In my Previous Post, I shared with you the Part 1 of my travel adventure in Siquijor, Philippines. It highlights the beauty of the island, the warm and friendly people, and the various tourist attractions visited on my first day in the Island. I also included the accommodation we stayed, restaurants to eat, and transportation used during the trip.
This time, I'm thrilled to share with you more of the amazing tourist attractions in Siquijor Island. Join me as I take you to another day and another adventure in the majestic Island of Siquijor, Philippines.
I also made a vlog on this on my Youtube channel for memories. Just in case you want to check it out, this is the link of it.
Youtube channel: Regine Villamejor
Link of the Siquijor travel vlog Part 2:
Our first stop for this new day adventure is here in Balete Fish Spa. This is located in Siquijor Circumferential Road, Lazi, Siquijor. This place is definitely worthy of a quick stop to enjoy the fish spa under the shade of an old Balete tree.
Upon entering, you will get to see a number of stalls in the property that's selling souvenirs, love potions, amulets (agimat), and others. There are also some food stalls here aside from their restaurant upstairs.
Siquijor is famous for mysticism and is one of the Islands in the Philippines where you’ll hear stories of black magic and the supernatural. These are just some of the stories about Siquijor, but personally upon traveling in the Island, they truly have so much more to offer. This destination is something that should be added on someone's bucket list.
After buying some key chains here for souvenirs, my friends and I tried the fish spa.
You will have to pay Php 20.00 ($0.35) here for the entrance fee. After paying, you can now enjoy the fish spa as much as you want.
Get tickled by dipping your feet in a pond in front of the mystical Balete tree. The pond has fish of different sizes. These fishes will nibble the dead skin cells off your toes. I enjoyed it so much.
The Giant Balete tree is believed to be enchanted and and it's now 400 years old. This Balete Tree is considered as the oldest and the biggest in the province of Siquijor, Philippines. The water keeps flowing from the tree and gives life to the fishes in the pond. The Island of Siquijor is infamous for witchcraft and mythical creatures.
After enjoying the Fish Spa, we went upstairs to have our breakfast. They also have a restaurant here in the second floor and it's called Balete Bistro Fast Food & Restaurant. Their restaurant was named after the giant Balete Tree. I'm so amazed of the interior of this restaurant. Upon dining here, we also get to witness the overlooking view of the giant Balete Tree and the tourists who are enjoying their fish spa.
For their menu, I was able to ask permission to get it straight from them to have a clearer and updated list of it. They offer a wide variety of food to choose from. They do have food tray and barkadahan meals that's perfect for large groups. They also have meals for individual orders. I also learned that they do catering services in Siquijor Island for special occasions or upon request. After checking their menu, we ordered food for breakfast before heading to our next adventure.
We ordered their Silog meals and it was so good! We paired it with some iced tea for the drinks. We enjoyed our food and was truly satisfied with their service as well. I would definitely give a 10/10 rate for this resto. Such a refreshing breakfast with friends. Now, we are ready to go to our next destination.
Cambugahay Falls is located towards the East side of the Island specifically in Siquijor Circumferential Road, Lazi, Siquijor. Cambugahay Falls Siquijor is one of the best waterfalls in the Philippines and you will definitely fall in love with its beauty.
Upon arriving, we had to register first our name for monitoring. After which, we took a few steps to pay for the maintenance fee amounting to Php 20.00 ($0.35) per head. This will be used for maintaining the areas around Cambugahay falls in order to retain its beauty. There are also emergency hotlines posted at the entrance for security purposes. I commend the team behind this.
There was no restaurant at Cambugahay Falls but there are vendors selling drinks. If you wish to stay longer, It would be great to bring some food.
Cambugahay Falls is a 3-tiered waterfall. The first tier of Cambugahay Falls has various man-made structures for the adrenaline junkies like me and my friends. You will get to witness one feature of the place which was an improvised swing. The locals called it the “Tarzan swing." You will find some locals assisting people to do the swing. To experience the Tarzan Swing, you have to give them Php 20.00 ($0.35) per head as donation and you could have an unlimited swing with this amount. These locals are popularly known as well as the "human drones." They are so good at capturing videos like a real drone. The "Tarzan swings" will send you into the middle of the waterfall and are generally manned by locals who can provide very helpful demonstrations of where and how to land. For those tourist who doesn't know how to swim, it is advisable to wear a life jacket provided here for safety reasons.
I uploaded an actual video of this on my Youtube channel. Please feel free to check it out and you would surely be amazed by their work.
Hence, it won’t actually hurt if you give a few bucks to these locals for their endeavor. Me and my friends gave them a generous amount and they were so happy with it.
This is also one of their source of income in the Island and it feels great that we were able to help them with their livelihood while enjoying at the same time. It is also the memorable encounter with the locals that I value so much every time I travel. It made me appreciate life even more.
