Surfing trip in Siargao, Philippines, passing by the Walking Street red light district in Angeles City

Before I knew about Siargao in the Philippines, I had surfed in Chiba, Japan and Shenzhen East and West. But as a novice, I didn’t feel very good. Apart from the comfortable beach, the water and waves were average.

I got to know Siargao in 2017. The first time I went was on National Day in 2018. I was hooked as soon as I went there, so I went there again this year on National Day, and I plan to go every National Day. The reason why we chose the National Day time is because Siargao has the best waves from September to October, and the Siargao World Surfing Competition is held every October during the National Day. The picture below is the wave of the annual competition. Because it resembles the number 9, this place is called Cloud9 (Cloud Nine)



Cloud9 surfing, Siargao is in the south of the Philippines, about 2 and a half hours' flight fromal Manila. the capit


Shenzhen-Manila-Siargao

Manila is the capital after all, and there are many transfers here. In addition, connecting to Cebu (there are many red-eye flights and cheap) is also a good choice. However, every time I go there, I transfer in Clark (a city north of Manila). The first time I went there, I chose this place purely by chance. Later I found out that there were fewer people crossing the border in Clark, and the flight time was good, so I didn’t have to worry about crossing the border. Sometimes they are asked for bribes or deported (many Chinese are engaged in extraordinary gambling business in Manila, and the investigation is strict). It only takes two hours to fly from Clark to Siargao, which is faster than flying from Manila (I don’t know why?).

When flying to Clark, try to choose a window seat so you can see a good view.
  


When transferring at Clark Airport, if you have time, you can go to Angeles City for a stroll. Remember to call Grab (Didi in Southeast Asia) when you go. It costs about 220-330 pesos (30-40 yuan) depending on the time period. If you take a taxi on the roadside, it will cost you at least 400-500 pesos (50-70 yuan). There are many Korean-owned shops in Angel City, the most famous of which is the Walking Street red light district (legal).
  


Walking Street Red Light District

After entering, you will find that the whole street is relatively bad and very small. You can finish shopping in a while. There are many Koreans, Chinese, Europeans and Americans among the tourists. I looked at it out of curiosity, and when I was tired, I had a meal at a Korean restaurant.
  


Sky Trax

The planes flying to Siargao are all small planes. They are very noisy when taking off, and they are also a bit bumpy when landing, so don’t take off until you have stopped. seat belt. If the sun is very strong that day, the staff will hand you a large parasol when you get off the plane.
  


Philippine Airlines

When flying near Siargao Del Carmen Airport, the most common sight is the coconut grove. But the most beautiful scenery is always the lagoon.
  


Lagoon

The largest city in Siargao is General Luna, which is a 40-minute drive from the airport. When you leave the airport, you can see many business cars. They are all regular and the prices are relatively uniform. The charge for one trip is about 220-230 pesos (30-35 yuan) depending on the number of people in the car. If you see someone pulling guests at the door, you can just get on the bus. Don’t worry at all. The driver will deliver each guest safely to the destination.
  


Airport Limousine

Most of the accommodation on the island is invested and built by foreigners. There are luxury hotels (such as Siargao Blue) that cost 2,000 yuan a night, and youth hostels that cost 60 yuan per bed. There are many buildings hidden in the woods on both sides of the road, with only entrances left outside. Once inside, you will find another world.
  


Siargao Blue shop sign

.

Siargao Blue panorama

Both times I went alone, and stayed in the youth hotel in order to save money Hotels cost an average of 70 yuan per night. The first one I stayed in was called Villa Solari. The transportation was very convenient. It was located right next to the road and very close to Cloud Nine. The breakfast is delicious and affordable, about 150 pesos (20 yuan).
  



Breakfast

The second place we stayed at was called Hiraya Surf Hostel. Most of the people there were white people, and Asian faces were rare. The location is a bit remote, inside Conglin. The road in is bad and a bit long, so you have to ride a motorcycle. There is a bar and swimming pool inside, and the lighting in the bar is very beautiful.
  


