The Philippines has more than 7,000 large and small islands, of which only 400 have names and more than 1,000 islands have residents. A hundred flowers bloom in the archipelago, and the barn on Luzon is rich in food and cigars; on the tropical garden Bohol Island, the sea washes broken corals into beaches; on the island of Coron, which is far away from Malaysia, 81 different cultural groups add exotic flavor... …In the summer, there are many choices for island vacations in the Philippines. Among the many choices, Siquijor Island, located in the south of Cebu Island and east of Dumaguete City, is recommended by many Internet celebrities for magic and healing. , Mysterious keywords become a clear stream. People who have never been to Siquijor Island may be unheard of here, but those who have been to Siquijor say that Siquijor has cured the island entanglement of the Philippines in summer.

Witch Doctor Island

It is said that if you mention this place to Filipinos outside of Siquijor, most people will be surprised and tell you a lot of legends about ghosts and wizards. Siquijor is like a mysterious and unknown magical world.

The adjectives of ghosts, wizards, and black magic have caused many tourists to yearn for Siquijor like Harry Potter and Hogwarts. Siquijor is known as the island of witch doctors. In the age when technology and modern civilization have not yet entered Siquijor, there are witch doctors per capita on the island, and the residents will use all kinds of strange animals and plants to make preparations according to ancient laws. Magic drugs, and use weird spells to treat various diseases. According to legend, the water-blowing witches living in the mountains have given this island a layer of mystery.

Regarding the reputation circulated abroad, the stubborn Siquijor government is actually not satisfied with this statement, worrying that such rumors will have a negative impact on the tourism industry. Therefore, tourists who first arrive here will often see a warm reminder repeatedly: "Siquijor is a good place for relaxation and recuperation. Witchcraft and black magic do not exist on this island."

However, what the Siquijor government did not expect was that it was these rumors about witchcraft and black magic that attracted a large number of foreign tourists. But the journey of discovery is destined to turn around the moment you set foot on Siquijor Island. When foreign tourists sitting on motorcycles or tuk-tuks around Siquijor Island seriously ask "Where is there a wizard?", the drivers will only ruthlessly break the tourists' fantasy about magic: "We believe in Science! Those wizards can just blow smoke around you, claiming that they can take the disease away!"

In the introduction of the driver guides, the most common treatment for these mysterious witch doctors in the outside world is to mash and mix some herbs, burn them with fire or boil them, and then blow smoke or spray them on the experiencer. Get rid of the disease. The islanders do not think they are witches, but call them healers. With the popularization of modern medicine, the witch doctors on Siquijor Island have gradually retreated, and only three are left in the record. The traditional therapies of witch doctors are also facing the crisis of loss.

Ancient and independent

Even if the legendary mysterious witch cannot be found, the simple and natural island scenery such as the white sand beaches, jelly-colored waters, ancient monasteries, and waterfalls with dense trees and vines on Siquijor Island will not disappoint.

There is a simple Lazi Church on the south side of the island, with rough walls, a square structure, and lack of decorative windows. It can be described as plain and simple. This ancient monastery built in 1884 with a history of more than 100 years is one of the landmarks of Siquijor Island. Lazi Monastery is a Spanish colonial-style building, built of coral stone and logs. Although the brick-red exterior has undergone vicissitudes, it is still majestic and solemn, solemn and serene, without a trace of ruin.

During the colonial period, the Spanish called Siquijor the Island of Flame. Once at night, there would be a large number of fireflies staying on the island. From a distance from the dark sea, the island seemed to emit a weird light, like a burning one. The flame also looks more and more like an island outside the world.

Today Siquijor is still an independent island from the sea. All traffic to the outside world relies on two piers. Private cars are rarely seen on the island. The road around the island is the best-built road on the island. There are no exquisite landscape layouts along the road. There are only farmland, houses with yards, basketball courts, and religious or public places. Chickens and dogs can be seen everywhere, simple but not run-down.

Ride a motorcycle into Siquijor

In Siquijor, motorcycles are the best way to enter the island after disembarking from the dock. The clear and gradual coastline, the green water waterfall in the hidden forest, the quiet and peaceful town, and a road around the island where you can ride a bicycle, make those romantic clips of two people in a car and the evening breeze on the island that you have seen in highway movies. Perfectly reproduced on this slightly mysterious island, these fragments written into reality will also become the most memorable part of travel life.

The way of playing in Siquijor is monotonous and easy to play. There are not too many rules and regulations, but it is never boring. Renting a self-driving motorcycle or chartering a tuk-tuk is enough to travel around the island for a week. The route of the tour around the island is also extremely simple, either clockwise or counterclockwise. The scenic spots for the tour around the island are nothing more than these: San Juan Square (Capilay Spring Park)-a century-old banyan tree fish SPA (Old Enchanted Balite Tree)-Lazi Monastery (ST Isidore Church)-Cambugahay Falls (Cambugahay Falls)-Salagdoong Beach (Salagdoong Beach)-Mangrove tree house.

Traveling around the island, there are no crowds in San Juan Square, only a calm-faced nun praying in the convent of the square. Not far from the monastery, there is a Balit magical banyan tree growing more than 500 years old. The banyan tree is about 20 meters high and about 10 meters in diameter. It can be called the king of banyan trees on Siquijor Island. Under the banyan tree, many tourists rolled up their trousers, soaked their feet in the wishing pool and had a "kiss fish therapy". The forests of Cambugahay Falls are dense and prosperous. Many people choose to go on a jungle adventure with local islanders here. The islanders here have jumped into the sea since they were young. They would grab ropes or tree vines hanging from tall trees with both hands, and then swing down from a three-meter platform. When they reach the lowest point, they fall into the blue-green lake to relax. .

Compared to most roads in many small towns and small islands in Southeast Asia, this roundabout road and route in Siquijor is perfect. There are no rocky roads, no mud roads, and no huge pits. In the sun, the clean concrete road beside the sea is not as majestic as California Highway One, but it is full of human vitality. The straw swaying by the wind beside the road, the scalper walking freely, the mirror-like shallows, The unique houses of the locals, the Filipino kids who call you warmly, and the girls who look at you shyly, are all unique pictures, and those pictures constitute the most complete view of Siquijor. Reality footage.

In Siquijor, time passes very slowly. People can watch jellyfish at high tide, and starfish at low tide. If you live in a cabin by the sea, you might even be able to see ants crawling on the bed in the morning. There is no thrilling and intoxicating life in life. Here is the mysterious "magic" power that is quietly healing everything. Editor/He Yuting