The other various man-made structure that we tried aside from the improvised "Tarzan swing" is the bamboo raft that have been built. They call this here "balsa." This also sends us into the middle of the waterfall. The locals also manned this. There's one local who is pulling the rope from the end and once we reached the middle of the waterfall, there's another local on the other side who would swing back and forth to capture some photos and videos of us. The result of the video is likely something that's captured by a real drone where in fact, it was only captured in a creative way by the locals. These locals who assisted us were insanely creative and talented. I have nothing but good words how amazing they were. That was pure talent really.
For the "balsa" adventure, you will have to pay a donation amount of
Php 100.00 ($1.76) as a group already not per head. And it is you choice again if you want to give them an extra amount for their efforts. They would gladly accept any amount. The best thing about these locals is that they won't demand for anything.
What an incredible adventure here at the first tier of Cambugahay falls. So happy to channel my inner Tarzan on the rope swings, swim in this refreshing water, float around the idyllic waterfall through the bamboo raft, and watch every tourist who are also enjoying at the same time.
After trying out all the amazing adventures here, we went to the second tier of Cambugahay falls to swim and enjoy the view. This is smaller than the first tier but also generally quieter as they have slightly less tourist going on and are further away from the entrance.
We weren't able to go to the third tier that time since we already enjoyed our time here in the second tier before going to our next destination. But just to give you an idea, the third tier is the least developed of all the tiers and is the favorite with the locals and some tourists. There is still a large swimming pool up there as well as several cliff jumping spots near the falls themselves and another epic rope swing to try on.
Here are some of the snaps we had on the second tier of Cambugahay falls which shows how happy we are to be one with nature.
What an unforgettable adventure here in Cambugahay Falls. Now let's go to another paradise here in Siquijor, Philippines that you would surely love!
After having some fun and adventure at Cambugahay falls, we then drove around Siquijor Island, Philippines to find the "secret beach." While on our way to the secret beach, we happen to pass by with this instagrammable view surrounded with trees. We did a quick stop, parked our car for a bit and took some photos.
While on our way to find the secret beach, we are laughing at each other because we got lost a couple of times. Hahahaha! This is a DIY (Do It Yourself) travel so yeah its expected for these things to happen since we are not from here. However, this is also what makes our travel fun and exciting. Indeed, the place we are going is truly a secret paradise just waiting to be discovered since not everyone knows about this. I just came across with this online when I was searching for places to visit in Siquijor. I got curious about this and my friends were supportive enough and agreed to include this in our itinerary.
Some of the areas in Siquijor doesn't have a good signal yet and this is also what makes it more challenging. But the best part is, the locals there were very friendly and helpful. They helped us locate the "secret beach" also known as "Balas Balas beach." After a few minutes of searching, we happen to pass by a house wherein there are two young gentlemen hanging out from the outside. We asked them for the direction of "Balas Balas beach." After our conversation, we really thought that's it already, but they were so kind to follow us. They helped us lead the way without asking any amount in return. They told us that they are just willing to help us and we thanked them for their kindness.We arrived safely in the destination and we are now ready to explore the "secret beach" / Balas Balas Beach.
From this area right here where we parked our car, we still need to walk a few steps going down before reaching Balas Balas beach. We're so curious what's down there and got more excited while we are getting close to it.
While searching for passageways down, a native house on top of the cliff was an indication of its trail. There are timbers forming into stairs down to the beach. It was a challenging experience as we go down here. While moving down, we could clearly hear the ocean waves waiting for us and it excites us even more.
We are just in awe upon reaching this part. This is indeed a "secret beach." The locals here call this place as Balas Balas Beach. It is exactly located in Sitio Ilihan, Simacolong, Lazi, Siquijor, Philippines.
This part right here is like captured by a real drone. Where in fact, it was just captured by me and my friends while we are on our way down to reach the beach side. Look at this unfiltered masterpiece of the man above. This is truly a paradise!
Upon reaching the beach side, we savored the moment before swimming into its clean waters. The wrack line and the beach face was mainly composed of pebbles, coral debris and stones but the swash area has fine white sands before reaching a wide sea grass covered area.
We're so lucky to experience uncrowded white sand beach all by ourselves, completely raw and undisturbed. There are no restaurants or food stalls near the area so if you happen to visit here and wanted to stay longer, I highly suggest that you should bring food and drinks. And please always remember to practice CLAYGO (Clean As You Go) in order to maintain the beauty of this paradise.
My friends and I stayed here for about two hours. We were not able to bring food with us, but its totally fine. All we did was just enjoy the moment while we're here and appreciate God's wonderful creation. For a moment, we were able to take a break from our busy schedule in the city. We were able to recharge our mind and body during our stay in this "secret beach."
After a few hours, it is now time to leave the place and have our lunch at Larena Triad Coffee Shop since we got hungry after getting a dip in this paradise. The restaurant where we will be having our lunch is a bit far from here.
Upon going back to where we parked our car, it's still the same way that we will pass through and this is the beautiful view of it. So peaceful and full of life.
