Photo by Dale de Vera on Unsplash
When my partner and I first planned our trip to Siargao, finding up-to-date travel information was a challenge. Every online guide was outdated, leaving us to figure things out as we went along.
In the end, we just had to figure everything out as we went along which was fun and occasionally frustrating sometimes.
If you are planning to go to Siargao on holiday, then follow this guide on how to prepare.
- Getting from Dapa Port to General Luna: Transportation Options
- Navigating Siargao Airport: Transportation and Environmental Fees
- ATM and Payment Options in Siargao
- Renting Vehicles in Siargao
- Tuk-Tuks, Tricycles, and Road Etiquette
- Dealing with Checkpoints: What Travelers Need to Know
- Gear Rentals for Adventure Seekers
- Tourist Sim Cards
1. Getting from Dapa Port to General Luna: Transportation Options
We actually first arrived in Siargao via the ferry.
We had taken the route from Cebu > Surigao and then Surigao > Siargao.
It was a pretty long journey but we had a lot of luggage and bulky items which would have been expensive to fly over.
It was definitely cool to experience this form of travel around the Philippines.
Tuk-Tuks and Tricycle Transfers
When we arrived at Dapa port, we were greeted by many tuk tuk / tricycle drivers waiting at the front.
In September 2022, we paid ₱400 for a whole tricycle to take us from the port to our Airbnb just off the back Tourism road.
The journey took around 45 minutes – 1 hour.
Private Van Transfers
You can also reach out to the host of your accommodation to see if they can organise a tourist van pick up from the port as well.
Usually a private van transfer costs around ₱1,000 – ₱1,500.
If you are staying in the north in Pacifico, Burgos or Alegria, then I would recommend going for the private van pick up.
2. Navigating Siargao Airport: Transportation and Environmental Fees
Understanding the Environmental Entry Fee
After you have collected your baggage and you are ready to exit the terminal, you need to pay a ₱20 Environmental Fee.
I always warn people to firstly split a ₱1,000 note at your departing airport, as you will need some smaller change when you first arrive.
It’s much easier to do this step if you already have a smaller change.
You have hopefully also experienced by now that ATMs dispense 1,000s but it can be difficult to pay for anything less than ₱500 in smaller establishments with one.
Shared Tourist Van Transfers to Your Accommodation
Once you have exited the building, you need to head towards the exit and this is where you will come across a pretty efficient system in place for getting you from the airport to your accommodation and that is with the Tourist Vans.
Just let whoever is guiding the queue know where you are staying – General Luna, Santa Fe, Libertad, Malinao, Pacifico, Burgos, Alegria etc – and they will place you to the right van.
They usually wait until they are at least 90% full before setting off.
The driver will then get everyone’s accommodation names and plot the journey.
This service costs ₱300 to General Luna / Malinao and ₱400 to Santa Fe / Libertad.
This journey takes around 40 minutes – 1 hour depending on the number of stops.
Again, another good time to have some ₱100 notes because the driver isn’t always carrying smaller change. (There’s just not enough smaller notes circulating!)
For those staying in Pacifico / Burgos / Alegria, then chances are higher that you will need to opt for a private van transfer for around ₱1,500 or getting a tuk tuk is actually around ₱500.
3. ATM and Payment Options in Siargao
Okay so I always advise people to withdraw at least ₱10,000 before they arrive in Siargao, just to make life easier, you know!
Finding BDO and Euronet ATMs
In General Luna there are 3 BDO ATMs – 2 at the bank and 1 next to Little Nap Inn.
You can find them here.
The Euronet ATMs are located here.
This map doesn’t include all locations as there is also one in Santa Fe near the hardware store, 2 along the back Tourism Road and one in Malinao.
Understanding Withdrawal Fees
If you are withdrawing cash using an International card, then the fee is ₱250 per withdrawal.
If you are withdrawing cash using a Local card, then the fee is ₱18 per withdrawal.
The Euronet ATMs offer free withdrawals for BPI card holders.
