Pam Baroro
Cebu – Dumaguete – Siquijor Itinerary
My mother hails from Negros Oriental while my father comes from Siquijor and although we occasionally visit their hometowns back in my childhood, we never really got to explore it as “tourists”.
So, after many years, we finally decided to visit and get a glimpse of the beauty of these places. If you are planning to visit Dumaguete, Apo Island or Siquijor, you can check out our itinerary and expense guide below:
Day 1
We took the midnight train, erm, bus from Cebu City to Liloan in Santander to make sure that we arrive there by dawn. It is not for everyone because it can be very difficult to sleep in a moving bus. Still…
We saved a lot of money on food because we made a stop at Dauin (my mother’s hometown) for the town fiesta. When we got bored, we decided to grab the opportunity to visit the renowned Apo Island. Sadly, we weren’t able to swim with the turtles but we were definitely able to enjoy the beautiful view there.
Expenses (per person):
- Bus from Cebu City to Sibulan – Php 185
- RoRo: Liloan, Santander to Sibulan – Php 62 (toddler is paid in full)
- Multicab: Sibulan to Dumaguete – Php 20
- Multicab: Dumaguete to Dauin Proper – Php 18 (you can probably go directly to Malatapay, where boats going to Apo Island can be found)
- Tricycle: Dauin to Malatapay – Php 10 (haggled at Php 50 for all 5 passengers)
- Boat to Apo Island – Php 500 (boat is good for 6 persons; you can also check out this more detailed guide to Apo Island)
- Registration at Apo Island – Php 100 (locals from Negros Oriental who can present a valid ID only need to pay Php 10)
- Tricycle: Malatapay to Dauin – Php 10 (still haggled)
- Bus: Dauin to Dumaguete – Php 10
- Accommodation: Lowland Resort (costs Php 1500 – Php 2000 per room and can comfortably fit up to 6 people; you can also camp outside)
Total for Day 1: ~Php 905 (not accounting food and accommodation since we stayed there for free)
Day 2
After a night at Dauin, we decided to head to Siquijor early morning. We brought along our fiesta take home and also took a quick sip of coffee at the Dumaguete port.
At Siquijor, my uncle (Dondon Baroro, 0915-954-4667) fetched us at the Siquijor port (not Larena) and drove us around the island. But first, we went to San Juan to fetch a few more friends. We had our meals reheated at the Dabarkads restaurant (haha) for a fee and ordered a few more for breakfast.
We visited the Enchanted Balete Tree, Lazi Church and Convent, Cambugahay Falls and Salagdoong Beach for the whole day. Then, we stayed at Ates Homestay in Lazi and had dinner at Dagsa in San Juan. Clearly, a day is just not enough even in this small, mystical island.
Expenses (per person):
- Bus: Dauin to Dumaguete – Php 16
- Tricycle: Ceres Terminal to Dumaguete Port – Php 10 (around ~5 blocks apart)
- RoRo: Dumaguete to Siquijor – Php 170 (via Montenegro Shipping Lines; child rate: Php 55)
- Terminal Fee – Php 15
- Multicab Tour – Php 300 (Php 1,800 for the entire day, divided by 9 people)
- Entrance Fee: Enchanted Balete – Php 5
- Entrance Fee: Lazi Church and Convent – FREE
- Entrance Fee: Cambugahay Falls – FREE
- Entrance Fee: Salagdoong Beach – Php 25
- Parking Fee: Salagdoong Beach – Php 4 (P35 for the hired multicab, divided by 9 people)
- Cottage: Salagdoong Beach – Php 100 (optional, divided by 9 people)
- Dinner: Dagsa – Php 283 (Php 1,200 buffet for 6 [5 of us + my uncle] + drinks, divided by 5 people)
Total for Day 2: ~Php 882 (includes ~Php 53 spent for breakfast and lunch)
Day 3
We decided not to wake up very early for our trip back to Dumaguete. We went out of the house by 8AM and had our breakfast near the port in Siquijor town.
Ahhh…we certainly wished we did not have to get out of the island too soon but life and responsibilities were calling us. Haha.
When we found out we didn’t spend a lot for the entirety of our trip, we decided to splurge a little and ate at Sans Rival in Dumaguete. Then, we went back to Sibulan port, took the boat and bus and went back to reality in Cebu.
Expenses (per person):
- Ates Homestay – Php 300 (Php 1,500 airconditioned room good for 5-6 people, divided by 5)
- Breakfast: Joel’s Lechon Manok in Siquijor Port – Php 44 (spent Php 220 good for 6 people [including uncle], divided by 5)
- RoRo: Siquijor to Dumaguete – Php 130 (via GL Shipping; child rate: Php 56)
- Terminal Fee – Php 14
- Tricycle to Sans Rival – Php 8 (around 1-2 blocks away from port; it was raining so no choice)
- Tricycle: Dumaguete to Sibulan – Php 30 (negotiated with driver)
- RoRo: Sibulan to Liloan – Php 62 (toddler is paid in full)
- Bus: Liloan to Cebu City – Php 185
Total for Day 2: ~Php 773 (does not include lunch at Sans Rival)
Total Expenses: ~Php 2,560 per person
Notes:
- Costs were divided among 5, 9 people which lowered it a lot
- Costs do not include food since this could vary
- Traveling in a group can save you a lot of money but it can also be confusing to pay fees and track expenses later so we used a travel+finance app on Android to make paying each other (at the end of the trip) much easier. It also makes a great place to keep note of all your expenses to see which places you overspent. Cool, right?
We hope this detailed guide will help you make a clearer plan and budget to visit these places. Happy travels!
