kentisnowhere: Iloilo

Backpacking the Panay Island: Quick tour in Guimaras

Panay is incredibly famous with the the local and foreign tourists. This island serves as the gateway to the party island, Boracay. Amid such popularity, Panay island has so much to offer.

We embarked into a few days of real Panay adventure. We started in Guimaras - Iloilo city - Antique. It was an exhilarating experience. From the bustling city to the relaxing scent of the sea breeze. It was an adventure worth sharing.

First Stop!

Guimaras

The island is fairly small. The locals recommend to visit the island every May for their Mango Festival wherein you get to eat unlimited mangoes for only Php 100. What a time to be alive!

Places to see

There are a few places to see in Guimaras. We definitely got to see them via a short tricycle tour. We paid Php 1,200 as a group for the whole tour. Most tour operators offer Php 1,000 - Php 1,500 per tour. The tricycle can carry up to 5 - 6 passengers comfortably.

Smallest Plaza

Including this in the tour is pretty hilarious. It's basically a small, cramped park that has nothing to offer. Yes, you can skip this or just take a quick peek inside.

Trappist Monastery

A peaceful monastery that sells goodies. Most people say that they have the finest scarves in the island and good - quality mango jams. The area is lush in vegetation with a nice breeze blowing through. It's a perfect place to reflect and pray.

Guimaras Provincial Monument

There's an open space in front of the Museum. There are also street food available in the area. This is where you see the iconic "Guimaras" name.

The Pitstop

This is a restaurant in Guimaras. They serve mango - flavored pizzas. Well, the resto already has branches outside Guimaras. But, it won't really hurt if your try their mango pizza.

Alubihod beach

The beach is pretty much occupied by resorts. So, you pretty much need to get in one of the resorts to see the beach.

Other Places in Guimaras

Guisi beach
Guisi lighthouse
Taklong Island
Ave Maria Islet
Sad - Sad falls

How to get to Guimaras

There is no direct flight to Guimaras. It's best to be in Iloilo to access Guimaras.

From Iloilo, take a jeepney or taxi going to Ortiz Wharf. Ask the locals and they'll direct you to that place.

Outrigger boats with regular trips are available to take you to Jordan Wharf in Guimaras. Travel time is about 15 - 20 minutes. Fare is Php 20.

Where to stay in Guimaras

If you opt to stay in Guimaras for a night, it's best to stay in a resort situated near the beach. below are some recommended resorts.

Raymen Beach Resort

Kenyama Beach Resort

Nature Eye's Resort

For discounted Guimaras accommodations, please check this link

See the next part of the adventure: Iloilo City

8:35 AM
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Backpacking the Panay Island: The Best of Iloilo City

Iloilo

You're now reading the second installment of our Backpacking the Panay Island: 3 - part series. If you haven't read the first part yet, see this: Quick Tour in Guimaras

Iloilo City

Iloilo is a highly urbanized area. This city serves as a transportation hub for tourists and locals alike. The city offers a lot of variety; from restaurants, shopping districts, to nightlife. We can also see Spanish - colonial churches, old buildings, and ancestral houses.

What to do in Iloilo City

Visit their heritage sites

Walk around Iloilo City proper to find old buildings. You can see the sites around Calle Real, Plaza Libertad, Jaro, and Molo.
Some of the must - visit sites are as follows:

Jaro Cathedral
Nelly's Garden
Old Capitol Building; Kilometer Zero
Molo Mansion
Molo Plaza
Downtown Area

Walk along their Esplanade

If Manila has their infamous boardwalk, Iloilo has their own esplanade. Catch the sunset while leisurely walking. They also have a few food hubs around the area.

Savor the original La Paz batchoy

Locals recommend Netong's Original Special La Paz batchoy as their batchoys never disappoint.The original Netong's is located inside La Paz Public Market.

Taste Iloilo's newest eats

Other than sumptuous La Paz Batchoy, Iloilo has something else to offer. Try Lars Buko Batchoy. It's a fusion of the traditional batchoy and buko. It's an interesting twist on the classic batchoy.

Where to stay in Iloilo City

There are a lot of places that offer accommodation. They have everything that fits within your budget.

Some of the recommended places are:

GT Hotel Iloilo
Injap Tower Hotel
NorthView Inn

For more Iloilo Hotels, please check this link

After a quick tour in Iloilo, we went straight to Molo terminal paid Php 8 for a short Jeepney ride. Then, looked for a van that plies the Iloilo - Tibiao route. Van fare is Php 180. We left Molo terminal around 8 PM and reached the sleepy town of Tibiao, Antique at exactly midnight. Yes, at the freaking stroke of midnight.

Find out what happened next: Antique Adventure

8:35 AM
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Islas de Gigantes

Iloilo

Islas de Gigantes - situated in the humble municipality of Carles, Iloilo.

Last week of December 2014, we had an opportunity to visit these island chain. Mind you, it was not an easy breezy travel.

Booked a boat ticket from Cebu to Iloilo. Departed at 6pm on the 26th and arrived in Iloilo the next day around 7am.

Since it was our first time, we were not familiar with the place. Tried looking for a place for breakfast within the port's vicinity but wasn't able to find one.

With a growling stomach, we headed to Tagbak terminal. We rode a PUJ from the port, stopped at Plaza Jaro. Rode another PUJ going to Tagbak terminal. Total damage was Php16 each.

When we reached Tagbak terminal, we've decided to take a van over the Ceres bus. Van's route should be heading to Estancia, Iloilo. It was a 2-3 hour ride. Fare was Php 150 each.

We reached Estancia, Iloilo around 1:00pm. Passenger boat's schedule is only once per day. Boat leaves at 2pm from Estancia port. We reached the port an hour early, so we had a late lunch in one of the hole-in-the-wall food stalls nearby.

Since we are Hideaway Resort's guest, we did not pay the boat's fare. It's already part of our Php 2,000 per head package. But if you'll go there without tapping to any resort package, the fare is Php 80.

*Update*
Price as of March 2017
Php 2,745 per person for 2 nights stay, full board meals, and Island Hopping
Hideaway Resort: 0918 468 5006

The 3-hour boat ride was spine - chilling. Our outrigger boat was slicing through the waves. But bigger waves made the ride breathtaking. But due to the long trip, our body got tired and slept the thrill away.

We safely reached the island. To be honest, the beach wasn't that amazing.

We were welcomed with a cup of coffee. Surprisingly, the resort is full of tourists! Part of our package were full - board meals, overnight stay, boat transfers, tours, and island hopping. Plus we had our own assigned guide.

Hideaway's beach front is not tempting at all. You'll not see tourists swimming, but rubbish floating. The situation is depressing.

We didn't have much action on the first day. We slept and recharged for the next day.

Island Hopping Day

Started the day with a bit of spelunking/caving in a nearby cave - Bakwitan cave. The name came from the word, "evacuate". This cave served as a temporary shelter for the locals, especially when a catastrophe would hit the island.

The caving experience was ordinary but it's definitely a great addition to the tour.

After caving, we went back, had breakfast, and prepared for the main event - island hopping.

I've been to a lot of Island hopping escapades. And I was expecting for a boring one. To my surprise, it was amazing! It was not the usual. It was worth my money and time.

We visited around 4 - 5 islands during the trip. Cabugao Gamay, Cabugao Dako, Antonia Beach, Tangke Lagoon, and Bantigue Island

We enjoyed the sea breeze, the sun, the sand, the water, and everything that came in with the experience. I'll not elaborate more on my experience but definitely, it's a sure hit!