Category Archives: Surigao City

Almont Beach Resort, basul Island, Lipata, Surigao, Surigao City, Surigao Del Norte

LAST DAY IN ALMONT BEACH RESORT, SURIGAO CITY

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Morning at the beachfront at Almont Beach Resort

Exhausted from our Bucas Grande Island trip, we arrived at Almont Beach Resort at around 6:00 pm. It took us two hours by bus from Hayanggabon port to the Surigao Integrated Bus Terminal. At the terminal, Sir Edgar (the resort’s manager himself) picked us up with the resort’s private van. It took us 10 minutes to go to the resort.

The hallway of Almont Beach Resort

Our room was located at a lower floor now so it wasn’t hard to climb up with our stuff (with our aching bodies from the extraneous island hopping activities). The room was spacious and might be too large for the three of us. There’s a fantastic view, of course, at the veranda.

All our bags are packed (still)

We  took turns in taking a shower and a soak in the tub. How else can you perfectly end a tiring day but with a warm bath!

The bathroom is clean and spacious

While the others were taking a bath, I took the chance to watch the sun at the veranda. Its reflection on calm waters is a priceless view. It’s so peaceful at this corner of the world. No partying at night, no mad crowd, no noisy cars. Just the sound of the water and wind lull me to sleep.

From the veranda

When everyone was dressed up, we went down to Cafe Maharlika for dinner. This time, we wanted to try a different ambiance so we did not have our setup at the veranda.

The food was great as usual. The best lechong kawali (crispy porl belly) in Surigao. The skin was perfectly crisp and the meat was succulent. It is a perfect match for ice cold beer.

Lechong kawali and stir-fry beef

After having dinner and a round of drinks, we called it a day a slept  early. Our flight the next day was at noon time, so we could still go around the resort and savor the view and fresh air.

We woke up early with the original plan to watch the sunrise by Almont Beach Resort’s view deck, but we woke up rather late in time for sunrise, so we just roamed around the property and took some photos.

The sunrise is perfectly viewed at this sundeck. Be sure to wake up at 5:00 am though.

We never had a chance to swim but the resort’s pool looks inviting. We should’ve had a few cocktails by the poolside on our first night!

The pool

The beach at Almont Beach Resort isn’t powdery nor white, but it is serene and the water is very clear. You can go kayaking and snorkeling here. What’s good is that the waves here are never strong, so kids can freely enjoy playing in the water.

The beach

After our morning walk, we headed to Cafe Maharlika again for breakfast. It’s nice to have coffee at the restaurant’s veranda. The morning breeze was so refreshing.

The resort’s lawn fronting Cafe Maharlika

The breakfast selections include: American, Filipino, Continental and Maharlika. I chose the latter, while hubby chose American (bacon) and my friend got Filipino (tocino).

The breakfast menu

My Maharlika breakfast was so sinful. The adobo flakes was crisp and sweet  and the fried rice was loaded with garlic – just the way I like it. The eggs complete the set. With the adobo flakes, I suddenly thought of the adobo rice served in bamboo at Bluewater Maribago. Yummy!

Maharlika Breakfast

The Filipino breakfast looked just as delightful as my Maharlika breakfast.

Filipino Breakfast (tocilog)

My hubby’s American breakfast is rather light yet tempting. The bacon is oh-so-good with the potato wedges and scrambled eggs. The breaded tomato is my hubby’s favorite that he wants to replicate it at home.

American Breakfast

Time flew so fast and it was already time for us to leave Almont Beach Resort. It was such a pain to leave the tranquil resort, and the breathtaking province of Surigao del Norte. And as we left the resort to catch our noon flight to Manila, we promised ourselves to be back in no time. The place is etched on my mind, and it will always be.

Many thanks Ms. Margie Munsayac, Sir Edgar and Ms. Adee for the warm welcome and the impeccable service. Maraming salamat!

