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Southeast Asia · Philippines
Siargao
Better waves, a fraction of the resort crowds.
Photo: ChaasPrime, CC BY-SA 4.0
Boracay means white-sand crowds and a beach that's basically wall-to-wall resorts. Siargao is the other Philippine island: a laid-back surf town wrapped around a world-class reef break, ringed by turquoise lagoons and sandbar islands you reach by hired boat, not a tour bus. Indian passport holders currently get short-stay visa-free entry to the Philippines — check the current visa rules for Indian passport holders before you book, since entry rules like this change. It's a longer trip than Boracay to reach, and that's exactly why it's quieter.
Instead of Boracay. Best for solo travellers, couples and groups. Best months: Jan–Oct.
When to go
November-December is peak typhoon season (a supertyphoon devastated the island in 2021) — check current storm forecasts before booking; February-May is driest with the calmest seas.
Getting there
One-way ticket price per person — double it for the return, which is what the cost example below uses. The cheapest sensible option is marked.
| Option | Notes | Time | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| flight Bengaluru/Mumbai/Delhi to Manila | Book 2-3 months out on Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines or a Gulf-carrier connection | 6-9h | ₹22,000 one-way |
| flight Manila to Sayak Airport (IAO), Siargao | Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines fly this daily — book it together with the international leg | 1h40m | ₹4,500 one-way |
| flight+ferry CHEAPEST Manila to Cebu to Surigao City to fast ferry to Siargao | Cheaper backup route when direct Siargao flights are full or pricey around Christmas and Holy Week | ~10h total | ₹5,500 one-way |
| ferry Surigao City to Dapa port, Siargao | The classic overland-and-sea route budget travellers use, landing at Dapa then a tricycle to General Luna | 2.5h | ₹900 one-way |
What it actually costs
Example for a couple, 7 days, mid-range, starting from Bengaluru. Return transport, a bed each night, three meals a day, local travel and entry tickets are all included. This is one example, not a quote — use the live planner to price your own dates, party size and budget style.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Return flight+ferry (flight+ferry one-way ₹5,500 × 2 × 2 people) | ₹22,000 |
| Beds, food, local travel & tickets (7 days, mid-range) | ₹51,660 |
| Total for the couple | ₹73,660 |
Getting around
| Option | Notes | Suits | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| scooter rental | The standard way to get around the island — automatic scooters run ₱350-500/day, cheaper by the week | Solo, Couple, Group | ₹450/per day |
| habal-habal (motorbike taxi) | Quick way to hop short distances without renting your own bike — agree on the fare before hopping on | Solo | ₹100/per km |
| tricycle | Easiest option for groups or with luggage from the airport or ferry port | Couple, Family, Group | ₹150/per km |
| van/car with driver | Worth it for families or groups covering the whole island on a rainy day | Family, Group | ₹5,000/per day |
| walking | General Luna's main strip along the boardwalk is walkable end to end | Solo, Couple | Free |
Where to sleep
| Tier | Notes | Suits | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| shoestring Hostel dorm · General Luna | Surf-hostel dorms a short walk from Cloud 9, usually with board storage | Solo | ₹700/night |
| budget Guesthouse · General Luna / Catangnan | Simple fan or A/C rooms near the boardwalk | Solo, Couple | ₹1,800/night |
| mid Beachfront resort · General Luna | Private cottages, some with pools, near Jacking Horse or Cloud 9 | Couple, Family | ₹4,500/night |
| comfort Boutique resort/villa · Pacifico or Catangnan (quieter north) | Away from the party strip — better for families or groups wanting quiet | Couple, Family, Group | ₹9,000/night |
Eating
Filipino food leans heavily on pork, chicken and seafood, and even 'vegetable' dishes are often cooked in meat stock or fish sauce. Vegetarians should stick to the international surf cafes in General Luna (pasta, pizza, smoothie bowls) and ask specifically for no fish sauce (patis).
