8. Siquijor Island: The Mystic Escape
Quick Fact: Filipinos associate Siquijor with witchcraft and folk healing. The island remains incredibly safe, quiet, and stunningly beautiful.
Siquijor offers a perfectly paved coastal ring road. It provides the absolute best scooter riding in the country. The local superstitions keep massive crowds away. You get pristine waterfalls and empty beaches all to yourself.
Top Highlights & Pointers:
- Swing at Cambugahay Falls: Pay a small fee. Swing from a rope into the bright blue, tiered waterfall pools.
- Visit the Balete Tree: Stare at this massive, 400-year-old enchanted tree. Let the small fish eat dead skin off your feet.
- Jump at Salagdoong Beach: Plunge off the 30-foot concrete diving platforms directly into the ocean. Check the tide first.
- Respect the healers: You can visit traditional folk healers in the mountains. Treat their practices with utmost respect.
- Snorkel Tubod Sanctuary: Swim right off the beach. You will immediately find vibrant coral and massive schools of fish.
- Watch Paliton sunset: Buy a cheap beer from a local vendor. Sit under the leaning palm trees at dusk.
The Cost:
Budget $30 to $50 USD per day. Scooter rentals cost less than $8 USD daily.
The Food:
Try Pan Bisaya. Locals bake this sweet, heavy bread in traditional wood-fired stone ovens.
Other Details:
Ferries cancel frequently during monsoon season. Do not book a flight out on the same day.
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