Dumaguete to Siquijor Itinerary and Budget  

DUMAGUETE TO SIQUIJOR TRIP| ITINERARY, BUDGET

I had wanted to go on a solo backpacking trip, but I was scared. I had hesitations, and somehow, I admit that I enjoyed traveling with fellow travelers.

But moving with friends can be hard at times, particularly with our agendas. Others are not available on the dates I am free and vice-versa. So finally, I decided to go alone.
At first, I was scheduled to go to the Islas de Gigantes, but the night before my trip I was informed by a friend that traveling to the Island on these dates is quite challenging because of the weather. Right away, I felt the benefit of going alone; I altered my plan at once. Instead of going to Islas de Gigantes, I decided to visit Dumaguete and Siquijor Island.

Dumaguete City to  Siquijor is just approximately 50 minutes of fast craft travel time. This is one of the reasons why many travelers would typically visit the two places in one trip.

Let me share with you my DIY ITINERARY AND BUDGET on this  DUMAGUETE TO SIQUIJOR trip.

 DUMAGUETE TO SIQUIJOR ITINERARY AND BUDGET

Day 1 –DUMAGUETE TO SIQUIJOR TRIP 

3:30 am-9:30 am – Bacolod to Dumaguete Via Ceres Bus (Non-Aircon)  – PHP 275.00. Note: No air-conditioned bus was available at that time.

10:00 am -11:30 am – Dumaguete – to Siquijor Via GL Shipping Lines. The fare was PHP 150.00, and the terminal fee was PHP 15.00. The port going to Siquijor can be found at the Boulevard in Dumaguete. The vessel was quite small that you could feel the motion in the sea. The legroom was also small, and the seats were uncomfortable. Passengers also wore the life vest which I cannot afford to put on because it was visibly dirty. But I was holding one… to be sure.

11:30 am -12:00 nn –Drop by the Tourism Booth located at the main of the Siquijor Port.  I was amazed because the booth was staffed and there were people (1 from the Department of Tourism and 1 Policeman in Uniform) who assisted me. They also provided me with some literature that I used to explore the place. Another thing which impressed was, Siquijor has a published rate for vehicle rentals and tour rates.

I decided to stay in San Juan, a place where most beach houses and hotels are located it is just a few minutes from the seaport. I took a tricycle to bring me to San Juan. Again, they have a standard rate of PHP 250.00 for the trike, but what great about their tariff was, the vehicle will accompany you to search for your hotel until you decide on where to stay. In my case, since that was an instant trip, I was not able o book a hotel in advance, so I still have to search for a place to stay. The tricycle driver who also served as my tourist guide the following day was accommodating and courteous. He brought me to a couple of hotels until I finally decided where to stay according to my preference of course.

12:00nn-12:45 pm – Check-in to One Sunset Hotel. Rate – 1,400/day with free continental breakfast One Sunset Hotel has a beachfront, a restaurant, wifi, a pool and it’s air-conditioned. These were the reasons why I choose his place because while there were dormitories and cheaper rooms available, some areas don’t look safe, some don’t have a restaurant, and in some hotels, the rooms available are far from the beach. In my case, I was able to get a room fronting the pool, and the place was well lit at night. The hotel was also near some sari-sari stores wherein you can buy some bottled water and other things which you might need.

Click here for the Complete List of Hotels and Resorts in Siquijor

12:45-1:30 pm – Late lunch at One Sunset Hotel. One thing which annoyed me about the place was their slow service. They only have one cook and one person serving. So it would be good that when you visit Siquijor, you can drop by Dumaguete City to buy some snack items which you can have any time of the day. In my case, since I am diabetic and I cannot afford to go hungry, so I brought some packed snacks with me.

1:30pm-4:30 pm – Rest. I was very sleepy because I was not able to sleep the whole night before, I took that moment to rest.

