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Hidden Gem : Antique Adventure (031517)


Antique, Philippines Not to be confused with furniture and other old items, Antique (pronounced as an-tee-ke) is an elongated land on the western side of Panay Island. There is no shortage of tourist attractions here as the province is full of natural wonders like lovely white beaches, stunning waterfalls, and attractive mountain landscapes. There are also fun and unique activities that you can try only in Antique.

Getting to AntiqueTo get to Antique you may choose to travel by land, air, or, yes, even by sea depending on your point of origin. Compared to its neighbors on Panay Island, Antique still remains a bit off the tourist radar. There are currently no direct flights to the province buy the popular entry point to Antique is either from Manila, Aklan or Iloilo.

  • Via Manila: FROM NAIA International Airport (Cebu Pacific, AirAsia, TigerAir Philippines and Philippine Airlines) going to Caticlan Airport or Kalibo International Airport.

From CATICLAN Airport, you can walk to the bus terminal near the jetty port. Ride a bus bound to San Jose, Antique, and tell the bus conductor to drop you off at Brgy. Importante, Tibiao. The travel time is less than 2 hours with fare of P100.00 per person. At Brgy. Importante, take a "habal-habal" ride going to Tibiao Eco- Adventure (TEA) Park or Kayak Inn. The fare is PhP 70.00 per "habal-habal" for a one-way trip. From Kalibo Airport, ride a tricycle going to Kalibo Bus Terminal (Fare: Around 50 PHP per ride. From Kalibo Bus Terminal, ride a bus going to Pandan Terminal (Fare: 70PHP) with travel time: 1-1.5 hours. From Pandan Terminal, ride a bus to Antique, drop off Brgy Importante (Bus fare: 70-75PHP) with travel time: 1 hour.

  • Via Aklan: Cebu Pacific, AirAsia, TigerAir Philippines and Philippine Airlines have direct flights to Kalibo International Airport in Aklan. From there, take a tricycle or to the Kalibo bus terminal and ride a Ceres Bus to Antique. Fare P100.00

  • Via Iloilo: Cebu Pacific, AirAsia, TigerAir Philippines and Philippine Airlines have direct flights to the Iloilo International Airport. From the airport, you may ride a bus from Molo District, IloIlo to Antique’s capital city, San Jose. Inform the bus conductor to drop you off at Brgy. Importante, Tibiao. This type of bus trip would take about 2-3 hours of travel time.

Reminders:

  • Flights to Kalibo are usually cheaper compared to Caticlan.

  • Buses from Kalibo/Caticlan to San Jose, Antique, are Non-AC buses, it leaves almost every 15-30 minutes.

  • You can ask your rented "habal-habal" to drop you off in TEA Park first if you're going to go zip line and wait for you, and then proceed to Kayak Inn with additional cost.

  • The last trip of buses from San Jose, Antique to Kalibo is around 5 PM.

Note: Since the author of this blog (I) is a member of #Advernturestravel Travel and Tours, a travel company who offers and arrange exclusive transportation services for the comfort of our guests (if requested) wasn't able to experience the "walk-here-to-there-ride-here-to-there", we gathered some information on how to get to Antique using commuter buses, vans, jeepneys, motorcycle courtesy of a friend who does the DIY method (not that bad if you have all the energy in the world and looking for some sort of #adverntures. Staying in AntiqueNo worries! So many great beach resorts to choose from with friendly staff. Perfect place to relax and enjoy the beauty of nature. We stayed at cozy place of Pandan Pandan Beach Resort, in a family room good for 4 up to 6 persons, 2 queen size beds + 2 extra foams. The resort offers different types of accommodation such as beach front

cottages, standard room, deluxe room, family room, even a Nipa hut that can accommodate up to 13 persons. Staffs are very warm and accommodating . They were very kind and helpful, attentive and caring during our stay.

The resort is recommended to those who prefer a quiet and relaxing holiday. Beach has dark sand but has a clean and clear water. You will definitely love the fresh air, the sunset and sunrise, as well as the sound of the ocean.

You can get to buy fresh sea foods from fisher folks if you get up early.

There is a fine line between fishing and just standing on the shore like an idiot. - Steven Wright (I think I've captured both) 🤔

Things to do and A Must See Places 1. DIOSO FARM Considering our time of arrival in our first day which is around 2:00 - 3:00 in the afternoon (too late to start a major tour at the island) we decided to visit the Dioso Farm and Mountain Spring Retreat. This is a new alternative to the Malumpati getaway.

This farm gives you more privacy and activities such as swimming, fishing and grilling for your own tilapia, vegetable and fruit picking, and lounging in the mini kawa (cauldron) bath to unwind. According to them, some proceeds of client's money are given to the Antiquenos for Reading and the Leocadio Dioso Memorial Public Library in Pandan, Antique.

Expenses : P1,300.00/pax for a group of 6Inclusive of van transfer from Pandan Beach Resort - Dioso Farm - Pandan Beach Resort, food for 6 persons, activities, used and access to the whole farm. 2. MALALISON ISLAND

The package we availed includes a 15-minute boat ride from Culasi mainland to Malalison island; trekking around grass landscape of Malalison and enjoy the pitcher plant, an interesting flora; the Nablag islet and mini cave exploration; lunch by the beach; swimming,snorkeling, fishing and boating.

Expenses : P1,950.00/pax for a group of 6Inclusions : All tours include transportation to and from the resort and the tour destination, local guides, entrance and other applicable fees. Food (guest own account). 3. TIBIAO ECO-ADVENTURE

The package includes trekking to Bugtong Bato waterfalls; relaxing in jungle hot tub and otherwise enjoying hanging bridges; swimming and boulder diving; lunch by the river; zipline over Tibiao river; and having your feet massaged by fish at the Tibiao. Fish Spa. Optional activities (subject to additional fees): canyoneering/rapelling at the waterfalls; river kayaking.

Expenses : P2,200.00/pax for a group of 6Inclusions : All tours plus lunch, transportation to and from the resort and the tour destination, local guides, entrance and other applicable fees. Where to eat?After the relaxing kawa bath and fish spa, our group had a pizza break at Mamamia Restaurant. It was around 20-30 minutes drive from the kawa place in Tibiao.

We were really entertained watching the Italian owner with his staff preparing for our ordered pizza. This must be a piece of Italy in this part of Panay.

In a span of four days of hiking, exploring, visiting the beautiful uncrowded province, we enjoyed our hassle-free adventure not to mention that with all the activities, my sister together with her hubby were carrying a one (1) year old baby. Lol! Isn't it cool and amazing? He is quite a good traveler and we haven’t had any major issues while travelling with him. This proved that babies doesn’t have to stop you from travelling. :)

Thanks for your time!

Thanks for checking out our blogs. We truly appreciate your time and we certainly hope that what we share adds value to your life in some way. Oh, and hey — if this page has helped you out in any way, we would love if you could like or share this page. Love, #Advernturestravel

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