Filipijnen: Siquijor eiland en Dumaguete reisgids

Siquijor Philippines: jungle, waterfalls, white beaches, cliff jumping, fish spa.

Siquijor is not the largest island in the Philippines. But one of the nicest! Compact, green and extremely varied. From the beach, blue sea to high in the mountains: there are plenty of highlights! You can enjoy yourself here for at least 4 days. Dive into a waterfall, ‘do some cliff jumping’.

Or let fish kiss your feet in the ‘fish spa’. Rent a trycile and drive around the entire island in 1 day. Siquijor is a nice island for the whole family. Our ladies give this island a big 9. Because: plenty of water activities, trips, the island is nice and quiet.

What to do on Siquijor Island Philippines?

Take an island trip. Get into a tricycle with the whole family and tear around the entire Philippine island in one day. (1000 Php: 16 Euro for a whole day). It doesn’t go very fast, but it is certainly fun. Chug, sputter and hum across the green island of Siquijor. A great way to visit all the sights of Siquijor in one go. And practically every driver knows how to find this.

Balete tree: with fish spa

Our first stop is the Balete tree: a 400 year old tree. A ‘fish spa’ has been created at the feet of this old berry. Sit in the cool shade of the tree and let small fish nibble the dead skin cells from your feet. It does tickle a bit. Juup: ‘Those little fish can bite hard sometimes, they certainly don’t get anything to eat here.’ Oh yes, be careful, it is slippery at times. For me this warning comes too late. Argh.

Lazi church

The Lazi complex in the village of Lazi consists of a church and monastery. What a magical place this is. The oldest (1884) and largest church in Siquijor is hidden under the green roof of old trees. The church is partly made of blocks of coral. This Romanesque church is sober on the outside and inside. A beautiful wooden floor invites you inside. Travel nose Pip: ‘Did you know that this is the only church in the entire area with a wooden floor?’

Silent convention

Opposite the church is the equally old ‘silent convent’ monastery. This 2-storey building looks beautiful in the sun. The galleries invite you to walk through, but unfortunately the monastery is not open to the public. Juup: ‘There is also a lawn, where you can run nicely.’ Indeed, Juup, if it’s a little less warm, I’d like to join in.

Cambugahay falls

This waterfall consists of 3 small waterfalls. The ice blue water is wonderfully fresh. You can swim here and swing into the water on a rope like a real Tarzan or Jane. There are also life jackets available for rent, so small children can float around safely.

It is especially busy in the largest waterhole, so we look for a waterfall higher up. We climb and clamber, slide through the water in search of a cool pool. This pool is slightly smaller, but nice and clear. Juup: ’that’s crazy, the water is colder than the sea’.

Slipped

Just when I’m walking a little too enthusiastically in the water, my slipper gets caught on a pebble. Oh, there go my slippers. The waterfalls are accessible via a staircase with 50 steps. Have to do the return trip without slippers. No problem, the driver will know what to do a little later. We chug to a shop. A pair of ‘Air Max Havaianas’ offer a solution.

Salagdoong beach

Salagdoong beach looks almost unreal: too good to be true. Super. This beach with 80s vibes is part of the resort of the same name. In the Philippines, many beaches are owned by resorts. For that reason, a ‘beach entrance fee’ is often desirable. The white sandy beach is hidden in a beautiful bay. Characteristic of Salagdoong is the large rock. This beach also has something strange about it. A 1970s bridge and 2 disused slides from the time of the Hulk and Rambo.

 Cliff jumping

The attraction of Salagdoong beach? Cliff jumping. Local dare devils make impressive somersaults from the dizzying rock. I’m already starting to feel short of breath when I look down from the springboard. So I keep it nice and safe when chilling by the sea. By the way, Salagdoong beach does not have many shady spots. Want a bite to eat by the sea? There is a small beach bar with basic food.

More to see and do on Siquijor: moping in the mountains

You can enjoy snorkeling, diving and bouncing from beach to beach on Siquijor. Fancy a tour of the island? Rent a moped and moped around the entire island just like us. Cruise to the sea, or drive into the mountains towards the beautiful Lugnason falls. We did not visit the latter. My moped skills in the mountains are not optimal.

