FIG Sunset View Resort
Tubod, San Juan, Siquijor
Rates start at P3,000
At a Glance
Rooms: Very spacious (enough for extra beds!)
Food and drink: Huge portions, Filipino food is what they do best
Staff: Extremely helpful
Why you should stay: There’s enough for everyone to see and do just within the property.
(SPOT.ph) Locals say that the terrain of Siquijor is often enveloped by fireflies at night, owing to its name "Island of Fire." Even now, the rich natural environment thrives between commercial establishments, most of which are found in the municipality of San Juan. One of them is FIG Sunset View Resort.
Located right beside Tubod Beach, a known prime vantage point for sunsets on the island, FIG has 16 rooms arranged around a huge swimming pool and well-maintained gardens.
Also read: The SPOT.ph Guide to Siquijor
What to Know About This Siquijor Resort
"FIG" in the name FIG Sunset View Resort actually stands for "Faith in God." Run by entrepreneur-friends from Bacolod, Cebu, and Leyte, it first opened in July 2019, but had to close soon after due to the pandemic. They reopened on March 1, 2022.
"We designed [the resort] to highlight the natural landscape and picturesque sunset that can be viewed from here," said co-owner Engineer Eduardo Salgado Jr. "We built some scenic routes and Instagram-worthy areas for our guests to capture their memories."
Through the guardhouse and gates are sprawling gardens with many shaded spots where you can hang out with your group or enjoy contemplative alone time.
The restaurant, lounging areas, balcony, and the room can be your remote-work base, as the resort has good and reliable Internet and electricity sources. The restaurant is a great big hall with good ventilation and many comfy seating options.
You can have your complimentary breakfast served at the cafe, the restaurant, or at the beachfront. We highly recommend the latter though. They have the usual choices of Continental, American, and Filipino breakfast sets. But you can also opt to order their Swiss potato dish: Rosti.
Guests have three options of accommodations: Family Garden View Room (P3,500) and Family Sea View Room (P4,500) can comfortably house up to four persons, while Twin Sea View Room (P3,000) is for two persons. Each and every room has a great and unique view of the beach and, on a clear day, the stunning sunset.
According to Salgado, "The building facilities themselves are designed to be simple but classy and comfortable. Our accommodations are designed for big groups of families and friends."
All rooms are extremely spacious—if you want, you could fit twice the capacity of people comfortably in each. Each room has a sofa, dining table, wardrobe, and dresser with a mirror. It also comes equipped with a good-sized refrigerator and cable TV. You can lounge in the sitting area and dry your swimsuits on the clothes hangers located on the balcony.
What to Do
Whether you’re a couple or a group of family or friends, FIG has in-resort facilities that are cozy and convenient. In the mornings, you can laze at the beachfront deck while taking in the sights as dawn turns to day.
After having your breakfast at a leisurely pace, you can take an early morning dip in the pool or snorkel just a few meters from the shore. For a bit of exercise, you can rent a kayak (single for P300 per hour, or double for P500 per hour) and paddle up to two kilometers out or follow the shoreline all the way to the nearby Coco Grove Resort. Thanks to the Tubod Marine Sanctuary and the crystalline waters, you don’t need much more than aqua shoes and a snorkel set to swim here and see the schools of fishes underwater.
"We take pride in the diverse and thriving marine life that is accessible just a few steps away from the resort’s backyard," added Salgado.
For the rest of the day, if you’re not out exploring different places (from waterfalls to caves to seas) all over the island, you can swim and laze by the pool. Sunset is best enjoyed from the pool or the adjacent jacuzzi with a boozy drink in hand.
Where to Eat
If they have it for the day, order a slice of their cheesecake with your choice of coffee (from shots of espresso to creamy lattes) at the roadside FIG Cafe.
Simply browsing their menu leaves no room for doubt as to how extensive their selection is. The FIG restaurant offers a very wide variety not only of seafood dishes but also meat and vegetable-based ones. They also serve different cuisine, including Asian, North and South American, and European dishes. Since fresh seafood is abundant here, why not try the sinuglaw (the local fish kinilaw or ceviche) and seafood chowder? Meat eaters will not be disappointed with the native chicken dishes like adobo and sangkutsa (a spicy coconut-based dish).
Not too far away, in Maite village, is Baha Ba'r (literally "flood bar"), for those beachside nights over cold beers and pulutan (bar chow). They have themed nights like Craft Beer and Burger Night and Buffet and Live Music Night. Check out the chalkboard for their cocktail of the day.
For Instagram-worthy meals that taste as good as they look, head over to Luca Loko. Try the Cappuccino and Ocean Vibes smoothie bowl for picture-perfect eats. This is where vegans and meat-eaters can happily agree. Both establishments have simple structures made of natural materials that go well with the island vibe.
Where to Shop
Just driving up and down the road, you’ll find small roadside stalls selling the whole gamut from fresh catch like sea urchins or fresh harvest like dragon fruit all the way to carefully woven handicrafts and herbal concoctions in small glass bottles.
How to Get There
Commercial airlines have daily flights from Manila to Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental. From the airport, take a tricycle to Dumaguete Port. You can take a RORO Montenegro Lines boat (1.5 hours) or OceanJet fastcraft (50 minutes) to Siquijor. You can rent motorbikes (with helmets included) if you have a driving license or the services of a tricycle with a driver there.
FIG Sunset View Resort is located in Barangay Tubod, San Juan, Siquijor. Rates start at P3,000. For more information, visit FIG Sunset View Resort’s website.