Travelogue: Siquijor (Beach + Accommodation + Things To Do)

Finally, I’m doing a travel post! It has been a while since my last and I’m hoping I could do more in the weeks, months and years to come. I’ve been receiving a lot of inquiries about my travels, which I share more on my Instagram account (@lush_angel). I’ve been wanting to share more details, such as itineraries, accommodations, and other travel recommendations. In fact, do you know that I initially created this blog to be my travel diary? Well, it evolved to fashion and beauty, then to a little bit of everything. I have a couple of travel posts, but you would notice most of them do not have photos anymore. 🙁 Thanks to Multiply photo sharing website, most of my travel photos here in my blog were deleted when they decided to close down. Ugh! Anyway, since traveling has been part of my life ever since I was a kid and I would like to believe that I live to learn through my travels, I’ll try to post all my travels and adventures. 😀

My first beach trip this year (2014) was Siquijor. I’ve been meaning to visit the island for years now, but, like most Filipinos, the mystery of the island led me to postpone my travel several times. In the Philippines, the province is known to have witches, magic potions, sorcerers, and the likes. Armed with a lot of courage, I pushed through my vacation with my friends and went to Siquijor.

Siquijor Accommodation: Coco Grove Beach Resort

My friends and I stayed at Coco Grove Beach Resort. It’s one of the known beach resorts in the island. It’s a bit isolated from other resorts, which is perfect for those who are looking for some quiet time.

The service is amazing. The moment we arrived, our names welcomed us at the entrance. We availed of their transfer service from the airport and back to the port, which was an additional cost. I’ll share how to get to the island in a different post. If you’re on a budget, there are also tricycles that can bring you to the resort.

Meet Macky, the talkative parrot at the reception area…

Coco Grove Beach Resort has a perfect garden landscape.

Native cottages and villas are scattered around the huge property and they’re surrounded with beautiful trees, plants and flowers.

Here are some photos of our room and it’s really huge! If I’m not mistaken, it’s an Executive Deluxe room that’s good for 4. It was the only room available at that time.

Siquijor Things To Do

Of course, if you’re booked in such lovely resort, you’d want to spend more time here.

You’d definitely want to enjoy the 800m white beach and clear waters of Coco Grove Beach Resort. Kayak rental is free for checked-in guests.

The white sand is not as powdery as Boracay (if you’re familiar). There are crushed corals on some areas, but it’s not so bad.

Going to the far end of the beach is a must since the rock formations are just amazing! 😀

There are swimming pools in the resort, one of which has poolside bar.

You can also play beach volleyball, if you’re into it.

If you want to relax, you can also have a massage and nails spa.

Coco Grove Beach Resort has a busy dive shop where you can book diving sessions and rent diving and snorkeling gears. To save a few pesos, don’t forget to bring your own snorkeling gear. There’s a snorkeling spot quite near the shore.

Watching the sunset here leaves me breathless.

If you wish to go around the island and go outside the private resort, you can take photos of the famous Balate Tree, cliff-dive at Salagdoong Beach, jump at Cambugahay Falls, and visit Lazi Church. You can book a tour at the resort or for a cheaper option, simply rent out a tricycle.

Siquijor Coco Grove Beach Resort Food

There are two restaurants in the resort serving international cuisine. Room rate is inclusive of complimentary breakfast for two. You can choose from their breakfast set menu.

If you wish to eat lunch/ dinner inside the resort, price range is PHP 200 to PHP 300.

There really is no “nightlife” in the resort. On Saturday nights though, a great local band performs in one of the restaurants.

While we were there, a huge group of graduating students from an international school were also checked-in so there was sort of a “party” that weekend.

Siquijor: Recommended Length of Stay

If you just want to see the tourist spots around the island, 3 days and 2 nights is enough. But of course, if you want to relax and simply stay in a resort, you can opt for a longer stay.

My Opinion

When we were at Coco Grove Beach Resort, there were only few Filipinos. In fact, it was just our group and one Filipina having her “me” time. The rest of the guests were foreigners. We asked their staff and they said that there are more foreigners than Filipinos who visit the island because of the province’s reputation. But to be honest, I forgot all about my fears when I stepped foot on the island. The white sand and pristine waters were so inviting. The island is perfect for relaxation and quiet time. If you’re looking for nightlife, Siquijor is definitely not for you.

If you’d ask me about the mystery behind Siquijor, it still remains a mystery. I still want to go back though since I wasn’t really able to go around. We just lounged by the resort’s beach morning until late afternoon. Siquijor has its own unique charm and I guess that’s the magic of the island of Siquijor. 😀

Some of my photos were taken using Fuji X-E2

For Coco Grove Beach Resort details and updated room rates, you can visit their website: www.cocogrovebeachresort.com

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