Refuting boundaries

In the Netherlands, or any other country, I would never get on a scooter with a child. There is little traffic in Siquijor, and luckily there is only 1 main road, so we took the plunge. The girls like it. Juup: ‘Mom, I won’t ride on the back of you anymore, you drive way too slow. It’s much more fun with daddy on the back.’

Paliton beach

We moped to Paliton beach. A small beach annex marine reserve, with locals. Rent a boat, bring your snorkel and go hunting for beautiful treasures. There are not many shady spots on this small but nice beach. The water is dazzling blue, the sand is snow white. It’s funny that trees even grow in coral rocks. By the way, there is no beach bar.

Banking on your moped?

We continue to the ‘capital’ Siquijor. With the wind at our backs we scour the green island. Our goal in Siquijor? Banking matters. There are several ATMs on the island. You can only book a Maestro in Larena and Siquijor. The device is down due to a power failure. So we drive 18 km back to San Juan and go to Coco Grove resort.

Coco grove: Tubod beach

Bounty beach: Tubod beach has everything your heart desires. The beach at Coco Grove is spacious, white and there are some sunbeds with parasols. An entrance fee is required. Unless you have a bite to eat in the restaurant. The beach itself is nice and wide, the turquoise sea is wonderful for swimming. There is often a cool breeze here. Make sure you bring plenty of sunscreen, because it goes fast.

Got a bit hungry?

There are 2 good restaurants on Tubod beach: Salamanca (next to Coco Grove resort) and Sun set restaurant. We eat several times at Sun set restaurant in Coco Grove resort. Our girls eat home made fish and chips and think they are great. The curry, and especially the lemon cheese cake with real coffee, is also delicious. This location by the sea is nice for a late and long lunch. This is a great idea, especially when it is so hot.

Swimming with turtles on Apo Island

APO Island is a small picturesque island near Siquijor. The island’s specialty is ‘swimming with turtles’. And so we take a day trip to Apo Island. Coco Grove has a yacht and sails to Apo Island almost every day (7.30 am). https://www.reisachtig.com/2020/03/23/zwemmen-met-schildpadden/

Where do we eat in Siquijor?

Highly recommended with kids is: Monkey business in San Juan. A cozy bar and restaurant. Take a seat on a swing and enjoy live music and ice-cold smoothies and beer. The food (a veggie burger curry, fries and fish) are just tasty, but not very special. The atmosphere is great, and so are the drinks.

Baha heavenly bar

Nice restaurant in San Juan, with really tasty food and a good menu. Take off your shoes, sneak upstairs and creep across the beautiful wooden floor and make yourself at home. The interior is cozy, and practically everything is made of wood. There is also a garden, and occasionally a movie is shown. The spring rolls, tacos, banana blossom burger, home made ice cream, and pizza are all equally delicious. The food and drinks are worth coming back for. So Baha a la manjana!

Where to stay on Siquijor?

There are more than enough hotels in Siquijor. We stay for 5 nights at Tropical Fun Ta sea in San Juan! A relaxed new beach resort right on the sea. With spacious and new family rooms (around 60 Euro per night). From the third floor you look out over the tropical paradise. Heavenly. The resort rents SUP boards and canoes. So we paddle away. A small disadvantage of the resort is that it is high tide during most of the day. From 5 p.m. the tide is low, and you can float endlessly.

How to get to Siquijor?

Vanuit Manila. Vlieg met Cebu airlines naar Dumaguete een neem van daaruit de ferry naar Siquijor. Neem vanuit Tagbilaran (eiland Bohol) de Oeanjet ferry naar Larena port in Siquijor. Tickets: 600 PHP volwassenen, kinderen tot 3 jaar gratis. De overtocht duurt 2 uur. Je kunt ook met de ferry vanuit Cebu naar Siquijor reizen. Of vanuit Dumaguete: eiland Negros. De oversteek met de ferry duurt ongeveer 1,5 uur. Reserveren is doorgaans niet nodig: behalve in de paasvakantie.

Retteketet op naar Dumaguete

Vanuit Siquijor hoppen we door naar Dumaguete. Een gemoedelijke, gezellige universiteitsstad op eiland Negros in de Filipijnen. Juist vanwege de afwisseling is een dagje stad een prima afwisseling. Dumaguete is redelijk overzichtelijk en dus prima om ook met kinderen te bezoeken.  Deze stad staat bekend om zijn ‘night market’. Dit is de plek voor street-food.  Helaas hebben wij deze -na een lange dag- niet meer gehaald.

