Carabao Island : Ngiriton Cave

Ngiriton Cave

A cave that's located at the top of a hill surround by forest is the so-called Ngiriton Cave.  The word "ngiriton," has the same meaning in Bicol dialect, which means smiling.  I guess our close proximity to the Visayan islands makes it means identical.  

By the way, the cave is part of the half-day tour which can be reached by riding a habal-habal and doing a few hikes up the mountain.  

* For formalities, when you reach the area, one needs to register in the Logbook just to keep track of its visitors, and he needs to pay an entrance fee of Php 100.      

The hike up was not as tiring as it seems because it is not that long but for some, it might be taxing. 

*Just an additional information, they used to climb up the cave on an uneven soil while holding to certain roots but now, they have provided the site with stairways so it'll be easier for visitors to climb up thus avoiding injuries.  

When you reach the opening of the cave, on its right side, you'll notice 2 cave rooms that are barred with wood.  They said that the ancient people used them as a hiding place against guerillas.  

When you turn your back to the cave, a beautiful sight welcomes you.  Here you'll have a view of Carabao Island overlooking Boracay.  :)  Awesome, right?

Moving a bit down and to your left is the rest of the cave.  The magnificent greenish structure of the cave welcomes you with some swirling bats.  They are not that many, however, compared to that of in Samal Island, so it isn't that smelly.  :) 

*Caution: Just mind your head as you explore the rest of the cave.  

Inside, you'll see some bats sleeping and comfortably hanging on the walls of the cave.    I tried capturing them, but my photos will not give justice to what I really saw.  

I also spotted stalagmites and stalactites.  Again, my photos wouldn't give justice to its beauty.  

spot the smiling face 

A bench for resting is also provided just outside the cave.  

And of course, to quench your thirst, a fresh buko juice, taken straight from the coconut tree,  is provided to you as a complimentary drink when you descend.  Actually, it is included in the entrance fee so don't worry. :) 

What to do in Tibiao

When in Tibiao, Antique

There a number of things you can do when you caught youself in Tibiao. 

* Ride habal-habal (motorcycle) if you want to go around places although public transport like buses and jeepneys are available.  Just hail one and hop in. 

* Visit the Tourism Office to check out the activities that you can do. :)  And don't forget to interact with locals.  It's fun and educational. 

*Go trekking towards the waterfalls, Bugtong waterfalls that is. 

* Be mesmerized by the rice terraces as you head towards the waterfalls. 

*Cross over the bamboo / wooden bridge. 

*Spot carabaos grazing around.  (Carabao, by the way, is the Philippine's National Animal which is a swamp-type domestic water buffalo) 

*Take in and dip the magnificent waterfalls of Bugtong. 

*Head on and indulge yourself in an adrenaline rush adventure, whitewater river kayaking. 

*Take a plunge into the river. 

*Relax your sore muscle from the day's activities by immersing yourself in a warm kawa bath. 

*Appreciate Tibiao River as rain pours. 

We were stuck at one of the nipa huts after our hot bath in the kawa because of the rain.  So instead of rambling around, we approached the "balcony" of the cabin and watched the water gush along the river as the raindrops fall.   

How did we get here:

From Culasi to Tibiao

     Ride a bus plying to Iloilo, alight at Baranggay Importante (or you can ask the conductor to drop you off where the Kawa Bath is famous); the travel time is like more or less an hour. 

Expenses Incurred: 

Bus ride from Culasi to Tibiao (Brgy Importante) - Php 2O/head

Habal-habal ride from the highway to Polly's Place  - Php 70/head, one way 

Bugtong Waterfalls Guide - Php 150/hd

Tourism fee - Php 50/head

White water river kayaking - Php 900/head

Hot kawa bath - Php200/head

Entrance fee at Polly's Place - Php 25/head

Antique: Whitewater River Kayaking

Antique, which is one of the provinces in Panay Island, has now become an eco-adventure destination on the island.  Aside from the Kawa Hot Bath, trekking and dipping in Bugtong Bato Waterfalls, one can indulge in a wet and wild whitewater river kayaking in Tibiao River which is being offered by Kayak Inn.  And we were so fortunate that we got the chance to try it.  Yey!  Adrenaline rush na!!! 

When we arrived at the tourist waiting area, which was our meeting place, our guides for the river kayaking were already waiting for us. (Ooops! We apologize that we were a bit late. We just had so fun dipping into the cold waters of the waterfalls.) We went up to them, and they introduced themselves before finally escorting us to the nearby street where the kayaks rest.  They didn't give us any pointers yet, but they assisted us in wearing the safety gears.  

Antique: Trekking at Malalison Island

Malalison Island is an island not only gifted with white sand beach and diverse sea creatures but also with amazing landscapes.  The island became known to the world when typhoon Yolanda hard hit it through the reports of some travelers and the social media. 

So our next goal, after our snorkeling, was to see the island panoramically and meet a few pitcher plants. 

