Tales From My Feet:
Siargao After Odette
Ido not surf nor do I intend to learn. When Siargao was fast becoming a popular tourist destination years ago, it never even crossed my mind to see what the fuss was all about.
Then Typhoon Odette (Rai) arrived in December last year and created so much havoc in Cebu that it was hard to imagine that Siargao had it worse. Odette made landfall there during daytime; I watched the news coverage in horror, not even realizing we were going to experience the same that night.
The direct flight from Mactan to Sayak Airport was a breeze and soon we were en route to our beach villa. On the way there, from every angle, you see nature healing itself. Vegetation in a younger shade of green, coconut trees most especially, re-claiming their hold on this beautiful tropical island.
As you enter the tourist belt that is General Luna, the reality of Odette’s aftermath is quite evident. Many establishments show signs of wear and tear, some of utter devastation, with “Closed” signs hanging on their doors and I spy graffiti on a wall.
“Bangon Siargao,” it says—the struggle is indeed real here.
Having checked ourselves in, we wandered out to the beachfront for a sunset walk, joining teenagers tasked with picking up garbage along the shore for disposal. It was so nice to see them chatting, laughing and teasing each other while doing this activity for their school PE. What a brilliant idea on how to imbibe civic duty in the youth.
On our first full day in Siargao, we signed on for the North Island Tour but we changed our itinerary a bit, foregoing two other stops to visit another in the opposite direction.
First up was the Maasin River where a bright red bridge with flags welcomed you. This place is famous for the Bent Palm Tree Swing, but post-Odette, there is no swing anymore—only the bent Palm Tree remains. It is still a very picturesque place though, a good way to start off our sight-seeing.
Next up was the Coconut Trees View Deck where ideally, the view of thousands of coconuts go right up to the mountains. This was not our view because the wrath of Odette wiped out most of the older trees, so a bare landscape of growing trees seemed sad. That is, until we met the Human Drones. We were sitting on the ledge by the road when someone offered to take a photo of us with them as Human Drones. I refused at first because I did not want someone to risk their lives for a photo, as I envisioned them dangling from some wire above us, just to get the perfect panoramic shot.
But one of us decided to try it out, and we were truly tickled at how they have mastered every movement, even involving us in the whole “production.” They swoop in, swoop out, run to the right, move to the left, crouch, leap, skip, turn in circles, with karate-style poses that left our group in stitches and amazed at how they came up with this technique.
We had to rush to make our next stop because it was inaccessible during high tide. The Magpupungko Rock Pools and Flats adjacent to Magpupungko White Beach is a top must-see site in Siargao and soon we were struggling against the waves that were getting stronger as the tide came in. This place is best enjoyed at low tide where you can clearly maneuver the path to that famous Rock without having to contend with the waves and the uneven ground—a mix of slippery rock and sand.
After lunch, we were excited to head out to the very famous Sugba Lagoon. From the moment we got onto our banca at the Del Carmen Port for the 20 minute ride to the Lagoon, everywhere you looked was a feast for the eyes.
Mother Nature showing off in the emerald waters, clear blue skies with dramatic cloud formations and the lushness of the Del Carmen Mangrove Reserves, reminding me of everything everyone loves about the Philippines. As we entered the secluded path that ushers us into the Lagoon, I felt I was as far as I could get from life in the big city.
Our dinner venue for that night was Bliss, now located at the Siargao Bed and Brewery. This quaint boutique hotel had opened for business one day before Odette struck the island, but luckily sustained minor damage. The restaurant had just reopened for business that week and we met the Swiss owner/chef who gave us a taste of Cheesebombs, as an apology for our food being served late. It was so good!
We left the place with happy tummies, determined to make the most out of the evening by finding Manu, a speakeasy known for its quirky cocktails. This turned out to be the challenge of the night, and it all made sense when we finally found their cozy nook; the Slovenian owner explained that their old site was damaged beyond repair, so they decided to move and just re-opened. The vibe of this place was the perfect end to a long, yet memorable day.
We woke up early to head to the port for a three island tour, amused that we had to wade through the water to get to our boat “Cheeky Titas.” We were already half soaked when we sailed off and shortly stopped, as we were told that we were in the “Secret Island.” This slice of paradise remained unseen in high tide, but was in fact a place to chill, drink in hand in low tide, while awaiting the sunset. Then we moved onto the Naked Island, which had a beautiful shore and was devoid of any permanent structure, hence the name. Lunch was served boodle-style in the next stop, Daku Island and I just realized how sizzling hot the day was when I stepped onto the shore with bare feet, my intent to do some grounding quickly melted into the non-existent breeze and I ran all the way to our cottage with burning feet. Our sumptuous lunch was more than enough for us and as I looked around, the shoreline before me became a huge parking area for colorful bancas blazing in the sun. After lunch, we sailed to the teardrop-shaped Guyam Island for some leisure time before heading back, rushing to squeeze in the last activity of the day.
My friends had signed up for beginner surfing lessons in the world famous Cloud 9. In the years before the Pandemic hit, the Cloud 9 Surfing Cup brought together professional surfers from all over the world. Held usually in late September, this was the peak of Siargao tourist season and the reason that the island is on the world map. While being briefed by their instructors, we noticed the repair work being done on the famous Cloud 9 Boardwalk and our guide shares the story of how surfing champions sent money to the locals after the storm just to hasten rehabilitation of this area. We sat on the shore as our friends went off and they did manage to learn some tricks, well worth the P500 pesos-perhour fee. We waited for the sunset while sipping on delicious calamansi sherbets and then headed back to get ready for dinner. A short walk from where we were staying, Bravo is known for having their chefs train in Spain.
My favorite of the night was the Boquerones. A nightcap at Isla Cabana was our finale of the day and in this part of town at least, the noise level of partying people across the street gave us a glimpse of the pre Pandemic Siargao nightlife.
The next morning we took a trike to visit Las Palmas but could not find a seat at The Spotted Pig Cafe so we just headed back to prepare for check-out and had a leisurely lunch at Warung. I am not a curry lover, so I tasted a bit of this and that but my friends were quite happy with their meal.
As we were waiting for the transfer to the airport, I asked my friend to take a photo of me in the middle of the deserted road. I wanted it to be my last photo from this visit because the Surfing Capital of the Philippines has charmed its way into my non-surfer heart. I guess that means that Siargao can be truly enjoyable in more ways than one. What a pleasure it was to be part of the process of the island re-building itself, in the same way that we are truly thankful to those who are helping rebuild Cebu.