Ultimate Guide for Budget Traveler and Adventure Seeker

Maybe it's weird for some to see people taking a dip into a large clay wok with flower petals and leaves. This is not new in the Phili...

Antique : The Kawa Hot Bath Experience

Maybe it's weird for some to see people taking a dip into a large clay wok with flower petals and leaves. This is not new in the Philippines especially in the province of Antique. A lot of local and international tourists are visiting the province to experience this unique spa experience. It's called the "Kawa Hot Bath".


The Kawa Hot Bath is one of the famous activity in Antique. Most of these can be found in the quiet town of Tibiao, which is the first and the most popular place for kawa hot baths. The giant wok (vat or cauldron), or kawa (tagalog word), traditionally used for cooking muscovado sugar which is now converted to a hot tub.


The kawa takes some time to prepare. They filled it with water and strewn with flower petals and herbal leaves. They burn up wood to heat up the water to your desired temperature. You can to tell to the staff of  the resort if the water is already warm so they can stop the fire under the "Kawa."


The warm water with flower petals and leaves was very relaxing. It removed the stress of my aching body after the long day tour around the province. I highly recommend to put the Kawa Bath Experience at the end of the tour. The rate is P300/ head for 30 minutes.


If you want to stay overnight near the Kawa Hot Bath, there are available budget-friendly accommodation around the area. Most of these resorts are just beside the river. Room rates start from at P300 / head standard fan room.  There are also available air-conditioned rooms for P1000 per head  depending on the season.


During my stay in Antique, I stayed  in Kasa Raya Inn. This charming stilt-house is located along the main road in Tibiao which is the jump off point for travelers who want to visit  the Kawa Bath,  Seco Island, Malumpati Cold Springs,  Bugtung Batu Falls, Malalison Island, and other destinations in Antique.

Kasa Raya Inn offers simple yet clean rooms with comfy beds, meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner and Antique package tours with a friendly tour guide.

Aside from Kawa Hot Bath, other activities that you could enjoy include swimming, kayaking, chasing water falls, water tubing, hiking and a lot more.

If you are in Antique, don't forget to visit some of the best places in the province including Mararison Island, Seco Island, Nogas Island, Malumpati Cold Spring, Bugtong Bato Falls, Igbaclag Cave / Stone Castle, Patnongon Ruins, Bantayog ng Wika and a lot more

There are several ways to reach the province of Antique. There are terminals in Kalibo, Aklan and Iloilo City that will bring you directly to Antique.

How to get to Antique 

From Clark, take a flight going to Antique. Philippine Airlines (PAL) recently launched direct flights from Clark in Pampanga to San Jose de Buenavista, the provincial capital. The aircraft leaves Clark at 6:00 AM every Sunday and Tuesday, arriving in San Jose de Buenavista at 7:20 AM. The return flight, PR2206, departs Antique 20 minutes later at 7:40 AM, arriving in Clark at 9:00 AM.

Other options

(From Boracay, Aklan) From Manila, take a flight going to Aklan. Airlines such Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific fly daily to Aklan.  From Kalibo, take a tricycle to the Kalibo bus terminal and ride a Ceres Bus to Antique. From Kalibo, buses ply the route to Pandan and San Jose de Buenavista. Travel time to Antique is 2-3 hours from Boracay or Kalibo.

(From Iloilo) From Manila, take a flight going to Iloilo City. Airlines such Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific fly daily to Iloilo City. From the airport, take a van to Molo Terminal (P50). Then take another van (P110) or jeepney to Antique. From Iloilo, buses and vans take two main roads: the mountain and coastal road. Travel time to Antique is 3-4 hours from Iloilo. Travel time to Antique is 3-4 hours from Iloilo.

For hassle-free tour, you may contact Las Islas Travel & Tours. It offers package tour inclusive of accommodation, transportation to several destinations, all entrance and environmental fees and friendly tour guide. This local travel agency also handles tours all around Panay Island including Capiz, Aklan, and Iloilo.

Las Islas Travel & Tours

Address: 2nd Floor, Bancal Commercial Building, Bancal Port, Carles, Northern Iloilo, Panay Island, 5019, Philippines
Contact Number: : +63 0995-335-7310 / +63 0929-595-8870 / +63 34 445 1346
Website: http://lasislas.ph/ Email : info@lasislas.ph

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