Description

Make a love potion with the healers of Siquijor

Itinerary for making a love potion with the healers of Siquijor

We start your day early, as the island can get quite warm by midday. With a 9am pickup from your hotel, we’ll head straight to the San Juan market to sample some of Siquijor island’s famous pastries and a unique chocolate drink made here (what better way to start a love potion experience than by drinking the nectar of the gods?).

From here, we’ll visit a local Church to collect some sacred ingredients necessary for your special filipino love potion. We’ll head from here up into the forest on Mt Bandilaan and learn about some of the flora and fauna found the island – being the source of life for the islanders, and home to some of the most of the unique ingredients that go into all the potions made in Siquijor.

By now, you’ll have worked up a good appetite. We’ll stop in the middle of the jungle for a picnic, which will be guaranteed to be one of the best lunches you’ll have in the Philippines (most dietary requests can be met, but must be made in advance).

With your bellies full, we’ll hike into the lush Bulalakaw Forest in search of more special additions to your custom love potion. Our last stop will be a trip to the sea in search of some water based elements. We may even go snorkelling should the weather permit it! From churches, to forests, mountains to the sea, you’ll be traversing across much of the island’s landscapes to piece together your magical recipe.

Now, with our sachet full of love potion constituents full, we will go to your healer’s house to make the potion. You will be walked through all the reasons these ingredients were chosen, and their significance to making the love potion. It’s a very comprehensive and fascinating process and reasoning behind your special selection of herbs, all carefully considered to come together to make this ancient concoction.

From here, you may either be dropped off at your hotel… or you can test your new love potion out at a romantic restaurant, such as U Story in San Juan, for sunset. Should you choose to go to U Story, we also suggest trying one of their island-famous massages at U Story (optional).

We feel honoured to share this special and sacred experience with you, and hope your new love potion brings you the luck and enchantment you hope for!

Who helps you make a love potion in Siquijor?

A very special healer on the island of Siquijor also happens to be a man of several other talents – an artist, a massage specialist, as well as one of the top guides on the island! Junel has been practicing the sacred healing techniques for years, and picked up several other skills along the way. Through careful consideration to the sacred aspects of the this ancient practice, Junel agreed to help us curate a respectful expedition around the island of Siquijor to collect all the ingredients necessary for the famed Love Potion – one of the many potions made here. This is an exclusive experience since though possible to buy the love potion, no one else will share the secret (and often difficult to find) ingredients that go into the potion itself, and it will certainly not have the same potency or effectiveness as one you made yourself.

What is included in your Love Potion Experience in Siquijor?

Your love potion experience includes:
– information provided before your experience to educate you and properly prepare you
– pick-up and drop-off transfers to your hotel (must be located in Siquijor Island).
Note: We will use a private vehicle to get to the healers, as many are located in the mountains. We will use either a small SUV or a bigger tricycle (converted motorcycles with a carriage) depending on your group size.
– a specially trained and licensed guide who will facilitate your experience (and who happens to be a healer)
– Jungle Picnic – Local meal (dietary restrictions available)
– Lifejackets
– Snorkelling equipment (weather dependent)
– Church herbs donation
– Water and snacks
– Bottles for your love potion

What is not included in your Love Potion Experience in Siquijor?

– Travel Insurance (Compulsory)
– International flights or transportation to/from the itinerary’s start point
– Accommodation in Siquijor (we suggest Agoda for the best hotel rates)
– Activities not listed in the itinerary
– Meals not listed in the itinerary
– Gratuities and tips
– All drinks
– Spending Money
– Dinner/Massage at U-Story

More information about the significance of the love potions in Siquijor

What are love potions in Siquijor? –

The healers of Siquijor have been practicing various magical techniques predating Spanish and Islamic colonization of the filipino archipelago. Shunned by the church, for decades the practice was seen as witchcraft and many neighbouring islands thought Siquijor was cursed as a result. In fact, many of the ancient practices have now intertwined with religious artifacts and ceremonies overlapping, though the practices themselves are still unique and maintain the wisdom of the elders. However, with more global acceptance and intrigue in cultural differences, the island has started to see a boom of interest, especially from fellow filipinos. One of the main practices that gained the most attention in recent years has been the love potion.

It makes sense – if you search aphrodisiacs online, you’ll get more than 12 million results, showing that there’s definitely an interest in finding ways to help in finding your perfect match, or rekindling a passionate flame with your partner. The question that most people ask though, of course, is “Does it work?”. No healer will give a certain 100% guarantee – as much of the magic of any spell will come from your own belief in its power, and the way you carry yourself after. If you use a love potion, but then treat your date like a jerk, I don’t think there’s much that can save that situation. Though if you believe in the potion’s power, and with this, it brings you confidence, it is proven that confidence attracts people to you. On that level alone, the potion will be doing exactly what it is intended to. We asked a healer’s wife if the potion works, and she jokingly said “of course, how do you think he ended up with me?!”

This is not the only magical practice in Siquijor, but it is certainly an important one. If you would like to get the opportunity to learn about the ancient wisdom and folklore surrounding one of the most unique traditions found in the Philippines, This experience is for you!

Supporting Local Projects with our TRiP Foundation

Every TRiP that you go on with WSE Travel, we will donate 2% (or $1/day per day, per person – whichever is greater) to an environmental or community-based project in the country you’re visiting. We want to ensure that every guest we help, in turn helps support and preserve the destination we’re experiencing together as a direct result. We live by an ethos to Travel Responsibly & Impact Positively (TRiP).

For more information on the projects supported by this experience, please visit our Philippines TRIP projects.