We travelled from Dumaguete on Negros island to Siquijor or 'witch craft' island famous for its mythical history, shamman and potions! There are also beautiful waterfalls, beaches and scenery. Amy and I took the ferry straight from Dumaguete to Siquijor costing only 100PHP ($2) for the one hour and a half journey! Bargain.
We hadn't booked accommodation so when we got into the port of Siquijor we got some lunch in a local eatery and took a communal tricycle to San Juan where the majority of the accommodation is. The tricycle cost 25PHP each compared to a private (or special as they call it here) trip for 200PHP. We went to a hostel called lazy lizard which was recommended to us by another traveller we met along the way. It was off the beach and about 400m up a road into the jungle. Ody the girl who ran it instantly won us over, she was so friendly and welcoming. We were the only people staying there, she told us they had only been open one month. It was a really nice, quiet place with cute doggies, good wifi and an easy walk or scooter ride down to the main road. The easiest way exploring this island, like any other island here is on scooter (unfortunately for me). The roads here were pretty good and Ody said she could get us scooters for about 300PHP each for two days! I was obviously still nervous at the thought of driving again but being the easiest option we thought we would get them for the next day....eeekkk
After a hot day of travelling we were both dying for a swim so we hailed a tricycle to bring us to Paliton beach about three kilometres from San Juan town. The beach was really nice but the water was very shallow, still enough to swim in, there was a mix of tourists and locals. We had a much needed swim in the sea and chilled out for a few hours reading our books and avoiding lying under the coco count trees (apparently more people die from falling coconuts every year than they do from shark attacks)! Watch out for those coconuts. We decided to stay and watch the sunset. Two local guys came over and asked to join us, we got chatting and they told us their names y were Michael and Vincent. They were in a reggae band and played around the island most nights. We all shred a beer and some BBQ lechon (pork) with them. After the sun went down we finished off the beer and they told us they worked in a restaurant nearby. We didn't have any other 'dinner' plans so took their scooters back to Cecilias restaurant where we had dumpling adobo and peanut noodles! We played cards with the boys teaching us a new game called 'monkey monkey'. After a few more beers they told us there was a local fiesta happening in Paliton that night....why not! After a quick change at our hostel we went down to the fiesta which was basically a big rave (slightly more kid friendly rave) in a basketball court. It was packed with music blaring and strobe lights going. We all bought a bottle of rum and Coke from a tienda (shop) for a crazily $3! Rum- cheaper than water in the Philippines!
We met a lot of the boys friends and danced the night away...with a brief thunder storm and power cut halting the music and dancing for about half an hour in between.
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| Sunsets on Paliton beach |
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| Fiesta fun |
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| Cambughan waterfalls |
We then went to my favourite spot from the whole trip so far.....the 'secret' beach that only a few locals (and now some tourists) know about. We drove down a small dirt track road and through local farms where we parked the scooter. We then walked through a forest for about twenty minutes until we could see the vivid blue sea through the trees. We scrambled down some very uneven concrete steps to find a deserted white sand beach lined with coconut trees and a small reed shack on the beach. It was so stunning and he definition of what paradise should look like. We had a swim and hung out on the beach. Later Alvin, one of the boys friends came down with three tourists he was showing around the island that day too and he and Michael gave us a performance with Alvin playing he ukulele and displaying so,e amazing beat boxing skills while Michael sang some classic reggae tunes. It was one of the those moments, sitting on that secluded beach with some amazing people where you just have to savour times like that. We got back to San Juan at about 6.30pm having driven all around the island and Michale dropped Amy and I off at a small roadside eatery at the side of the beach. We were starving by this stage having not eaten all day. Traditionally foods here are served as small plates and cost between 20-50PHP per plate. So we oredered a little bit of everything to try and had a feast while watching a truly amazing sunset.
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| Admiring the secret beach |
The next day we regretfully left Siquijor as we had arranged to meet our friend Faye on Bohol island. We said goodbye to Ody and took a tricycle from the main road to the ferry port to get a ferry at 11am (700PHP). Only to arrive at the port and be told there wasn't a ferry until one....travel life. We got some breakfast and iced coffees and hung out by the port until we left at one to make our way to yet another island. It's a hard life. Siquijor has definitely been my favourite island in the Philippines, it is a small island with fiestas most nights, the most beautiful beaches, not overly touristy with cheap, good food and a mystical witch craft history.
Feast and sunset at Roch
Next Stop: Bohol island
Stayed: Lazy Lizard, dorm for 350PHP per night
Food and drink: dumpling adobo and Peanut noodles in Cecilias bar and guesthouse ($4), Rock cuisine feast of banana leaf salad, Thai green curry, fresh BBQ fish,
Peanut noodles, spaghetti, potato salad ($3) each. Tanduay rum and red horse beer. Lechon (BBQ pork).
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