Restaurants, Shops, and Groceries That Accept Card Payments
If you would like to save the cash that you have on you, then there are options for paying with card in some shops and restaurants:
Restaurants
- Harana
- Bravo
- Siago
- Goodies
- Happiness
- Nattribu
- Tradicion
- Nami
- Isla Cuisina
- Kermit
- Brunch Spot
- Ver De Siargao
- Villa Cali
- Lamari
- NĀGA
Groceries
Shopping
4. Renting Vehicles in Siargao
Motorbike Rentals: Lola’s vs. Bass Bikes
Okay you’ve arrived at your accommodation, settled in and now it’s time to explore Siargao!
I would say that the majority of accommodation owners will have a contact for motorbike hire or have motorbikes that you can hire directly from them.
But it’s also worth seeing what other options are out there.
Lola’s Rentals
Personally I really recommend checking out Lola’s Rentals and here’s why:
- They support Be Pawsitive, a local NGO, in spaying and neutering over 100 dogs and cats each year on Siargao Island.
- If this is your first time driving a motorbike, they will give you a free lesson
- They have partnered with so many businesses to offer discounts on food, activities and spa services etc
- They provide you with high quality helmets, dry bags, ponchos, phone mount, repair kits, first aid kits and many more helpful items
- Their repair prices are listed publicly on their website so they are very transparent if something happens and you need to pay for repair
- The motorbikes registration is valid
When you hire a bike with them, you know it’s in really good working condition and they also provide amazing extras that make travelling around so much more convenient.
Prices for a Honda Beat
- 1 – 2 days : ₱575.00 / Day
- 3 – 6 days : ₱495.00 / Day
- 7 – 365 days : ₱445.00 / Day
Bass Bikes
There is also Bass Bikes, the sister company of Lola’s. They offer a slightly lower price as their motorbikes are slightly older but are still safe and regularly maintained.
They still provide a valid registration, helmet, phone mount and a free lesson.
Prices for a Honda Beat
- 1 – 2 days : ₱495.00 / Day
- 3 – 6 days : ₱425.00 / Day
- 7 – 365 days : ₱365.00 / Day
Licensing and Registration Requirements
It’s really important to make sure that your license allows you to ride a motorbike. I got my UK license in 2009 when motorbike was included, however more recent ones do not allow this.
Check the back of your license to be sure you can rent a motorbike.
All vehicles also need to have a valid registration – make sure you know where this is stored and take a photo of it as well.
If you get pulled over at a checkpoint and don’t have a valid license and registration and you can’t present these to the officer, they can impound the motorbike.
We hear of people managing to rent motorbikes without licenses and I just would not advise doing that.
Car Rental Options with Coastal Reef Adventures
The number of car rental agencies on the island are growing and they offer the popular Suzuki Jimny, larger pickup trucks and more compact Toyato Wigo’s.
They are mostly automatics but you can find manuals as well.
CRA
These guys are legit and they really follow the best procedures when it comes to renting a car. I’m always a bit suspicious if someone just hands you the keys without signing any paperwork either. CRA ensure you fully understand their T&C’s and they make you take a 360 video of the car to confirm any prior dents/scratches before you head off.
Price
The cost of renting a Jimny can vary depending on the number of doors and model.
Prices start at ₱4,500 a day up to ₱7,000 for newer models and 5 doors.
The deposits are around ₱5,000 if you are happy to leave 1 passport with them or 2 valid IDs (just not your driver’s license!) or ₱10,000 if you don’t want to leave an ID with them.
The car is given to you with a full tank and you must return it full and without damages to receive your deposit back.
E-Bike Alternatives for Non-License Holders
If you don’t have a driving license then there are some electric bike options so that you can still get around and explore.
You are more limited at the speed in which you can go and how far based on the capacity of the battery but if you are looking to get around the General Luna area, then check out the bikes from:
5. Tuk-Tuks, Tricycles, and Road Etiquette
Navigating Siargao’s Transportation Landscape
You’ll notice many tuk tuks and tricycles (motorbike with blue side car) driving around General Luna. It’s easy to flag one of these down and ask them to take you where you want to go.
There have been situations where people are finding that they have been charged high prices for their journeys around General Luna.
It can be worth checking with your host what the average cost of a fare is for where you are planning to go first.
