Bella Dyosa

Two things come to mind when it comes to Siargao (at least for me): surfing and spirituality.

Although Google says it’s known for “surfing, white sand beaches, and natural beauty”, I digress. It’s way more than that.

In fact, I’ll push the envelope by stating that I associate Siargao with three things: surfing, spirituality, and sexy people. Throwing all the S words out there. I’m just being real, okay? 🤪😂

I know that this is another travel post and usually, I would take you into my day-to-day itinerary. Right now though, I feel like spicing matters up a bit by giving you the highlights of things to do in Siargao.

Now, let’s talk about how I–and my friends quite frankly–were feeling before the actual trip. Which was unbearably excited.

A quick side note that two out of the three people I traveled with last year in Boracay were also my companions in Siargao. One of them couldn’t make it due to a career milestone (congrats again and shoutout if you’re reading this, Kat!).

Anyway, the point is that we couldn’t help comparing the two trips. While we were feeling excited before our Bora trip, the excitement for Siargao was just on a different level. We had no idea why.

Until we did, of course, soon after we wrapped up our own experience of the island life.

So, allow me to show you how Siargao can not only tickle your mind and body with excitement, but also heal your soul with peaceful joy.

The slower pace

If there’s anything a Siargao itinerary should include, it’s taking it easy. You’re in a freaking idyllic island for crying out loud. Make the most of it!

The minute you land in Siargao, you can’t help but turn off the hustle and bustle, then turn on the chill vibes. Thankfully, we were here for five days, which I think is a good duration for your first time.

I only woke up at ungodly hours for two days–on the day of our flight (which was at 5:50 A.M.) and on the day of our land tour. Mind you, I consider 3 A.M. to 7 A.M. ungodly hours, so this varies per person.

Since I was able to wake up whenever I pleased for the other three days, I felt more refreshed and inspired to explore what Siargao had to offer. Having my friends with the same trains of thought made that easier.

Whether you want to stroll along the beach or discover charming shops and establishments, the island presents bountiful opportunities for you to go at your own pace. Ain’t nobody trying to rush you here!

Some of the Siargao beaches we got to relax in are Cloud 9, Pacifico, and Secret–probably not a secret anymore now that we’ve seen it lol. A popular inside joke you will have with the locals.

The variety of good food

Just going to lay it out in the open and tell it like it is. These are my personal best restaurants in Siargao:

1. Bravo
2. Kurvada
3. Kermit

Halika gets a special mention since it’s technically an ice cream shop (with unique flavors!!), not a restaurant.

To start the reviews off, we have Bravo, which is primarily a resort. Because we stayed somewhere else entirely, I can only speak for its restaurant. Disclaimer done. Great!

First of all, the ambience here is absolutely divine. It’s so cozy and inviting, and most importantly, classy. I don’t want to name any names, but there was a hostel slash restaurant we ate at and it was a mess. 70% of the people in there were drunk at 7:30, nearly 8 P.M.

Second of all, the food. The F O O D, Marjorie–was out of this world delicious, especially their croquetas de jamon serrano. It’s a shame that there are only three croquettes per serving, though it was equally distributed among us.

Then, there was their white chocolate and coconut cheesecake with raspberry jam. A complete freaking knockout and the best way to wrap our meal up.

To top everything off, the service was A+++. I loved our waiter, Sherwin, who was extra accommodating and witty. No wonder the place is called Bravo. You end up praising and applauding everything they offer.

The exquisite and impactful mark that this experience left made us want to stay in its resort the next time we are back in the island! As a matter of fact, Bravo should be in everyone’s Siargao travel guide.

Moving on to Kurvada – wherein both its food and patrons were enjoyable and filling. 🤭 Well, just one caught MY eye, but there were a lot of cute people there. Thus, #KurvadaCutie was born HAHAHAHA. If he stumbles upon this, I would be amazed beyond belief.

Circling back to the restaurant. Kurvada has such a fun approach! We have this concept of dining in the Philippines called “turo-turo”, which translates to “point-point” in English. You literally point at the dishes (usually home-cooked Filipino recipes) you want on display in a carinderia, a common street food stall you can find across the country.

Kurvada maintains the turo-turo concept with a twist. Instead of Filipino food, there are international dishes like chicken schnitzel, meatballs, chicken teriyaki, caesar salad, chicken pesto pasta, and more. You then take a picture of your plate full of food and that serves as your receipt once you pay for it.

