Last month, I was in the beautiful island of Siargo for five days. Being a surfer, my main agenda there is surfing. But of course, that does not mean that I'd have to miss out on the tours. To be honest, traveling to Siargao can get quite pricey. The airfare itself costs a lot and there are not a lot of promo fares for Siargao so if you really want to go there, you have to save up for it.

Here is my itinerary for five days. I'll also be giving some quick tips so you can maximize your budget.

Day 1: Chill + Surf
10:00 AM - Arrival in Sayak Airport in Siargao
11:00 AM - Arrival in General Luna
11:30 AM - Lunch
1:00 PM - Check in at hostel, rest and chill
3:00 PM- Surfing at Cloud 9
5:00 PM - Chill
7:00 PM - Dinner and drinks

Day 2: Sugba Lagoon + Kawhagan Island Tour
5:30 AM - Wake up call
6:30 AM - Meet up at Kermit Siargao
7:00 AM - Start tour
4:00 PM - End of tour
5:00 PM - Arrival back in Kermit Siargao
7:00 PM - Dinner and drinks

Day 3: Island Hopping Tour
7:00 AM - Wake up call
8:00 AM - Breakfast
9:30 AM - Meet up at Bravo Hotel
10:00 AM - Start tour
4:00 PM - End of tour
7:00 PM - Dinner and drinks

Day 4: Land Tour
8:00 AM - Breakfast and chill
12:30 NN - Start land tour via motorcycle
1:00 PM - Tayangban Cave Pool
2:00 PM - Magpupungko Tidal Pool
4:00 PM - Arrival back in the hostel, chill
7:00 PM - Dinner and drinks

Day 5: Last Day SURF
5:00 AM - Wake up and prep
6:00 AM - Surfing at Jacking Horse
9:00 AM - Breakfast
10:00 AM - Check out at hostel
11:00 AM - Arrival at Sayak Airport, wait for flight

The itinerary was very simple. For the tours, since they were organized by a tour agency, everything from the itinerary to the transportation and the food was all planned. And here's roughly how much I spent during my stay there.
  • Round trip airfare via Cebu Pacific - 6112 PHP (Promo fare, MNL - CEB - IAO - CEB - MNL)
  • 5D4N accommodations at Villa Solaria - 1400 PHP (bunk bed)
  • Round trip airport shuttle - 600 PHP
  • Surf lessons (500 PHP/ hour with board rental and instructor) - 1000 PHP
  • Photo and video services (c/o one of the surf instructors) - 100 PHP
  • Sugba Lagoon Tour via Kermit Siargao - 2000 PHP
  • Island Hopping Tour via My Siargao Guide - 1000 PHP
  • Tayangban Cave entrance fee - 70 PHP
  • Magpupungko Tidal Pool entrance fee - 50 PHP
  • Gas for motorcycle - 50 PHP
  • Total transportation expenses (20 PHP per habal habal ride) - roughly 260 PHP
  • Food and drinks - roughly 2200 PHP
The grand total is Php14842. Of course, this does not include my expenses at the airport. My flights included a layover in Cebu because the airfare was cheaper that way. My flight on my way back to Manila from Cebu was delayed for two hours so I ended spending a lot on food. Also, because I couldn't find a food pasalubong shop in Siargao, I did my pasalubong shopping at the airport in Cebu. I spent about Php500 total on local snacks to bring home to my officemates.

Here are some more tips.
  • There are no buses or jeeps in Siargao island so the main mode of transportation is by tricycle or motorcycle. Motorcycle rental costs about Php500 per day, but if you will be renting it for three days or more, it costs Php350 per day. Of course you have to shoulder the gas. If you don't know how to drive a motorcycle, tricycle is the best option. And very cheap too, for only Php20 per ride going to any part of General Luna. There are also a few bicycle rentals there.
  • Food can get really pricey in Siargao so if you are a budget traveler, with meals that cost from Php200 to Php300, it's best to check out the cheap food places there. You can go to Mama's Grill for really cheap eats or ask the locals to point you to the best carinderia. Check out my post here to get an idea on where to eat in Siargao.
  • Make the most of your tours by booking through a travel agency. Yes, they can get a bit pricey but do take note that their tour packages already includes food. So if you will compare the cost of a DIY trip without food and an all-in package, the latter would still be the best option. Plus, you get to tour worry-free because everything is already planned out. For awesome tour packages, check out My Siargao Guide.
  • If you are a solo traveler, or even if you are traveling with a group, go for hostels. I recommend hostels because they're cheap and they're fun to stay in. You get to meet a lot of new people and make new friends. For hostels in Siargao, I highly recommend Villa Solaria. 
  • Befriend the locals. The locals are always the best people to ask about practically everything on the island. Want to know where the party is at? Ask the locals. Looking for cheap places to eat and drink? Ask the locals. Etc etc.
I guess that is it for this quick Siargao travel guide. There are a lot more travel guides out there from other travel bloggers. This is just based on my experience. If you are going to Siargao, feel free to ask me questions and I'll be happy to answer them. 'Til my next blog post! :)