I've known Iloilo for its historical tourist destinations. It is definitely a perfect place for Visita Iglesia. Ilonggos are also good cooks - a very huge favorite among the many delicacies in Iloilo is the ever-famous La Paz Batchoy. You can also find the sweetest mango here - the Guimaras Mango. This is all I know about Iloilo and I never imagined that there is a lot more to discover in this place!
I AM DEFINITELY AWESTRUCK! ✪ ❤
We visited Iloilo just to personally pick and taste the renowned sweetest mango in the Philippines (just like why we visited Baguio - for its strawberries and Good Shepherd's Ube); side-trip of it would be to see its famous Miag-ao Church. Other than that, we wanted to go there just to go away with the busy street of Makati and the stress of work (of course, we plan to celebrate Teng's birthday there too).
We toured Iloilo backpacker style! We commuted and it was FUN (well, for a non-commuter like me who regards commuting as adventure)! =)) We have no tour-guide yet we were able to do the things that we planned - people of Iloilo were just sweet and kind. They were always there ready to help even if you really don't need one. I just miss their kindness. They taught us the cheapest yet convenient ride to reach our destination.
We rode on a sikad (padyak), jeep, pumpboat, taxi, van, banca and tricycle - modes of transportation being used by every local. A ride costs Php7.50 to Php60.00 depending on your destination and depending on what mode you used. We spent roughly Php520/person on our transportation for our whole 3D2N trip.
We stayed one night in Sarabia Manor Hotel and Convention Center - it was a good stay I must say. They offer variety of services and facilities - from massage center (Nuat Thai) to a nice pool, from cafe to bar, from restaurants to karaoke center. Besides, it is just in the center of the city and very accessible. Another night was spent in Villa Igang Resort in Guimaras - a quiet and relaxing place.
FIRST DAY: ILOILO CITY ON FOOT
- First stop is in Tatoy's Manokan and Seafoods. This is were we ate our Lunch. We planned it to be in Breakthrough yet the taxi driver says its better if we try Tatoy's Manokan. It is located in villa beach where you can enjoy the sea breeze and admire the colorful sailboats decorated at the shoreline while you eat its specialty native chicken and talaba.
- Next is Miag-ao Church. Its is roughly an hour ride from Tatoy's. Its quite far! And before we found it, we were lost. I was too excited to see this magnificent church - so when I saw a construction that looks like Miag-ao I hurriedly jumped-off the jeep only to find out it wasn't the structure I want to see. FUNNY. So we took another jeep ride and headed to Miag-ao. It is truly magnificent. It wasn't just an ordinary structure – it is extremely baroque and absolutely a combination of art and beauty. It is made up of white hewn stones and concrete. Its window's frames are heavily decorated with floral and shell carvings. Miag-ao church is recognized as one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
- Then off to Ted's OldTime LaPaz Batchoy. I fell in-love. Their batchoy really taste good. Its different from the batchoy here in Manila or in Rizal. La Paz Batchoy can be best eaten when its hot and with pandesal. We also tried KANSI - the bone marrow soup. It's more of like Bulalo but less meat.
- Then we checked SmallVille. Its a minute away from Ted's. It's a place where you can party at night or have a drink or two. A lot of restaurants and bar are situated in SmallVille but we prefer hanging out in our hotel's pool so instead of partying, we headed to our hotel and hanged-out by the pool.
Going to Guimaras from Iloilo City is just easy - a 15minute ride via pumpboat. Once your in Guimaras, you can either choose to hire a tricycle which costs Php350 that will accompany you to the resort, or you can ride a public jeep which will only cost you Php65. We took the cheaper way :) It is almost an hour jeepney ride from Jordan to Nueva Valencia where Villa Igang is situated.
Villa Igang is just a small resort but it gives this homey feeling. Their service is just superb! Ate Lina is a superb cook. A meal costs Php180 each. The food is really delicious and with a good serving as well. The staffs were very accommodating and friendly - kuya Alfie and kuya Teng treated us really nice - giving us everything we need.
The views in Villa Igang are very scenic and picturesque. It has a beach, a cave, a grotto and a cliff! It is also situated near the Mangrove Ecosystem and Butterfly Farm (we only got a chance to tour Mangrove Ecosystem though).
The view from our room is breathtaking - there's a stair which leads directly to the shore, a nice picnic table and chairs under a tree and a few steps away from the crystal clear water of the beach.