Wat te zien en te doen in Dumaguete?

Slenteren over de Rizal boulevard

Dumaguete is een relaxte studentenstad. Compact, overzichtelijk en gezellig. Alle sights liggen op loopafstand van elkaar. Ideaal met kinderen. Het handelsmerk van de stad is de Rizal boulevard. Hier is het vanaf een uur of vier heerlijk slenteren. Studenten en toeristen flaneren zij aan zij.

Vrienden voor het leven

Aan de boulevard is het een komen en gaan van mensen. Mensen die gezien en gehoord willen worden. A Al snel raken we in gesprek een met twee jeugdige heren van 96. Peter en John zijn al 50 jaar vrienden en chillen dagelijks aan de boulevard. Ik geef ze geen ongelijk, met een briesje is het hier prima. Een stukje verderop laat een man z’n konijnen uit. Parmantig wippen de kleine pluizen over het strookje groen. Retteketet Dumaguete is (te) gek.

Siliman Sibilan campus

De Siliman campus is het hart van Dumaguete. Slenter net als de rest van de Filipino’s over de boulevard naar de Siliman campus. Een mooi terrein met oud universiteits- gebouw. Deze is omgebouwd tot museum. Op dit terrein is ook het walvissen museum en kweekvijver te vinden. Studenten bestuderen hier de kikkers en vissen. Het complex is sfeervol, studenten in uniform lopen af en aan.

Studenten in patat ruit

De vrouwelijke studenten dragen – net als ik die dag- een rood met witte rok met patat ruitje. Niet vreemd dus dat ik een beetje vreemd wordt aangekeken. Er zijn allerlei lessen te volgen. Van chemy- tot bakery. Er loopt een meisje met blauwe cupcakes voorbij. ‘Planet cakes legt ze uit’. PIP: ‘die zijn echt cool, ik hoop dat wij die ook op school gaan maken’. Een andere student zeult zich een breuk aan een enorme map met tekeningen. Alles en iedereen loopt kriskras door elkaar, op weg naar allerlei classes.

Meer in en rondom Dumaguete?

Want to spend several days in Dumaguete? Opposite the university grounds is the Dumaguete Cathedral. The Quezon city park is also a nice place to chill out. Would you rather get out of the city? .Go to Casaroro waterfall and also visit the Red rock hot springs outside Dumaguete. (45 minutes by car from Dumaguete). Valencia is also a nice village near Dumaguete.

Where to eat in Dumaguete?

At Casablanca right on the boulevard. The lemon balm lemonade is delicious. The Spazle is good but the rest of the dishes are not great. In short, keep going. There is a wonderful pastry shop and a good restaurant of the same name in a side street of the boulevard near Casablanca. Sans Rival pastry. Delicious coffee and very sweet cake. This is a popular tea room so take a number and wait patiently. The adjacent Sans Rival restaurant is considered by many to be a great place.

Robbison Mall: Zumba and shopping

We walk into the mall to hunt for snorkels for the girls. And so you come across a Zumba class. Why an expensive gym when you can just train in the hall of the shopping center? A small group of ladies are swinging away. The store staff participates a little from a distance. A funny scene. In the clothing store I buy some UV shirts for Kids and speedo glasses for Juup.

What’s next?

Hooray for a travel day! We travel from Dumaguete by ferry and bus: the bus goes on the boat to Cebu city. This is a really nice experience. We stay 1 night in the big city. For us, Cebu is nothing more than a way station to travel to the island of Palawan. Cebu island is nice, but Cebu city is mainly big and not that spectacular.

 From Dumaguete to Palawan?

There is a direct flight to Palawan: Air Juan, Cebu Airlines. Book early to avoid exorbitant ticket prices. We are late for reasonable prices. The alternative is to fly to Puerto Princesa via Manila. However, the stopover lasts 4 hours. An affordable alternative?

Travel via Cebu like us. From Dumaguete take the bus to Cebu, and fly from Cebu to PP. It is also possible to fly to Cebu in an hour with Cebu airlines. In an ideal world it would be possible to do 2 flights in 1 day. Please allow for delays. https://www.reisachtig.com/2022/04/12/palawan-mooiste-eiland-van-de-hele-wereld/

How to get from Dumaguete to surrounding islands?

Simply by boat: see the schedule below.