Bar

The main means of transportation on the island is motorcycles. I have only seen Japanese Honda and Suzuki brands. The cost for tourists to rent for a day is 350-400 pesos (50 yuan). If you rent for more than 7 days in a row, it can cost 300 pesos (40 yuan) a day. Of course, you have to pay for your own gas. If you want to ride a motorcycle and go surfing with a surfboard every day, you need to rent a motorcycle with a board holder where you can put the surfboard on the right side of the motorcycle.
  


Surf Team

Places to refuel are usually found in canteens. Bulk gasoline is packed in Coca-Cola (very strange) glass bottles. One bottle is 1L and sells for 60 pesos (8 yuan). A bottle of mineral water on the island costs 50 pesos (7 yuan), which is almost the same as gasoline and water.
  


1L Coca-Cola Gasoline

Whether you can eat local delicacies when going out for fun is also something many people will consider. Unfortunately, I don’t think the local food in Siargao has any special features (fried chicken? grilled fish?), and I’m not used to it. It really doesn’t suit my appetite. But there is a local snack - coconut toast, which is delicious and cheap. If you eat a few before surfing, it will definitely be full of energy. Coconut toast costs only 5 pesos (0.7 yuan) each and is available in the afternoon.
  


Coconut toast stall



Coconut toast

Fortunately, many luxury hotels on the island provide catering services, as mentioned earlier I like the Italian seafood pasta at Siargao Blue and Kalinaw Resort, but they are a bit expensive, with an average price of 450 pesos (RMB 60).
  


Seafood Spaghetti

It has become easier and easier to eat local Chinese food when traveling abroad, because there are Chinese people opening Chinese restaurants everywhere. When I went to Siargao for the first time in 2018, I found that there was not even a Chinese restaurant on the island (previously, Chinese people rarely came here). However, I met a couple who wanted to open a shop (really handsome ronin). They fell in love with surfing here and decided to stay on the island and open a shop integrating surfing, eating and accommodation (if necessary, you can check it out on Booking.com scheduled), it finally came true after a year of preparation (Felix A). I envy them very much. They are people who dare to think and do things. They are also the first Chinese restaurant on the island. I sincerely hope that their business will get better and better.
  


Felix A Chinese Restaurant

The cuisine is more Hunan and Sichuan, and there are also Chinese specialty dumplings. I heard that breakfast and other pasta will be added in the future. I like twice-cooked pork and must order one portion. The portion is huge, really enough for two people. The cost is about 340 pesos (RMB 45), which is not expensive if two people eat.
  


Twice-cooked Pork

Many Chinese people came to the island for the National Day this year, so a party was held in the store and a band was invited to perform. In the end, everyone sang the national anthem and ate roast suckling pig together. I haven’t sung the national anthem for many years. I forgot the words while singing. It’s really embarrassing.
  


Roast Suckling Pig + Band

In addition to the Chinese, we also invited some Filipino locals with good connections (such as my surfing instructor), and they played even higher than the Chinese. , like dancing and drinking. On the left in the photo is the handsome shop owner Felix, who looks just like the locals. The one holding the national flag is my surfing instructor Laxi.
  


Photography of China and the Philippines

Chinese people who come to Siargao usually choose the following activities:

1. Surfing experience
2. One-day island hopping trip
3. Go out to sea to see golden jellyfish
4. Sightseeing and diving in the lagoon
5. Swim in the infinity pool
6. Ride a motorcycle around the island.
  