The trek, lead by ate Rocil, our guide from the tourism office, commenced after passing the beach and a few of the island's small community.  

We had an leisurely hike as we were entertained by ate Rocil's stories and were intermittently distracted by the mind-blowing landscapes and sceneries that I had to stop, admire and take snapshots.  

We also passed by their elementary school which is located uphill.  

Antique: Malalison Travel Notes

Malalison Island, popularized as Mararison Island to the locals, is the newest attraction in Culasi, Antique.  Just around 15-minute boat ride from the mainland of Antique, one can enjoy serenity and beauty of the island.  Having around 55-hectare land area, the hook-shaped island is known for its powdery white sand, magnificent rolling hills (like that of Batanes), carnivorous pitcher plants, diverse sea creatures and long white sandbar.  

How did We Get There

• Travelled all the way from Naga City to Manila then flew to Kalibo, Aklan. 
• Stayed overnight at Esperanza hotel 
•  Left Esperanza Hotel, Kalibo, Aklan the next morning and rode a tricycle (Php10/person) going to Ceres Bus Terminal
• Boarded a bus bound to San Jose / Culasi with a fare of Php110/person, travel time is 2 hours
• Ask the driver / conductor to drop you off at the Culasi boulevard then walk straight at the right side passing the Municipal Hall and the plaza; at the end you'll see the port and on your left, you'll spot the Tourism Office

Antique: Malalison Island

Our journey jumpstarted when we left the Esperanza Hotel in Kalibo, Aklan early in the morning. 

Our destination? 
Malalison (or Mararison to the locals) Island.  
The island, located in the Municipality of Culasi, Antique, is now is now a favorite weekend destination in Panay Island.  It is a hook-shaped island gifted with picturesque mountain ranges (like that of Batanes), abundant coral reefs, carnivorous pitcher plants and of course, a powdered-colored beach. 

How did we get there

We rode a tricycle going to the Ceres Bus Terminal to bring us to San Jose/Culasi.  

I read from the other blogs that from our hotel, one can walk going to the bus terminal

but because they have relocated, one needs to ride a trike to get there. 

No fuss as the fare is only P10/person.  

When we arrived at the terminal, there were no other passengers yet except us. 

Haha!  Lucky! We then have the whole bus for ourselves, huh? 

But as time went by, the bus started filling up. 

  We settled inside as instructed and the conductor gave us bus ticket and paid P110/pax as fare. 

We asked him to drop us off to Culasi as were heading to Malalison Island. 

The bus left past 6 am, and the almost 2-hour journey to Culasi was smooth and dandy. 

From there, we walked straight on the right side passing the plaza and municipal hall. 

In the end, you'll see the port and on your left side is the tourism office. 

*The GPS helped us locate the port and the office. :) 

Puerto Galera

I've been to Puerto Galera countless times.  

But it always feels like I've never been there every time I go there maybe because of the company

I am with. 

Hmmm.... 

In this blog, I went with my SFC friends.  

They wanted a short escape from the bustling life of the metro 

and they opted Puerto Galera as they have never been here. :) 

How to Get there:

From the LRT station in Buendia/Gil Puyat, locate and ride the bus plying to Batangas Pier.   Travel time is approximately 2 hours.  From the port, take a boat/ferry bound for White Beach, Puerto Galera, traveling time is around half an hour.  

When the boat docked, the feeling of being in the beach once again, elated me. 

I couldn't wait to dip myself in the water.  hihi

So following our checked in in one of the resorts, 

off we went to roam around the area to look for a restaurant to feed ourselves. 

As we scout, we passed by several "tiangge"  and souvenir shops. O.O

After several hops, 

we found our perfect spot to satisfy our thirst for the worldly goods, food.  Yey!

It took us some time to choose our food and the waiting time was fair enough.

It made us really crave.

Once served, we instantly dug in.  

The food was gone in a jiffy. 

*buurrp*

After the sumptuous lunch, 

*now feeling sleepy*

we went back to our shack to rest a bit. 

Nap time was great.

It recharged our energies to go to the beach and go up and down the rock formations.

trying to hide from the sun :p

but we still went into the water

Climbing the rock formation was a challenging experience. 

It made it me reminisce my childhood days.

You know, the running here and there. 

Climbing trees and all.

Oh, I miss being a kid. :) 

Not long after, 

we hailed and haggled a boat to tour us around the surrounding islands. 

It was fun though I forgot all the names of the island we went to.

I didn't have enough photos to share as well 

because I don't have a waterproof camera at that time. :) 

At around past 5 in the afternoon, 

we started prepping our dinner. 

Everybody was busy.  

Team effort was great. 

We laughed, shared stories, goofed around as we do our din-din. 

It was really a lovely night.

Much more the food. :) 

Then morning came. 

It's time for us to bid this lovely island goodbye, for now. 

Following our check out, 

we killed time at the souvenir shops. 

We then boarded the ferry and

and alighted in Batangas Port which alerted us that

we're officially back to reality.