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Almont Beach Resort
Lipata, Surigao City, Philippines
Tel : (63 86) 826-7544 to 46
Telefax : (63 86) 826-7547
Email : fo.beachresort@almont.com.ph
Facebook.com/AlmontBeachResort
MANILA SALES OFFICE
Rm. 704 Cityland Herrera Tower
Rufino corner Valero Streets
Salcedo Village, Makati City, Philippines
Tel : (63 2) 817 5751 or 887 1348
daku island, Dapa Port Siargao Boat Schedule, General Luna, guyam island, guyam islet, Isla Cabana, naked island, Siargao, Skyjet Airlines, Snorkeling, Surigao, Surigao City, Surigao Del Norte

BREAKFAST AT ISLA CABANA TROPICAL ISLAND RESORT, SIARGAO ISLAND

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Pan de Surf breakfast
On our last day in Isla Cabana Tropical Island Resort in Siargao, we (again) woke up early to catch the earliest boat bound to Socorro, our gateway to Sohoton Cove in Bucas Grande Island. The resort’s staff said the boat leaves at 8:00 am, so we had to leave the resort by 7:00 am. The night before, the front desk confirmed that we can have breakfast at 6:30 am. However, the food was served at 7:00 m so we had no choice but to eat as fast as we could!
Isla Cabana’s lone resto
Isla Cabana’s restaurant is a spacious nook that serves both Filipino and International cuisines. Depending on the season, breakfast can be buffet or a la carte.
Coffee or tea, anyone?
Since the resort was full house when we were there, the breakfast setup was buffet! Yum!
Interesting table design
We had coffee first while waiting for the buffet spread. We sat in one of the artistic tables that has shells and sand on it. It was a perfect time to recap our past few days in Surigao del Norte.
Breakfast buffet
At 7:00 am, the food on the buffet was served — fruits, corned beef, bacon, eggs and fried rice. Very homey! 
Corned beef
The eggs were served sunny side up, but you can request for scrambled ones should you wish.
Eggs galore!
The bacon was so sinful! Not too salty. Crisp and perfect for my garlic rice.
Divine bacon
Hubby feasted on fresh fruits!
At 7:15 am, we already handed our key to the front desk and the resort’s driver brought us to the pier just in time for the 8:00 am boat, which happened to be  the “8:30 am” boat.
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Isla Cabana Tropical Island Resort
General Luna, Siargao Island
8416 General Luna, Surigao Del Norte, Philippines
Mr. Dupz Escatron-Ravelo
09285595244 / 09175230300 / 09209099777
 islacabanaresort@gmail.com / info@islacabanaresort.com
Dapa Port. General Luna, Isla Cabana, Ronaldo's Inn and Restaurant, Siargao, Snorkeling, Surigao, Surigao City, Surigao Del Norte

Roaming Around General Luna, Siargao

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The boardwalk at General Luna. This is not the one in Cloud 9.

We were starving when we went back to Isla Cabana Tropical Island Resort from our island hopping activities. So after washing up and changing clothes, we went out to look for something to eat and explore the town at the same time.

The sleepy street at GL

We opted not to hire a habal-habal, instead we walked through the streets of General Luna for us to be able to appreciate the town more. We walked quite longer than what we imagined, but it was all worth it. Along the way we saw this church where kids were freely playing in front. We would’ve wanted to enter the church and say a little prayer but it was closed.

One interesting thing that we saw was this one — freshly baked bread by the streetside. The lady said they call this “pan de surf” because of its shape that resembles a surf board.

Hot-off-the-oven bread by the streetside

The buttery smell of pan de surf beckoned us to try it. There were two options: plain and with coconut. We chose the latter.

More bread at Php 5 bucks!

It was good actually! The bread was dense and the sweetened coconut made it more luscious. It’s like pan de coco but with chunkier strips of coconut. Yum!

Pan de surf up close

There were numerous signages leading to Cloud 9. At first, we said we’ll check it out after eating our late lunch. But then again, after eating, we felt exhausted already and decided to forego of this plan.