When I came to Siargao for the first time in 2018, I only did one thing. I hired a coach to surf for 4 hours every day. Some days, I even surfed for 6 hours. The coach broke down and said he was too tired and needed to surf. rest. Hey, I really cherish the time I spend surfing every day, because I can only surf the waves 5 days a year. This year I decided to combine work and rest and surf for 4 hours a day, a total of 20 hours in 5 days. To surf, you need to rent a surfboard and hire an instructor. Surfboards are rented by the hour and day, usually 200 pesos (28 yuan) per hour, and many people rent them for 2 hours. Of course, if you want to play for a long time, it is more cost-effective to rent it by the day. It costs 500 pesos (70 yuan) a day to play as you like. It costs 300 pesos (40 yuan) to hire a coach for an hour. If you are a novice, it is strongly recommended to hire a coach. The coach can help push the board when the waves start, and you can also have fun. Think about how it costs hundreds to hire a surfing instructor in China, but it only costs 40 yuan an hour in Siargao, which is not too cheap. If you want to record your surfing moments, you can hire someone to take videos for you. You need to provide a mobile phone or GoPro, which costs about 250 pesos (34 RMB) per hour. When you become very good at surfing, you can consider hiring someone to take underwater photos (drilling wave tubes) or aerial photos for you. The cost will certainly not be cheap, about 3,000-4,000 pesos (400-500 RMB) per session. The personnel provide professional props (underwater cameras or drones), and they are generally European and American professionals.
  


My coach MG

There are many surfing spots in Siargao, which are divided into novice area, intermediate level area and professional level area according to different levels.
  


Introduction to Wave Point

The most famous among them is Cloud9, which is also the most popular attraction on the island. Although it is labeled EXpert (professional level area) on the picture, almost all novices come here to learn and experience surfing for the first time. Because this place is very wide, the novice area and the expert area are far apart. Another reason is to look at the picture below.
  


Expert Zone



Beginner Zone

You must go to Cloud Nine when surfing in Siargao. Even if you don’t surf, this is a place you must visit. Because the scenery here is beautiful no matter what day or time. Especially sunrise and sunset. The sight of the entire sky filled with flaming clouds will be unforgettable for a long time.
  


Cloud Nine



Cloud Nine Sunrise

Surfing is a dangerous sport. When you see the introduction of the wave points on the island, you can also see the instructions for precautions.
  


Surfing Precautions

As a newbie, it seems that I have made all the above mistakes, but fortunately I was safe. Based on my personal experience, I have summarized the following points that novices must follow, otherwise they will be really injured and painful.
  
1. Be sure to ask the instructor to take you into the water (to ensure safety)
2. Wear surfing shoes (to prevent the rocks from scratching your feet)
3. When you are under the wave and swim back, you must go back to one of the two sides ( Prevent the next wave from hitting you directly or other surfers from hitting you.
4. Pay attention to the warning lines in the sea and don’t go in. There are many rocks inside that are very dangerous (I was rushed in and scraped my hands and feet, which was very painful. In the end, the instructor rescued me. ).
  


Don’t go in the white area



Pay more attention to the place with the small flag on the right

Because surfing injuries are very common. There is only one pharmacy on the island, its name is Sam's Pharmacy&geocery, please remember it.
  


Sam's Pharmacy&geocery

My time to actually surf was short. I've logged 40 hours at most in two years, so I'm really still a newbie. However, the second surfing experience has improved a lot compared to the first time. In the first year, it was estimated that the wave would not last for 10 seconds, but this year it can last up to 23 seconds. My sense of balance while standing on the board is getting better and better. And also learned to turn. But the most fatal flaw is that my paddling ability is too weak. I have to rely on the coach to help push the board. The coach told me the most about asking me to eat more (no rice, no power). If I want to become a master, I guess at least It takes 400-500 hours. I originally wanted to post a few videos, but I couldn’t bear to insert them into my diary. It’s very troublesome. I don’t know how to do it, so I gave up and posted them separately later.
  


In the first year



One foot was caught in the leg rope and I broke free

Surfing for 4 hours a day is an absolute physical activity , there are days when I don’t want to flush anymore after 2 hours of flushing, and I have no energy left. In addition to surfing, there are also several places for sightseeing and leisure on the island. Because of the number of people, I did not choose a day trip to island hopping or go out to see golden jellyfish (it was quite far). In two days, I experienced the following three projects: lagoon sightseeing and diving, infinity pool swimming, and motorcycle island tour.
  
