Hello itinerants all over the world and hive community! What's up with you guys? If you've read my previous travel blog, I've mentioned that I will featuring our hometown and nearby islands in my next travel episodes as the travel restrictions are gradually being lifted and hopefully can help rebuild our economy and people can at least take a break from this quarantine season and spend time somewhere at the beach. Rest assured that this time I will be more informative and give you nothing but the best travel experience. I am bringing you to one of the most famous surf sites in the world which is CLOUD 9 , the pride of the Southern Philippines Siargao Island. I am very happy to share you guys this wonderful memory that I had in the Surfing Capital of the Philippines. If you want to feel the Island continue reading and LET'S GET STARTED!
Siargao Island is one of the most popular tropical islands in the Southern part of the Philippines. People recognize it as a tear-drop shaped island with an estimated land area of 437 square kilometers. It has nine municipalities namely DAPA, GENERAL LUNA, BURGOS, PILAR, SOCORRO, DEL CARMEN, SAN ISIDRO SANTA MONICA and SAN BENITO.
It became even more popular when it was featured in some of the biggest television shows in the country which resulted to some changes in the Island like being too commercialized, more opportunities for the locals and more investors. Before, there's only one way to go there wherever you are in the country and that's via Ferry from Surigao sea port but this time it already has its own airport. The Sayak Airport also known as Siargao Airport is situated in Barangay Sayak, Del Carmen. For now, it offers flights going to/coming from major cities in the country but I've heard that they will be opening their international flights somewhere in the future.
There are tons of tourist attractions in Siargao Island and for this episode I will be featuring which I believe the most visited destination and that's none other than the Cloud 9 surfing site. Obviously people come visit Siargao for the very reason of trying the exciting and extreme surfing activity.
It is situated at Catangnan, General Luna. If you are taking the ferry which costs 100.00 pesos (2.00 US Dollar) from SURIGAO CITY , you will arrive at DAPA PORT with a travel period of 2-3 HOURS. Then from the port, you can take a motorbike or tricycle heading to GENERAL LUNA. The transportation costs ranging from 150- 200 (3.00 - 4.00 US Dollar) one way. If you are travelling by group, I recommend just to take the tricycle. It has the price but at least it can accommodate few people. In our case, we booked our hostel near the City proper. From thereon, it only takes 10-15 minutes going to Cloud 9 surfing site. You have options with your transportation during your stay. If you know how to drive a motorbike, you can rent one which costs from 250.00 - 300 (6.00 US Dollar) per day. If not, you can just take public motorbikes which has a standard fare of 20.00 pesos (0.38 US Dollar) only within the City. If you are planning to go somewhere else away from the City, the price for a motorbike is 100.00 pesos (2.00 US Dollar) per destination. I can say that renting a motorbike is reasonable enough because you can go wherever and anytime you want.
As you can see there are already a lot of motorbikes being parked at the entrance of Cloud 9 surfing site. There are also a lot of souvenir shops around the area and if you want to rent a surf board you can just ask the vendors there. They will actually approach you right away upon entering the place. I am also very impressed with how disciplined the locals are since they really do maintain the cleanliness of Siargao's precious attractions.
You will already know that you are already at Cloud 9 because most people are bringing surfing boards and you can already definitely hear the roaring sound of the huge waves. Around the area there are also souvenir shops and affordable eateries. If you are on a budget, I recommend the nearby eateries to fill your stomachs because they are affordable and home cooked. If you are a beginner surfer, it is advised to get a guide. The fee for the local surfer's guide is 500.00 pesos (9.61 US Dollar) per hour which comes with a surf board already. The 300 pesos (6.00 US Dollar) goes to the local and 200 (4.00 US Dollar) goes to the surf board rental. They also offer 1 day surfing with the guide for only 500.00 pesos. (9.61 US Dollar) If you feel like surfing the entire day, this could be best for you.
There they have this scenic huge cottage quite distant from the shore which I believe is part of the Cloud 9 Resort. It's a very good spot if you wanna take a look the a wide view of the Island. There are chairs available wherein you can enjoy the ocean view and the people surfing. It's very relaxing when you go to the topmost area of the cottage. You can definitely have your instagramable photos with a picturesque view of the Island. If you are scared to try surfing, you can just simply watch them up here and enjoy the beautiful beach view just be mindful of your things because it's indeed too windy here. There's no entrance fee, you might be asking about it.
Just a pro-tip, be sure to pee before going there because it's quite distant from the shoreline and based on my experience I only had to stay there for a few minutes for the reason that I needed to go to the comfort room and I was hesitant to go back since it's quite distant from the surfing spot. haha
There's no doubt that it is one of the most visited places in town. I believe it's the coolest place to catch sunrise and sunset. And also be guided that the best time to go surfing is when it's high tide. According to the locals, the high tide hours are from 8 AM - 1 PM then 5 PM and beyond.
They also have this cool restaurant in the area. They serve good fruit shakes and European food which for me are quite pricey. They also provide lockers which costs 50.00 pesos (1.00 US Dollar) with no hours limit. What's good about Siargao is that it has a lot of hang out places where locals are able to meet and get along with the tourists.
They also have hammocks in the area wherein people can relax right after a tiring surf. I actually slept here for almost two hours right after surfing and I can honestly tell that it was one of best experiences that ever happened to me. Sleeping + Fresh air + Perfect view!
Basically there are two surfing spots at Cloud 9. One is for the Advanced Surfers and the other is for the Beginners. If you are a beginner, it's always advisable to have a trainer for safety purposes. What's good about having a trainer is that you will absolutely learn the basics and techniques on how to have an excellent ride on a surf board. Just give you an idea how surfing is done, they actually put a wax on the surf board so that you can stand without slipping. Then, the most challenging parts about surfing are paddling and balancing. I have finally found a new exciting water sports that I may wanna keep doing.
Just so you know, Siargao is giving Philippines an international spotlight for it became on of the chosen venues for international surfing competitions. This Grandest International Surfing Competition is held every September. MARK YOUR CALENDARS AND PREPARE TO RUSH YOUR FEET!
That's basically it, if it happens that you have visited the place already, please care to share your experiences in the comment section below. Everyone's glad to hear the stories of yours! Just always remember that learning is a lifetime process. You can learn from your experiences, trips and from other people. The world is so vast. Explore and Learn! Traveling isn't is as expensive as you think! There's a so called travelling on a frugal way with a purpose! I will be posting the second part of my Singapore Trip as soon as possible. Stay tuned then.
DEUCES!
Regards,
@itinerantph
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SEE YOU IN THE NEXT EPISODES!
