Siquijor: the Isle of Fire

I was the one who suggested to my friends that we drop by Siquijor, since we were already visiting Dumaguete. One of my closest friends in the dorm is from the Visayas, which is one of the three biggest islands in the Philippines. So, I trusted that somehow he knew the geography. It only took us a few hours to finally decide on our itinerary. I had this wild idea of island hopping: Dumaguate-Siquijor-Cebu. He said that it was feasible and that these islands are just a boat ride away from each other! Imagine my excitement! :)

Then it started to dawn on me that Siquijor is a place known for its "magic, mysticism and enchantments." I've heard a lot of stories about witchcraft being practiced still in the island. I am a science student, I know, but I'm still AFRAID of witches and voodoo dolls. Anyway, I was able to convince myself for awhile there that we're just gonna skip Siquijor. I didn't wanna be put into some spell or curse just coz I stepped on some sht. But some of my friends have already gone to the place and all they got were nothing short of praises for the mystic island. The island seemed to have mesmerized all of them! They tried to convince me that I was just being childish and illusory. And that I'd truly be sorry if I wouldn't let my rational self make the choice. It really did take me a while to convince myself that I was just being too superstitious.

I'm so glad I killed the folly. I would have really been sorry.



The island was truly MESMERIZING. Everything was heavenly. I also love the fact that we toured the entire island for a day on a motorcycle... soakin up the Sun! <3

City of Gentle People

Dumaguete won't be referred to as the City of Gentle People for nothing.

We took a Cebu Pacific Air flight from Manila to get to Dumaguete City, the fare was fairly cheap since we got it three months ahead of time. When you arrive in the city, there are pedicabs (tricycles) parked right outside the airport that you could hire to drive you around the city.

The city is very small, which is probably why I didn't notice a lot of cabs in the area. The locals are really nice and friendly. They're always smiling. It's also quite handy if you know a bit of Bisaya. I can't speak fluent Bisaya but I do understand the language fairly well. And I know just enough phrases to tease the pedicab drivers to let us take some photos of ourselves on their tricycles.

My friends and I were fetched by the Diputados, so we didn't really get to experience commuting in the area. Our first stop was the Silliman University. It's very similar to U.P.D. except that it's much, much smaller.

I especially loved the sculpted figures that scatter around the campus. You'll also notice the beauty and uniqueness of the architectures. It's like you've been transported back in time and somewhere in the States. Also, when in Silliman, don't forget to catch the dusk right in front of the Presbyterian church. You'll catch a glimpse of a majestic view.

There's a lot of good places to chill at within the area especially if you're after some booze, a good view, fresh air, and some live music. I'd recommend going to Hayahay, it's by the bay -- think Roxas Boulevard but with nicer and friendlier people and much, much lesser pollution.

The day after we went for some nature adventure. We went to both the Forest Camp and the Pulang Bato. The Forest Camp is a public resort in the middle of a forest. The pools are free-flowing with water coming from the river.

The Pulang Bato is another public spot that you might want to go see. It has two waterfalls; the other one looks pretty unique and amazing because of its color.


Unfortunately, we didn't have ample time to explore more of Dumaguete. The locals told us that there are still a lot of tourist spots that we missed that we should've visited. Looking at the bright side, I still have a lot of reasons to go back to Dumaguete! :-)

Dumaguete-Siquijor-Cebu

If you plan on touring the Visayas, I believe that you can start with these three islands. They are the perfect destinations, IMHO. I would tell you more about my stay in these Visayan Islands in my future posts. Meanwhile, let's talk about getting there.

Manila - Dumaguete

• Cebu Pacific promo flight to Dumaguete

Dumaguete - Siquijor

• Delta Fast Ferry at PhP 160.00 (one-way). First trip is at 5:15AM, the next one's at 9:00AM. (will add details later)

Dumaguete - Cebu

• Take Fast Craft in Sibulan (just 15 minutes away from Dumaguete City) for only PhP 45.00.
• Get off on Cebu Island. A Ceres Bus Liner bus would be awaiting passengers alighting the craft. I suggest you get off the boat ahead of the other passengers to secure comfortable seats in the Ceres bus. (PhP 162.00)

Too bad I didn't have enough time to drop by and visit Bohol, but I already had visited the place six years ago. It might be more practical to include Bohol (last destination) in this tour especially if you still haven't visited the place.