4:30 pm-6:00 pm – Explored the Beach. I think one of the best features of Siquijor is their Beaches. They have white sand, and it’s not crowded. Unfortunately, I didn’t have any swimwear, so I just enjoyed walking at the shoreline and took a lot of photos.

One Sunset Hotel, Siquijor ( Dumaguete to Siquijor Itinerary and Budget )

6:00 pm-7:00 pm – Dinner at the beachfront. Their food was ranging from PHP 150-350/serving. But don’t expect anything special. They only serve simple food like fried, sinigang, etc. I was even wondering why I hadn’t seen much of the seafood when the place was just at the beach.

Traveling alone can be lonely if you are not friendly. While I was eating, I was entertained by the hotel staff.
7:00 pm-9:00 pm –  I went out to explore the street, But I didn’t go far because I was alone. I went to a store near the place and bought bottled drinks. Beverages at the hotel were expensive, besides they were not strict about bringing food and drinks from the outside. I even asked them to refrigerate the food that I brought all the way from Bacolod, and they didn’t charge me for that. Again, it pays to be friendly. While enjoying my drinks, a family from Brazil joined me at the poolside which made me more relaxed and enjoyed my trip.
9:00 pm – Rest. I never slept at this early time back home, but I guess I was exhausted.

Calipay Spring ( Dumaguete to Siquijor Itinerary and Budget )

Day 2 – DUMAGUETE TO SIQUIJOR TRIP

6:00 am -8:00 Breakfast. I was planning to enjoy the beach at this moment, but I was disappointed because it was low tide, so I just decided to enjoy the serene place while sipping a cup of coffee. I also took my breakfast after awhile.

9:00 am – Start of My Island Tour. The Island Coastal Tour in a Tricycle would cost one PHP 1,000.00. But the driver charged me an additional PHP 200.00 because he fetches me from the hotel. This was something that was not agreed, but I didn’t argue anymore because I was planning to give him a tip. So since I felt I was tricked a bit, I just gave him 1,200.00. If you are a group of 4, then the rate would be very cheap because you can divide the amount amongst yourself.

The following were the places we’ve visited on our coastal tour:  

1.Calipay Spring Park and St. Vincent de Ferrer Bell Tower – Free  Entrance
2. Enchanted Balete Tree and Fish Spa – Entrance is PHP 5.00person; Fish Spa – Donation Only
3.San Isidro Labrador Church and Convent – Free Entrance
4. Cambugahay Falls – Free Entrance, but you have to pay PHP 25.00 for a parking fee. The tour guide was compulsory, but they don’t have a fixed rate. I decided to give PHP 150.00 for the tour guide because I just took photos and treat him for a drink. It was nice to have the tour guide and a lifeguard at the same time because he also doubled as my photographer. Paying the tour guide a little more especially if you are traveling as a group. This will help the locals to have their livelihood.
5.Our Lady of Devine Providence Church -Free Entrance
6. Salagdoong Beach –Entrance is PHP 25/person and parking Fee of PHP 25.00. This is also where we ate our lunch. Of course, you have to treat your guide for lunch as well.
7.Guiwahon Spring – Entrance of PHP 10.00/person
8.Francis of Assisi Church – Free Entrance

3:00 PM-3:15 PM. The St. Francis was my last stop. The church is also located right in front of the port. After taking pictures of the church, I realized that I still have 45 minutes to wait for the last trip to Dumaguete City. So I decided to stay at Tudia, a snack bar right at the gate of the port. I like the place because they have wifi and while their food was not spectacular, the taste was acceptable. They also make their bread.

