The Magical Island of Siquijor
March 1, 2012 in Adventure Travel, Asia, Philippines, Scuba & Snorkel
Black Magic and Sorcery
Black magic. Witches. Shamans. Incantation. Witchcraft. Voodoo dolls. Potions. Sorcerers. Rituals. The island of Siquijor has long held the infamous reputation as a lair of magic and sorcery and this is what keeps the visitors attracted to the place and terrified as well. Hushed talks and rumors from locals about the existence of witchcraft and sorcery are as old as the island itself.
Honestly, I was also one of those people who are scared to even set foot on the island because of the bone chilling and bloodcurdling folk legends. But everything was erased from my mental memory when I visited the beautiful Siquijor.
The cool blue waters of Siquijor
During the Spanish Colonization of the Philippines , the island was known as the “Island of Fire” because of the mystical glow the island exudes at night. This is due to the great swarms of fireflies that feast on the old Molave trees on the island. This Island of Fire is just southeast of Cebu and Negros Islands, and southwest of Bohol. Pristine white sand beaches make up 90% of the islands coastline.
with Macky the parrot
This is the main reason why my four college friends and I decided to have an overnight stay in one of the island’s resort – the Coco Grove Beach Resort. One word to describe myself when I first entered the gates of the resort? SPEECHLESS. The place radiates too much beauty than my overwhelmed brain can comprehend. They have a little cozy lobby where their guest attendants and their bright red parrot, whose name is Macky, are waiting in the front desk. Welcome drinks are served for all guests while the hotel personnel make sure your rooms are ready. The resort is vast that’s why a resort map is included on your overnight package (in case you might get lost). As I checked the map, they do have lot amenities like a spa, restaurant, bar and sports lounge, diving shop, snack house, two large pools, pool bar and a whole lot more. You’ll get really excited just at looking at the legends of the resort map.
Coco Grove Beach Resort's map
The room we had was called Frangipani Lodge with a spacious master’s bedroom and a second room on the side is more than enough for five guests. Right after leaving our bags inside the room and putting on loads and loads of sunblock, we immediately hit the turquoise blue waters. We really didn’t mind the scourging heat of the sun, in fact, we enjoyed every moment of it. The banana boat riding and kayaking are cool ways of exploring the resort from the sea’s point of view. The scenery is like a giant vibrant picture taken straight out from a travel magazine.
Getting ready for our snorkeling adventure
The next best thing in Siquijor is their underwater paradise. Just half a meter away from the shore you can already see fishes of different colorful hues, big and small. For those people who are mild hydrophobic, like me, this is the best place to be, you can snorkel just within a meter away from the shore ( so close to land that you can still stand up and run when you see something scary in the sea) and your eyes will be very busy the moment you dip your head in the water.
Two days and one night is so short a time to discover the whole area that it would make you crave for more. Too bad we had exams the next day that’s why we really need to go back right away. So if ever you want to experience the paradise which I did a few years back, you should definitely book your stay not fewer than 3 days. And that’s definitely what I did when I booked myself for my upcoming Siquijor trip this May.
The True Magic of Siquijor Island
May the sorcery and witchcraft be true or not, I really don’t care because for me the island of Siquijor is indeed a place of magic – not of black magic, but of the true magic of nature.
WYNNA
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Elmer Cruz said on March 1, 2012
Hey Wynna how much was the damage? Airfare, accommodation and transfers? I wanna do a dive adventure in siquijor and my partner is a psychic I am sure we’ll both enjoy the place!
EJ Juen Jr said on March 2, 2012
Hi Wynna, I’ve been there just this October 2011 and checked in Coco Grove as well. I love that they’ve upgraded our room from the most basic one to the Executive Deluxe without paying extra.
My father-in-law warned us to be careful when getting there because of its witchcraft and sorcery story. This story is so popular that everyone I’ve talked about it, like in my office here in the far north, Bohol and other areas are aware of it. Perhaps it’s one of the reasons why there are more foreign tourists there and very few Filipinos.
EJ Juen Jr recently posted..A Gigantic Lion with a Human’s Head
WYNNA said on March 4, 2012
@bedouindreamer: Hi elmer! Siquijor is a paradise for divers and you’ll experience nature (and supernatural stuff, LOL) at its best, I’m pretty sure you’ll get to love the place. We went there when I was still in my college years in Dumaguete. From dumaguete there are a lot of fast crafts to Siquijor the most affordable would be around 200+ back and forth. the resort provided the pier transfers so don’t need to worry ’bout it. The room we got was around 3,500 but that was because we were a group of 5 but for 2 pax maybe it’s much cheaper. If you still have time you can tour the whole island by renting a motorcycle, it will take around 1-2 hours.
WYNNA said on March 4, 2012
@esjuenjr: hi EJ! How many days have you stayed there? Have you tried checking other places too, like, Cambogahay Falls and a lot of other cool places?
LOL, actually the witchcraft and sorcery is the primitive side of Siquijor maybe it dates back to the time of our forefathers. My roommate here in my pad is actually from Siquijor, but she’s totally harmless. haha she told me sorcery maybe present but to those who are living in far-flung areas. But she does know a “mananambal” or faith healer in their town.
larry said on March 13, 2012
hello Wynna
Going to Siquijor in early April. Do you have any info on budget accommodations?
If so please forward info
Thanks
Larry
WYNNA said on March 15, 2012
Hi Larry!
I’m glad to hear your planning a trip to this beautiful island.
Let me give you the budget list I had for my last summer’s trip
–If you start from Dumaguete City, the fast craft is the easiest way to go. The cheapest I got was around 200 pesos (5 US dollars) that’s already back and forth.
–For our overnight accomodation, you can also try Coco Grove Resort which will be around 80-100 US dollars per room but that’s already inclusive of the port shuttle service and use of resort amenities.
–The food there is also very affordable,, they offer two restaurants inside the resort.
–If you want to do snorkeling and scuba diving, there’s a dive shop inside the resort where you can borrow equipment. We borrowed snorkeling equipment for less than 10 US dollars.
If you have more questions, feel free to reply. Enjoy!