Following our quickie (which didn’t feel like one, by the way) in Hinugtan Beach, we made our way from Alegria, Aklan to Sebaste, Antique in two tricycle rides and one bus ride within two hours. From there we hopped on one more tricycle and arrived at the jump-off point to Igpasungaw Falls around three o’clock.

Transportation

Reaching Igpasungaw Falls is easy-peasy because Sebaste is accessible by buses from Caticlan, Kalibo, and Iloilo. Our transportation was unconventional because we had a jam-packed weekend itinenarny itinerary and couldn’t afford to wait for one. We had to keep moving, just like in life. (YEHES!)

The Hike

Like other regulated tourist attractions, registration is required before the chase can commence. It drizzled as we started the hike but it was over before we even thought about turning on our heels. Rivers will have to be crossed along the way and ropes may be necessary to avoid literally going with the flow. We arrived at our first stop in roughly 30 minutes.

After acclimatizing to the water, we headed off for 15 minutes to the next stop, where I realized how worthwhile the visit was.

The Waterfalls

There’s no better background for a group photo.

If you have an eagle eye (which I doubt), you must’ve noticed that it’s the waterfall in the topmost photo. That’s right, it’s possible to go behind it. Of course, it could be very slippery so extreme caution should be taken. If ever you fall—in the same way you fell for someone who didn’t reciprocate your feelings—don’t go against gravity and just plummet into the water, like what my classmate did.

We arrived at our last stop, where a wide pool was sitting, waiting to be harassed disturbed, in less than 10 minutes. I guess this would have to be what everyone considers as the Igpasungaw Falls.

Sliding down (if you can slide up, do let me know) the first two waterfalls was no trick, but before we did it we walked a tad further to check what was around and, well, immortalize the experience in photos.

Who doesn’t want a massage, right? Although it was such a shame there was no extra service.

Waterfall Slide

And then it was the moment of truth. Could I be contemplating about my decisions in life here, thinking that it may not be too late?

And then it was too late. There was a bubbly light, and I thought I was done for. (Nah.)

Being the #influencer that I am, I wasted no time in shouting at the other two, telling them that there’s no point in delaying the deed.

We slid together side-by-side on the next one, leading to the photo below which is quite reminiscent of the one we had in Guimaras while in the middle of the ocean.

We had the place to ourselves but my hunch told me that it gets crowded on perfectly sunny days especially in the morning. In any case, start early so you can wallow in the waters all day and have all the stopovers that you want. It’s an easy trail and your only adversaries are the slippery rocks and current when crossing rivers. If it’s raining or rained recently, that’s gonna be another story. The cascades when we were there were not at their mightiest but I’d say that the torrent doesn’t dictate how much you’ll have fun. Besides, the pools were just too good.

Expenses

The cost of the tricycle ride to and from the jump-off point was ₱500 and has been excluded because our final destination was Culasi. Haggle if you’re only going back to Sebaste.

Visited: June 2017

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Ever since I tried going to Panay via 2GO Travel I’ve always thought that the island is easily accessible from Metro Manila for a quick weekend getaway. If you’re working on a day shift, you just have to work undertime on a Friday to catch the vessel in the evening and go half-day on Monday (the vessel may arrive early but there’s still the bus ride from the port and it’s a manic day). It wasn’t long until I did it again to bite a late summer escape in Hinugtan Beach in Aklan.

As most of my college classmates are based in Iloilo it wasn’t difficult to convince some of them to come with me. After careful consideration, we had things laid out; we were to go to three destinations in just two days: Hinugtan Beach, Igpasungaw Falls, and Seco Island.

Transportation

The port where the vessel from Batangas docks is Caticlan Port (that’s right, it’s already the port where you can get your arse on a boat to the infamous Boracay Island). Hinugtan Beach is located in the barangay of Alegria in Buruanga, located some 12 km from Caticlan. A jeepney just left by the time we congregated and since we may wait long for the next one to leave, we hired a tricycle for ₱350 instead. Travel time was around 30 minutes.

