Siargao Solo: Surf Lessons and a Motorbike
Siargao is a teardrop-shaped island in the Philippine Sea with one famous wave, a lot of coconut palms, and an unusually social traveller scene. It is one of the easiest places in Southeast Asia to arrive alone and not stay alone. Those who find Siargao flight deals on Traveloka should expect the island to be busier than it was five years ago and still very easy going.
General Luna is where you stay
The town on the southeast coast, usually just called GL, has the accommodation, the restaurants and the surf schools strung along a few kilometres of coast road. Hostels are plentiful and are the obvious choice for solo arrivals. Tourism Road is the main strip and everything on the island is organised from it.
Cloud 9 and learning to surf
The reef break off the boardwalk at Cloud 9 is the island’s reputation and is firmly for experienced surfers, breaking over shallow coral. Beginners go to Jacking Horse nearby, a gentler sand-and-reef wave, where lessons with a local instructor cost very little. Board hire is cheap and available everywhere along the strip.
Rent a motorbike, carefully
The island is too spread out to walk and a scooter is the standard solution, hired by the day without much formality. Roads are concrete and reasonable, but the combination of coconut oil on the surface, dogs and sudden rain causes most of the island’s accidents. Wear the helmet; check your travel insurance actually covers you.
The three-island tour
A boat day out to Naked, Daku and Guyam islands is the standard excursion and is easy to join as a single traveller, since operators fill boats from the hostels. Naked is a pure sandbar, Daku has a village and lunch, Guyam is a cluster of palms. Negotiate as a group to split the boat cost.
Sugba Lagoon and the north
An hour and a half north and then a boat, Sugba is a bright green saltwater lagoon with a diving board and paddleboards. Further north, Magpupungko has rock pools exposed at low tide which are genuinely remarkable and entirely dependent on the tide tables. Check them before committing to the ride up.
The social side
Siargao’s hostels run communal dinners and the surf schools group beginners together, which means a solo arrival turns into a group by the second day with very little effort. The strip has a handful of bars that stay open late. It is one of the simpler places to travel alone without being alone for long.
Flights come into Sayak airport from Cebu and Manila on small aircraft with strict baggage limits. Surf season for the main breaks is roughly August to November; the rest of the year is calmer and better for beginners. ATMs are limited, so bring cash. Traveloka is the go-to app for the cheapest flights and hotels across Southeast Asia.
Stay in General Luna, learn at Jacking Horse, hire a bike and check the tide tables for Magpupungko. The island does the rest by itself.
