TAYANGBAN CAVE POOL ON SIARGAO ISLAND

Tayangban Cave Pool was one of the highlights of my many adventures throughout Siargao. It was one of the best caving experiences I have had in Asia. For 15 minutes you swim and float in darkness, only aided by torches. Bats fly around you until you finally emerge to the open cave pool where you can cliff jump from seven meters.

 

Wondering about the best spot to stay on Siargao? I wrote this guide that breaks down the island into the best regions with my personal hotel/hostel/resort recommendations: WHERE TO STAY ON SIARGAO ISLAND

What to pack for the Philippines?: After four trips to the Philippines, there are some items you NEED to pack. You can Click Here to view my recommended Philippines Packing List.

 

How to get to Tayangban Cave Pool

Tayangban Cave Pool is a 30-minute moped drive from General Luna, which is the main tourist area. The drive is scenic and worth the journey in itself. You will pass by farm fields, cruise through small towns and even have sweeping views of thousands of coconut palms. We combined the Tayangban Cave Pool with Magpupungko Tide pools, which are only another 10 minutes of driving.

PRIVATE LAND TOUR: A great way to explore the best locations on Siargao Island is with a private land tour starting at just $20 when booked online with Klook. The Land tour is customizable and includes all of the top locations like Magpupunkgo, Tayangban Cave Pool, Coco Rope Swing, and the epic palm viewpoint. You can really tick off most of the epic Siargao hot spots (the tour includes 10 attractions) with one big adventure day! Here is the link for the activity booking page on Klook: Siargao Island Land Tour

 

Tayangban Cave Pool Cost

When we arrived at the Tayangban Cave Pool it was a small family setup. A few guys sat in a hut waiting for the next cavers to arrive. They told us the fee was 70 pesos (1.50 USD) but that we would need a guide. You do actually need a guide it isn’t just a money-making scheme as you will be navigating caves in the dark. Our guide was a funny guy and we ended up tipping him 100 pesos each ($2 USD). All up including the tip and the entrance fee we spend  170 pesos each or $3.50 USD. They looked after our bags with all of our camera gear and valuables in their house while we were in the caves.

 

Tayangban Cave Pool experience

We didn’t know what to expect as we headed inside the small opening. It seemed as if we were just in a backyard or a mangrove swamp. Caving in Asia is often hit and miss but we ended up having a blast in what is the best Siargao cave.

Immediately after descending through the opening, we were chest-deep in water. We swam through the dark caves, guided by a solitary torch. From time to time bats swooped down on us and eerie noises shot out from the distance. The water was mostly chest height so you could walk through in most sections if you prefer.

The cave opened up after fifteen minutes with a huge archway that helped to breach the darkness and welcome us back to the sunlight. It was then just a short swim to the open pool, which is the end of the tour. Many people call it a day here but there is a cliff jump spot into the 18ft deep water. That was a big bonus for us!

We spent the next half hour flipping and jumping through the vines into the emerald water below. Check the water first for any debris but it was a relatively safe jump into a big open hole. I’ve posted my friend @danandmoore Instagram video from our jump session at Tayangban Cave Pool below.

 

A post shared by Dan Moore ✈️ travel (@danandmoore) on Dec 2, 2017 at 5:10am PST

WHERE I SUGGEST TO STAY ON SIARGAO

Budget Hostel in General Luna: The White House:  The best budget option for dorm style/hostel accommodation on Siargao Island is called The White House in General Luna. For just $10 a night you can grab yourself a dorm bed.

Value Pick in General Luna: Lampara Siargao Boutique Hostel: Lampara Siargao is an oceanfront boutique hostel conveniently situated on the exotic island of Siargao. 

Luxury Pick in General Luna: Nay Palad Hideaway: Nay Palad Hideaway is one of the most luxurious accommodations in the Philippines. With its beautiful outdoor pool, terrace with either garden or ocean views, comfy seating areas, and is the resort you will see featured on Instagram all the time!

 

WHERE I STAYED ON SIARGAO ISLAND

Siargao is pretty straightforward when it comes to picking a region to stay. 90% of people choose to stay somewhere near General Luna. All of the bars, restaurants, tours, ports, and hotels are near General Luna and Cloud 9 surf break. There are a couple of other regions you could stay in like Pacifico but unless you are purposely looking for isolation, General Luna is your spot. So what are my suggestions for where to stay in General Luna?

