Soccoro: The gateway to Sohoton National Park

Posted on May 1, 2013 by Trip@dora

The beautiful morning that greeted us in Soccoro

It was nearly evening when we arrived at the Soccoro Port from Dapa Port in Siargao. The moody weather delayed our scheduled boat ride. It was almost an hour and a half of being swayed in the sea. After all, we’ve passed by the Pacific Ocean as Siargao and Soccoro are geographically facing the Pacific.

I heaved a sigh of relief as soon as my feet felt the solid ground of the port. It’s time to find the lodge where we will stay for the night. The directional signage of Island Vacations Country Inn was helpful. Country Inn was just a few steps away from the port. It took us less than 5 minutes and saw the inn.

Fellow Pinoy Travel Blogger member, Sir Edelito Sangco, who’s also behind the blog, IslandVacations.me, owns the place. Though he was not around during the time that we were there, he endorsed us to his sister and brother in-law.

The rooms are located on top of a bakery store. Hence, we always smell the freshly baked bread. I got the fan dorm room. The fan room rate is Php 200 per head per night. We stayed for 2 nights. But the gracious Sir Ed Sangco let us stay for free. (Thank you sir Ed!)

It was around 7:30 PM when we decided to have dinner. During this time, only one cafeteria was opened. Candles and flashlight illuminated the area due to electricity loss during that night.

The townfolks of Soccoro slept early as the roads were almost deserted. And so we dozed off to sleep as well for an early island hopping the following day.

The smell of freshly baked pandesal awakened my senses. It really smelled so good. But the downside, the heat emitted by the bakery evaporated through the room. If you’re going to stay at Islands Country Inn, get the A/C room for Php 250 per head per night. Read more about Island Vacations Country Inn here.

The morning breeze in the quiet town of Soccoro was refreshing. The port was not yet busy at 6:00 AM. But as I walked further, I found two kids playing by the port.

While others were still yawning, fishermen were already casting their nets into the sea. I knew it was just the beginning of an exciting day.

Up Next: The Adventures in Sohoton National Park.

Travel Notes:

Travel time from Dapa Port to Soccoro Port- 1.5 hours
Ferry fare from Dapa Port to Soccoro- Php 100.00

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Commuting 101: Siargao Airport to Dapa Port

Posted on April 25, 2013 by Trip@dora

There’s no dull moment when you’re entertained by aerial views from Cebu to the surfing capital of the Philippines, Siargao.

Excitement filled me as the plane descended at the Sayak Airport of Siargao. The architecture of the holding area of Siargao Airport was very reflective of Mindanao.

We found our way out of the airport easily as it was small. As soon as we exit from Siargao Airport, van drivers were already inviting us to ride their vans but riding a van would slash a big amount from the budget. Hence, we opted to ride a habal-habal (motorbike that can carry 3 or more passengers).

I approached the tourism desk, where I was asked to register. I also asked for maps.

A few steps away from the desk, we saw a tarpaulin with the standard rates of riding a habal-habal. Whoa! Standard Rates are very expensive! But these habal drivers were accredited by their Tourism Office. They wore orange shirts.

From Sayak Airport to Dapa Port, we paid Php 100 each. The ride from Sayak to Dapa per habal-habal is Php 200. Dapa Port is where we’ll be riding a boat to Soccoro Port.

Good thing, the habal-habal has a cover like that of a tricycle’s hood. It was a 30-minute breezy ride amid lush greens in Siargao. Our habal driver dropped us off at Mem’s Pensionne Hauz & Restaurant.

It was already lunch time. Our stomachs were craving for food. Mem’s has seafood, chicken, pork and veggies in their menu.

From the outside, it doesn’t look inviting. But when you get inside, the restaurant is fairly comfortable. It’s airconditioned and the best of all, it has FREE WIFI. hehe

The only thing that I disliked was their comfort room. Nonetheless, it’s a good stopover while waiting for the boat to Soccoro. The boat to Soccoro was scheduled to leave Dapa Port at 2:00PM.

This is the entrance to the main DAPA PORT. But upon talking with the locals, I learned that the boats docked here are the boats bound for Surigao.

I was then led to another gate beside this one. It’s more of a port for cargo hold than passengers’ port. Loads of goods were being prepared for shipping. Most of the passengers waiting at the port to Soccoro were locals. We’re the only tourists.

The vessel arrived at past 1 pm. Though we were scheduled to leave at 2PM, the gloomy weather delayed our trip. We left Dapa Port quarter to 3 PM.

The picture above was not the actual vessel. It only served as the bridge since the assigned vessel for Soccoro can’t dock directly at the port.

