Siargao

Surigao del Norte, Philippines · January 2026

Stayed

Retreat Siargao Resort, four nights

Paid with

Chase points through Chase Travel

On the way

One night at the Sheraton Cebu Mactan Resort, paid in cash

Where

9.85° N · 126.05° E

Part one · On the way · Sheraton Cebu Mactan Resort

One night on Mactan, because of the flight to Siargao. Paid in cash, 15,199 pesos with breakfast. I thought it might be in a good spot, close to the airport but also around beaches, but it was really a pretty remote resort area. I had to take a Grab to a convenience store to get some basic things before I went to the more remote island of Siargao.

The room

The pools

Around the hotel

Part two · Getting there

Cebu to Siargao

Where I stayed · Retreat Siargao Resort

A pretty basic place. It wasn't luxury, but it worked and it had a nice setting. Four nights, booked through Chase Travel for 26,954 Chase points.

The room

The grounds

Breakfast

Part three · The group tour

Rock pools

Along the coast

Lunch and a beach

Up the river

A lookout, then dinner

Part four · Cloud 9

The boardwalk

Surfers

Around Cloud 9

Evening in town

Part five · The scooter day

I took a day and drove a scooter around the whole island.

Setting out

Around the island

Back for dinner

Part six · Leaving

Back to the airport