Also the Discover Siargao facebook group recently shared the Regulated Tricycle Fare Rates so it’s worth keeping this saved for reference.
Essential Rules of the Road for Drivers
Driving in the Philippines is quite different compared to in the UK.
Hopefully you are already comfortable with driving on the right but here’s a couple more things to understand which are different:
Honking – it’s normal to honk your horn when you are going to overtake a slower vehicle in front. It’s meant as a friendly ‘hey! I’m coming past!’ and usually you get a honk in return like ‘hey, i see ya!’
Flashing your headlights – if the width of the road is quite narrow and you need to decide who has the right of way to come through, flashing your headlights here actually means ‘I’m coming through’, which is the complete opposite to our highway code!
Pulling over to the right before turning left – sometimes you will see a motorbike indicating left but they will pull over to the right and wait before making their turn when it’s clear.
6. Dealing with Checkpoints: What Travelers Need to Know
LTO (Land Transportation Office) Checkpoint Procedures
The LTO set up checkpoints around the island on an ad hoc basis.
Sometimes there will be PNP checkpoints on a daily basis and other times the roads will be clear for a week.
What to expect at a LTO checkpoint
You’ll likely see the checkpoint before you reach it because they place A boards in the road. You might also see people on their motorbikes waiting by the side of the road for them to leave (because they don’t have the documents on them to pass by).
In order to pass an inspection you must make sure you are:
- Carrying a valid license that allows you to drive motorbikes
- That you have a valid registration that you can present to them
- That you are wearing helmet
If you don’t have these items then you are at risk of being fined and having the motorbike impounded.
Note: make sure that the officer is wearing a lanyard with their badge details included.
PNP (Philippine National Police) Checkpoint Expectations
The PNP checkpoints are currently happening more regularly but the process of passing through one is slightly different. Sometimes these checkpoints have been set up because they have been instructed to look for someone.
In order to pass a PNP checkpoint:
- You must be carrying a valid license
- You must be wearing a helmet if driving a motorbike
- Allow them to look inside the car by lowering the windows
- Confirm when you arrived as they will sometimes ask you
7. Gear Rentals for Adventure Seekers
Surfboard Rentals in Siargao
The one thing that Siargao isn’t lacking is surfboard rental shops.
If you are a competent surfer but aren’t bringing your own board with you, or you want to just stick to using 1 board throughout your trip if you still need an instructor, here is a list of places to rent from:
General Luna
Santa Fe
Pacifico
Prices range from:
- 1 day – ₱500 – ₱900
- 1 week – ₱3,000 – ₱5,000
- 1 month – ₱9,000 – ₱20,000
Prices vary based on the type of board and how old they are.
Sometimes if people are staying for a month or 2, they might buy a new board and sell it before they leave. You can recoup a decent % of the original cost if it didn’t suffer any damage.
Skateboard and Surf Skating Options
If you’re more into skateboarding, then you should definitely check out the new free to use skate park that has been built in General Luna called Cloud 9 skate park.
It’s not actually located at Cloud 9 but on the road that cuts between the main and back tourism road near Siargao Island Villas.
Surf skating is really popular as well and you can rent boards from:
General Luna
Santa Fe
In Santa Fe near the Malakai shop, you will find the Shaka Brah skate park which is an awesome place to skate.
8. Tourist Sim Cards
When you arrived in the Philippines, you likely went to a counter to get a tourist sim which is valid for 30 days.
You’ll then want to load it with regular prepaid credits or subscribe to data/call/text promos to extend it.
We only have 4G signal here, no 5G at the moment.
Globe
In Siargao, the provider with the most island wide coverage is Globe or anything on the Globe network that includes GOMO as well.
For newer phone models which only support e-sims, you can find more information about Globe’s e-sim here and GOMO’s e-sim here.
If you plan to do a land tour around the island as part of your trip, then by being on Globe, you will manage to find signal in areas all around the island.
Smart
Smart has a good signal in the centre of General Luna but is kind of useless around the rest of the island.
If in fact you are planning to stay in Siargao for a longer period of time, then check out my other guide 11 Essential Tips for Long-Term Living in Siargao.