We continued to walk until we saw this eatery. We saw no other eatery along the street so we decided to have lunch here. Food in Siargao is generally more affordable than Boracay or El Nido. At this eatery, we were able to eat one viand, one huge cup of rice and a soda for around Php 60. And mind you, my viand was a huge serving of lokus (squid).

Affordable eatery in General Luna

Yummy squid!

What a late lunch! The food is scrumptious and very affordable! The staff are even gracious. So after having late lunch, we continued exploring the town and noticed that the motorcycles here are kinda unique — most of them have roofs made of wood, plastic or steel. Cute!

No need from wide-brimmed hut

There was also this unassuming Italian eatery near the market. We didn’t eat here but it looks promising.

Since Siargao is surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, signboards like this for tsunami warning are all over the place.

We also went to the market to check out what seafood we can buy but since it was late afternoon already, there were only a few options left. What I like about General Luna’s market is that there is a standard price for all.

We also saw the municipal hall and a tree house beside it on our way back.

The municipal hall

We walked through the public school and ended up on this baywalk where a bunch of eateries and hole-in-the-wall bars are located. From here, the boardwalk is only a few meters away.

Baywalk in GL

We went to the boardwalk and saw a lot of kids and teenagers enjoying the waters. My gawd!!! They just jump into the water as if their jumping onto a trampoline! And they were just kids!!! I was actually awestruck.

The beach by the boardwalk has fine sand actually, but needs coastal cleanup

From the boardwalk, we could already see some jelly fish swimming with the kids. They must be stingless then, just like in Bucas Grande. Otherwise, good luck to the kids!

Playful jellies

The boardwalk is actually a nice place to take sunset photos and selfies for that matter, hehe. My friend took a nice photo of me in the middle of the wooden bridge.

We were hoping to catch the sunset but we figured out it might be hard to go back to Isla Cabana Tropical Island Resort if we did, so we started the long walk while the sun is still up.

Sunset at the boardwalk

On our way back, we saw someone grilling deliciously-looking barbeque at Ronaldo’s Inn and Restaurant so for dinner time, we walked back to Ronaldo’s and have some bite. The food here is also affordable — imagine a stick of isaw costs Php 5, while barbeque and chorizo cost Php 20 per stick.  I actually like the sauce — sweet and spicy. And I like how tender the barbeque was. The chorizo is divine nonetheless. You can also have a few drinks here, plus wifi is free!

Ronaldo’s also offers rooms at Php 900 per night.

There’s actually too many spots to explore in Siargao but we just had too little  time. On our next visit, we’ll definitely go to Mapupungko tidal pool and explore the virgin beaches of La Janoza and Mam-on. Mang Lito said boat to La Janoza and Mam-on Islands costs Php 2,500. Not bad. ‘Til next time Siargao!

Up next, our Bucas Grande Adventure.

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Isla Cabana Tropical Island Resort
General Luna, Siargao Island
8416 General Luna, Surigao Del Norte, Philippines
Mr. Dupz Escatron-Ravelo
09285595244 / 09175230300 / 09209099777
 islacabanaresort@gmail.com / info@islacabanaresort.com
Dapa Port Siargao Boat Schedule, Isla Cabana, Siargao, Skyjet Airlines, Surigao, Surigao City, Surigao Del Norte

HOW TO GO TO SIARGAO?

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The port at Surigao City

We woke up at 3:30 am to catch the earliest ferry from Surigao City to Siargao. We were actually warned by the front office that since we wouldn’t take the RoRo (set to leave at 12:00 noon, we might experience strong waves due to the southwest monsoon. We were kinda hesitant at first  but decided to push through anyway.

Siargao is a teardrop-shaped island located in the province of Surigao del Norte, and is home to pristine beaches, azure waters, tidal pools, mangrove forests and the world-class surfers’ haven, Cloud 9.