The port in Alegria was still being constructed but that didn’t stop us from hitting our first bird. Our contact, Jun (+63 947 178-9013), wasted no time and immediately had us seated in a pump boat. Its size was just enough to fit all of us. The ride only took another 30 minutes so there was nothing to worry about even if there were no life vests onboard. *evil grin* During that time, an Aklanon classmate affirmed that Hinugtan Beach can only be reached by land by foot.

The Beach

We rented a cottage for ₱500 on the left side of the beach (when facing the oh-ocean) which was big enough to accommodate twice or thrice our headcount. Below were the views on our right and left, respectively. As you can see, it’s pristine and the sand is reminiscent of Boracay’s and Hambil’s.

At the far right end were kids jumping off a rock so, being the self-proclaimed good swimmers and daredevils that we are, we investigated what the fuss was all about. In Tagalog, mga usyosero.

As it turned out, the water they were jumping into was hardly deep that we simply had to retrace our steps after we got there. Below was the view of Hinugtan Beach from that side.

Resorts

There actually exists a number of resorts already and among them is Hinugtan Beach Resort. Despite its name sounding like it should be the only resort around, surely that couldn’t be the case, right? Otherwise we would’ve been thrown into the sea for not staying with them. Kidding aside, when I checked their website I instantly thought that I could enjoy Hinugtan Beach in a way cheaper price. And I wasn’t wrong. Even if we stayed overnight, we still would’ve incurred less financial damages for not staying with them.

Of course, there’s no stopping you if you have the budget and wanna stay with them.

Splurging in the water was pure bliss. I forgot to ask though if, like in Boracay, there are also months when green algae is all over the place. Be careful of sea urchins, by the way!

As we still had long days ahead of us, we cleared the stage after only roughly three hours. I am more than willing to go back on a full day tour or even overnight. I, for one, think that despite its proximity to Boracay, it doesn’t get as crowded.

Ariel’s Point

Also, I had no idea that Ariel’s Point is along the way. I haven’t been there and all I know about it is that it’s a spot with diving boards and is usually accessed via tours from Boracay which is inclusive of a buffet lunch. What I didn’t know is the presence of a highly elevated board which probably has the same height as the highest one in Salagdoong Beach Resort in Siquijor! Dayum. I’ll conquer it one day if I’m finally able to afford a tour. Haha. It was deserted on our way to Hinugtan Beach but was already crowded on our way back. Should’ve asked if it’s possible to sneak in there by not coming from Boracay.

Even before arriving in Panay, Jun already told me that it’s up to us how much we’ll pay him as he doesn’t seem “comfortable” on how much he’ll charge for his boat services. I thought of giving him ₱500 but a companion suggested ₱700. When I handed him the amount he said that it was too much but since it has already been decided and all was good, end of discussion.

And with that, we were ready for Igpasungaw Falls.

Expenses

Excluding the food that we bought at the grocery, we were down to ₱310 per person. Good game, eh? It’s a golden rule to haggle and never give in to the initial prices offered by operators. For our tricycle ride from Caticlan, the initial offer was ₱400-450. As for our boat rides, we could’ve paid just ₱500.

Visited: June 2017

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When I came across a blog post (which I can no longer find) on skydiving in Bantayan Island and saw that Skydive Greater Cebu was already accepting reservations, boy, the following day I found myself at the bank paying for the down payment amounting to ₱3,000. The activity cost ₱18,000 but they had an early bird promo which reduced the amount by ₱3,000. That meant I had ample time to save for the balance and my birthday. Very doable, if you ask me.

Transportation

Getting to Bantayan Island was easy-peasy. I just got on a bus heading to Hagnaya Port at Cebu North Bus Terminal and at the port took a ferry to Santa Fe. Some resorts on the island are partnered with Skydive Greater Cebu and if you’re doing the activity and you stay with them, you can get a discount for your accommodation. I stayed at Kota Beach Resort which is one.

There were no ATM’s in Santa Fe and despite having read about it I still forgot to bring my payment for the balance. Tanga lang. And so first thing on the dive big day, I rented a scooter and drove to the municipality of Bantayan (yes, its name is the same as the island’s) to get my hands on me moolah. I would’ve probably died, not from the dive, but from frustration if all banks were offline.

