For the long weekend, my partner and I decided that we needed a break from being in the city and we deserved a little getaway. Siquijor has always been on the back of my mind, I have seen videos online about its beauty and I was just waiting for enough free time. That said, as soon as we realized that November 27 was a holiday in our country, we planned an itinerary and made my Siquijor dream happen.
Shipping Route
There are plenty of options from Cebu to Siquijor via ferry. You can go to Cebu South Bus Terminal and there is a bus that will take you directly to Siquijor. You can also head on to the ticketing booths by the port entrance in Pier Uno and from there, there are various options.
From Booking the Ferry to Being on a Ferry
In our case, we wanted to bring our motorcycle so we wouldn’t have to rent one to easily go around Siquijor. We went to Pier Uno a day before we planned to depart, so we could make sure that we could take our motorcycle with us. We hired someone to book the tickets for us since usually, there are no advanced booking. We paid a total of 3,300 pesos which included one-way tickets for two people and a motorcycle, miscellaneous fees such as terminal fees, and a fee for the person who booked the ticket. We booked on Lite Ferry and our ferry leaves on Saturday at 1:00 in the afternoon and we are scheduled to arrive in Siquijor by 11:00 at night.
We returned the next day for our departure and because we booked our tickets earlier, we had a hassle-free departure. We didn’t have to wait in long lines for the tickets and as soon as we got there, we submitted our bags for scanning.
I have not been to the Pier Uno before and I was surprised with the availability of food in different food stalls. Before getting there, I did not want to go early because I knew that I would dread the waiting time, but when I got there, it wasn’t so bad and I wouldn’t have minded if we went earlier.
I made my way directly to Gate 1 where a bus shuttle was waiting to take me to where the ferry was docked. I was alone in the bus since my partner had to bring the motorcycle in.
Things I did on the Ten Hour Trip
Before entering the ferry, I pictured sitting there for ten hours straight but viola they had a bunk bed situation going on. Odd numbers on the upper bunk and even numbers on the lower bunk. We were situated on the upper bunk and though the ceiling was quite low, the space is still bigger than being in a chair. I was quite pleased with the situation. Although we failed to book a tourist ticket for a more comfortable trip, this wasn’t bad at all.
Since I anticipated a chair, I brought a crochet kit but I didn’t get to finish my crochet project since there were actually a lot of activities we could do considering our space. We started with a quick midday nap, which was easier to do in a bunk bed than a chair. When we woke up, we got up and wandered around the ferry to admire the ocean around us. I love watching across the sea and looking at the horizon, anticipating to see a fish, observing how the natural waves collide with the waves created by the boat. It’s mesmerizing and scary at the same time to think about how there is literally a different world beneath us; it makes me realize how small I am.
When I woke up from my nap, I was greeted by a pleasant view of the island of Bohol. A majestic mountain range stood before us as it displayed shades of green so pleasant to the eyes cascading down to the blue ocean and reaching up to the cloudy gray sky. It was almost a painting or a dream. I found myself looking over at the ocean for some time and anticipating our arrival at Tagbilaran City Port in Bohol island for a quick stop.
Quick Stop in Bohol
We arrived in Bohol at around six in the evening, just in time for dinner. We were searching for dinner as soon as we landed in Tagbilaran City Port and we asked around if we could exit and bring our motorcycle with us and we were allowed to. We thought that the food places would be far away hence we rode the motorcycle, but there were barbecue stalls literally in front of the port. We ate our dinner at one of the stalls and some passengers headed for Siquijor had their dinner there as well, they just walked from the ferry since it was very close by- around two minutes tops.
We finished dinner at around 6:45 PM, but we left from Bohol to Siquijor at 8:00 PM, so we still had over an hour left. We took the extra time to our advantage and used it to explore what we can in Bohol. We drove around and found Plaza Rizal, a park in the city where we found multiple food stalls. I even got a dessert which was one of my favorites: a sour green mango with a shrimp paste dip called “bagoong”. We had time to spare to sit in one of the benches and admire our view of their beautiful church which was the Saint Joseph Cathedral and on the other side, the National Museum of The Philippines- Bohol. I was glad that our stop to Bohol was somewhat productive and I got a peak of what Bohol had to offer before we made our way back to the ferry and resumed our journey to Siquijor.
Stepping Foot in Siquijor
After one movie, a nap, and more snacking, we finally arrived on Larena Port, Siquijor Island at around 11:30 in the evening. It’s a shame that we arrived at night because they say that the magic of Siquijor starts as soon as you step into the island and see its crystal clear waters. We have planned the whole trip through and through except for one thing: where we will stay once we arrive. So immediately after getting off the ferry, we drove around Larena in the middle of the night to look for somewhere to sleep.
We were very fortunate that a hostel about two minutes away from the port called Sun Porch Bed and Breakfast had a room for the night. We booked a room for 850 pesos a night for two people including breakfast. Provisions included an airconditioned room, common bathroom and comfort room, and WiFi access in the building but it didn’t reach our room. I was very relieved to finally be in a proper bed that doesn’t sway from the movement of the waves. When I got up that morning, I was very pleased to see that the food was served in the lobby. We ate a slow brunch, packed our stuff, and officially started our Siquijor adventure.
I’m very happy to write this all down because I’ve always felt that the journey towards our destination is not credited enough. This experience has taught me to be excited for the things that get me where I want to be because they can be as fun and as productive. If you’ve read this far, thank you so much and I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Until next time!
You're pretty!!! I hope we can visit there soon, too. There are so many beautiful spots to explore there. I hope you enjoyed your trip @reisha.fil 😄
@sherline thank you! The island is beautiful 😍
wow! Im sure it is a great adventure for you—enjoy siquijor💗.Have a safe travel.
Thank you @melcakes, it truly was an adventure
Enjoy your Siquijor adventure @reisha.fil ! Thanks for the virtual tour♡︎
Thank you @heyitsjian
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