How to go to Siargao:

Via Manila-Cebu-Siargao:

Cebu Pacific flies from Manila to Siargao via Cebu daily, except Thrusdays (as of writing). By October 18, 2013, Skyjet Airlines will start flying direct from Manila to Siargao using its BAE-146 aircraft, the British Aerospace-manufactured four-engine aircraft of choice of the British Royal Family.

Via Surigao:

Siargao can also be reached via direct flight from Manila to Surigao. Pal Express has direct flights from Manila to Surigao once everyday. Skyjet Airlines will start its 75-minute direct flight from Manila to Surigao in August 2013 with the following schedule:

Tuesdays / Thursdays / Sundays
5M 316 MNL-SUG ETD 0900 ETA 1015
5M 315 SUG-MNL ETD 1045 ETA 1205

Cebu Pacific also flies from Manila to Surigao via Cebu.

From Surigao, take a tricycle or jeepney to the port, where you may take a ferry or pump boat bound to Siargao, with schedule as follows:

LQP

Surigao – Dapa   Daily 5:45 am                 Dapa – Surigao Daily 11:00 am

RORO Montenegro 
Surigao – Dapa    Daily 12:00 pm             Dapa – Surigao Daily 6:00 am

Fortune Angel
Surigao – Dapa    Daily 11:30 am             Dapa – Surigao Daily 5:45 am

Argie 2 / Dapa Express
Surigao – Dapa    Daily 10:30 am             Dapa – Surigao Daily 5:30 am

*We took the earliest pump boat, LQP which left Surigao port 10 minutes ahead of schedule. So, if you are taking this route, make sure to be at the port 30-45 minutes before the scheduled departure time as the boat can get full fast especially on holidays and weekends. There is no ticket reservation. Fare is Php 250. Travel time is around 2.5-3 hours. Ours was three hours because the had to manage the waves caused by the monsoon.

Via Butuan:
Pal Express and Cebu Pacific fly daily from Manila to Butuan. This was what we took for this trip. From Butuan, you can ride a bus (Bachelor Bus) bound to Surigao City at the Butuan Integrated Bus Terminal, or ride the van outside the Bancasi (Butuan) airport. Travel time is around 3 hours.

*Please note that the vans outside the airport are not like the shuttle vans in Palawan (e.g Lexus bound to El Nido). The vans in Butuan City seem older, and the drivers would usually try to fit as many people inside as possible.

*For this trip, we were fetched by Almont Beach Resort’s airport representative who also brought us to Lipata in Surigao via a private van. This is the most convenient way to go to Surigao from Butuan. If you are a large group, better rent a van and you’ll save a lot of time! Remember, you might be chasing after the boat bound to Siargao!!! Last trip is at 12nn!

Breaking dawn in Surigao Strait aboard LQP pump boat

At around 9:00 am, we arrived at the port of Dapa in Siargao. The sun had just started to rise by then.

Passengers rushing to get out of the boat

There is a Tourism Help Desk at the port of Dapa, but honestly, I don’t think the person in charge is helpful enough. When we approached her, she asked us about our plans for the duration of our stay in Siargao. When we said we already have accommodation and island hopping arrangement, she said it is not a good time to visit Bucas Grande because there was a low pressure area. Hello??? Can’t you see Mr. Sun is up and alive??? plus, she didn’t know the schedule of the boats going to Siargao. sigh. 

The airport representative from Isla Cabana Tropical Island Resort was already waiting for us outside the port.  Isla Cabana Tropical Island Resort was our home for the duration of our stay in Siargao. I’ll post more about this newly-opened resort in my next post.

