Siargao Travel Guide 2019 | Things To Do For Non-Surfers

It has been years since I've posted about travel here on my blog, also because I didn't have the time for the past few years. I've been willing to make a new one and we were looking for places to visit and be adventurous then ta-dah! We traveled to Siargao just recently and I'm very excited to share with you my 6-day experience in Siargao, where to go, what to eat and what to do. Here's a quick Siargao travel guide.

Siargao has been recently dubbed as the Best Island this 2019 and I agree to that. With its overflowing sea of beautiful coconut and palm trees, huge and inviting ocean waves, endless clear blue water, a peaceful community and stunning places that are to die for it is a place, everyone must at least visit once in their lives. Located in the South of the Philippines, Siargao Island is a surfer's haven and is one the reason why tourism is rising. Countless foreigners and even locals rush here to experience magnificent waves, but what if you are not the surfer type? Worry not because there are numerous fun activities you can go for!

Now before we step into things to do and places to visit let me share with you how we planned this trip. We only planned this for two months and we visited last June. Now there are two things almost everyone checks first before pushing thru, where to stay and how much is the flight going there (and there's a promo).

WHERE TO STAY IN SIARGAO

- There are lots and lots of places you can choose from, it depends on your preference and purpose whether you are going as a solo backpacker, as a family, barkada or a couple like us.

There are 7 places you can stay in Siargao, Santa Monica, San Benito, San Isidro, Del Carmen, Pilar, Dapa, and General Luna. If you seek food trip, nightlife and tours I recommend staying in General Luna. But you can still stay within the other areas since the commute is easy.

If you are on a tight budget, going solo or even with a group of friends, a perfect option is a hostel. Lampara, Jings, Alpas, and Lumad are some of the hostels my friends recommended. For families or friends who opt for a more private room, Homestay is the best option or if you want to splurge a little I recommend The Hillside Resort, Bravo and Siargao Bleu Resort and Spa. Now if you are a couple like us and are on a tight budget but on the look for a comfortable, clean place and with wifi I recommend Sunflower House Siargao, they don't have a television in the room, but hey you did not visit Siargao to just watch TV right? What I liked about their place is the relaxing front yard where you can lounge, read a book or just lie down while the palm trees cover you from the sun. As of this August, they serve breakfast so that's a plus! You can check them at booking.com for availability and rates. We paid for 10,500 pesos for 5 nights and that's a good deal! It's located on the other side of the main road, but is a 5-7 minute walk to the main road and is near Mama's grill.

HOW TO TRAVEL TO SIARGAO ISLAND

- Cebu Pacific has direct flights from Manila to Siargao! However, if you want a cheaper option,  there's a layover at Cebu which is what we did.

- Philippine Airlines also have direct flights to Siargao

*make sure to score promos with Ceb Pac for cheaper flights. We paid for 14,200+ for 2 round trip tickets with 20kg luggage so that's about 7100+ per head.

Siargao is a breathtaking paradise and one of the main reasons we traveled here is because of the many places and activities you can try. I have been searching and asking friends what travel agency can best help us see the beauty of this place and we found Gotmarked Tours. They have reasonable prices and I liked their photos on their FB page :D If you're a non-surfer I'm sure you'll enjoy every activity here.

Another option is to DIY your own tour, it's easy to get around the area. The most basic mode of transportation are motorcycles or if you are a big group you can rent a van for 2000 pesos (from what I can remember). Getting around is also easy if you don't know how to ride a motorcycle, you can find tricycles everywhere just pay for 20 pesos per head only then 30 pesos if late at night.

Here is a list of their tours, and some photos I took during our trip.

Land Tour: 1700 per head with lunch included
- Coconut Mt. View
- Magpupungko Rock Pool
- Sugba Lagoon
- Maasin River

COCONUT MT. VIEW

One of the most breathtaking view is the Coconut Mt. View. You will easily see this place if you are going to General Luna or Magpupungko Rock Pool. You can come by this place every day and see a land full of coconut trees! Some people also sell bamboo straws for 100 pesos only!

MAGPUPUNGKO ROCK POOLS

The famous Magpupungko Rock Pools is a 45-minute drive from Genera Luna. It is famous for its tidal pool which appears during low tide, which changes daily so better check first. The clear blue and teal water is a stunning view and an inviting spot. You can cliff dive, chill at a cove, snorkel and view the rocks below your feet. Just make sure to wear sandals or swim shoes here since the floor consists of a lot of rocks. 

