Commuting 101: Siargao Airport to Dapa Port

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

“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

 

Promo fare to Batanes 2013

I was surprised when I got an email alert from Airphilexpress that they’ll be putting up a BATANES PROMO FARE for 2013 of Php 688 base fare. Estimated roundtrip ticket cost is Php 3k. This is a steal as compared with previous airlines who flew to Batanes.

It’s really cheap and right on the budget of those who dream to go to Batanes. Now, it’s your chance to visit this northern province inhabited by a population of 15,000.

Booking period for the Batanes PROMO FARE is from February 25-28, 2013.  TRAVEL PERIOD is from May 1-August 31, 2013.

May-June are summer months in Batanes.

TIP: When there’s a sale, grab the opportunity! Be decisive.

Commuting 101: How to get to EAT Danao

Got a thirst for adventure? E.A.T. Danao will definitely quench that thirst when you’re in Bohol. Probably, you’re searching on ways to commute to E.A.T. Danao Adventure Park. Their website gives you a list of choices for transport services.

But here’s what we actually did to get to EAT Danao.

1. From the airport, we headed straight to Dao Terminal. But just a warning, talk first with your trike driver or else you might get charged as high as we had been charged. We were charged a total of Php 200 from the airport to the Dao Terminal. Thank God, we’re four in a group to divide the cost, making it Php 50 each.

2. Dao Terminal is near Islands City Mall. Upon arriving at the terminal, we hurriedly went to the bus with the signage Sagbayan/Danao. Thank God! We were able to find a seat for the 3:00 PM departure of the bus. It would be a three-hour ride to Danao.

3. When you reach Danao Poblacion, hire a habal-habal to get to EAT Danao.

TRAVEL TIPS: 

  • Be early at the Dao Terminal Station so that you’ll get a good seat.
  • Make sure you have eaten before riding the bus or bring food with you when going to Danao in the afternoon.
  • Advantages of riding a bus: more legroom/ riding with the locals
  • Disadvantage of riding a bus: longer travel time
  • You have the option to ride a van. But just a warning, you might wait for other passengers to fill-up the seats. Vans are faster by an hour.
  • Schedule of buses and vans to Danao can be found here.
  • Contact a habal driver to pick you up when you reach Danao poblacion. Trip@dora recommends Tamay and his father. You may reach him at 0946-9069205.

 

BOHOL: The DIY WAY

Bohol has a special place in my heart now. (haha) Don’t ask why.

I kept on coming back to Bohol because it has a lot to offer. It’s one of those places that you’d love going back to. In Filipino, “Di nakakasawa sa Bohol!”

My first trip to Bohol was with my family in 2006. I vividly remember how I enjoyed the Loboc River Cruise and the Loboc Choir. “Balik Bohol” was their farewell song. Indeed, I returned to Bohol in 2009. But this time, it was for work. Back then, I was a reporter who covered and documented a kayaking race.

After three years, I came back to Bohol with a new thirst for adventure. This time, it’s with my friends and J. Encouraging my friends to travel was a bit difficult. Thanks to seat sales!

So where in Bohol did we go to?

  • Tagbilaran
  • Danao
  • Panglao
  • Balicasag Island
  • Baclayon Church
  • Chocolate Hills in Carmen
  • Loboc

We only had 4 days and 3 nights and yet, we managed to visit these destinations in Bohol. We stayed in 3 different lodgings in those 3 nights.

Here’s my Bohol Itinerary:

Day 1-Hello Bohol!

TIMEACTIVITY
15:00:00Leave Tagbilaran Dao Terminal for Danao via Bus
18:00:00Expected time of arrival at Danao/ Check-in at Jose Gonzaga Foundation Inn via habal-habal
18:30-19:00Check-in/Settle Down/ Wash up
19:00-20:00Dinner at EAT Danao

Day 2- Action-packed Adventure

TIMEACTIVITY
6:00-7:00 AMWake up
7:00-8:00 AMBreakfast at EAT DANAO
8:00-9:00 AMCaving/ Spelunking at Ka Mira Cave
9:00 AM-10:00 AMRoot Climbing
10:00 AM-10:15 AMThe Plunge
11:00-12:00 NNLunch
3:00 PM-5:00 PMRide Van back to Tagbilaran
7:00 PMCheck-in at Bolod Beach Resort
7:30 PMDinner

Day 3- Swim and Snorkel

TIME ACTIVITY
5:00 AM-6:00 AM Breakfast/ Leave Panglao
6:00 AM-11:00AM Dolphin Watching/ Snorkeling in Balicasag/ Virgin Island
12:00NN-2:00PM LUNCH
2:30 PM-6:00 PM Country side Tour: Baclayon Church, Tarsier, Chocolate Hills, Loboc River
6:00 PM- 7:00 PM Check-in at Nipa Hut Village
7:00 PM-8:00 PM Dinner at Loboc Floating Restaurant

Day 4- Home-bound

TIME ACTIVITY
5:00-6:00 AM Breakfast
6:00-7:00 AM Leave Loboc for Tagbilaran

My itinerary might not be applicable to others who want to relax. I just did this to maximize my Bohol Birthday trip. But next time, I will stay in one place and try slow travel. Crossing my fingers :)

Stay tuned for the next posts: Where we stayed, Trip Expense Report, The Plunge Experience and much more.

RELATED: