because of it, Robbie and I decided to come up with an alternative plan. Good thing was, we met RV and helped us with our predicament.

The beautiful port of San Juan, Siquijor

We did not really expect that we would invade the mystical island of Siquijor the following day!

Stories about Siquijor

I first heard Siquijor from Magandang Gabi Bayan's Halloween special. According to that particular episode, Siquijor is [notoriously] known as the land of spells and black magic. More so, my great grandmother hails from that island. It one of the reasons why my brother and I had millions of anting-anting and other colorful charms pinned underneath our shirts and shorts when we were still young. A lot of people feared this island, including me.

It was only a few months ago when my perception about that island changed. Reading those blog posts about Siquijor made me realize that the place itself has a lot to offer. I planned to visit this island this year but I never, EVER, anticipated that I'd be coming there this soon!

Frankly speaking, we were so disappointed when we found out that we won't be able to visit Bohol. I have already conditioned my mind that I'd be finally experiencing jumping off a cliff or have a close encounter with the Philippine tarsier! But we soon realized that our initial disappointment was actually a blessing in disguise.

And oh, because of our spontaneous plan, we met The Pinay Solobackpacker along the road.

The day when I met Ate Gail for the first time! Awesome meet-up at Obong Spring, Dalaguete, Cebu! :D

How to Get to Siquijor

After swimming with the gentle giants of Oslob, we hailed a tricycle and zoomed all the way to Liloan, the southernmost town of the island of Cebu. From the port, we took a ferry going to Sibulan, Negros Oriental. Travel time is only 20 minutes.

From Sibulan, we took a multicab going to the main port of Dumaguete City near Silliman University. Travel time from Dumaguete City to Siquijor Island by small ferry is approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes.

And upon arrival at the mystical island, this was the view that greeted us:

Welcome to Siquijor!

Posing at the beach resort... este... port area.

Aquamarine water!

This was, by far, the cleanest and the most beautiful port that I have ever seen in my entire life! Usually, ports are polluted by oil, grime and other waste materials but not this one! Despite the intense heat of the sun, we spent more time at the port than anyone. Lol! #touristyactions

Going Around

There are two options: rent a motorcycle or hire a tricycle driver.

Because none of us knew how to ride (and even operate) a motorcycle, we decided hire a trike instead. The tour costed Php 1,000/day or Php 333 per person. I initially thought that it was expensive but after touring the island, it was actually worth it. I suggest that you hire a tricycle driver who is affiliated to the tourism office of the province.

The tour started around eight in the morning and ended up at around three in the afternoon. We literally circled the whole island, went to different places and had a friendly encounter with the locals.

Siquijor LITERALLY took my breath away. Beautiful is an understatement; there are no adjectives that can perfectly describe the island.

The places that I've visited in Siquijor deserve a separate blog post.

Stay tuned. :)