4:30 pm – 6:10 pm –Going to Dumaguete Via Montenegro Lines. The fare is PHP 130, and the terminal fee is PHP 14.00. I prefer Montenegro Lines as compared t the small vessel because you cannot feel the movement of the ship especially if the weather is not suitable.
6:30 pm. Check-in at Novo Hotel. Rate:900/day (Queen Suite). I wanted to stay in any of the hotels at the Boulevard because that is where most people go during night time, but all the hotels were fully booked at that time. So I choose the Novo Hotel, It’s an economy hotel, they don’t have a restaurant, but they have a clean and spacious room, and most especially they have wifi. For me, the Novo Hotel is a low-end version of Go Hotels. Don’t mind about the front office staff if they don’t smile nor appeared unfriendly sometimes. I guess they were not just meant to be on the job, but they were assigned there. Novo Hotel is owned by the same owner who owned Novo Store ( a store selling China goods and they are found in many provinces).
In front of the hotels were various restaurants, so eating was not a problem. Novo Hotel is just two blocks away from the Boulevard and its right beside Lee Plaza Mall in Dumaguete City.

Click here for the complete list of Hotels in Dumaguete City

8:00pm-9:00pm- Boulevard: Street Food Tasting

( Dumaguete to Siquijor Itinerary and Budget )

Day 3 – DUMAGUETE TO SIQUIJOR TRIP

11:00 am – Dumaguete to Bacolod Via Ceres. Air-conditioned Bus at PHP 335. The bus has Wifi and very comfortable, so I slept most of the time.

Cambugahay Falls ( Dumaguete to Siquijor Itinerary and Budget )

HAPPY TRIP  TRAVEL TIPS

1. The most popular tours in Siquijor Island is the coastal tour wherein you can circumnavigate the entire island in a day. So depending on your schedule and availability, you can stay longer in Siquijor to enjoy its beautiful beaches.
2. If you are visiting Dumaguete City and would want to segway Siquijor, you can take the early trip from Dumaguete to Siquijor, do the coastal tour (using tricycle) and go back to Dumaguete late in the afternoon. Please check the various trip of various shipping companies below.
3. Dumaguete City has a wide array of attractions that can see for a couple of days.

Please click below for our Dumaguete City Travel Guide.

( Dumaguete to Siquijor Itinerary and Budget )

GETTING TO SIQUIJOR FROM DUMAGUETE

Below are the schedules of various shipping companies serving Dumaguete and Siquijor.

Ocean Jet –  Siquijor to Dumaguete Schedule and Rates 

Ocean Jet –   Dumaguete to Siquijor Schedule and Rates

Montenegro Lines Trip Schedules

( Dumaguete to Siquijor Itinerary and Budget )

GETTING AROUND SIQUIJOR

As I mentioned above, there is a Tourism Booth in Siquijor located right at the seaport. They have standardized rates for their trikes and or vans for the tour. There are also motorbikes for rent anywhere in the island. Just ask your hotel or resort if you want to rent one.

  I opted to take a trike during my visit ( Dumaguete to Siquijor Itinerary and Budget )

 SIQUIJOR-DUMAGUETE TRIP series:

•  Calipay Spring
•  San Isidro Labrador Church and Convent 
•  List of Hotels and Resorts in Siquijor
•  9 Things to do in Siquijor
• Siquijor: Your Ultimate Travel Guide
• CAMBUGAHAY FALLS | SIQUIJOR TOURIST ATTRACTION
•  SATORI CLIFF, BASAY, NEGROS ORIENTAL TRAVEL GUIDE
•  SANDUROT FESTIVAL SCHEDULE OF EVENTS | DUMAGUETE CITY
•  PULANG BATO FALLS, VALENCIA TRAVEL GUIDE
•  BUGLASAN FESTIVAL SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES
•  LIST OF RECOMMENDED HOTELS IN ILIGAN CITY
•  CAMPUESTOHAN HIGHLAND RESORT | Room Rates, Fees
•  BALI INDONESIA TRAVEL GUIDE | TOURIST SPOTS, HOTELS
•  RICHMONDE HOTEL | ILOILO CITY
•  SINULOG SA KABANKALAN SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES

 Seaport in Siquijor ( Dumaguete to Siquijor Itinerary and Budget )