So Siargao is an island in the Philippines and there are nearby islands which you can visit. The most famous are the three islands – Naked Island, Daku Island and Guyam Island. You shouldn’t leave Siargao without going to these three islands, really. Just don’t.
There are ways to visit these islands. One is joining a group tour. There are a lot of group tours and agencies offering a tour package which includes everything that you need – boat, entrance fees, food, tour guide and so on. Everything will be arranged and all you have to do is show up. You will be joined by other tourists which means you’ll be sharing the whole boat with strangers. Sounds fun right? By the end of the island hopping tour, you’ll have new friends which you may or may not see again. So hands up for this kind of adventure.
Another way is to Do-it-Yourself and let’s just say, doing it slightly rough as well. For one, DIY is cheaper (considering you’re a group with a minimum of 2 persons), you can control your own time and you’ll have the whole boat for yourself. You’ll be the one to pay for all the fees and plan out for your own food though.
So how do you do this DIY thing? Let’s run into how to.
How to:
- The day before your tour:
Go to the Siargao Tourist Information Center. It’s just right beside the General Luna Public Market and the place is what they call Gen. Luna Blvd. Hire a boat from here. The boat rate depends on how many are you in a group. Of course, the larger your group, the larger the boat that you will need. We went there a day before our scheduled island hopping activity so that we can pre-book the boat for us. Tourists flock into Siargao that sometimes the boats here are fully booked. It is recommended to pre-book the boat.
See boat rates below:
2. The day of your tour:
Prepare your food. We bought roasted chicken and just cooked rice in our apartment that we brought during our island hopping. But one thing that you can do is to buy from the General Luna Public Market – seafoods, meat, rice and basically the food that you need.
When you reach one of the islands (Daku Island), you can have them cooked by the locals there with a fee – Php 80 per kilo.
3. Go to Siargao Tourist Information again just a few walks from the Public Market. This is the jump-off point of the island hopping. You will have to fill out a Passenger list form and pay 50 PH peso per person for the environmental fee.
4. Get on to your boat. And the Island Hopping Tour begins.
What to See:
- Naked Island – Your first stop will be the Naked Island. It’s the farthest island among the three from the jump-off point. It’s called Naked Island not because you’re allowed to get naked there. Pls. dont! There’s nothing in there, no trees, no hut and it’s uninhabited. Hence, naked. It’s all sand and beach. It’s more of a sandbar. It could get really hot here. So be here as early as possible to avoid the heat of the sun. It’s the perfect beach and view for picture taking and swimming. Among the three islands, this is where I enjoyed the beach. It’s clear, white sand, and really suitable for a good swim.
2. Daku Island – Well, ‘daku’ means big. It’s the biggest island among the three. Hence, the name. We paid a docking
fee of 100 Ph per boat here. This is where we had our packed lunch. And this is where you can have your foods get
cooked. We rented a hut for 200 PH pesos. You can buy refreshments here – lemon juice, shake, halo halo and beer.
We spent the hours, eating, drinking beer and swimming. It’s really a great fun to do with family and friends.
3. Guyam Island – ‘Guyam’ means small and the island is the smallest among the three. We paid a 30 PH peso per person as an entrance fee. We literally roam around the island in minutes. We did not swim as the island is not suitable for a swim. But there are hammocks, swings, and a picture-perfect view for a picture taking. And oh, there’s a snack place on this island where you can buy burgers, fries, and then just chill by the beach.
Tri-Island and beyond:
Another thing is you can actually go snorkeling at Secret Garden. Tell your boatman to bring you to Secret Garden for a snorkeling experience. Usually, the boatman will offer you snorkeling gear rentals before you hop on the boat.
If you also happen to go to Guyam Island on low tide, you will be able to see the Secret Island.
How much:
How much did we spend? Let’s run into numbers. This is for a group of 2 persons.
| Boat Rental | 1,500.00 |
| Boat Docking Fee at Daku Island | 100.00 |
| Entrance Fee at Guyam Island (2 persons) | 60.00 |
| Roasted Chicken | 220.00 |
| Beer (we bought in Daku Island) 70 / bottle | 420.00 |
| Hut Rental in Daku Island | 200.00 |
| Total | 2,500.00 |
We spent 1,250 PH peso each. The bigger your group, the cheaper it gets. So go on, tell your friends and start planning now.
Gypcee Life 
Hi! Thank you for this information, I know it is gonna be more expensive if I travel solo because I would like to make the most of my time. I would like to hire a small boat myself to explore the three islands (or other islands) you mentioned, am I on the same range of your budget (2,500 to 4,000)? or is it way more expensive than what you spent?
LikeLike
Hey Heherson, You will still be on that budget range (2500 to 4000). You could probably spend 2500 and up but definitely not way more than 4,000. So yeah, hope you enjoy Siargao when you get here. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you! This information will help, take care!
LikeLike