I didn't get to take a photo of the tidal pool since there's a looot of people swimming and walking around.

There are tons of eatery in the area so don't worry if you didn't bring any food with you. Prices are reasonable plus you need to try their cassava snack.

There are also a lot of starfish and fishes trapped during low tide, and here we found one!

MAASIN RIVER

When searching for Siargao photos, Maasin river is one of the most searched one because of the famous bent tree where tourists or locals can swing from it. The area is covered with lots of coconut and palm trees making it amazing in photos. You can even take more pictures in the raft locals have, the girl who takes photos there is VERY patient! She even told me she had to take photos of a tourist for an hour just to get that perfect shot! She doesn't ask for any payment, but make sure to give her something for the effort ;)

Also under the bridge you can buy pasalubong, like shirts, hats, refrigerator magnet and other souvenirs, they offer good prices. I didn't find other places in General Luna where to buy souvenirs, so I recommend this place.

SUGBA LAGOON

Take a short day trip to Sugba Lagoon! It's a 20 min boat ride which is passing through numerous mangroves. The boat ride itself is already an adventure! I was scared to death thinking there were crocodiles in the area, but they made sure it's safe. 

Sugba Lagoon is known for this view where you can take photos on the diving board or continue that rush of excitement and jump from it too! Of course, I was too scared to jump so I took a photo of a fellow tourist XD. Even though this place has lots of people from time to time you won't have a problem finding your own space to relax. They have several water activities you can also try like a kayak, paddle boarding, snorkeling, relaxing on a raft, swim or just watch the people jumping from the diving board!

For water activities, I remember we paid 300 for the kayak, the same price for the paddleboard and 500 for the raft.

Kayaking was one experience I didn't know I'd enjoy! Even though the sun was striking hot, the cool water eased the temperature plus the view took our breath away. We rowed from end to end of the lagoon and it was so much fun! I know I panicked at first just the thought that the water is very deep but I conquered it and enjoyed the view.

Day two is our Island hopping and here are the inclusions.

- 1700 per head

- Sohoton Cove

- Bucas Grande Island

- Hagukan Cave

- Magkuku-ob cave

- Jellyfish sanctuary

- Naked island

- Guyam island

- Daku Island

SOHOTON COVE

Sohoton Cove is found outside Siargao and is located at Soccoro which is a 2-hour boat ride from General Luna's port. We departed the port by 7am and reached Sohoton Cove by 9am. Make sure to travel as early as you can to avoid lots of people lining up for the activities. One of the best water activities you can find is in this place, and if you are seeking for adventure you will be thrilled! Since there are water activities, you can rent snorkeling things from the port, I forgot how much since we did not need any.

Upon arrival, our guide gathered us by groups of 4 and 5 for the boat ride to Hagukan Cave. We enjoyed the entire ride since our guide educated us about Sohoton Cove, don't worry I won't spill the beans. It's for you to find out :)

When we arrived at Hagukan Cave the place really amazed us, it may be a small cave but when you go inside you will see how the water illuminates and when you splash you will see how it glows! You can already see the glow under the water in this photo! We enjoyed splashing and fascinated by the luminescent water. Oh by the way the water is 30 feet outside the cave and 15 feet (I think) once inside. The guides are also amazing swimmers because they float with simple flippers and they take your photos! The photo I have here is from my phone, but don't worry I placed it inside a ziplock!

Our next destination was the Magkuku-ob Cave, unfortunately, I didn't have a photo here since there's this extreme activity we'll be doing! This cave is a one-way street, once you go up, you can't get down and the only way to exit is jumping to where you began. Huh just when I thought I can excuse myself, well there's no turning back now! It's a bit claustrophobic inside the cave but it will get your adrenaline up and get ready for the dive! I have a video clip here of me and Kevin jumping!

After that intense cliff dive, we went back to the main port and lined up for the Jellyfish Sanctuary. Unfortunately, it was not high time to see many jellyfish but we were lucky enough to find a lot of cute ones!

Our boatman was a friendly and accommodating person! He always offers to take our photos and let me say he's got skills! 

ISLAND HOPPING (NAKED ISLAND, GUYAM ISLAND, AND DAKU ISLAND)

There are three major Islands every tourist must visit, Naked Island, Guyam Island, and Daku Island. From Sohoton Cove that is another 2-hour boat ride. These Islands are already included in the Island trip, with lunch.

GUYAM ISLAND

One of the smallest islands I've been to! It may be small but there are lots of places to take good photos! You can walk through the entire island in just minutes! But even though it's small, it's paradise!

