If I have $1000, I would go to...

The Philippines comprises of more than 7,000 islands. As a tropical country it's islands are full of pristine beaches or luscious greeneries. Even living here for quite a while, I wasn't able to explore even a quarter of the Philippine lands.

So if I have $1000 to spend on travelling, I would go to one of the must-see places nearest to Cebu that I haven't been to - Siquijor! What made me curious to visit this place is to gauge how mystical the vibes here. I often hear stories that Siquijor is a place for mambabarangs and one should not provoke anyone from there. Because of these stories, the province's name is often associated with voodoo dolls, potions and all those black magic stuff. But lately, the island rebranded its image to have a positive feels to visitors. They are trying to promote healing instead. In this way, it would attract tourists than to scare us away.

Famous beach spots in the country have things in common - white sand and clear blue waters. Paliton Beach in Siquijor both have such features. As Hive account@ybanezkim26 also mentioned in his post, Kim's Quest #40: Tales of Siquijor (Isla del Fuego) - Part I, the place has a nice view during the late afternoon to see the sunset. When I go there, I will also lazily rest under the shade (maybe not under a coconut tree for safety purposes 😁), and wait for the golden hour.

One of the famous waterfalls in Siquijor is the Cambugahay Falls. I was fascinated how clear the water was in Hive account@ybanezkim26's photos. What made it interesting is that they were able to go to the source, the Bolo Bolo Spring. In his post, Kim's Quest #41: Bolo Bolo Spring - the Secret of Cambugahay Falls in Siquijor, only a few knew or go to this fresh water source. With only minimal tourist visiting this place, I find it perfect to dip into the cold water without getting shoulder to shoulder with other sight-seekers. Hopefully it would stay as peaceful when I would get a chance to go there.

A visit to Siquijor won't be complete without seeing how those mystical stuffs are done. Good thing the island rebranded their image to healing rather than the dark arts. I will not be enthusiastic to watch someone doing harsh stuff to someone using a voodoo doll. At Mt. Bandilaan, it's where the Healing Festival is held during the Holy Week. During this event, healers would flock to this mountain to "cook" their healing potions. They believe that Mt. Bandilaan has a mystical energy that would make their healing more effective.

Honestly, I haven't seen a firefly in real life for my entire existence. I only saw these glistening creatures in TVs. I could just imagine myself seeing them up close. I might be unmindful that I'm opening my mouth while staring at those flying lights. So, I think Kamp Aninipot is the best place for me to go to. Aninipot is Visayan for fireflies. I just knew from Hive account@ybanezkim26's post that the Isla del Fuego name of Siquijor came from the abundance of fireflies in the area.