Sure, I was so looking forward to the beach life — sun, sand, beach chairs, swim in clear waters, ice cream melting as the sea breeze sticks more sand on your shoulders and back, sea salt on your hair, all that seafood plus some beach cocktails. Piña Colada, anyone? Enjoying every bit even if I passed up all chances for surf lessons (how the hell do I even get up on the surfboard?), diving off and into lagoon waters (can’t even balance walking towards the end of the diving board!), snorkeling in open sea (so hard to even walk to shore against the current), diving off the boat to swim or just treading water. And please, let’s forget paragliding. Too extreme for me.
We joined a land tour but found out the tour included beach spots and visits to lagoons and tidal pools. Was happy to experience Siargao sans commercial food chains like those burger and pizza joints, and to find the island teeming with lush forests and vegetation. When I was 15, I drove my father’s motorbike and had a nasty accident. Half my face bandaged, only liquid nutrition for some weeks. Luck was on my side — no broken bones, no permanent facial scars, just a bent coccyx bone and a bad memory. With that, any scooter rental is out of the question. We joined the tours in a van filled with 10 pax. Lunch included and this was in a local carinderia where locals ordered pork sinigang and longganiza while the foreigners figured out how to eat the crablets and spider conch shells.
The highlights of this land tour is the Sugba Lagoon where one can dive into cool waters, paddle board, kayak, snorkel, or just simply swim. We visited the last day before the lagoon area closes for a month of upkeep. The boat ride to this spot took more than a half hour, passing waterways hemmed in by tiny verdant islands . My eyes feasted on all this greenery. From here, we hopped back to our van for the ride towards the Magpupungko Rock Pools. I stopped midway and just contented myself with a view of the natural tidal pools among limestone formations. It was a steep rocky descent towards the tidal pools and I wasn’t willing to risk a slip. But my niece went on and happily took a dip and swam in the pools while I watched seated on a rock.
Magpupungko Rock Pools
The tour took nearly a day. The van fetched us from our hotel at 7:30am and brought us back by 4pm or so. But not before bringing us to Maasin River. Here you can go kayaking but after all the activities, not everyone has enough strength beyond posing for photos at the diving board. 🤣
This land tour is so worth it, even if it’s more expensive than the island-hopping tour and more so than doing it on your own with rented scooters. We enjoyed all the stops especially the Sugba Lagoon boat ride and visit. Lunch could have been served better in the area of the Magpupungko Rock Pools where there are beachfront eateries, and errrr more interesting desserts like the buko halo halo. But we’re good. We got good value for the P2,100 we paid for each person. By the time we were driven back to our hotel, we just dropped our bags and went in search of desserts. These deprived ladies found one near the church. Homemade ice cream, halo halo and maiz con hielo. But nearer our hotel, another shop prides itself for its artisanal gelato. So there. 😋😘🥰
lifeisacelebration 