From Dapa, it was a 20-minute drive to General Luna where Isla Cabana Tropical Island Resort is located. We passed by hills and plains that resemble the road from Guijalo port to Caramoan town proper in Camarines Sur. The place was a sleepy town — quiet and serene — full of lush greens.
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Isla Cabana Tropical Island Resort
General Luna, Siargao Island
8416 General Luna, Surigao Del Norte, Philippines
Mr. Dupz Escatron-Ravelo
09285595244 / 09175230300 / 09209099777
 islacabanaresort@gmail.com / info@islacabanaresort.com
Instagram:  #islacabana
Almont Beach Resort, Surigao, Surigao City, Surigao Del Norte

DINNER AT ALMONT BEACH RESORT’S VERANDA

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A well-deserved dinner at the veranda

Our first day in Surigao was such a long, long day. Imagine having to wake up as early as 4:00 am to catch our 7:00 am flight to Butuan, and from there we had to travel three hours to get to the Surigao City. And right after lunch, we went on a tour, hiking the hills of Punta Bilar and braving the waves at Mabua pebble beach. But don’t get me wrong. I am not complaining. It was such a great experience having to explore this understated city off northeastern Mindanao.

So when we went back to our suite at Almont Beach Resort, the ever attentive front office staff asked us if we’d rather have dinner at our suite’s veranda. Of course, the offer was too hard to resist. Our limbs were all aching from the activities earlier during our trip, and the thought of not leaving our suite for dinner was a relief!

A few minutes later, our food came in and to our delight, the staff set it up nicely at the veranda complete with placemats made of indigenous materials, as well as a bucket of ice for our after-dinner drinks.

The food was nothing fancy, but very tasty and homey. We started with clear vegetable soup that was served steaming hot. The macaroni salad was a bit sweet for my preference, but flavourful nonetheless.

The main course was grilled chicken with gravy and crispy fish fillet. The fish was so fresh!

The dessert tastes like a homemade pudding. This is actually one of my favourite desserts at Almont Beach Resort.

After eating our dinner, we chat about what had happened during the day over some ice-cold drinks, a perfect way to cap the night. We slept a bit before midnight to have enough rest as we had to wake up at 4:00 am to catch the 5:00 am pump boat to Siargao. And guess what, the staff at the front desk even told us that they will be happy to pack our breakfast so that we have something to eat on our way to Siargao. This means a chef would be waking up as early as 3:00 am to prepare our meals! Impeccable service, that is!

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Almont Beach Resort, looc, looc pebble beach, mabua, mabua pebble beach, punta bilar, punta bilar lighthouse, Surigao, Surigao City, Surigao Del Norte

WHAT TO DO IN SURIGAO CITY

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Aerial view of Surigao City
After a sumptuous lunch at Almont Beach Resort, we asked the front desk to help us hire a tricycle that would tour us around the city. The receptionist was able to get a tricycle for us at Php 200, covering Punta Bilar, Looc and Mabua. But for those who want a more comfortable, airconditioned transportation service, there are vans that you can rent out for as low as Php 1,200. If you’re many in the group, might as well get this offer. Since we were only three in the group, renting a tricycle is more practical for us.
Me at Herbert’s tricycle
There are tricycles that are accredited by Almont Beach Resort. Getting their service is safer and more convenient that trying to haggle from the locals yourselves. Our driver was Herbert, a relative of someone who works at Almont Beach Resort. I don’t have his number, but just in case you are interested, you may get in touch with the resort’s manager,  Mr. Edgar Cervantes at  fo.beachresort@almont.com.ph. You may also reach him through 09228599403.


When we left the resort, we told Herbert that we would like to go snorkeling at Punta Bilar. I read about it on the net and learned that there is a marine sanctuary just 10 minutes away from Almont Beach Resort. Little did we know that Punta Bilar is actually the name of the baranggay, and that there were two attractions there: the lighthouse and the marine sanctuary.

On our way to Punta Bilar, I already saw a familiar boardwalk that has a signboard that says “No Fish Feeding”. I was certain that that was the way to the marine sanctuary as I also saw a dive shop (Punta Bilar Dive Shop owned by Jake Miranda who initially informed me that the dive shop was closed for the week but the marine sanctuary was open for snorkelers). But when I asked Herbert where the marine sanctuary is (I even told him that we want to see the corals and fishes, and that was the reason why we had brought lifevests, fins, snorkels and masks). He said that Punta Bilar is up there, but the road is still under construction so we need to park the tricycle at the foot of the hill and hike our way up to Punta Bilar. And so we thought there is a marine sanctuary at the other end of the hill. Lo and behold, we followed him, parked our tricycle, brought our aqua gears and started to walk up. 

