Skip to main content

The Hidden Charms of Aklan

Lambingan beach, Kalibo
Lambingan Beach
Aklan has many attractions that tourists miss when they head straightaway to Boracay from the Kalibo International Airport. Lambingan Beach is just a few minutes down the road from the airport and the perfect spot to celebrate the blue hour. Or meet locals frolicking on the beach.

Tinago lake, Batan, Aklan
Tinago Lake
Tinago Lake in Batan is aptly named. Tinago means hidden and this lake is well hidden except to those who seek off the grid paths. We met two other visitors when we were in Tinago. It was easy to appreciate the expanse of lake and sky and harness the #bluemind in tranquil surroundings.

Lezo, Aklan
Bayangan Village, Lezo
I enjoy shopping for pottery in this village because the prices are reasonable and the stall owners are open to bargaining and will even give an extra planter or two if you purchase a lot of pottery. Bayangan means "potter's wheel" and Lezo is the pottery capital of Aklan.

St. Isidore the Farmer Church
St. Isidore the Farmer Church is right next to the pottery market. It has served the parish community since 1910.

Jawili Falls, Aklan
Jawili Falls
The cool plunge pools at Jawili Falls are inviting, even during the summer months when the flow of water is limited to a thin stream.   

Jawili beach, Aklan
Basnig
Jawili Beach is down the road from Jawili Falls and a good place to stop and observe the large basnig boats docked close to shore. These fishing boats go out at night to lure fish using gas powered lights and nets. Sounds simple enough but calculations have to be made as to how deep the nets must be cast in order to capture the most fish.

Jawili coast, Aklan
Jawili Coast
There is a lookout point uphill from the beach that gives a panoramic view of  Jawili Coast.
How to get there:
There are several flights daily from Manila and Cebu to Kalibo International Airport . 
1. Take a tricycle from Kalibo airport to Lambingan Beach
2. Hire a private van for the trip to Batan and Tinago Lake and to Lezo.
3. Take a bus or van from the bus terminal in the city center to Tangalan Public Market and hire a tricyle from there to Jawili Falls/Beach.
4. From Roxas City, take a public utility vehicle (PUV) to Kalibo from Punta Dulog Terminal. Travel time is slightly under two hours. 
5. From Iloilo, take a bus to Kalibo from Tagbak Terminal in Jaro. Travel time is approximately 3.5 hours.

*****

Images by TravelswithCharie

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Filipino Struggles in History - Carlos Botong Francisco

In 1968, Antonio Villegas (then Mayor of Manila), commissioned Carlos "Botong" Francisco to paint the history of Manila for Manila City Hall. The series of large scale paintings was called  Kasaysayan ng Maynila  (History of Manila).  The paintings deteriorated over time and no attempt was made to preserve these historical canvases until 2013 when Mayor Amado Lim sent them to the National Museum for extensive restoration. Four years later, in 2017, Mayor Joseph Ejercito Estrada and the Manila City Council signed an agreement with the National Museum to leave the paintings at the museum so they may reach a larger audience in exchange for museum grade reproductions to replace the originals. Kasaysayan ng Maynila was later renamed Filipino Struggles in History and is now on display at the Senate Hall of the National Museum . Carlos "Botong" Francisco died in March 1969, a few months after completing the paintings. He is one of the first Filipino modernists and

The Art of Carlos Botong Francisco - Progress of Medicine in the Philippines

Pre-colonial period Pag-unlad ng Panggagamot sa Pilipinas (The Progress of Medicine in the Philippines) is a group of four large-scale paintings depicting healing practices in the Philippines from pre-colonial times to the modern period. Carlos Botong Francisco was commissioned in 1953 by  Dr. Agerico Sison who was then the director of Philippine General Hospital (PGH) together with   Dr. Eduardo Quisumbing of the National Museum, Dr. Florentino Herrera, Jr. and Dr. Constantino Manahan. These oil on canvas paintings measure 2.92 meters in height and 2.76 meters in width (9.71 ft x 8.92 ft) and were displayed at the main entrance hall of PGH for over five decades. Owing to its location, the artworks were in a state of "severe deterioration" at the beginning of the 21st century from exposure to heat, humidity, dirt, dust, smoke, insect stains, grime, termites and an oxidized synthetic resin used in an earlier restoration. These canvases were restored three times, the last was

8 Heritage Houses of Iloilo

Lizares Mansion The province of Iloilo on the island of Panay has a rich trove of heritage houses, left over from the sugar industry boom in the 19th century. Iloilo also had the largest port in the Philippines at that time which facilitated the export of sugar to foreign shores and deposited money in the hands of the sugar barons. The barons dropped their earnings into the acquisition of properties in Negros and the construction of beautiful homes in Iloilo, many of which are located in the vicinity of the Jaro Cathedral. The Lizares Mansion was built in 1937 by Don Emiliano Lizares for his wife, Concepcion Gamboa and five children. The family fled to safety when World War II broke out and the house was occupied by the Japanese military. The family returned to the house after the war but left once again after the demise of Don Emiliano. It was sold to the Dominican order in the 1960s and was converted in 1978 to a private school, Angelicum School. The mansion now houses the