The island hopping in Siargao was one of our favorites. It is less known than island hopping in other regions of the Philippines, it is cheaper, and the islands that we visited are small paradises. From a big sandbank in the middle of the turquoise ocean to sipping coconuts under palm trees – this day trip was perfect and one of our favorite memories from the Philippines.
Best time to visit Siargao
The best time to visit the Philippines is between November and April because these are the dryer and cooler months. The wet season starts from Mai until October and brings a lot of rain and hotter temperatures. However, the tropical weather in the Philippines is very unpredictable all year round.
We visited Siargao in February, and it rained sometimes. But the rain usually lasted only a few hours. Be prepared that the weather can change very quickly. It can be the most beautiful sunny day, and an hour later it is raining heavily. Another hour later, it may be perfectly sunny again.
How to get on the Island hopping in Siargao
If you want to go on the three island hopping in Siargao, you won’t have to pre-book your trip. Just go to the harbor next to the “General Luna local market” where you will find a ticket office. We showed up there at 7 am and could start right away, so our boat left around 30 min later.
The boat tours you can hop on to here are private. So you will have the boat to yourself. If you want to have enough time to relax and enjoy each island, we recommend that you start your tour in the morning.
If you are a solo traveler or prefer group trips, you can book one at Kermit Siargao.
The three islands of the tour
Snake Island
The first stop on the 3 Island hopping in Siargao is Snake Island. This island is a naked sandbank surrounded by turquoise-blue water. We played around in the water and with the drone when we were there. Out of nothing, black clouds were coming up, and a tropical storm. Be aware that the weather in the Philippines is very unpredictable, so it’s recommended to bring a dry bag to your island hopping tour so you can put your camera and other belongings inside. We decided to move on to the next island to be able to find a shelter.
Daku Island
Daku Island was the biggest of the three islands when Island hopping in Siargao, and luckily, once we got there, the weather got better again. People are living on this island, and they offer food and drinks. Since we were fasting in the morning, we didn’t check the food, but we first had coffee and later some fresh coconuts from a guy who was selling them on the beach. Isn’t it the best feeling to sit on a paradise island and sip some coconuts? Even though we had our metal straws with us, we loved that this guy made some compostable straws from palm leaves.
When the sun was out again, we relaxed on the beach, swam in the incredible turquoise water, and enjoyed the island very much. Some beach huts with tables can be rented if you like to eat lunch at the beach.
Guyam Island
The last Island when Island hopping in Siargao is called Guyam Island and was by far our favorite. We were already super excited when we saw the island from far away. It’s the perfect little paradise island with palm trees in the middle and a white sand beach. We felt like stranded on our dream island. There were kids playing basketball and a cute little cafe selling burgers and juices. Unfortunately, they didn’t have a vegetarian option for the burgers, so we went for an iced coffee mixed with mango, which sounded weird but was super delicious and refreshing. There was a rope where we practiced balancing as well.
Overall, we loved the vibe of this island so much and stayed here the longest. We only left when we got very hungry.
Where to eat when Island hopping in Siargao
If you are on the three-island hopping tour from Siargao and would like to eat lunch, you can either do that on Daku Island, where several locals have some small restaurants, or at the cute beach cafe on Guyam Island. In case you are on a vegan or vegetarian diet, we would recommend you bring your own food, like bananas or other fruits and nuts, to snack. As far as we have seen, most of the offered food is meat or fish-heavy.
Costs for Island hopping in Siargao
The three island hopping tour from Siargao costs 1’500 pesos (28$), including a private boat. There is an environmental fee for Daku Island of 100 pesos (1.90$) and for Guyam Island of 60 pesos (1$).
What to bring for your island hopping tour
We recommend you bring the following for your island hopping tour in Siargao:
- Drybag to save your camera and other electronics because the weather can change very fast
- Swimwear
- Sunglasses/sunhat
- Reef safe sunscreen
- Money if you would like to buy coffee, coconuts or food from the locals and for the fee
- Snacks/fruits if you are vegan/vegetarian
- Drone if you have one because the views from above are spectacular
Conclusion
We enjoyed the day of island hopping in Siargao a lot. It was effortless and fast to organize, and we liked that we could go spontaneous on the day when we found that the weather would be best to do it. We also think that the price is very reasonable compared to island hopping tours in El Nido and Coron.
Overall, we liked the last, small Guyam Island the most, and this island alone already makes it worth going on that trip. We definitely recommend this tour for your time in Siargao.
If you like to read more about Siargao, have a look at the following post.