The Dive

There were four of us in the morning batch and all of us wrote the same thing on our palms that I had to change mine to “Undaunted@28“. After all, it was two days to my day. (Naman!)

Here’s our fighter aircraft, fighting.

Have some English ready for your innerview! I’ve been told beforehand to wear a long-sleeved shirt because of the cold but as I didn’t have anything good back then, I thought that maybe I could get away with what I’ll be wearing. Alas, they insisted that I wear their long sleeves. If you’re particular with what you wanna see in your photos and videos #OOTD, well, you have been warned.

The view from the top is simply breathtaking. Just look at those turquoises! As for the cold, I’d say that it was actually tolerable. (Tch, should’ve insisted on not wearing their shirt.)

I was told that most of the payment goes to the maintenance of the plane, which makes sense given how run-down-looking it was already. It can accommodate two pairs of skydivers.

And then it was high time to shoot my irate, let’s-do-dis, and f-yeah looks.

With the wind so hard on your face, you just gotta brace yourself. You will also be asked to lean your head back and cross your arms on your chest.

If you can’t do it now when you actually can, just do it. Did that make sense? I’m not sure either. Just never ever forget to scream your lungs out. Else you’d be the lamest person alive. Ever.

Keep your legs between your tandem instructor’s~!

At some point you will be allowed to spread your wings like a flying squirrel. (Hah! You thought it was gonna be eagle or butterfly, didn’t you? Aminin.)

The free fall was, without a doubt, the best part. You get to tumble in the sky like mad with the wind against every inch of you. When the chute was already out I was allowed to maneuver it for a bit. You simply pull the right and left handles depending on which direction you wanna go.

Kota Beach Resort

Landing on Skydive Greater Cebu’s partner resorts is also possible. The photo below shows our instructor walking away from Kota Beach Resort. It was later in the afternoon and not after our jump though as I opted to land back at the airport because I offered to take Amy, the Briton girl from Cornwall, to the beach as the place she was staying at—where I drove to and from—was not close to any of it.

We hung out for the rest of our stay on the island and even went back to the city together. One thing I remember well in our conversations was her being curious on why people wear rash guards on the beach. If you’re a Filipino, there’s NCIH that you don’t know.

One last look at the island from the port, just like the first time I laid my eyes on it, told me that skydiving in Bantayan wasn’t gonna be my last skydive experience, especially that the photos and videos were in the form of selfies. (My pores were not spared.)

P.S. You will be provided with a certificate (soft copy) and same day edit video so don’t forget to bring a USB flash drive or data cable (for your phone) for you to copy them. Allocate extra storage for the raw files, too!

Video

Visited: April 2016

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The year’s Independence Day brought me back to the place where I earned my degree. The holiday fell on a Tuesday so one just had to file a leave for Monday and call it a looong weekend. As for my ticket, booking it was semi-accidental; I was just playing around with Cebu Pacific Air‘s Travel Funds when… Boom! Flight to Iloilo confirmed. The destination? Kenyama Beach Resort in Guimaras.

Transportation

Guimaras Island is a just a 15-minute boat ride from Iloilo. Fare from Ortiz to Jordan was only ₱14. Yes, you read that right.

From the port was about an hour of land travel to Guisi where Kenyama Beach Resort is located. The engine overheated so we managed to take the shot below while the driver was fetching water. We had the ride exclusively to ourselves, by the way.

Resort & Accommodation

Kenyama Beach Resort is built on the side of a mountain. Welcoming you is a terrace overlooking the beach. It’s a wonderful sight.

And here’s what I was talkin’ about. Don’t you think those blues are simply lovable?

The reception area is also where the dining tables are. It had a pool table which we, despite one of our girls being a bilyaran tambay, didn’t exploit.

Our room, which had a capacity of 9 persons, originally cost ₱3,500 but since there were 12 of us we rendered an additional ₱300 for extra foams and ₱360 for corkage. That room works best for a big group; not air-conditioned but has its own bathroom.