Villa Igang is also just beside Villa Corazon (known as Puerto del Mar). Villa Corazon is still under construction but the owner let us visit the place and use the cottages and swim. It has a long stretch of golden fine sand.
The weather was so perfect and the beach was so amazing that we couldn't resist to do a photo shoot. =)) We are a total beach bum that time. Nothing but us with the sand, the sea and the sun experiencing one of the life's general leisure.
We bathe with a lot of starfish under the sun too!
It was already 3:30pm when we decided to head back to Villa Igang and took a dip inside the cave. Both end of the cave is open, providing natural light inside so it wasn't that scary (bats weren't present at that time yet). The view is more than wonderful!
Sunset in Villa Igang is awesome! Inside the cave you'll get a nice view of the sun while it sets. Your picture can never go wrong with its beauty. So we took a couple of it.
The night is still young when we finished the day. We have to wake-up early the next day for our Island Hopping. We still managed to lay in the sand though during the night and watched the stars. We even had a good chit-chat with our bankeros that night - topic ranging from how their life is in Iloilo and some good advise for our Island Hopping trip.
THIRD DAY: EXPLORE THE UNEXPLORED
Call-time is 7:00AM and as early as 5:00AM I am already up, waiting for the sun to come up. I was disappointed because it didn't show up to me during sunrise, I thought the day would be forever cloudy - 'a-not-so-perfect-weather-for-an-Island-Hopping'.
We hopped on our boat and set sail to our first destination - SEAFDEC (South East Asian Fisheries Development Center) which aims to develop the fishery potential in the region through training, research and information services. Researchers from different countries visit this place to conduct studies.
We saw a lapu-lapu that is more than a 100KG! It's huge! It was scary seeing a fish that big. As Mang Ranil said "Kahit ano kinakain na nyan, kahit buhay na tao. Mahulog ka lang dito, lalapain ka nyan". Nevertheless, however scary that fish was, I enjoyed feeding him. There are also milkfish, pompano, Abalone and seahorse in the SEAFDEC which is being hatched and grown.
It's definitely a serious job to raise these sea creatures. It involves a lot of effort and time to actually study how they live and populate. To the care takers of SEAFDEC, every creature is a sign of new life, but to me, it is a sign of new beginning and more of a precious gem.
I enjoyed playing with them on my palm while it tickles. The feeling was so uplifting to see that they are so alive and ready to have fun with me even just for a short period of time. I felt I am a kid once again - very eager to learn how these tiny creatures come to life.
Then it was 9:00AM and the sun said 'HI'. =)) The sea became so inviting and everything around became colorful. It is a wonderful day indeed - a perfect time to explore the unexplored Island of Guimaras.
We headed to Turtle Rescue Center. At that time, there were three injured turtles that are being rehabilitated, the caretaker said they are soon to be freed.
Next destination is the Turtle Island. As its name suggests, the island hosts sea turtles living in and around the vicinity.
However, these turtles do not roam around freely in the island, they are being taken cared of by the islanders. We were able to scrounge one turtle to play with us while we enjoy the fine semi-golden-semi-white sand and clear water of the Turtle Island.
Next stop is Ave Maria Island, an islet with a pristine white sands beach. It is definitely an ideal place to go snorkeling because of its low water level and abundant fish schools. Its waters were luring us for a swim, shifting from light to dark shades of crystal-clear blue as it got deeper.
Going to Ave Maria Island, we spotted a lot of tiny islands, caves and a handful rock formations. Teng couldn't resist the invitation of the water, so he took a quick swim.
Then we entered a huge cave (I forgot the name of this cave - but its huge enough to keep our boat inside). The water in the cave is shallow in some part, but still very clear. You can see school of fish everywhere!
We were fortunate enough to found lobsters inside the cave! =)) Our bankeros helped us catch it when it went to the deeper side of the water. The moment was unexpected and a total adrenaline rush!
We still wanted to go to Isla Naburot and Baras Beach Resort but we already lacked time. It's already past lunch time then and we have to head back to Iloilo City to catch our flight. But before we leave, we made sure that the purpose of our trip will be served - that is to personally pick the sweetest mango in the Philippines. And, yes, we did! And so our tour to Iloilo ended here. =))
We more than enjoyed our vacation in Iloilo. We expected less but we got more.
Traveling doesn't just open to place-discovery but it also opens opportunity to learn more about yourself and discover more about your travel-buddy. We traveled Iloilo in the expectation that we will only see and taste what we have planned. But it turned out to be a journey of discovery :)
2 thumbs up! well-written! 100% enjoyed reading this blog.
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