Bring cash. This is the single most useful piece of practical advice for a first trip to Siargao, and the thing travellers most often get wrong.
What you can pay for by card
Larger resorts, established restaurants and some dive and surf operations accept cards. If you have booked and paid through Koobo, that side is already handled online before you arrive.
What is cash only
Nearly everything else:
- Habal-habal, tricycles and van drivers
- Small carinderias, turo-turo spots and market stalls
- Most massage places and small shops
- Entrance fees at natural attractions such as rock pools and lagoons
- Boat crews and local guides on island-hopping trips
ATMs
There are ATMs on the island, mostly in General Luna and Dapa, and they do work. The problem is reliability rather than existence. They run out of cash, particularly at weekends, during peak season and around public holidays, and a card that works in Manila does not always work here.
The sensible approach is to arrive with enough pesos for the first few days and top up when you pass a working machine rather than waiting until you need to.
How much to bring
It depends entirely on your trip, but plan for daily costs like food, transport, fuel and entrance fees to be cash, while accommodation and pre-booked activities are already paid.
Bring a mix of denominations. Small vendors and drivers frequently cannot change a ₱1,000 note, and this causes more friction than anything else.
Booking through Koobo
Anything booked on Koobo is paid online in Philippine Pesos at checkout, by card or e-wallet. You will not be asked to pay a host in cash for the service you already booked.
The only things you might pay on the day are genuinely optional extras, a disclosed security deposit, or a government fee that was flagged in the listing.