Cool, right? I love it. A must in Siargao for first-time visitors. Not to mention–again–the cutie/s there. So, with everything combined, it makes an overall kilig experience. I’m a Libra, okay!! Don’t you dare roll your eyes at me HAHAHAHAH.

Finally, for our last restaurant, Kermit. Similar to Bravo, they are primarily a resort. I’m not gonna lie, I wasn’t in the best mood when we arrived here. I was famished after an extensive Reiki healing session, plus hot stone message. So, the entire time that we were waiting to be seated, I was deadly silent.

It didn’t help that the food took a while to cook (understandably so–there were A LOT of people dining). But once those delectable dishes hit my palate, I gradually morphed back into a normal person (famished, as I said, in every sense of the word).

We had the gnocchi alla sorrentina, linguine alla tartufata, and Cloud 9 pizza. All unconventional Italian delights and they did not disappoint.

In conclusion, the island has a ton of food options that you are welcome to collect and select. If we had been there longer, I feel like I would’ve had a top 10 list. I’ll just save that for my next Siargao itinerary. 😉

The charming locals

Yes, this includes all the stray dogs and cats! It won’t come as a surprise that they usually follow you when you order food. We always asked if we were allowed to feed them in whatever restaurant or eatery we were in. There were some that permitted it, while others prohibited it.

For places that allowed feeding, I would consult with one of my friends (who’s a dog mom) what I can give to the dogs. For places that didn’t, we theorized that they most likely gave customer leftovers to the strays. That way, it ensures food safety.

Speaking of stray animals, I do want to mention the one sleepy cat in our accommodation who spent most of her time taking naps either in front of our room by the welcome mat or one of the treads of the stoops. She was a whole ass mood.

As for human locals (lol), everyone we encountered were so welcoming, warm, and above all, had the best sense of humor. You may refer to the inside joke mentioned earlier. That was one out of so many laugh-worthy remarks and moments.

Special shoutout to our tuktuk driver, Mang Reynante, who drove us passenger princesses wherever we needed to be with a hilarious can-do attitude and a fair price. And Karen, who spilled all the island tea we needed to hear. Girl could run for mayor of Siargao and win with flare.

I’ll say this once and I’ll say it again: if getting to know the locals ain’t a part of your Siargao itinerary (and I’m not telling you to freaking put it in a proper excel file with a time and date either), you’ve completely missed the point of visiting. As with any location you travel to, really. You don’t have to be one with the locals, but I believe you must at least try.

The wellness activities

You will never run out. Truly.

My friends and I already did a fair amount of Siargao activities and we can’t wait to come back for more! We (well two out of three of us) practiced yoga nidra with Tibetan singing bowls during sunset at Buddha Wellness on our first day, which was the best way to unwind, especially after a tiring flight. Though the mosquitoes practically had a buffet the minute the sun went down.

Our second day was purely for mother nature as we went on a land tour. We rode a canoe in the Maasin River and visited some of the beautiful Siargao beaches mentioned previously.

We tried aerial hammock on our third day at Nyla Boutique Resort, which was challenging yet worthwhile. Coach Natalie was a delight as a teacher, especially for first-timers like ourselves. She was super enthusiastic and encouraging, thus, motivating us to overcome our inner frustrations and doing the damn thing (refer to the pic above). This serves as a reminder that we are way more capable than we think!!

Later on, we went to a corgi café. Fed and interacted with some of the cutest corgis known to humankind. Most of them were either asleep or feeling sleepy, but we still had a good time.

On our fourth day, we booked a Reiki healing session at Vultun and then a massage (hot stone for me) at Isla Natura Spa. It’s my second time doing Reiki healing and it has never failed to enlighten and cleanse my entire being. Out of all the insights I received, I’ll share the one that stood out the most: follow your highest excitement. ❤️

Life’s too short not to. 🤷🏻‍♀️🥰

And since we’re on the subject of highest excitements, I consider chatting with my friends while frolicking on the shore of a beach a wellness activity. Those types of moments with loved ones will always be priceless.

When I return to the island, I’m thinking of taking a pottery class, ziplining, practicing more yoga, and any other activity that suits my Venusian ass. Ergo, no surfing. I don’t feel called to. I know it’s a must for everyone who visit, but my infection prone ears say otherwise.

Final thoughts

What a Siargao travel guide, amirite?

There truly is something about that mystical island. The Siargao curse is real, y’all. It is confirmed. Let’s see if I do end up staying for good the next time I’m there. 😗✌🏻

In the meantime, I’m gonna keep on keeping on the path of the goddess, soft girl, and lover living the slow and lavish life no matter where I go or may be. ✨