Here is the continuation of my Siquijor trip with friends back in 2013. This is the second day and we took the day tour. The tricycle driver who brought us from the port to our accommodation picked us up and showed us around.
Oldest Balete Tree in Siquijor
This is the famous and oldest Balete tree in Siquijor. It is popular because you can also have a good time relaxing here where you can have a fish spa.
We were so lucky because there were no tourists around. So, we got the place by ourselves. Looking at the Old Balete Tree feels like a mystique creature is living there. We never made a noise and gave respect to the place for being quiet.
It was time for a fish spa. It was funny how Tata told us that a lot of fish came near to her feet because as she said, she had lots of "KUBAL". LOL. In English, it's called CALLUS, a thickened and hardened area of the skin. Sometimes we call it DEAD SKIN.
I never had much KUBAL on my foot so the fish never enjoyed my feet. But it was ticklish. Hehe!
You can donate any amount as there was no entrance fee.
Crocodile Island
Our driver told us that our next stop was Crocodile Island. We got scared because we were not ready to see crocodiles on the island. But he said no. We just passed by the road and saw a view that some part of the island looked like a Crocodile. Hahaha!
Ah there, it looks like the head of a crocodile.
Ah, bliss! There was no traffic on the island.
San Isidro Labador Church and Convent in Lazi
An old church in Lazi, Siquijor. The church was made of stones from the sea and hard trees. This was built by the Recollect Augustinians. The convent is one of the largest in the Philippines.
According to Wikipedia:
The San Isidro Labrador Parish Church (Spanish: Iglesia Parroquial de San Isidro Labrador), commonly known as Lazi Church, is a Roman Catholic church in the municipality of Lazi, Siquijor, Philippines within the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Dumaguete. It became an independent parish in 1857 under the advocacy of Saint Isidore the Laborer
The church, also known for its huge convent, was declared a National Cultural Treasure by the National Museum of the Philippines. It is also nominated for the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List since 2006 under the collective group of Baroque Churches of the Philippines (Extension) together with the churches of Boljoon, Guiuan, Loboc and Tumauini. In 2014, the government announced its plan to nominate Lazi Church in the World Heritage List. It conducted a dossier training for Lazi representatives. Once the dossiers are completed, the long process of nomination will commence in Paris.
Source: here
The facade
The convent of Lazi, one of the largest in the Philippines
Cambugahay Falls
Call me lucky or call us lucky because I've been to many places where there were no tourists. Cambugahay Falls was still a virgin during the time of our visit. It was peaceful. The locals enjoyed swimming here but not too many people.
After a few years, I came here to visit again and I disliked the view. I saw a lot of trash. Foreigners made noises while jumping on the falls. I saw them wearing orange life jackets. Cambugahay Falls became too crowded.
During this time of travel, my friends and I got the chance to enjoy Cambugahay Falls by ourselves. We were able to take photos of the falls without the crowd.
I really treasure these moments of Siquijor. Peaceful and quiet.
Salagdoong Beach
Our next stop was at Salagdoong Beach and Hotel. We also spent our lunchtime here as the resort has a restaurant for the guests. We also spent our time swimming here in the shallow area.
As seen in the photo above, you can slide here and jump here as well. We never tried to jump because we were not good swimmers. During my second time here, I braved myself to jump.
This area was a nice place to swim
We didn't swim here because it was kind of wavy.
The sea was not really calm when we were here.
The wave in this area was kind of tolerable.
This photo is not enhanced but you can see the turquoise water.
I wasn't adventurous at this time so I never dared sliding and jumping in this area.
The Old House
We passed by an old house made of wood and nipa. At first, it was kind of creepy. The good thing about the provincial government is that they never destroy this house.
Also, I was thinking I wanted to buy this place and built a house. Hahaha, too ambitious!
And look at that small banca or a local boat. My husband told me he could survive living on an island in the Philippines because he knows how to fish.
Guiwanon Spring Park
The park is full of mangrove trees. We really enjoyed this as a side trip. We were sort of scared of the bridge because we felt it wasn't that strongly built. Anyway, we made it inside.
They built treehouses which were so fun to get around and check the view of the park from different angles.
This could have been a nice restaurant location. Not sure if it really was.
I walked further to see this view. Peaceful and quiet scenery.
Saint Francis Parish
Our last stop is the Saint Francis Parish. The church was closed. We never got the chance to see inside. We went to the side of the church to light some candles.
Overall, this trip was more on the relaxing side. We never stressed so much.
We were just thankful that we found this place.
My wish is to buy land here on the island. I remember the last time I was here in 2018, some locals offered to sell their properties to foreigners. I am not sure how it could be possible. It was so cheap by a few pieces of land.
Anyway, that was how our Siquijor trip ended. The next day, we went to Dumaguete, the continuation of our trip. See you on my next blog!
Check my previous article:
Welcome to iTravelRox! Roxanne Tamayo is a Cebuana who is a traveler. Now a mom of 2 kids and a wife. She is a travel blogger and a digital nomad. As a Virtual Assistant, she does a lot of things like content writing, WordPress web design, WP updates and maintenance, graphic design, and photo editing. She is into wedding photography, as well.
If you like iTravelRox's content, please don't forget to upvote and leave a comment. She will share a lot of stories about solo travels, motherhood, family travel, and working as a VA.