Siargao FAQ

We’re a small villa, so you definitely get to know us and the other guests. For the most part it’s chilled out and social, but we do love some cocktails and a good party.

There’s a big ol’ party every Friday night. We host dinner parties on occasion.

There is! We have two routers from different providers to mitigate the inconsistency of internet on the island.

Our kitchen is open every day from 7am until 10pm. Our chef specializes in fresh fusion dishes. Thank island fare, with a twist! Daily food specials, craft beer, and specialty cocktails are always on offer.

We have three different room types. Our Ocean View Suite w/ King Sized Bed & Bathtub is 3050php/night. Our AirCon Rooms w/ Private Bathroom are 1950php/night. Our Fan Rooms w/ Shared bathroom are 1050php/night.

Put your trip details into the contact form on our contact page.   We’ll get back to you quickly with our availability.

We do require a 30% deposit to confirm your reservation, payable by PayPal or bank transfer. The deposit should be paid upon receipt of booking confirmation until 30 days prior to arrival.

For a full refund, cancellation must be made 30 full days prior to the day of check in. The deposit is non-refundable if the cancellation is less than 30 days in advance. Any and all service fee/s incurred in the money transfer is non-refundable. If the guest arrives and decides to leave early, the nights not spent are not refunded. This cancellation policy may be amended for qualifying circumstances.

We accept PayPal or bank transfer for pre-payments. Cash payments are the only form of payment accepted on location.

Siargao can be reached via flight from Cebu or ferry from Surigao. Cebu has an international airport. It may be cheaper to get an international flight to Manila, and then a domestic flight from Manila to Cebu. If you choose to take the ferry from Surigao, you can get to Surigao via domestic flight or overnight ferry from Cebu.

It depends on what you’re looking for! September is by far the busiest month. The national & international surfing competitions and the town fiesta are all in September. If you’re looking for epic surf, the waves are best from September to November. If you’re looking for uncrowded surf, come from December to March. It’s uncrowded because it’s raining. A lot. If you want to learn how to surf, come anytime. If you have no idea why everyone keeps talking about surfing, then April to October are perfect for beach all day and party all night.

There are AirCon vans available at the airport for 300/php per head. From the pier it’s possible to get a motorbike or habal-habal for 150-200 pesos per head. If you’re on a budget, walk to the tricycle terminal next to the pier and share a tricycle for 35-50 pesos depending on how full it is.

The easiest way to get around is to rent a motorbike. The manager at your accommodation will be able to set you up with a rental. If you want to do it yourself, try On The Road. If you aren’t interested in driving a motorbike, it’s easy to flag down a habal-habal or motorbike driver. Rides within the General Luna and Cloud 9 area are 20 pesos.

Absolutely not! Siargao has plenty of activities, whether you’re a laid-back introvert, or a party animal. Day trips, water sports, game fishing, and beach bumming are all popular activities in Siargao.

White sand, turquoise water, pretty seashells. There’s no shortage of scenic beaches on Siargao and the surrounding islands. At low tide it becomes impossible to swim in many spots.

The weather is warm and temperate year round. It gets up to low 30s celsius/90s fahrenheit in the summer. That, combined with the humidity and strong sun, can make it quite hot. Rainy season is from November to February. The temperature drops a few degrees during rainy season. The water is warm enough to swim in year round.

There’s a broad range of food. Budget and high end Filipino food is available. There’s a handful of international restaurants. Most resorts have a mix of international and filipino food on their menus. Italian, Spanish, and American dishes are especially well represented. Cafe culture is beginning to spread, and there are now four proper coffee shops.

Yes. There is a large variety of surf breaks. That allows beginners to start in fun, small waves and move up to the bigger waves as they improve. There are many fun and experienced surf instructors available to teach.

Very easy! The two main surf shops are Fat Lips, which is in Purok 5, near General Luna, and Hippie’s Surf Shop in Cloud 9. Both have rentals as well as second-hand boards for sale. Many resorts rent out boards to their guests. For new boards, Cocosurf is a local shaping company that’s putting out high quality, custom boards.

There are ATMs in Dapa and in Del Carmen.The machines do not accept all cards, and are sometimes offline or out of money. There is also a Western Union in Dapa. Within General Luna, Jabinas, Ronaldos, and Patrick’s on the Beach will let you use a credit card in exchange for cash. They take 5-10% of the amount you charge.

Only a couple of places take credit cards. You can always ask, you may be pleasantly surprised.

Siargao is very safe. That said, use the same safety precautions that you would use at home. There is some petty theft. Make sure any large amount of cash is always secured. Siargao has absolutely no terrorist or insurgent activity to speak of.

No.

Nothing serious, unless you decide to take a swim through the mangroves on the north end of the island, where the crocodiles are. In General Luna beware of stepping on sea urchins. During the winter months sometimes blue bottle jellyfish will blow in. They’re painful and itchy, but not particularly dangerous.

Tourists from many countries are able to avail a free 30 visa upon arrival. If you want to stay longer than that, it’s fairly straight forward to obtain a visa waiver for up to 59 days, and extend your visa. These can all be done from the Bureau of Immigration in Surigao. The Bureau of Immigration has a list of non-visa required nationals (for the first 30 days) at the bottom of their FAQ page .

Yes. Almost everyone speaks conversational English.

Philippine Pesos. United States Dollars and Euros are not accepted.

Make sure all of your routine vaccinations are up to date. These include: measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine, varicella (chickenpox) vaccine, polio vaccine, and your yearly flu shot. Hepatitis A and Typhoid vaccinations are recommended as there is a risk of contracting these diseases in the Philippines. Hepatitis B is recommended for travelers who are planning on engaging in sexual activities, or getting a tattoo or piercing.

It depends on where you’re from. American shaped sockets are widely used. Be advised that, unlike America, the voltage in the Philippines is 220V. Many higher end electronics are built to handle the increased voltage. Other types of electronics, such as blow dryers, may be ruined by plugging into a Filipino socket. Research your specific items before coming. Sometimes you will run across another type of socket with two, round holes.

For the most part, no. It’s not customary. If there is a tip jar visible, or you receive truly outstanding service, you can tip at your discretion.