TIBIAO, Antique -- Compared to some popular destinations in the Visayas, the province of Antique is still a rising tourism destination
Previously, locals and tourists could only travel to this province on Panay Island by long land travel from either Iloilo or Aklan.

This 2019, Philippine Air Lines (PAL) launched direct flights from Clark in Pampanga to San Jose de Buenavista, the capital town and main tourism center of Antique, making it more accessible to everyone.

Here are some of the activities you can do in Tibiao, Panay island’s eco-adventure capital.

1. Soak in different flavors at a kawa bath

Antique's most popular activity is the Kawa Hot Bath, a unique spa experience where you soak in a cauldron or jungle hot tub sprinkled with flowers and leaves over a fire.

The large vats were originally used by the locals for cooking brown sugar but have since become a sought-after tourist attraction.

There are several places where you can try it out, but Calawag Mountain Resort, located beside a river in the highlands of Tibiao, levels up the experience by offering different “flavors of the kawa bath.”

Visitors can soak in different treatments including salt, turmeric, milk, coffee, wine or beer with a view of the river. The price ranges from P299 to P599 per person for 30 minutes depending on the flavor of the bath.

2. Spend the night in a treehouse or riverside hut

Calawag Mountain Resort also offers rustic accommodations that will appeal to nature-lovers. Structures and rooms here have been built with low-impact materials like wood and bamboo, so guests can enjoy nature at its finest. There’s no signal at the resort, so it’s great for those who want to go off-the-grid and disconnect from busy city life.

Aside from riverside rooms, they have a native two-story hut with a loft area built around a large tree, ideal for families or groups of friends.

After trying their signature kawa baths, checked-in guests can also enjoy the natural riverside pool and swings hanging over the river, soak their feet in a fish spa, or get a full-body massage and coffee body scrub right along the river.

3. Go nature-trekking to explore waterfalls

Bugtong-Bato Falls is a 7-tiered waterfall accessible through a 20-minute walk or foot trail from the community in Tibiao. At the moment, only the first three waterfalls are visited. The third one, which has a secluded and deep basin where you can take a dip, can be reached by a steep set of stairs and a combination of rappelling and clambering up with a rope.

Like most waterfalls, this is best visited during the rainy season so you can see the cascades in its full glory. The nature-trek itself, passing small rice terraces reminiscent of Bali or Ifugao, and local communities is a reward in itself.

4. Go river tubing or extreme kayaking

Another fun activity groups can do in the area is extreme river tubing or kayaking. Guests board rubber lifesavers and float along the river being carried by the current. When the water level is low, the activity is quite relaxing, but guides are there to help boost guests in some of the shallow sections.

With the rainy season coming up, expect the activity to be more exciting due to the higher water levels and stronger current in the next few months.

5. Sample Kinaray-a cuisine

Antiquenos, the Kinaray-a speaking people, have a simple, yet distinct way of preparing their food, making use of locally available ingredients, like vegetables, fish and native chicken.

One of Tibiao’s must-try delicacies is Chicken Papisik, a native chicken stuffed with local herbs and spices cooked in an earthen cooking pot. Another spicy chicken dish locally called porbida resembles regular adobo, but makes use of gata (coconut milk) instead of vinegar and is soured by alupidan (garlic vine) leaves, annatto powder and chili peppers.

Bean stews like kadyos (pigeon pea) and monggo beans are usually paired with beef, pork or chicken and boiled with chopped ubad (banana pith) and lemon grass, giving the dish a tangy aroma and distinct flavor.

For those who love sweets, be sure to try Tibia’s pangyam-is (dessert) made from glutinous rice and root crops, best paired with muscovado (organic brown sugar).

For a hassle-free way to explore the province, Antique-based tour agency Katahum Tours offers package tours and van transport service.