To go to the infinity pool, one option is to charter a car or take a TUTU car. Chartering a car for a day is 2,500 pesos (340 yuan). You have to drive and refuel yourself. It is actually very cost-effective if there are many people. The TUTU bus is very slow, but you can enjoy the breeze and see the scenery along the way, and the cost is not very expensive. A round trip can seat 3-4 people, and it seems to be 2,000 pesos (280 yuan). I rented a motorcycle myself and rode directly to the destination, which took about 2 hours.
  
The first scenic check-in point on the way is a coconut grove. When you are in a place with a very wide view and can see the entire coconut grove, I think your mood will be very happy.
  


This is the perspective



Friends traveling together

More and more tourists come here for sightseeing, so local Filipinos are There are several small houses set up on the side of the road, selling snacks and water. Of course, you can also refill gasoline here, which is also very convenient. The thing they will sell you is bamboo straws (all these straws are available on the island, no plastic ones are seen). There are thin and thick ones. The thick ones are used for drinking pearl milk tea. They are thick enough that the whole pearl is no problem. I bought a bundle of small ones and counted 17 of them. They cost 100 pesos (14 yuan), which seemed a bit expensive.
  


Bamboo straws

The second check-in place is very close to the coconut grove and is a diving place.
  


Coconut Tree Diving

To enter under the bridge, you need a ticket, which seems to be 15 pesos (2 yuan). When you pay, leave your name and nationality in the small book. . Due to time constraints, I did not go to play this project. The photos were taken on the way back.
  


Houses on both sides of the river

After more than an hour, we arrived at the infinity pool. It can only be seen at low tide and is generally open until 5 pm at the latest.
  


Aerial photography of the infinity pool

The most relaxing way here is to grab a beer, sit in the pool, enjoy the sea breeze and look at the sea view.
  


Close view of the infinity pool

The plan to go around the island was made last year, but it was abandoned because there were no companions. This year I made an appointment with 5-6 people and the trip went smoothly. Departing from Cloud Nine at 10 a.m. and returning at 7 p.m., 9 hours.
  


Route around the island

On the way, we went sightseeing and diving in the lagoon, had a meal in Santa Monica, and spent the rest of the five days riding motorcycles, because it is local to the Philippines People lead the team, and the speed is very fast, and sometimes they can’t keep up. However, the roads on the island are very easy to identify. There is only one road. If you keep looking in the right direction, you will not go wrong. There is actually no scenery on both sides of the road, just endless coconut trees.
  


Coconut groves line both sides of the road

The lagoon is near Del Carmen Pier. It takes 45 minutes to take a crab boat. The large mangroves along the way are worth seeing. The most unbearable thing is that the noise of the crab boat is too loud, it should be 70 points, and it will torture you for an hour and a half. I had to endure it just to get a glimpse of the lagoon.
  


Lagoon surrounded by mountains



Lagoon cabins

The end of the lagoon tour is the cabin in the lake. You can dive to your heart's content.
  


Diving

You can also rent a paddle board for paddling, or just lie quietly in the lake.
  


Paddle board



Lying flat in the lake

The biggest realization of the whole island is that we must leave early and come back early. There are no street lights on the island. At night, it is dark and the visibility is poor, making it unsafe. Places like Santa Monica in the north of Siargao Island have no infrastructure or internet, so tourists just pass by in a hurry. On the way around the island, I encountered a very interesting thing. Many primary school students will wave enthusiastically and say Hi~ when they see the motorcycle team. I responded to their enthusiasm in kind.
  
If you are lazy and don't want to walk too far. Then I can also introduce two good casual ways to play.
  
1. Go to the beach to pick up shells. It's easier to pick up when the tide is low. The most common one is a starfish, which is very big and alive.
  


Starfish



Shells

Do not take these shells or live starfish out of the customs. If discovered, the penalty will be quite severe.
  


Customs Documents

22. Go to the beach to make a stove. Lying in a hammock and walking a Filipino native dog.
  


Beat the side stove



Walking the Filipino native dog

The above are my surfing memories in Siargao, I hope you can also experience it, I don't think you will be disappointed.
  
I don’t want to write anymore, so I end this diary with a picture of cloud nine and sunset.
  


Sunset on cloud nine

End.