Our accommodation was still unconfirmed from air bnb and hoping we could just turn up, we were on our way. I noticed this happens a lot here so they don't want to pay air bnb the 3% from the booking, so don't be frightened to simply turn up. You'll soon discover how this island functions.
Getting around
Transportation on this island is not something they have indulged in building at all. So I don't recommend visiting unless you're adventurous enough to ride a moped by yourself with no helmets. If you've been travelling in South East Asia this probably isn't an unfamiliar site. The most brilliant but perculia part you will experience is when your moped runs out of fuel and you need to fill up. Don't worry you can get fuel everywhere and anywhere. Most people sell it from their own homes in their front yard. 1 litre Coca Cola glass bottle, filled with a fizzing red liquid which is supposedly gasoline is all you need. Charging between 35-45P, it looks so funny pouring pop into your bike but it's how you get by.
The only other way is to have a wad of cash to spread out between tricycle taxi drivers which will be costly. Ranging from 400-1,500P depending where you are going. It could even mount to 2,000 if your travelling the lengths of the island, so this is not recommended.
What To Do- The Ugly, The Bad and The Good.
Everyone is going to have their own unique to do list whilst being on the island.
Most people would start with the good and then go on to explain the bad and the ugly afterwards, but I want my readers to be totally aware of what does go on here.
The Ugly
For you personally seeing a cock fight might be on your list but I see that as a disgusting sport, which I will happily explain why I see it as that. Many travellers have asked if I wanted to join them on attending this event, I express my views and they come back to me saying "But it's a tradition". You know what, tradition doesn't mean it's right. It's a tradition in Africa for female mutilation to take place, it's wrong hugely but it's tradition. You just wouldn't support it? But why when cruelty is an act performed on animals it's suddenly completely different. I'm not saying that animals and humans are equal, but cruelty IS equal regardless what it's done on. I don't see bounds of people wavering around bets on which girl is hurt more through the unwanted surgery of female mutilation, so why are bounds of people wavering around bets on which chicken is unwittingly made to fight to cause pain, for them both to die as a final result of the sport. Both cruelty. Both inhumane. Both unwanted, yet humans continue to support both of them anyway.
When I meet travellers discussing the cock fight they attended they could only bare to watch for maximum 20 minutes as its to 'painful' to watch. So even if you are an enthusiast in seeing this tradition take place (in my eyes a madman with limited morals) most people have told me it's not worth the watch. Which I could easily of summed up but don't take it from me take it from the stories the other travellers who attended and told me.
I thought I'd update this as I'd also been doing some bible studying specifically on treatment of animals and it actually states it hugely displeases God to see his animals suffer for entertainment. If you are a Christian and reading this I expect you to really consider that these are gods animals suffering; his creation. Yes he is even more upset when us humans suffer but he equally is upset nevertheless when his animals do too, so therefore supporting it is sinful. So be careful if you want or have attended such events; it displeases your father, my father, our creator.
The Bad
Enough talk of animal cruelty, moving from the ugly to the bad. A pointer to take note of is come to the island healthy as their is one hospital on the island which can do a basic stitch on you and prescribe no antibiotics for the pain. So if you are unwell stay where you are to properly recover. If you are in a crash or something horrific happens to you whilst your staying here you will have to wait in whatever stare you are in, (maybe a limb piercing through your skin) at the docks in Dapa to get a 2-3 hour ferry journey to Surigao and then get a second ferry journey lasting 4-5 hours to Cubo, where there is medical help. So I suggest staying as safe as you can and leaving the dangerous rebel inside of you at home.
This is also the same for any animals you may bring with you, don't. There is one or two pet food suppliers on the island where dry food is the only thing available. There is no vets, one veterinary assistant that's if you're lucky to find her.
The Good - My Top 5 Guide of Things to Discover is Siargao
Finally. You've made it to the happy part of this post. Now you've swamped through the worst this island provides hopefully without putting you off, you can now fixate your gaze to paradise. Which this island most certainly is. It is the most beautiful place I've visited for beach bums, wave thrilling surfers and simple time passers by. Here's my list of Top 5 things to do here is Siargao:
1. The beaches. I know that the beach may not sound exciting, especially to those who surf but honestly there are so many parts of the coastline you can discover for yourself. One of my favourite beach discoveries I'll share with you was Doot Beach or United Beach. Doot beach is supposively a private beach and you will have to just ignore the trespassing signs. I did see a few others who had the same idea as me, to just go through. It's worth the risk not that there is a risk as no police officer is about to tell you otherwise. It's pure paradise, no reefs to look at but nice blue swimming water with great sunbathing spots. United beach is directly opposite with more of a drive to get to, but you're not trespassing so it's busier, and known to the public.
2. The reefs. I have a huge place in my heart for marine animals, I always have done. It grew especially when I was 10 years old and my parents got me a goldfish for my birthday, the unexplainable life under water fascinated me, and to this day still does. Whether you like to get in the water and experience it up close and personal or whether you want to sit and observe from above the rock pools. Siargao has the best of both. The best place to see the reefs is blue lagoon. You have to get a 30-45 min boat ride from Del Carmen to the lagoon, and the loud noise from the boat almost deafening you when getting off is most certainly worth it. Here is also the best paddle boarding, for a price of 200P an hour it's great transportation where you can take yourself around the limestone rocks. If you're lucky you will also spot the stingless jellyfish and the bright blue star fish!
3. Third on my list is island hopping. Go to general Luna for this, you can go private if you get a bunch of travellers together or go via a hostel. If you want to go via a hostel go via Kermit or bravo every Tuesday and Thursday you have the opportunity to link up with others and go to 3 islands. These islands include: naked island,... To pop your bubble there is no naked people on naked island, it's literally a bare island, more like a Sandhill with nothing growing on it, so lather yourself up in sunblock. Going privately costs similar to going with Kermit so ultimately it's your choice and in your hands. I find if you've found some great people go privately then you have no time limit on each island.
4. Siargao is a surfing Mecca for those who are into the sport, so of course this was going to be on my list. One of my surf discoveries were: 'Secret Spot' If you're into surfing I would try find a local who can not just tell you but take you to where 'Secret Spot' is. It's a unknown beach which you could probably have guessed by the name and only very few people know if it, so you may have to talk around the locals to find someone who knows it. Expect to travel a good 20 mins by moped (going fast) and then trekking your surfboard through a good 10 minute walk of the wild forest until you reach the small bay. This bay is great for beginners and intermediates, or surfers who just want less people in the ocean with them. The reason I made this number 4 is because I found online they bigged up the surf too much. Before coming here I'd been to surfers corner, South Africa so if you're used to Hawaii or anything similar you may be slightly disappointed. You have to get boats out to the good surf, and the swell usually isn't as great in comparison to other spots in the world.
5. Last but not least is the drives. In hope that you've easily hired a moped, you can drive endlessly, finding beautiful views to just hop off at and take in. The fuel is dead cheap so this is a great activity to do out here, and don't worry if you haven't ever driven a moped before because this is a great practicing spot, the roads aren't busy and I never once saw an accident. If you've visited places like Thailand, imagine that but with 50% less traffic, and Thailand isn't even that busy. If you want to go fast, you can the roads are great for going 100-120kph with no bumps that will throw you off, or if you want to cruise along you can. With endless rice fields and coconut trees to see across the whole horizon, it's great for discovery.
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