A Backpacker’s Guide: Five days in Surigao del Norte

The Boardwalk at Cloud 9 in Siargao

Fellow teachers Edison, Angel, Czhar, Weng, DJ, and I took advantage of our school’s sembreak to set our students’ test papers aside — but just for five days — and go explore more beautiful places here in the Philippines. We also went to cross out some items in our bucket lists: Czhar wanted to surf, and Edison wanted to see the stingless jellyfish of Sohoton Cove. I initially wanted to see the Enchanted River of Surigao del Sur, but given our lack of time, we decided to put that off for later. Our trip then consisted of going around Surigao City and the nearby town of Mabua, surfing and island hopping in Siargao, and visiting the gorgeous Sohoton Cove in Bucas Grande.

Mabua Pebble Beach

I think that by now, we could also start crossing out the list of things to do in the Philippines according to the old “Pilipinas, Tara Na!” Department of Tourism music video. We could finally proudly say that we’ve done Jessa Zaragosa’s “Mag-surfing sa Siargao”. (We actually watched the video again the night after we surfed and cheered loudly during that part. That was priceless.)

Mga kapwa lakwatsero at lakwatserang guro

Our itinerary

(Traveling with this crowd always entails doing unplanned activities. Much of what follows happened out of the blue.)

1. Day 1: Fly from NAIA to Surigao via a Cebu Pacific ATR
2. Have lunch at Gaisano
3. Rent a jeep to Mabua
4. Check in at Mt. Bagarabon Mountain Resort
5. Climb the trail to the rock formations
6. Swim at dusk
7. Day 2: Catch the 5:45am ferry to Siargao (2 hours and 45 minutes)
8. Take a hired van to Wayfarers at Cloud 9
9. Have lunch at Laida’s
10. Hire a boat to go island-hopping in Guyam, Daco, and Naked Islands
11. Nap (which turned to a 14-hour sleep, gosh)
12. Day 3: Watch the sunrise at the Boardwalk
13. Hire a habal-habal to General Luna
14. Eat at Aventino’s
15. Walk to the cemetery, swim in the rain
16. Find a boatman who could take us to Bucas Grande
17. Take a habal-habal back to Cloud 9
18. Surf! In the rain!
19. Dinner, bonding, and sleep at Wayfarers
20. Day 4: Take a habal-habal to General Luna
21. Breakfast at Maridy L’s
22. Take the hired boat to Sohoton Cove in Bucas Grande Island at 7:00am (2 hours 30 minutes)
23. Tour Sohoton Cove
24. Take the hired boat to Hayanggabon Port in mainland Surigao
25. Have a late lunch at the eatery by the port
26. Take a public van to Surigao City
27. Get a tricycle
28. Check in at Travelers’ Inn
29. Dinner at Bebie’s Barbecue at the port
30. Coffee and bonding at True Brew (across Gaisano)
31. Back to Travelers’ Inn
32. Day 5: Take a hired tricycle to search for pasalubong (and the elusive sayuksok)
33. Check out; take tricycle to airport
34. Fly back to Manila

Jellyfish Lagoon in Sohoton, Bucas Grande

Our budget

Our limited budget meant that we had to sacrifice a few things, particularly a land tour around Siargao and a trip to the Magpupungko pool in Siargao (although the weather on our Day 3 was also at fault). But after a year of a lot of traveling, I’ve reached the conclusion that I don’t have to see and experience everything — except, perhaps, the best stuff. In this case, surfing and Sohoton were “non-negotiables”.