From the shore of Dauin you can see the beautiful island of Siquijor, just a ferry ride away, and an amazing place to explore if you have a bit of spare time and want to venture out from our little town. So when we found ourselves with a few free days off in a row, we jumped on the chance to go and explore this neighbouring island.
The 2 hour ferry from Dumaguete port to Siquijor is only 20km from IMR base. Boats run daily, every two hours, so there’s ample flexibility when planning your departure. We got off the ferry at the Siquijor port, rented motorbikes and started our adventure through this island paradise.
Siquijor proved to be a laid-back escape, with a variety of bars and casual beachy eateries, neighbouring affordable beach resorts and homestays. For those seeking more of an active getaway, you can find great diving (we went with Pearl Divers and had an awesome experience), waterfalls, snorkelling, caves and hiking. A little bit of something for everyone.
The island has two distinct sides to it: Larena and San Juan. Larena is much quieter and laid back, great for couples looking for an intimate getaway or for those seeking solitude. San Juan, on the other hand, is where you’ll find the social scene, nightlife and various beachfront cafes and restaurants to enjoy, and was where we decided to settle in for our three day stay.
In San Juan we stayed at Glamping Siquijor. This was a super unique place to stay, with roomy, furnished, canvas tents right on the beach. Just a short walk away, you can find great food and drinks at Monkey Business; a sandy bamboo paradise, with great cocktails, fresh smoothies, the most massive burgers you’ve ever seen, live music and, best of all,swings! If you’re looking for more of a lounge vibe, about a kilometer south of San Juan in Miate village and make sure you check out Bahar Bar. This two story venue has an awesome tapas menu with a substantial Philippine influence complete with an amazing cocktail selection. If you find yourself more limited on time, and want a quick in and out meal, smoothie, or a beer or two, check out Luca Loko; a small dine-in space with a chill vibe. It’s important to note that all these great spots offer awesome vegetarian and vegan options too, which worked out great for our group since we all vary in our menu preferences.
With so much to take in and so many beautiful spots to explore, our trip to Siquijor flew by and left us wanting more. Filled with amazing memories of the last few days, we jumped on the ferry back to Dumaguete. Almost as soon as we made it back to base at IMR, we started making plans to go back and explore our neighboring island, Siquijor, again.