DAKU ISLAND

Daku means big, and this is the biggest island among the three. Daku island surprised me because there are families who do live here and they serve a feast of seafood! The island is also covered with tall palm trees which gives shade and coolness to the air.

They also sell delicious lemonade! The man who was selling these mentioned he came from Cavite and moved to Daku for the love of his life, that's sweet! People here are accommodating and the island is a great place to relax. Since it's a big island you can play beach volleyball here, they also have huts where you can eat while enjoying the view, or maybe watch the sunset.

NAKED ISLAND

The name of the island says it all! It's a small sandbar with just a little grass but not much. Sunbathe all you can!

COCONUT ROAD

North Land Tour is a private tour, but since there are only 2 of us that is 3500 per head. I don't recommend taking this one however since you can DIY the tour. And we did not get to see the other places :(

One of my goals, when we traveled to Siargao, is to take a lot of photos in the iconic areas and remember each moment and reminisce it. Good thing there are lots of places to capture and experience! This coconut road is one of the most sought after places to take photos and we did not let this pass.

PACIFICO BEACH

If you want a little time away from the crowd of General Luna, Pacifico beach is the place you should go. Going to Pacifico beach may be a long drive especially if you're only traveling by motorcycle, but it's worth it. This peaceful side of the island is a hideaway from the toxic city in Manila. There are some homestay available in the area if you want a more private place. 

TAKTAK FALLS

Taktak Falls is also way up North of the island and is not a place that's overly crowded. There is an entrance fee if you're planning to visit, I forgot how much but it won't exceed 50 pesos. There are also cottages if you are planning on staying longer and eat.

ALEGRIA BEACH FROM THE LIGHTHOUSE VIEW

We went up North and didn't know it was low tide. But although you can see the seabed it's still a wonderful view. We found this view from the lighthouse which is a little bit hard to find since the roadside is covered with plants, but if you look closely you will see and opening. Going to the lighthouse was a bit challenging because there are TONS of rocks you'll walk on going up. It's like hiking but harder XD

The view was still worth it.

Now for all the tour we paid for 13800 for 2 people.

WHERE TO EAT IN SIARGAO

We've seen the places one can go if you're not a surfer, now let's take a look at the places you can eat! Some photos of the places are not here but don't worry I'll add them on my list. Note that since the island is full of tourists, the food price is a little bit up there but still reasonable.

1. Bake Siargao
- If you're looking for a breakfast place with good food and interiors, Bake Siargao is a must-try. They open from 7am - 5pm Thursday to Tuesday. They offer all-day breakfast here. Oh, and it's just walking distance from Sunflower house!

2. Shaka Siargao Cafe 
- Enjoy a protein bowl from Shaka while watching the waves at cloud nine. They are open daily from 6:30am to 5:30pm, just writing this makes me want to eat a whole bowl of their bomdai (nope I forgot the name) but it's so freakin good! One bowl will keep you full until noon. Prices of their bowls start at 250 pesos.

3. Never miss dining at Kermit!

- Kermit is one of the famous dining places you can visit, but make sure to come in early if you want to eat dinner here. Their desserts and pizza are a must-try here. They have great service plus the place and ambiance are wonderful.

*TIP come by 3-4pm and stay until pizzas are available! They serve them by 5pm. We got there by 4pm and got the desserts for then waited until 5pm to order the pizza. By 6pm the whole place is already packed!

CHOCOLATE LAVA CAKE AND MANGO FLOAT OF KERMIT

4. Barrel Sports bar Siargao

- If you want a more open and sports bar type of restaurant, Barrel is a must-try. They serve this mouthwatering Jack Daniels Burger! One burger can make you full already, and partner this with their potato wedges, yum!

5. Cantina

- Lechon Kawali and liempo please!

6. Mama's Grill

- For grilled seafood or meat! Their marination is sooo freakin good! I recommend the grilled chicken.

7. Their famous Pandecoco near the church!

8. Bravo if you want to be a little fancy

9. Balai Tomas for shrimp and sisig!

They have a lot of other restaurants you can try, but these are the most recommended ones :)

If you're looking for nightlife the location is different every day, to give way for the restaurants to accommodate more people, just ask the locals where the party is going for that day.

So that's it! if you're asking how much did we spend for everything, that's 53,500. I know it's pricey, but you can still travel here on a budget especially if your going solo or in a big group. It's a definite must-travel place if you want to relax, or seek adventure!

