#Antique itsmorefuninthephilippines travelPH traveler July adventures travelphotography

[mayfrail-blog]

Like the 4th of July.

Antique is one of the underrated provinces in the Philippines when it comes to tourism. It is part of Panay Region neighboring Iloilo and Aklan, 

The nights are darker and the silence is truly golden in Antique. 

A warm bath in Siraan, Anini-y is perfect for a long day of travel and weeks of heavy burden at work. Just across the hot spring, a 20-minute bangka ride, is the mystical and secluded island of Nogas. An atmosphere of enchantment welcomed us as we passed through the manicured trees for a Wonderland-ish experience. 

Antique also offers a unique experience of relaxation inside a kawa (big pan) with the river flowing and birds chirping up above as background music.

A couple of towns away from Anini-y is the remarkable island of Mararison. It was the exit point of Typhoon Yolanda in 2013. Only three houses sheltering 5- 6 families withstood the wrath of nature.The rest were left homeless, pieces of their houses and fishing boats were adrift. This tragic story gave me goosebumps as we hiked up to the mountains. Yet seeing how this place have recovered from scratch gave me hope for this generation. 

The community of Mararison Island is now focusing on their tourism as livelihood. It has a sand bar facing the mighty Mount Madja-as where we stayed the night for a swim and star gazing. The crystal clear water of the white sand beach glistened as the sun came up and the image of it was worth witnessing.

Here's a shout out to humanity! We are survivors no matter how devastating the situation could get. We have helping hands to serve those who are in need. We have gentle and caring hearts to comfort and protect those who are in pain and traumatized. We are all sworn knights for that matter.