| Tier | What | Notes | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| ₹200 | Carinderia meal (rice + adobo or fish) | Local eateries along the main road — cash only | ₹200 |
| ₹400 | Filipino breakfast (silog sets) or fresh grilled seafood | Order the day's catch grilled at a beachfront stall | ₹400 |
| ₹700 | Wood-fired pizza or burger at a surf cafe | General Luna has a strong expat cafe scene along the boardwalk | ₹700 |
| ₹1200 | Sit-down dinner with cocktails | Beachfront restaurants near Cloud 9 for a splurge night | ₹1,200 |
What to actually do
| Activity | Notes | Takes | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surf Cloud 9's reef break, or learn on the gentler Jacking Horse break | Board rental plus a local instructor for beginners — the reef is world-class but sharp and current-prone | 2-3h session | ₹1,500 |
| Day trip to Sugba Lagoon | Entrance, environmental and boat fees included — jump off the platform into turquoise water ringed by limestone cliffs | Full day | ₹2,200 |
| Island-hopping to Naked Island, Daku Island and Guyam Island | Shared boat tour hits all three sandbars/islands with lunch on Daku | 6h | ₹1,800 |
| Sohoton Cove and Bucas Grande day trip | Further out (2h by boat) but has a jellyfish sanctuary lagoon and cave pools | Full day | ₹3,500 |
| Magpupungko rock pools | Natural tidal pools on the east coast — check tide charts, they only appear at low tide | Half day | ₹500 |
| Sunset at Pacifico or Alegria beach | Quieter, undeveloped beaches away from the General Luna crowd | 2h | Free |
More of Siargao
Photo: Spraken eboy2887, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Lucky Ambago Purok Otso, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Michael Angelo Luna, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: AGUSTIN MENDEZ, Tubod Founding Hero, CC BY-SA 4.0
What goes wrong here, and how to do it cheaper
What goes wrong:
Only a few ATMs on the island and they run out of cash, especially on weekends and around Holy Week — carry backup pesos.
Typhoon season (roughly June-December) can ground flights and cancel boat trips with little notice — check current conditions before booking non-refundable stays.
Cloud 9's reef break is shallow and sharp at low tide — beginners should stick to Jacking Horse or go out with an instructor.
How to do it cheaper:
Rent a scooter by the week instead of by the day — operators knock off 15-20% and you can chase empty breaks up the coast.
Skip packaged Sugba Lagoon + island-hopping combo tours and hire a boat directly at the jetty for the same route at a fraction of the price.
Stay in Catangnan or Pacifico instead of General Luna proper — five minutes further out, half the noise, same surf.
Nearby
| Place | How | Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bucas Grande & Sohoton Cove ~40km | boat from Del Carmen or Socorro | Day trip | ₹3,500 |
| Surigao City ~2.5h | ferry to Dapa/Surigao then van | Onward | ₹900 |
| Dinagat Islands ~3h | ferry via Surigao | Onward (multi-day) | ₹1,200 |
| Camiguin Island ~6-8h via Cagayan de Oro | flight + ferry combo | Onward (multi-day) | ₹4,000 |
Money & connectivity
| Notes | |
|---|---|
| Cash | Bring pesos or withdraw on arrival — most eateries, tricycles and small guesthouses are cash-only. |
| Card & UPI | Only the bigger resorts and a few restaurants in General Luna take cards, usually with a 3-5% surcharge. |
| Mobile signal | Grab a Globe or Smart SIM at Manila airport before flying in — signal on Siargao is patchy outside General Luna. |
| ATMs | Only a handful of ATMs on the whole island, mostly in General Luna and Dapa, and they run out of cash on weekends — withdraw enough in one go. |
When is the best time to visit Siargao?
Jan–Oct is the best window. November-December is peak typhoon season (a supertyphoon devastated the island in 2021) — check current storm forecasts before booking; February-May is driest with the calmest seas.
How do you get to Siargao?
The cheapest sensible option is flight+ferry (Manila to Cebu to Surigao City to fast ferry to Siargao), around ₹5,500 one-way per person.
How much does a trip to Siargao cost?
For a couple travelling mid-range for 7 days from Bengaluru, budget roughly ₹73,660 total — return transport, stay, food, local travel and entry tickets. Shoestring and comfortable budgets run lower and higher; use the live planner on tripunder.com to price your own dates and party size.
Plan your own Siargao trip
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Open the planner →Costs are indicative ballparks for budget travel and change with season and demand — always check live fares and rates before you book; the live planner links straight to where you'd book each piece. Photographs are sourced from Wikimedia Commons, credited above and in full at /credits/. Trip Under features underrated destinations only, is reader-planned, and takes no affiliate commission on any booking link.