For more information you can contact and find Sunflower Homes Siargao and Gotmarked Tours on facebook.

I hope this helps, if ever you have questions just comment down and I'll try my best to answer everything!

Templo | UNLIMITED CRABS, SHRIMP AND MEAT

When Filipinos hear the word UNLIMITED, there's no question that we will all try that! May it be meat, pasta, pizza, dessert or SEAFOOD. I have tried unlimited crabs before and I was glad to find a new place I can dig my fingers into. Templo is known for their Szechuan dishes, and now they ventured into unlimited crabs, shrimp and meat. If you're wondering where this place is located, you can find them at 55 Dapitan St. Barangay Lourdes Quezon City.

I didn't expect anything when I went here, but with the first impression, it's a quaint Chinese restaurant where you can see small pieces that reminds you of temples and Chinese tradition. Upon entering you will get that whiff of crab smell but nothing fishy. The place is a little small and can house up to 30 people.

For the Menu, they serve crabs, shrimp, and meat as of now. Either Ala Carte or Unlimited.

Price
549 - unlimited meat
699 - unlimited shrimp and meat
888 - unlimited crab, shrimp, scallops and meat
kiddie rate - 50% off 4 years old and below

- NO TIME LIMIT
- No Sharing
- Inclusive of Tax
- Leftover fee: 650 pesos
- No service charge

The unlimited dishes also come with a side of crab rice.

SIGNATURE MILK TEA

LICK ICED TEA

Let's take a look at their sauces. For the crabs, they have Soy Garlic Crab, Salted Egg Crab, and Steamed Crab. 

The shrimp has 3 sauces, soy garlic shrimp, sweet and chili shrimp, and salted egg tempura.

For the meat, they have Szechuan sliced pork, Szechuan pork intestine, and Szechuan duck breast.

SOY GARLIC CRAB AND SHRIMP

SOY GARLIC CRABS

I was surprised to see how large the crabs were when they served it to us! They were juicy and every bite was just how I thought it would be. The meat is also big and tasty. For the sauce, soy garlic sauce was my favorite since it has a looot of garlic and you can really taste it. When we opened the crabs we were wondering where the aligue went because every single crab doesn't have one, and maybe they added it to the crab rice.

SALTED EGG CRAB

The salted egg crab has a thin layer of salted egg batter on the outer layer and it's also one of my favorite. I was thinking since Templo is known for Szechuan, they should also have a Szechuan crab and that would be fantastic!

LEFT: SWEET AND CHILI, RIGHT: SOY GARLIC

For the shrimp, of course, I loved the soy garlic shrimp!!! However, I was not a fan of the sweet chili. 

LEFT: SZECHUAN PORK INTESTINE, RIGHT: SALTED EGG TEMPURA

Now when they say Szechuan we all think how spicy that would be, but here you can tell them the level of spiciness you want. Our Szechuan pork intestine has the right amount of spiciness and we love the little crunch it has! It's not malansa and is cooked well. If you didn't taste the spiciness, it's at the end and it lingers.

For the salted egg tempura, the first bite was heavenly! It's malinamnam and the batter is not thick and the shrimp has the same size as the sweet chili and soy garlic one. However, if you already ate about 3 pieces you'll taste the saltiness of it and need a lot of water. 

LEFT: SZECHUAN SLICED PORK, RIGHT: SZECHUAN DUCK BREAST

I love their Szechuan sliced pork, it's tasty and the meat is tender.

I recommend this place since the crabs are big and of quality. They also make sure to serve small sizes so you won't be getting leftovers. You can also make reservations to make sure you have a slot since the place can get packed fast. The only downside here is they have no time limit, I know that's an advantage for us and we can get our money's worth for sure. However, I witnessed customers turned away since the place is still packed and the entire time we were there no new customers got in. I mean you can stay there from 12nn until closing time! I just hope they change that to cater to more people. Aside from that this place is a winner.

Overall
Food - Everything tasted good, however I'd recommend for them to have Szechuan shrimp and crabs and lessen that saltiness from the tempura
Price - Winner! I mean for 699 there's no time limit!
Serving - They serve the right amount so there will be no leftovers
Ambiance - It's quaint and makes you feel like you're in a chinese temple.
Parking - The place has VERY limited parking space, you can take a grab instead so parking won't be a hassle.

Templo
55 Dapitan St. Barangay Lourdes Quezon City

Operating Hours:
Open daily from 11am to 10pm

Contact:
0926 062 6228

Facebook: @temploph
Instagram: @temploph