Kawa Hot Bath - Antique Escapade

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Fire + Kawa = Therapeutic Massage.

Who would have thought that another way of relaxing your body is by cooking it? Yes, literally boiling yourself. This what Antique has offered us.

 

I went with my friends in Antique right after enjoying the beach life in Boracay. Though it was a spontaneous tour but it still ended up as one of the highlights of our trip. We left Caticlan last January 15, 2016 and headed to this province at around 10 AM. We rode a bus going to this place which took almost 3 hours of land travel. It seems a bit long trip but the scenery and views of the place would mesmerize you so will forget that you've been travelling already for a not so long time. The fresh breeze, green pastures and unparalleled mountains are welcoming you as if they are showing a big grin to you. It was really a paradise.

 

Upon arrival, the bus stop was not exactly the place where we could exactly do this thing. We still talked with the local there about the way on how to get to that place and they told us we need to ride a motorbike. And so, we did. We decided to rent one motor per person which cost us around P140 for a back and forth ride. The way was a bit challenging considering its winding road and a bit roller coaster ride. Once we got there, those who manage the business told us first to enjoy their very clean and cool river (you seldom be able to see and take a bath to that kind of body of water) while they're preparing the necessary stuff for the kawa hot bath. Finally, after a couple of minutes, they already called us to make ourselves cooked. Upon stepping on the kawa, my senses got alive since it was hot (really hot, especially the kawa). What I did was I stepped on the medicinal leaves which they put there as therapy. I wasn't able yet to calm myself because it was really hot and a bit hurting to your skin. Eventually, my body adjusted to the water temperature and I could already sit and lay like I'm taking a shower in the normal bath tub. I enjoyed the moment I was there especially because the leaves has a nice odor which I crumpled so that its smell will burst out more. They told us to just enjoy and relax and take our time while we are there but unfortunately, we were a bit on a hurry that time because we need to catch the last trip going back to Aklan, its neighboring province where we would spend the night. So, after almost 30 minutes of soaking, we decided to rinse and leave the place already. The cost of that adventure was almost P250 and super worth it.

 

Another thing to do in Antique is to see with your bare eyes the biggest flower in the world called Rafflesia. However, due to lack of time, we weren't able to do that since it will take almost half day to trek. So far, there are still a lot of adventures to get discovered in Antique.

 

Cheers :-)

Helmet Diving

Helmet Diving in Boracay

Where in this place could you try Helmet Diving? Well, of course, only in the number one paradise island in the Philippines, BORACAY.


I, together with my officemates, flew to this island last January 13, 2016. It was my first time to visit the place and I was really in awe. Though as expected there were a lot of people, both local and foreign tourists, but still the place was crazy beautiful. Upon arrival, I really couldn't believe I was already there considering that I was still in Manila just a couple of hours ago. But then, I already enjoyed it the moment my feet touched its super fine sand. Not just fine, I mean, white and very fine sand. I was like a kid again while enjoying the simple strolling in the beach. And since I'm a foodie as well, I kept on looking to spot the best restaurants where we could dine in. Though it's pricy but it was nice.


But the highlight of my trip was really the Helmet Diving experience. As a first timer, I was a bit scared to do it, though I'm not afraid going underwater. There are several local people offering you that particular adventure but we decided to go in group so we were able to avail it on a lower price. During our time, the usual price ranged from P800-1200 per pax but since we used our PEOPLE skills, we were able to shell out only P525 per pax. What a great offer right? And so, upon signing on their waivers, we jumped into the sky boat to take us to the location where we would do the adventure. After an almost 10-minute orientation, we were already ready to dive and feed those fishes. I was a bit hesitant before because I had once a problem with my auditory sense way back when I was still a child, and it still being triggered sometimes by the unusual pressure, but NO BACKING OUT. Upon crowning to me my helmet, I slowly went down the calm ocean and saw a paradise. WOW!! That was the first word I uttered. I just enjoyed the moment I was underwater while feeding different kinds of fish. That was almost 30 minutes then we need to head back again to the shore. By the way, the package of the activity already included a diving coach and a copy of all your pictures since the coach himself took all your pictures. That was really a jackpot package for us.


To wrap up, the experience was super worth it. It's really a must try and your Boracay escapade is incomplete without trying this activity. This actually summed up everything in Bora. The amount we paid was way beyond what we had. So to those going to Boracay, put in your bucketlist this activity. It's a must and it was really unforgettable.


Cheers!!! :-)