Read part 5 here.

Day 4. 14 February 2016 (Sunday)

February 14. The official day of hearts. The day full of love. Love is truly in the fresh soothing air of Siquijor. It was eerily dark when we set our feet on the Island of Black Magic so we didn't really witness its majestic features that Saturday night. But the moment our road trip began, I fell in love with the island in an instant.

Valentine's day began with Nanay Merlinda's wake up call for breakfast. O diba, parang nasa bahay lang talaga. As always, she was very accommodating and attended to our needs. After our individual morning rituals, we were finally ready to venture the island.


We started our journey at around 8 in the morning. And our first stop was the 'I Love Siquijor' sign along the road.

I think sinadya talaga na ganito ang weather para mas creepy. Haha. xD

We passed by Coco Grove. I think it's the biggest resort in the island.

Of course we also had to stop by and have our pictures taken at the 'Welcome to Siquijor' landmark.

The St. Francis of Assisi Church

San Agustin Church, Siquijor

We went next to one of the island's most famous tourist spot, the Enchanted Balete Tree. As expected, there were lots of tourists given the fact that almost all of the island's accommodations were fully booked.

We checked out the souvenir kiosk/carinderia in the area after our "foot spa" session with ze fishes~



After relaxing at the Balete Tree, we finally headed to the highlight of our Siquijor trip: the Cambugahay Falls!!!! The way to the Falls was definitely a struggle for my lungs and for my legs. I guess my football training was not enough for me to survive the long and steep stone stairway to the island's enchanting gift.

But!!! All of the struggle and hardships were definitely worth it.







We spent more than an hour in Cambugahay Falls. Before we totally forget about the other places on our itinerary, we decided to go on with the tour. We had our lunch and went to the Lazi Church afterwards.

Siquijor may be known for its voodoo and black magic urban legends. But despite all that, it is evident that the locals are widely practicing Christianity.

Lazi Convent located across the church

Mouth watering mango ice cream sold outside the church~

Our final destination was the Salagdoong Beach. When I mentioned that we were planning to visit Siquijor, everybody suggested that we go to this place. Now I know what the fuss is all about.







We only spent a short time in Salagdoong. After my friend has tried diving into the sea, we decided to go back to the resort to start packing our things. We passed by a bakery to buy the famous Torta. I bought 20 pieces of the famous bread (for pasalubong) thinking that it was the same size as the one we bought at the Balete Tree. I was worried of the excess baggage in the plane so I decided to share them with my friends (torta sa umaga, torta sa tanghali, torta sa merienda, at torta sa hapunan. Chars. Haha~)

The schedule of the ferry going back to Tagbilaran is 8 o'clock in the evening. We left Sunny Shine Beach Resort at 5 PM and reached the Port at around 6 PM. Before boarding the ferry, we visited the Pasalubong Center. We didn't see much souvenirs at the store so Kars and I were a little disappointed. She wanted to buy a voodoo doll that was requested by one of our officemates. We should've bought one in the Balete Tree kiosk. Lesson learned: if you see something that you wanted to buy, go for it. 

We reached Tagbilaran at around 11 PM and headed back to Slim Pension House. "Home sweet home."

Read part 7 here.

Note: I edited the title of this post since this is about the day we spent at Siquijor. <3

Read part 4 here.

It was around 4 in the afternoon when we reached the Tagbilaran Port. We first checked the schedule of Lite Shipping for ferries going to Siquijor. The soonest schedule was at 8 o'clock that evening. Unfortunately, the Ticketing Office was closed when we arrived but will open at around 7 PM according to one passerby. 

We decided to eat first at the Mang Inasal establishment that we passed by while going to the Port. After the heavy meal, we looked for possible accommodations where we could stay overnight. Our previous contact from Tori's Backpackers Paradise mentioned that they were already fully booked, the same goes for the other pension houses we saw over the internet. 

Still full of determination, our friend was positive that we would find accommodations being offered at the Port of Siquijor. Honestly speaking, I already lost all hope and was prepared to sleep at the Port. But God is good...

We boarded the ferry between 7:45 and 8:00 that evening. I was still in high school the last time I rode a ferry, so I was really uneasy during the trip. I managed to contain myself by playing games on my phone, observing the other passengers, and chatting with my friend. I also felt sleepy in the middle of our voyage so I used the free foam provided by the ship hihihihihii~

During the earlier part of the trip, an unknown number called my friend. It was Ms. Merlinda from the Sunny Shine Beach Resort. Turned out, we were recommended by the staff from Villa Marmarine since they were also fully booked. Thank you po~~~

We arrived at Larena around 11 PM. Manong Rudy and another staff from Sunny Shine fetched us from the Port since it was already late at night. I would be lying if I said I wasn't worried at all. I'm the type of person who don't trust people easily and knowing the ghost aswang stories about Siquijor, I AM SOOOO FREAKIN' WORRIED. But of course I had to be brave for the sake of my friends who were obviously having a mini heart attack on our way to the resort. 

Come on. It is almost 12 midnight and the resort is a couple of minutes away from the Port. It is also located in a secluded area in the island (but also on the beachfront)... Paranoia at its finest.

We were welcomed by Nanay Merlinda when we arrived. I somehow felt guilty because of the thoughts that previously crossed my mind. They were very hospitable and accommodating. Compared to the other resorts that we stayed at during this trip, I had to say that they gave the best customer service. They provided us with everything that we need before we could even ask for it.  

I highly recommend this resort for those of you who are looking for a place to stay at Siquijor. The room is spacious and comfortable, air conditioned, equipped with television and refrigerator, as well as strong wifi connection. The best part is, the overnight stay comes with free breakfast and the use of swimming pool, all at an affordable price!

Read part 6 here.