Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Kalibo: The Ati-Atihan Town


Kalibo, the capital and largest municipality of the province of Aklan, is the primary gateway and transportation hub to the island paradise of Boracay, being host to Kalibo International Airport. While a new airport has been built for Boracay, Kalibo is still a destination of choice because apart from cheaper flights going here, Kalibo is already a tourist destination in itself and indeed has many to offer. Learning about Kalibo, I came here two weeks ago to see for myself what it has to offer and truly, one does not simply call Kalibo a gateway but rather a tourist destination in its own right.



What to See


Ati Atihan Festival


Photo courtesy of Sherwin Funa

The Ati-Atihan festival is celebrated honoring Santo Niño de Kalibo and takes place annually in January concluding on the third Sunday of the month. Perhaps this is the most colorful and popular among celebrations of the Infant Jesus in the region. The festival has become popular for tribal dances, mardi gras-like music, and an array of indigenous costumes and weapons, parades along the street and the chant "Viva Sto. Niño! Viva! Viva!".

Museo it Akean



Located at the very heart of Kalibo, Museo it Akean (Aklan Museum) tells about the people and their cultural and historical heritage as well as their economic achievements over the years. This is a must-see place to get a better understanding of the history of the province and for a minimal fee of P15.00, visitors can view its collection comprising of bolos (Talibong), antique livelihood items, piña fiber clothes, Japanese era-artifacts, local arts, political memorabilia, and church artifacts. The museum is open Mondays thru Fridays from 8am until 5 in the afternoon.

Kalibo Cathedral



The Kalibo mission was established in 1581 and the actual cathedral was built in 1826. It was ravaged by a fire that engulfed the town in 1885 but the structure was rebuilt immediately the following year, 1886. The cathedral of Kalibo is a mixture of both modern and post war construction which in turn alludes to earlier church design. The heart of this church is the image of Señor Santo Niño, in whose honor the annual Ati-Atihan is celebrated, though the church is actually dedicated to St. John the Baptist, its principal patron.

The sanctuary of Señor Santo Niño


Bakhawan Eco Park



Home to about 20 species of mangrove, Bakhawan Eco Park is a 20-hectare forest reserve for these water-growing shrubs and is a community-maintained project spearheaded by the local government of Aklan and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. These coastal vegetation is maintained by the locals sharing a common goal of preserving them because they serve as habitat for countless species of fishes and losing them is the last thing they would want to happen. Aside from serving as habitat for fish, mangroves also makes a good shield against typhoons and consequent flooding which hit the town every now and then.


The eco-park is located in Barangay New Buswang, northwest of the poblacion. Entrance fee to the park is P150.00, apart from that, visitors can experience feeding plapla and bangus fishes for another P10.00 per pack of feeds. The park also offers other activities such as kayaking and bamboo rafting to a sandbar a kilometer of walk away from the entrance gate. To get to Bakhawan Ecopark from the poblacion, one has to take a tricycle for P40.00 and travel time is 30 minutes.


Tigayon Hill and Caves



Located at Barangay Tigayon, its namesake, Tigayon Hill is the highest point in Kalibo where the cityscape can be best viewed. It is flocked by pilgrims during the holy week for its stations of the cross and a chapel for Virgin Mary atop it. 144 steps is all it takes for visitors to reach the top and view the landscape of the city. Aside from these, there are also hillside caves where several archaeological finds such as early earthenware and porcelain were discovered and are now displayed in a mini museum located just below the hill. Currently, no entrance fee is collected from visitors but they are urged to maintain the cleanliness of the site.



Aklan Provincial Capitol




Aklan Freedom Shrine



Where to Eat


To fully experience Kalibo, one must not miss out on its gastronomic offerings. One of the must-visit food destinations is Saylo Cuisine, situated along Quezon Avenue Extension. Their Chicken Binakol, an Akeanon delicacy cooked in bamboo bud with coconut juice, is a must-try. The dish boasts a slightly sweet flavor, thanks to the use of coco juice. The restaurant is also known for their Asian Fusion dishes and delicious sandwiches. Another popular food stop is RML's Manokan House on PC Barracks Road, where you can savor their specialty, Chicken Inato or roasted chicken. They are also famous for their generous servings of oysters or talaba, ensaladang talong, and frosted lemon lime shake.

RML's Manokan Haus' generous serving of oyster
Another place best to eat out in Kalibo is Latte Cafe. This restaurant can be found in 3 locations around Kalibo. They are not only known for their coffee but also for their Longganisa Aklan best for breakfast and bakers' confectioneries such as blueberry cheesecake, black forest cake, New York style cheesecake, pistachio cake and others.

The newest Latte Cafe branch in town, beside Marzon Hotel
I tried their Longsilog, blueberry waffle, blueberry cheesecake and signature brewed coffee
Their collection of mouth-watering cakes

Where to Stay

Kalibo offers a number of backpackers' inn, hotels, and dormitories. They are in fact, just appeared all around the town and have increased in number particularly because of the need for lodging during the Ati-Atihan Festival. These accommodations range from budget inns with fan rooms with shared bathrooms to cozy hotels. Here are some I would recommend staying at (sorted by price, cheapest to costliest):

Marzon Hotel
Sta. Monica, Andagao, Kalibo, Aklan
(036) 268-2188
www.marzonhotelkalibo.com
Price from: Php 1,680.00 (2 single beds)

Suburbia Garden Hotel
Tigayon Road, Kalibo, Aklan (behind Sta. Barbara Chapel, Tigayon)
(036) 268-1621
www.facebook.com/suburbia
Price from: Php 1,400.00

Aranas-Carillo  Travellers' Inn
Regino Roldan St., City Proper, Kalibo, Aklan
+639985649239
www.facebook.com/aranas-carillo
Price from: Php 700.00

RB Lodge
Pastrana Street, Kalibo, Aklan
(036) 268-5200 | (036) 262-4155
www.facebook.com/RBLodgeKalibo/
Price from: Php 450.00

Ati-Atihan Country Inn
D. Maagma Sr. St., Kalibo, Aklan
(036) 268-6116
www.facebook.com/atiatihaninn
Price from: Php 150.00 (dormitory type)

How to get there:

From Manila:
If you're planning to travel from Manila, you have two options to get to Kalibo International Airport - you can take Cebu Pacific or Philippine Airlines, which offer several flights daily. During seat sales, tickets can be as low as P1,000, while prices can go up to P4,500 during peak seasons.

From Iloilo:
Meanwhile, if you're coming from Iloilo, you can head to Tagbak Terminal in Jaro to catch a Ceres Bus Liner that will take you to Kalibo or Caticlan Jetty Port in about 5 hours. The fare ranges from P330.00 to P370.00.


Getting around:

Once you're in Kalibo, the easiest and most affordable way to get around is by taking one of the color-coded tricycles that are readily available almost everywhere in the city.

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