There isn't an island in the Philippines that I don't love. Each is beautiful in its own way. I've seen islands with flourishing culture while some that are bare and untouched. I've seen islands with 5-star resorts while some that don't even have electricity. I've seen islands with different cuisines to choose from while some that only have canned goods. It's eye-opening to see both sides. Dumaguete and Siquijor were complete opposite rom one another despite just being a few kilometres away from each other.
Dumaguete was colonized by the Spaniards. Their churches, schools, and hospitals were all originally put up by them. They helped the island progress while Siquijor fell a little behind. They used to be part of Negros Oriental, the same region Dumaguete is part of. However, they kept insisting that they wanted their own government. They rebelled and eventually the Spaniards gave them their freedom. The people of Siquijor refused the help of the Spaniards instead they to the supernatural.
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| Checking in Sea Dream Resorts |
Day 1: Explore Dumaguete on a Motorbike
Our long weekend started by flying to the island of Dumaguete. It was both my boyfriend and I's first time there but my friends were telling me it was better than Boracay and Palawan so my expectations were very high. We didn't make any big plans for our first day. We just wanted to settle in the hotel and explore the island on our own. We rented out a motorbike and just drove around.
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| Here's the motorbike we rented from our hotel. It costs Php500/day to rent it. |
Our first stop while driving around was Dumaguete's famous House of Silvanas. They have the best recipe in the Philippines. If you don't know what silvanas are, they are pastries made up of buttercream. They are delicious and addicting! I can eat a whole box in one sitting.
Our next stop was Liquid Beach and Dive Resort for dinner and drinks. Then we called it a night. We needed to save all our energy for our tour the next day.
Day 2: Apo Island
This was the first activity I listed down on our itinerary because it was the one I was most excited for. In
Apo Island, you can swim with big sea turtles and see colorful corals. I was so busy taking videos that I wasn't able to take a photo. Whoops. I'll share the video SOON!
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| We finished the tour after lunch so we had time to relax by the pool in our resort |
Day Three: Siquijor Day Tour
It just takes half a day to circle
Siquijor. That's how tiny the island is! I hardly book tours because I prefer exploring on my own pace but since we literally only had six hours to see the everything we decided to leave it up to the experts. We booked our tour with
Orientwind Travel.
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| The ferry ride from Dumaguete to Siquijor is around 45 minutes |
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| St. Francis of Assisi Bell Tower |
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| Paliton Beach |
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| Jacob made friends with Han, the kid on our tour |
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| Stopped by Triad Restaurant for lunch and this view |
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| Salagdoong Beach Resort |
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| Cambugahay Falls |
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| Balete Tree |
Day Four: Flight back to Manila
So happy that I finally ticked off Dumaguete and Siquijor on the list of places I have to see in the Philippines. I can't wait to explore more of my beautiful country.
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| Our last meal before flying back to Manila |
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