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An aerial view of a beach on Apo Island and clear water over the reef

Sample journey · 9–11 days

Turtle waters: Negros, Apo Island and Siquijor

Dumaguete, Apo Island, Dauin & Siquijor

Photo: GTA / Unsplash

Illustrative journey ideas — not bookable packages. No prices, dates or accommodation are implied.

Many travellers in the Philippines choose Palawan or Bohol. This route turns south, to the eastern coast of Negros and its neighbours. Four decades ago the fishermen of Apo Island, working with scientists from a nearby university, created one of the first community-protected marine sanctuaries in the Philippines, and today green turtles graze in the clear water over the coral almost within arm's reach. The Dauin coast is known to divers: the strangest sea creatures hide in its sand and among its rocks.

The journey ends on Siquijor, a small island many Filipinos call mysterious for its traditions of folk healers and herbalists. In truth it's a quiet world: waterfalls in the jungle, ancient trees, coral-stone churches and beaches where the sun sets into the sea. The journey suits couples and slow travellers who love the water and want to see how local communities look after their sea. Stays range from a simple place on Apo Island to cottages with gardens on the shores of Dauin and Siquijor.

The route

The journey

  1. Dumaguete
  2. Bais & the Tañon Strait
  3. Apo Island
  4. The Dauin coast
  5. Twin Lakes Natural Park
  6. Siquijor
  7. Dumaguete (departure)
  1. A tricycle and parked motorbikes by the sea at sunset in Dumaguete

    01Days 1–2 · Dumaguete

    A university town by the sea

    From Manila or Cebu, a short flight to Dumaguete and two nights in this unhurried university town. Its heart is Rizal Boulevard by the sea, where in the evening locals stroll under the acacias, snack at street stalls and watch dusk fall over Siquijor on the horizon. By day, walk the old university campus with its tree-lined avenues and small anthropology museum, stop at the market and try budbud kabog, a local sticky-grain treat, with hot chocolate. The next morning, about an hour north to Bais and a boat out into the Tañon Strait, where dolphins are often seen, returning via the Manjuyod sandbar, which rises from the sea at low tide.

  2. A sea turtle gliding through blue water off Apo Island

    02Days 3–4 · Apo Island

    When the day boats have gone

    About half an hour south by road to Malatapay, then roughly as long by boat to Apo Island. One night in a simple place on the island is what sets this apart from the usual day trip: in the afternoon, once the day boats have gone back to Negros, the water by the shore belongs to the turtles and to you again. With a local guide you snorkel over seagrass where green turtles often graze very close, while in the sanctuary shoals of fish move over walls of coral. Divers find some of the region's healthiest reefs here. In the evening, a path up to the lighthouse above the island and dinner with village families. The sanctuary belongs to the community, so we follow its rules: no touching the turtles, swimming only where permitted and paying the community's fees. The next morning, after one more snorkel, the boat back.

  3. Lake Balinsasayao among forested hills in Twin Lakes Natural Park, Negros Oriental

    03Days 4–6 · Dauin

    Secrets in the dark sand

    Three nights in a cottage with a garden on the Dauin coast, which is strung with small community marine sanctuaries. At first glance the dark volcanic sand looks empty, but divers and snorkellers who know where to look find frogfish, seahorses, nudibranchs and octopus, and in the sanctuaries turtles often appear on the reef. If you don't yet dive, you can start with a try-dive with an instructor or complete an entry-level course over a few days; experienced divers should bring their certification. One day can be quite different: about an hour into the hills to Twin Lakes Natural Park, where the volcanic lakes of Balinsasayao and Danao lie among cloud forest, with kayaks, a short forest trail and, with luck, the calls of hornbills. Evenings here are simple: grilled fish, coconut cake and the sun dropping behind the mountains of Negros.

  4. Green, wooded rocks and turquoise water at Salagdoong beach, Siquijor

    04Days 7–8 · Siquijor

    A waterfall, a tree and a coral-stone church

    On day seven, a fast ferry from Dumaguete, about an hour across the strait, and three final nights on Siquijor. The island is small, so it's easy to circle in a day with a local driver: Cambugahay Falls, whose turquoise pools are made for swimming, a huge, centuries-old balete tree with spring water at its roots, and the church and convent at Lazi, built of coral stone and timber in the nineteenth century. At Salagdoong beach the bolder jump into the sea from the rocks while everyone else simply swims in the clear water. Along the way you can meet local herbalists who talk about the island's traditions of plants and healing; such meetings happen only with a local guide and on the hosts' terms, never as a show for visitors.

  5. A beach with palms and sea at Paliton, Siquijor

    05Days 9–10 · Siquijor & departure

    Days without a plan

    The last full day is given to something journeys often lack: doing nothing. In the morning, snorkelling from the shore, where turtles often appear; in the afternoon, a hammock and a book; in the evening, Paliton beach, where the sun sets between the palms. If you'd like to move, cycle or, if you're experienced, ride a scooter along the coast road past fishing villages, stop at a hill village with a morning market, or try a paddleboard on a calm day. On the tenth morning, the ferry back to Dumaguete and the flight to Manila or Cebu. If your flight home is late, there's time for one more walk along Rizal Boulevard, saying goodbye to the Visayas where the journey began.

Experience highlights

  1. 01

    A night on Apo Island

    Once the day boats leave, the turtles and the reef are left to those who stay.

  2. 02

    The Dauin sanctuaries

    Frogfish, seahorses and nudibranchs in the dark sand: a diver's delight without the big resorts.

  3. 03

    The Twin Lakes forest

    Volcanic lakes in cloud forest, kayaks and the calls of hornbills.

  4. 04

    Slow Siquijor

    Cambugahay Falls, the coral-stone church at Lazi and sunsets on Paliton beach.

First, we listen. Then, we explore what's possible.

Make it your own

  • For divers

    More days in Dauin and a second night on Apo, leaving room for both morning dives and night dives over the sand.

  • For a honeymoon

    A quieter cottage with a pool on Siquijor, a private boat to Apo and dinner on the sand on the last evening.

  • At the best time

    Roughly from December to May the sea is usually calmest and visibility underwater at its best, with March to May often the driest.

  • With Bohol

    From Siquijor or Dumaguete a ferry continues to Bohol, with its Chocolate Hills and tarsiers, ending the journey in Cebu.

Practical considerations

  • The sea is usually calmest roughly from December to May; from June to November rain is more frequent, and typhoons, though rarer in this region, sometimes disrupt ferries and boats.
  • Apo Island and the Dauin sanctuaries belong to local communities, which set visitor fees and rules that can change, so we check them before you travel.
  • Diving with a buddy requires a recognised certification; for beginners we suggest a try-dive or a course with an instructor. Make sure you're medically fit to dive beforehand.
  • Ferry and boat schedules depend on the weather and change, and we check current entry requirements and travel advice before you travel.

General guidance only. Seasons, weather and wildlife are never guaranteed, and travel requirements are always worth checking before you go.

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