Just outside the room was this view. I will speak no more.

Your friendly neighborhood Spidey also happened to be around. Naturally, he was going berserk from time to time. I was once attacked by one and all I can say is that they’re really strong. Born to be wild, that is!

At this point, I decided to buy the entire island as I just couldn’t let the opportunity slip away. Hi’m the king of Foursquare the world!

The Beach

Going down to the beach, I noticed that most of the guests were Japanese. That’s when I realized and knew that the owner is Japanese. The name of the resort itself is one. “Kenyama” could translate to “Ken Mountain.” From that point, my tongue was itching to talk to at least one of them in Nihongo. Too bad, I didn’t really get the chance.

To the left of the horizon was this contour. Braving it was just the perfect thing to do before hitting the waters.

That white building is Kenyama Beach Resort. The tide may have already been getting high during this time but the experience was already too overwhelming that such detail didn’t seem to matter anymore.

One more stretch! Oop!

When we reached the point of no return, I mean, the point where we can no longer go further, we just rested and made the most of the picture-taking. Here’s a classic no-smile family picture where there seems to be a traitor. A jump shot here would’ve been nice, but good luck with that. Directly above this spot were lighthouses we failed to visit.

They said that the sand is not as white as other beaches like Boracay’s. I couldn’t tell the difference at all. Let’s just say that as long as it’s not grey, then it’s already white for me.

Finally, it was time to splash some seawater. To the right of the horizon were rocks where you could jump from. However, as much as I would love to dive, I don’t know how to do the stunt. (None of us does, actually.) Presenting the seven brave souls!

Before calling it a day, we had these lovely shots with the setting sun. Thinking about it now, it would’ve been cooler if we were jumping into the water. But for every unappealing shot, a retake would require tremendous effort.

Dinner was catered by the local store nearest the resort because we didn’t have the budget for the food available at the restaurant. Since it was already a bit late, we were only left with corned beef, sardines, eggs, and fish. When the food arrived, it just showed how fine of a dining it was given our grumbling stomachs. Two and a half kilograms of rice? Gone in the blink of an eye. Over drinks, I became the laughing stock (even in Twitter!) when I posted about the local name of the fish as “tabaghak” instead of “tabagak.” You have the resort’s Wi-Fi to thank for that.

Island Hopping

After breakfast we immediately had our arses on board for the island hopping. Unfortunately, the guides claimed that the waves weren’t friendly so we wouldn’t be able to visit some caves. We only stopped on two islands that it turned out more like an island sightseeing instead. The views were wonderful, nonetheless.

During our first stop we witnessed extravagant sequels of infamous action-packed movies. Feel free to think of the titles that first come to mind.

Splurging in the crystal waters of the islands was obligatory. Those different shades of blue look very enticing if you ask me.

Since we no longer had a particular destination after a U-turn, we asked for a stopover in the middle of the ocean. There were life vests, but those who were incapable of “kicking water” still didn’t take a dip. When I tried to reach the bottom I felt my ear exploding; my classmate succeeded.

Cliff Jumping

We went for a few more rounds of cliff jumping under the bright sun. The clear sky made the view even more admirable. I reached this spot by swimming all the way behind a bigger rock on the left. Man, that was tiring (and risky). My feet must’ve been very tired from treading that I found it hard to stand on the rock beneath the one on the surface; sustained my fourth and biggest cut, on the left foot this time.

To the right was a way higher rock with stairs leading to its top. It couldn’t be reached by foot so we had to swim to it. Three of us dared to jump off it and to avoid injuries, one surveyed the depth of the water first. “Cowabunga!” It was strange why there were no lookouts for people like us who would do such feat. Perhaps ’cause the resort was still new? In any case, people should be responsible of their own actions.

Prior to our trip the weather was all gloomy. I couldn’t be more thankful that it eventually cleared up. This post proves how much I had fun as I’ve never blogged about traveling before. Travel while young (I know, the line’s overused) and credits to Glo, Lairy, Marianne, and Peace for the pictures!

Expenses

Visited: June 2012

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