First, I’ll tell you where I stayed. Because I stayed for over a month, I managed to find an Airbnb. It was 4 blocks back from the beach, had wi-fi, A/C, a private bathroom, patio and inside were just two bunk beds. It was super basic and I stayed here with two mates and my sister. It was 900 USD for the entire month, which we split four ways so it was just $225 each.  There’s a photo below of our sweet Airbnb pad on Siargao Island.

Save money in Siargao by staying at an Airbnb! Get a FREE $40 Airbnb Coupon by using my code when you book! 

 

Best time to visit Siargao Island

The best time to visit Siargao depends on what you are looking for. Many consider the best time of year when the weather is best but that also means crowds. I will give you a few options below about when is the best month to visit Siargao Island:

September: Siargao hosts the ‘Cloud 9 Surfing Cup’ each September, an official WSL Pro event

July – November: The best time period for surfing in Siargao is July until November. The easterly Mindanao current provides the islands with waves that came from the deepest regions of the Pacific.

March-May: If you aren’t as interested in the surf but are craving that sun. March until May should bring you guaranteed sunny days. But it’s the Philippines so you can’t guarantee it.

 

Where is Siargao Island Located

Siargao is located in the region of Mindanao in the Philippines. Mindanao is the southern region of the Philippines.

 

How to get to Siargao Island

When I visited in 2017 there was only one flight a day from Manila and one from Cebu. Now there are 10-15 flights a day so the question of how to get to Siargao has become much easier. Without going into deep detail on every single option. These are the options for how to get to Siargao:

• Fly from Manila $90-$100
• Fry from Cebu  $90-$100
• Ferry from Surigao City to Siargao Island $5

There are ferries that leave from Manila and Cebu but they go to Surigao City first and then Siargao Island.

 

ARE YOU FOLLOWING MY SIARGAO SERIES OF BLOGS

Sunset: 11 AWESOME SUNSET SPOTS ON SIARGAO ISLAND

Cliff Jumps: 9 CLIFF JUMPING SPOTS IN SIARGAO

Where to Stay: WHERE TO STAY ON SIARGAO ISLAND

Island Hopping: SIARGAO ISLAND HOPPING – GUYAM, DAKU & NAKED ISLAND

Ultimate Guide: 40 AWESOME THINGS TO DO ON SIARGAO

Itinerary & Expenses: SIARGAO ITINERARY & EXPENSES ULTIMATE TRAVEL GUIDE

Sohoton Cove Itinerary: SOHOTON COVE NATIONAL PARK TOUR – CAVES AND LAGOONS

Visit Sugba Lagoon: SUGBA LAGOON FROM SIARGAO ISLAND

Hidden Lake on Poneas Island: DISCOVER THE HIDDEN LAKE OF PONEAS ISLAND, SIARGAO

 

MORE PHILIPPINES BLOGS

I have also visited many other places in the Philippines that you may want to add to your itinerary and remove one of. the locations I visited. There is no right way to travel to the Philippines. The reality is that you will miss some awesome places no matter what Philippines backpacking route you take.  You can check out the links below to my other Philippines backpacking guides.

Caramoan: CARAMOAN ISLAND HOPPING

Romblon Island: ROMBLON TRAVEL GUIDE: 17 AWESOME THINGS TO DO

Tablas Island: TABLAS ISLAND TRAVEL GUIDE: 20 AWESOME THINGS TO DO

Sibuyan Island: SIBUYAN ISLAND TRAVEL GUIDE: 9 AWESOME THINGS TO DO

Sohoton Cove: SOHOTON COVE NATIONAL PARK TOUR – CAVES AND LAGOONS

Carabao Island: CARABAO ISLAND TRAVEL GUIDE: 5 THINGS TO DO

Cebu Itinerary: CEBU 5-DAY ITINERARY – DETAILED ADVENTURE TRAVEL GUIDE

Cebu Things To Do: 16 AWESOME THINGS TO DO ON CEBU

Philippines Backpacking Guide: PHILIPPINES BACKPACKING: 2019 BUDGET TRAVEL GUIDE

Ultimate Philippines Itinerary: ULTIMATE PHILIPPINES TRAVEL ITINERARY FOR 3-4 WEEKS