The road in Punta Bilar is under construction
We were already feeling exhausted until we saw a concrete road. What a relief! It was so hard to hike up the rocky, steep road on a hot sunny afternoon. Imagine, that was at 3:00 pm! Hello UVA and UVB rays! But then, we still couldn’t figure out where the marine sanctuary Herbert was talking about. We were already having a feeling that there was a miscommunication, so when we saw the lighthouse, we asked Herbert again where are we going to snorkel. This time, my friend, who knows how to speak a bit of their dialect had  tried to explain what we were looking for. Surprisingly, Herbert said he thought we were looking for the lighthouse in Punta  Bilar!!! Labo. We got frustrated but then we thought, the confusion might be due to language barrier. So for that, we forgive you, Herbert! Peace!
Part of the road is concrete as of writing
The long hike to this lighthouse was worth it. The view was stunning — verdant rolling hills bordered by the calm sea! Picture perfect, indeed.
Punta Bilar lighthouse
Lush rolling hills  in Punta Bilar
After taking photos of the lighthouse and the hills, Herbert suggested that instead of going back to where the tricycle was, we can just go straight ahead towards Looc where the view deck is located. He said it was just a few meters away, so we agreed. 
Well, it wasn’t that near, hehe. It seemed like the path was endless. Until we saw a pebbly beach with beautiful rock formations. There, we felt reinvigorated. The water was subtly caressing the pebbles and rocks of all shapes and sizes. 
Looc Pebble Beach
Then Herbert told us that there is a stairway to the view deck near the cottages at Looc pebble beach. When we saw the concrete stairway, we almost felt frustrated as we would need to climb up again. My legs were trembling already, and it seemed that I already lost tons of pounds from walking up and down the hill from Punta Bilar. 
The stairway to the view deck
But when we finally made  it to the top, we were all awestruck by the view of another famous pebble beach in Mabua. The cove looks spectacular!
A view of Mabua pebble beach from Looc view deck
We stayed at the view deck for a few minutes to hydrate ourselves and have some rest. Our legs were so tired that no one would dare stand up for awhile. And when we finally decided to go down towards Mabua, we were certain that we wanted one thing: have a dip at the beach!
Native cottages at Mabua pebble beach can be rented for as low as Php 200
Mabua pebble beach, as the name  implies, is a cove with pebbles of all shapes and sizes instead of powdery sand. It’s so unique that I couldn’t think of another beach like this in the Philippines. 
More of Mabua pebble beach
When we had a dip at the beach, the waves started to get stronger so we were bombarded by huge smooth pebbles!!! We tried snorkeling but we couldn’t see a thing but pebbles. Giant pebbles. 
The sun was about to set 
We spent a few minutes swimming and braving the roaring waters of Mabua pebble beach when we finally realized that the sun was starting to set already. Sunsets at Mabua pebble beach are fantastic, although,. don’t expect it to be as vivid as the one you would usually witness in Siquijor, Palawan, or Boracay. For some reasons, the sunset here was just yellow and gray. No vibrant orange!
Peek-a-boo
When we finished taking photos of the sunset, we called Herbert and told him to bring us back to the resort. By this time, we were dead tired already.
Sunset at Mabua pebble beach
By the way, if you want  to buy pasalubong, just hail a tricycle to the city proper and you will see a pasalubong center  beside the Tourism Office, and another one a few meters from it. The one at the Tourism office was closed when we went there, so we were able to buy some stuff at Lovely Pasalubong and Souvenir Shop. The prices though are a bit touristy. =)
What to buy? There were ref magnets, trinkets, accessories, crispy squid, tablea, etc. Our favorite is the thin coconut biscuits.