TRAVEL NOTES:

Travel time from Sayak to Dapa: 30 minutes via habal-habal
Habal-habal fare from Sayak to Dapa: Php 200 per vehicle
Lunch at Mem’s: Php 300 for 2 pax
Schedule of Boat Ride from Dapa to Soccoro: 7:15 AM, 2PM
Passenger Boat Fare from Dapa to Soccoro: Php 100.00

RELATED LINK:

Getting to Siargao

Getting to Siargao

Posted on March 12, 2013 by Trip@dora

“Nasubukan mo na bang mag-rapids sa Pagsanjan, magdiving sa Anilao, mag-surfing sa Siargao?”

-Excerpt from the lyrics of Biyahe Tayo

Known to be the surfing capital of the Philippines, Siargao has become synonymous with surfing. Though I’m not a surfer, my curiosity led me to discover that there’s more to Siargao than surfing.

Getting to Siargao can be done by air and by sea.

By Air- As of this writing, there’s no direct flight yet from Manila to Siargao. One can either fly via Cebu or via Surigao.

Via Cebu

This is the shortest route to get to Siargao. Fly to Siargao from Cebu via Cebu Pacific Air (Schedule: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday). As of now, the only airline that serves this route is Cebu Pacific.

Travel time from Manila to Cebu: 45 minutes
Travel time from Cebu to Siargao: 50 minutes

This was the route tried by Tripadora but it entailed staying in Cebu for a night to catch the flight at 10:20 AM. Arrival in Siargao is around 11:10 AM. Return flight schedule is from 11:30 AM-12:20 PM.

I was lucky enough to score cheap flights during a promo of Cebu Pacific to Siargao. The roundtrip ticket to Siargao from Cebu costs only Php 1,000.00. Usually, the regular rate if booking Manila-Siargao with a layover in Cebu will cost a passenger around 4k-6k roundtrip.

The 50-minute flight to Siargao was not boring. I was entertained capturing the breathtaking aerial view of Siargao and its neighboring islands. How I wish I can identify each one of them.

Travel tip: To see the aerial beauty of Siargao, request for a window seat on the left side of the plane (Seat A).

By Air and by Sea

Via Surigao

When you choose to fly via Surigao, you still have to ride a ferry from the Surigao main port to get to Siargao.

According to locals whom I spoke to, this route is easier when you want to visit Sohoton National Park in Soccoro since it’s just 30-40 minutes away from Hayanggabon Port of Surigao del Norte.

Travel time by air Manila to Surigao:
Travel time by sea Surigao to Siargao: 2.5-3 hours

Sleeping at NAIA Terminal 3

Posted on March 7, 2013 by Trip@dora

An early morning flight means an early trip to the airport especially for people who come from the south of Manila. That includes me.

Rather than traveling in the wee hours of the morning, I rode the bus to Manila and decided to spend the night at NAIA Terminal 3. As soon as I arrived, I noticed other passengers had already picked their own place at the Departure area while waiting for their respective flights.

While I got suggestions to stay at the ground floor (ARRIVAL AREA) where less people were sleeping, I scouted first for the massage area at the 4th floor of NAIA Terminal 3.

After passing by Mini-stop and the pastry shop, I came across the SM Kenko Spa. The receptionist immediately asked me: “Massage or Lounge, Ma’am?” I smiled and looked at the pricelist. I originally want a massage but the massage was pricier than the lounge.

Hesitation made my feet walked again to look for a place to stay. I did find an empty bench but I guessed my body needed more comfort as I just came from a 10-hour ride from Sagada. Talk about going home to just pack clothes anew for another trip.

A comfortable sleep won over the price of the lounge of Php 450.00 ($11.00) for a 5-hour stay at the Kenko lounge at NAIA Terminal 3. After all, it’s just Php 90.00 per hour, not bad.

I tried to bargain for just a three-hour stay but the receptionist told me that it’s the same rate. She asked me about my flight sched and my desired wake-up time. She wrote it in a piece of paper and led me to the lounge area where reclining seats were lined up in front of a flat screen TV. One weary passenger was already snoring when I arrived.

The receptionist also gave me a blanket to keep me warm. My body was happy resting on the comfy reclining seat. I closed my eyes but my thoughts were still wandering. I tried to count sheep until my mind drifted into the unknown. I can’t remember what followed after until I heard the alarm clock at 3:00 AM.

Time to check-in and get my boarding pass. It was only now that I discovered this pay-lounge at the NAIA Terminal 3. I was surprised to know that it has been operating for three years now.

I got the brochure and learned that the minimum stay for the lounge is 2 hours at Php 250.00. Hence, the 5-hour stay gives more value than a 2-hour stay. Whole body massage for one-hour was more expensive at Php 675.00. It also offers shower for Php 250.00.

If you’re weary and wanted more comfort, security of belongings and privacy when sleeping at the airport, then try out this lounge at the NAIA Terminal 3.

Trip@dora

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Category Archives: DIY

Soccoro: The gateway to Sohoton National Park

Commuting 101: Siargao Airport to Dapa Port

Getting to Siargao

Sleeping at NAIA Terminal 3