7 reasons to visit Siargao Island in the Philippines

With being voted the best island in the world by Conde Nast Traveller, Siargao is the one to add to your list especially if you are a fan of surfing. This gorgeous island often referred to as Bali 20 years ago, offers a more authentic experience to your travels in South East Asia. In this post I wanted to share my top 7 reasons to visit Siargao Philippines.

In all honesty, I had no idea what to expect when I decided to go there but seeing a drone shots for the bent palm tree gave me the feeling that this is the one and I must go. Don’t you just love listening to your gut! Truly it never disappoints.

Bent coconut tree over the Maasin river

Siargao turned out to be more than just a picture-perfect Bent coconut tree over the secret Maasin river. It was more of an experience that I will never forget. I embarked on this adventure with my tripod, hoping to capture some of islands atmosphere but little did I know that I will make friends for life and want to plan my return as soon as possible. Hopefully for longer than 5 days.

If you decide to visit Massin river and the bridge, it will take approximately 20-minute scooter ride and a small fee to pay to locals that are keeping the river clean and accessible. You can even take your try on the rope swing and jump in the river.

Cloud 9

Siargao is an experience and with surging being a centre activity of the island, I’m making this the number one reason to visit. Surfing lessons are given by the locals around Could a famous surfer spot north of General Luna which is the main touristy area. Cloud 9 has the best waves in Siargao and its a very famous spot amongst surfers. I sadly don’t surf but I enjoyed a beautiful sunset over the Broadwalk and watching fit surfer boys as they ride waves.

Zero plastic

I’ve never been to an island that asked me not to bring any plastic to it or to pick up any plastic I see along the way and put it in the conveniently located across the island. The local government launched the campaign to get rid of all the plastic and turn it into eco-bricks which are later used to build furniture or other outdoor buildings. How cool is that?

People

I’ve heard great things about Filipino hospitality but in all honesty, Siargao exceeded all of my expectations. I made friends with beautiful girls that run the hostel. I stayed at Sinag Hostel and loved the community feel where everyone talks, eats and chills together. This was my first hostel experience and I honestly loved it so much.

Island Hopping

The best thing about being in a paradise, like the Philippines is that you get to island-hop. People that visit Siargao usually opt for island hopping tour that includes visiting Guyam Island, Daku Island, and Naked Island. The tour is below $30 and a very good way to see as much as possible in one day. It also includes lunch. You will be able to find many tour operators in General Luna and I generally recommend that you book via the hotel/hostel you are staying at, rather than booking in advance.

I didn’t do the island hopping tour myself but instead decided to kayak from Siargao to Guyam with one of the guys from my hostel. It took under an hour to kayak over and it was such a great experience. I loved being in the open water and seeing other islands in the distance. Once we got the Guyam we spent a day chilling on the beach, sipping beer and watching the most beautiful sunset.

There is a small entrance to pay to Guyam Island which goes to locals to maintain the cleanliness and access. The kayak can be rented from General Luna or just have your hotel sort it out for you.

Activities with locals

I met a couple of locals including my new Pharel lookalike friend who moved to Siargao from LA to build a hostel. He is the kindest human who took me and my other hostel friend Kim around the island, showing us secret beaches and the best spots to get fresh coconuts. If you are travelling on your own there are many activities that you can take part in that will help you meet other travellers.

There are a couple of resorts that offer yoga classes including Kermit, Lotus and Buddha Resort.

I rented a scooter for about 400 per day and rode around taking myself to dinner and just exploring the island. Always make sure that you ride responsibly as scooter accidents are a serious thing and you should always be done with care.

Lastly, I booked myself onto a land tour that included a visit to Sugba Lagoon. Even though Sugba Lagoon was beautiful it was overly touristy and it wouldn’t be my first choice, should I return to Siargao. On the land tour, we visited many cool Instagram spots that include million dollar views  and Magpupungko Rock Pools.

Magpupungko Rock Pools is one of the coolest things to do in Siargao and are perfect if you are more on the adventurous side and enjoy cliff jumping. Sadly I’m not that adventurous but I enjoyed watching others take the plunge.

Palm Forests

I’ve never seen anything like it, endless palm tree view spreading across. It gave me a feeling of gratitude and appreciations for our planet. We truly have so much beauty available to us and we need to make sure we are looking after it.

All in all, Siargao is one of the most beautiful and active islands I have ever been to. I didn’t go out much when I was out here so hopefully the next time I will explore the nightlife. I did enjoy waking up at 5 am every morning and starting my day in meditation and gratitude.

Do you have any plans to visit Siargao? Let me know if you found this post helpful.

Tania xxx