I do not surf nor do I intend to learn. When Siargao was fast becoming a popular tourist destination years ago, it never even crossed my mind to see what the fuss was all about.
Then Typhoon Odette (Rai) arrived in December last year and created so much havoc in Cebu that it was hard to imagine that Siargao had it worse. Odette made landfall there during daytime; I watched the news coverage in horror, not even realizing we were going to experience the same that night.
The direct flight from Mactan to Sayak Airport was a breeze and soon we were en route to our beach villa. On the way there, from every angle, you see nature healing itself. Vegetation in a younger shade of green, coconut trees most especially, re-claiming their hold on this beautiful tropical island.
As you enter the tourist belt that is General Luna, the reality of Odette’s aftermath is quite evident. Many establishments show signs of wear and tear, some of utter devastation, with “Closed” signs hanging on their doors and I spy graffiti on a wall. “Bangon Siargao,” it says—the struggle is indeed real here.
Having checked ourselves in, we wandered out to the beachfront for a sunset walk, joining teenagers tasked with picking up garbage along the shore for disposal. It was so nice to see them chatting, laughing and teasing each other while doing this activity for their school PE. What a brilliant idea on how to imbibe civic duty in the youth.
On our first full day in Siargao, we signed on for the North Island Tour but we changed our itinerary a bit, foregoing two other stops to visit another in the opposite direction.
First up was the Maasin River where a bright red bridge with flags welcomed you. This place is famous for the Bent Palm Tree Swing, but post-Odette, there is no swing anymore—only the bent Palm Tree remains. It is still a very picturesque place though, a good way to start off our sight-seeing.
Next up was the Coconut Trees View Deck where ideally, the view of thousands of coconuts go right up to the mountains. This was not our view because the wrath of Odette wiped out most of the older trees, so a bare landscape of growing trees seemed sad. That is, until we met the Human Drones. We were sitting on the ledge by the road when someone offered to take a photo of us with them as Human Drones. I refused at first because I did not want someone to risk their lives for a photo, as I envisioned them dangling from some wire above us, just to get the perfect panoramic shot. But one of us decided to try it out, and we were truly tickled at how they have mastered every movement, even involving us in the whole “production.” They swoop in, swoop out, run to the right, move to the left, crouch, leap, skip, turn in circles, with karate-style poses that left our group in stitches and amazed at how they came up with this technique.
We had to rush to make our next stop because it was inaccessible during high tide. The Magpupungko Rock Pools and Flats adjacent to Magpupungko White Beach is a top must-see site in Siargao and soon we were struggling against the waves that were getting stronger as the tide came in. This place is best enjoyed at low tide where you can clearly maneuver the path to that famous Rock without having to contend with the waves and the uneven ground—a mix of slippery rock and sand.
After lunch, we were excited to head out to the very famous Sugba Lagoon. From the moment we got onto our banca at the Del Carmen Port for the 20 minute ride to the Lagoon, everywhere you looked was a feast for the eyes.