Indeed, some difficult paths often lead to beautiful destinations and "Balas Balas beach" is a living proof of this statement.
After our unforgettable adventure in "Balas Balas beach," we decided to have our late lunch here in Larena Triad Coffee Shop & Restaurant. This is located in Larena Siquijor, Philippines.
Larena Coffee Shop & Restaurant is famous for great food, great service and friendly staff. Nestled on top of the hill in the Municipality of Larena, Siquijor, Philippines , this place offers a spectacular panoramic view of the surrounding landscapes including the mountains, the sea and the neighboring Islands like Negros, Cebu and on a clearer day Bohol Island could also be seen from here. The best time to visit here is during lunch time.
We took some snaps in the area while waiting for the food that we ordered.
For context, this is the menu of their restaurant that you could choose from. Don't forget to try on their Siquijor express. It tastes so good!
After a few minutes, our food is served. We ordered three viand that's good for sharing and some drinks. We love the food so much. Lunch with this view at Larena Triad and Coffee Shop is really a great idea.
Before leaving the place, we also checked their coffee shop and what they are offering so I could also share it with you. And this is how it looks like inside.
Part of their menu are delicious breads, pastries and coffee. They are also selling souvenirs here if you want to give someone a gift once you go back to your place or even just a remembrance for yourself.
After here, we went home to our accommodation. We stayed there for more than an hour to freshen up and prepare for our next destination which is The Runik for the sunset.
The Runik- Adults Only is a new hang-out place in the Island of Siquijor. This is situated in Siquijor Circumferential Road, San Juan, Philippines.
Greeted at the entrance with a Php 350.00 ($6.16) per person deposit which is consumable for food and drinks with free access to the swimming pool. In our case, we didn't bring any swimsuit with us since we already enjoyed swimming in Cambugahay Falls and Balas Balas Beach. We went here to chill and watch for the sunset. This place is meant for tourist, Instagram crowd and people who are not very hungry.
The ambience and vibe were the perfect complements to the light breeze. I recommend going here after a full day of tours in the Island.
While waiting for the sunset, we ordered for some drinks and I'm sharing here with you their menu. They serve good and authentic Spanish cuisine. Their cocktail drinks was so good as well and that's what we ordered.
Price is a bit expensive than the other bars in the Island, but you get a really good feel of the music and the stunning sunset view. The staff are outstanding and service was excellent. They are very friendly as well. What really made this place special was how beautiful the sunset is. It's incomparable! As someone who loves sunsets so much, I was just smiling the whole time while having my Amaretto sour.
Such a breathtaking view! I really thank God for letting me experience this one. How wonderful it is to watch the sky turn into pretty colors.
This is the view during night time here in Runik. Their operating hours is from 11:00 A.M.- 11:00 PM so you would surely have enough time to enjoy the whole place.
Before leaving Runik, Anne and I took some snaps at the mirror outside their powder room. Eman wasn't able to join us since he opted to sleep to recharge himself after a long day of adventure. We truly love it here and would definitely recommend this place. Now let's have dinner at The Baha Bar.
The Baha Bar has an adorable interior design. The furniture, color scheme, plants, and decorations were on point.
The Baha Bar is located in San Juan, Maite, Siquijor. The concept of Baha Bar is to take traditional and well liked Filipino dishes alter and spice them up them up to suit a more curious palate. They also offer here great cocktails.
They have a wide variety of food to choose from. Aside from serving Filipino food, they also have European staples, vegetarian dishes in their menu. Their ingredients are fresh and local. They own an organic farm where most of the vegetables are grown and they raise their own native chickens (no steroids etc). All fishes are caught in the sea surrounding Siquijor, Island.
While waiting for the food that we ordered, I felt blessed and happy because the staff in Baha Bar subscribed to my Youtube channel the moment they knew that I am a vlogger. It just feels great that they appreciate my life as a content creator.
After a few minutes of talking to the staffs here, our food was served and it was so delicious. They really prepared it with love and joy. That's definitely 10/10 for me.
The Baha Bar has also a live band with different genre during their operating days.
This is our last stop for today and we went home after this to have a good rest for our last day of adventure in Siquijor by tomorrow. I'm just soooo happy seeing myself enjoying this travel.
And that's it for my Siquijor Travel Adventure Part 2! Such an incredible one! Which of these destination that you love the most? I would be glad to hear those in the comment section. Please feel free to swing by.
For the Part 3 and definitely the last Part of this travel, I will be sharing it on my next post. Stay tuned!
There is beauty in delayed gratification. Just like everyone out there, I patiently waited for my turn to experience all these things. Rej here your Inspiring Cebuana B/Vlogger and I will see you all on my next travel adventures! Sending love to all of you. Stay safe!
THANKS FOR READING THIS POST!
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Hello there, @chocolatescorpi. As promised, I am tagging you here for the Part 2 of my Siquijor Travel adventure. Enjoy!
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