Nguyen Quang Viet Huy (1991, Khanh Hoa) is currently doing business in the field of e-commerce in Ho Chi Minh City. He has conquered many countries and recently, with his wife, came to explore the oasis of Siargao, Philippines. The total cost per person including airfare for 4 days and 3 nights is just over 15 million VND, very reasonable for a wonderful experience trip in the island nation of the Philippines.
For those who love the sea, surfing, diving... or seafood, the Philippines is definitely not to be missed. According to Viet Huy, in terms of beauty, wildness and good preservation, the Philippines always ranks number 1.
Siargao Island was voted the most beautiful island in the world by many readers of Conde Nast Traveler magazine in the US.
Surfing at Cloud9
The Philippines also exempts visas for Vietnamese citizens. People speak English well and the place is close to Vietnam, suitable for short trips. There are many famous places in the Philippines such as Boracay, Cebu, Coron, El Nido... but Siargao is a place that is little known to Asian tourists, although it is quite famous in European and American groups.
Sharing with Travellive, Viet Huy said: “The most impressive thing for me is Sugba Lagoon, which looks like a miniature Ha Long Bay from above. However, the special thing is that between the islands are turquoise seawater lakes, natural connecting roads creating white sand strips. Here, each guest is only allowed a maximum of 3 hours to experience and is not allowed to bring food or drinks when arriving. Therefore, the number of guests is not too crowded, and it is extremely clean and there is not a bit of trash.”
Besides, Siargao Island is a great surfing paradise that you should not miss when coming to the Philippines.
Catangnan Bridge, a beautiful place to watch the sunset
Siargao Island is located 800 km southeast of Manila, Philippines, in Surigao del Norte province with an area of 437 km2In addition, this place was also voted the most beautiful island in the world by many readers of Conde Nast Traveler magazine in the US.
According to Viet Huy, there are countless experiences when coming to Siargao Island such as: jumping off the bridge at Sugba Lagoon; boating on the Maasin River, the scenery around the riverbank is likened to a miniature Amazon forest; jumping off the bridge at Massin River; riding a motorbike along DaPa road, surrounded by coconut forests; Swimming, Snorkeling and diving at Guyam Island, Daku, Naked and Secret Beach; Watching the sunset at Catangnan Bridge; Learning to surf at Cloud9....
Sugba Lagoon
Siargao travel experience
“Currently, Siargao Island is only famous with Western tourists, not many Asian tourists visit. If you want to enjoy the wild and peaceful beauty, you should go early, because when the island becomes famous, there will definitely be many tourists coming here,” Viet Huy emphasized.
When to go to Siargao:The best time to visit Siargao is from March to November. However, it is recommended to go between May and July to avoid the peak surfing season. Hotels are also cheaper and there are more options. Eating at restaurants also saves you from having to queue or make reservations.
Tourist boat on the island
Travel from Vietnam to Siargao:You have to fly to Manila and then from Manila fly to Sayak Airport. Popular airlines include Cebu Pacific, Philippines Airlines, etc. Getting around Siargao can be done by renting a van, tuk tuk, or by motorbike. Motorbikes are quite cheap, around 350-400 pesos/day (about 150,000 VND) and are easy and safe to drive around the island.
Places of entertainment:Sugba Lagoon; 3-island tour: Guyam - Daku - Naked island with Secret Beach (underwater beach); Coconut forest along Maasin River; Cloud9 surfing area; Catangnan Bridge, a beautiful sunset viewing spot. There are also some other famous places such as: Alegria beach (the most beautiful beach on the island), Sohoton Cove (jellyfish lagoon), Magpupungko Rock Pool (secret pool revealed at low tide), Tayangban Cave, Hagukan Cave (glowing cave).
Hotel:Tourists should choose a hotel in General Luna near Cloud9, where everything is available and convenient for travel. You can book rooms in advance on sites like Booking, Airbnb, Agoda...
Eat and drink:Filipino food is quite easy to eat and similar to Vietnamese food. Seafood is fresh but not as diverse as Vietnamese food, mainly fish.
Peaceful scenery in Siargao
Siargao covers an area of about 437 square kilometers, with a population of just over 200,000 people. The small population also contributes to maintaining its pristine beauty, as many similar places have had their wildness destroyed by the boom in tourism.
“There is a restaurant that we really like, our group liked it so much that we ate there 3 times, especially the mango and chili smoothie, which is delicious when you are thirsty after swimming in the sea. The restaurant name can be searched on google as CEV: Ceviche & Kinilaw Shack”, Viet Huy said.
However, currently, tourism in Siargao still has restaurants that rip off tourists, so be careful to ask for prices first. In June, the weather is often rainy and cloudy at noon, so you should arrange to go out and take pictures in the early morning or afternoon, and at noon you should rest or go out to eat. And remember to bring a raincoat, jacket or waterproof backpack.
Kayak rental for 300 pesos/hour (about 130,000 VND)
