I, along with my siblings, decided to tag along on my mother's trip to the Visayas region. She was going to Boracay for a conference. It was a good opportunity for us because it would be our first trip outside the Luzon area. It would be our first plane ride and also our first boat ride. Little did we know we would have such an adventure!
You see, all we knew is that we would be landing at Kalibo, then transfer to Boracay. After the conference, we would be going to Iloilo and leave for Manila there. We didn't know we would also be going to Guimaras island. For this blog, I would be focusing on our Kalibo and Caticlan leg.
January 30, 2013
Our very first flight! We've never really traveled. The farthest we went to was Baguio, but you could go there via private vehicle or bus. I was excited! We were actually at NAIA 3 about 3 hours before our flight. It was so funny! My mom's friends were joking that we were so excited, we went to the airport really early. But actually, we almost missed our flight because the oldies really enjoyed talking that we forgot about the time. Anyway, we landed at Kalibo airport at 6:55 PM.
The Visayas region are primarily islands so you really have to go by plane and by boat. Kalibo is the capital city of Aklan, in the northwest regoin of Panay Island. Kalibo is known for hosting the Ati-atihan festival (3rd Sunday of January) where their patron is Sto. Nino (or the baby Jesus). I was sad that we missed it.
From the airport, we had a rented van take us to our hotel. We didn't want to transfer to Boracay at night time. Before arriving at the hotel, we decided to have dinner. One of the oldies recommended a Batchoy place but it was closed, so we ended up going to another place. It was called Tokanz. We had La Paz Batchoy, a dish famous in Iloilo. Sad to say, it wasn't that good. It was nice but it wasn't the kind of dish that an Ilonggo could make best (what we call people from Iloilo). Good thing we went to Iloilo and had authentic La Paz Batchoy =)!
La Paz Batchoy: An Ilonggo noodle dish with broth, pork, liver, chicaron, and toasted garlic bits
Our hotel was called RB Lodge. It was about 30 minutes or less away from the airport. We were only staying for the night so I didn't get to take pictures much. It was a very nice hotel, well, it's more of an inn. It was small, only having around 10 rooms. But their rooms are very spacious. It's like this place is really just for those who need a place to crash for the night. We were welcomed in their very beautiful reception area. They had a garden with numerous flowering plants. They had a small shop where you can buy souvenir items or order food from (but I think they get the food from another establishment). Our room were in a neutral color, very peaceful and warm. The bad thing was that the shower head was broken so we couldn't have a warm shower (it was really cold the following morning so we had to endure an equally cold shower). Also, they didn't have complete toiletries for guests (they only had tissue paper and soap). Good thing I brought a complete set for us. Overall, I think that RB Lodge is very good but don't expect to find a lot of things to do there except for watching TV. No pool or entertainment area whatsoever. (like I told you, this is a place to crash). I give it a 7/10.
Pictures from RB Lodge in Kalibo, Aklan
http://www.facebook.com/RBLodgeKalibo
http://plus.google.com/103089039725650906061/about?hl=en
January 31, 2013
We woke up early the following morning to have breakfast, go to the market to buy souvenirs and stuff, then go to Caticlan Jetty Port for our transfer. We had breakfast at an grill place. We ordered danggit (another famous dried fish from the Visayas region usually eaten for breakfast), tapa, eggs, and fried rice. We were already eating when they told us that they didn't have danggit yet. It was fine because our hotel in Boracay served us danggit on our first morning. Haha!
Caticlan Jetty Port and Passenger terminal is about 2 hours away from Kalibo. Caticlan, still a part of Aklan, has it's own airport (people say it's more expensive than Kalibo airport but I think it's better than landing in Kalibo then traveling by land for 2 more hours; remember, we had to stay the night so the expense adds up, but it's still your call). People who go to Boracay need to go here to transfer to the island. Before entry, you need to pay an environmental fee (P75), terminal fee (P100), and boat fee (P25). Before, when Boracay wasn't commercialized, you didn't have to pay an environmental fee and a terminal fee. But now, these fees are needed to help this tourist spot's upkeep. This was our very first boat ride so I had to constant fear or being shipwrecked. Eeeek! Also, I get dizzy easily (blame it on motion sickness). Good thing I drank anti-emetic medicine so I was good.
Caticlan Jetty Port and Passenger Terminal
Boracay!!!!!
Finally! We're here! The water was really beautiful. I can see why Boracay is named as one of the best beaches in the world. I wanted to swim right away. Anyway, from the terminal, you either take a van (if you asked your hotel for a shuttle, if they have one) or a tricycle (tricycles here are bigger than those found in Manila; they can fit around 8 people including the driver). Our party rode 2 tricycles, the 1st one taking the oldies to their hotel (La Carmela de Boracay) and the 2nd one taking us kids to our hotel (Blue Veranda Suites). Both are in Station 2.
Boracay is a small island that is part of the province of Aklan. It is famous for its fine white sand beaches. The island's beach front is divided into sections with Station 2 being the epicenter of it.
We got to our hotel around lunch time so we just freshened up a bit then headed out for lunch. Blue Veranda Suites really lived up to the first word of its name. It makes me think of Greek motif. My mom's friend booked the hotel for us so I wasn't sure about the rate of our room. I think it was around P3,200. It was hard to find the hotel because it was in an alley. Our tricycle driver left us at a certain road and told us to walk the rest of the way (we even took a wrong turn). There was already sand so it was hard to pull our luggage along. We found our hotel and it was in the 2nd floor. It was still hard for us because we had to carry our luggage on a somewhat steep flight of stairs. Despite its location, the hotel is still very near the beach. Once you go down the stairs, you can already see the sand and the sea. The hotel was also small, having less than 10 rooms, but it is very cozy. The room was very pretty (my favorite color is blue), but it is quite small. There wasn't much leg room so it was hard for more than 2 people to walk around the room. It was nice, though, that they had a big bottle of shampoo and body scrub (if you're the person who needs soap, bring one because you can't find one there). They had a safe, glasses, a blow dryer, and a flat screen TV. They didn't have a cabinet but they did have a clothes rack where you can hang your clothes (good for hanging your wet clothes to dry outside). The hotel staff were really nice and they accommodated us right away. Usually, for a room that's for 2 to 4 people, they only have complimentary breakfast for 2 so I was amazed that the 3 of us had breakfast for free =). It was funny because on our last day, we were the only ones left there. So sad yet so funny. I was very satisfied with our stay here. I give this hotel an 8.5/10.
Blue Veranda Suites, Station 2, Boracay
http://www.blueverandasuites.com/
http://www.facebook.com/blueverandaboracay
Watch out for my next post for the Boracay leg!
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