Diary of a smart adventurer

(PART ONE)

It was an adventure like no other... Three consecutive days of trekking, hiking, boating, swimming and of course, food tripping. Definitely we all need good food after each grueling action. With the gorgeous Boracay island as our home, we visited the island’s surrounding ecotourism destinations.

I was invited by Smart Communications, Inc., the country’s leading wireless communications company, in cooperation with the Philippine-Canada Local Government Support Program (LGSP), on a familiarization tour of these untapped and hidden lures of Western Visayas, particularly Aklan and Antique.

The country is endowed with so much environmental and cultural wealth that range from the wide expanse of tropical forests and marine resources to numerous indigenous peoples whose cultures have been preserved for hundreds of years.

Smart saw the great potential for the Philippines to become a major ecotourism destination paving the way to launch its ecotours dubbed as "Ocho-Ocho: 8 Ecotours, 8 Destinations."

"The promotion of ecotourism and responsible travel is one of Smart’s key advocacies under its corporate social responsibility program," said Ramon Isberto, Public Affairs Head of Smart.

The eight ecotours in eight destinations in Iloilo, Aklan and Antique are all community-based sustainable tourism projects that were developed in line with the government’s objective of promoting ecotourism in the country.

According to Maria Monina Flores, ecotourism development consultant, "The ecotours that were developed in the towns of San Joaquin, Ajuy and Concepcion in Iloilo; Kalibo, Tangalan, Malay and Nabas in Aklan; and Pandan, Antique were all designed to improve the quality of life of the people, provide a unique natural and cultural experience for the visitors and maintain the integrity of the environment."

Flores was engaged by LGSP to design the ecotours and to develop the capacity of the communities and local government units to implement them. Thus, the experience of the ecotourist varies according to the natural, historical and cultural attractions of the area.

Day One

I was met by Smart’s Wo Rosete at the Manila Domestic Airport for our flight to Caticlan. From the airport we headed to Caticlan Port and rode a motorized boat to Boracay.

It is always a delight to go to Boracay. It has been one of my favorite vacation destinations since I first set foot on the island a few years ago.

The boat docked at Station 1 where we then proceeded to Pink Patio Resort to check-in and have our late lunch. And since we have nothing to do, we were free to go around the island. But as for me, I opted to stay in my room, tried to catch some sleep and I woke up just in time for our briefing and dinner.

I went to bed earlier than usual in anticipation of the packed itinerary the next day.

Day Two

It has been raining for days prior our arrival so we were really surprised when we woke up to a clear sky.

After a long ride going to Malonggong Story Center in Pandan, Antique, we were treated to a story-telling of local legends and the local "ngut-ngut" music.

Malumpati Forest and Spring Resort is a 20-minute motorcycle ride from the Story Center. The trek to this Northwest Panay Peninsula Natural Park, the only remaining low elevation rainforest in West Visayas with high biodiversity, boasts of the world’s rarest hornbill (the Visayan Writhbilled hornbill) and the Varanus Mabitang, a lizard that is said to be new to science and one of the biggest in the world.

From Malumpati Spring, we went to the nearby Bugang River where we traveled to Pandan Bay via a small boat which can only accommodate two people, the passenger and the boatman. More than the views of mangroves, some colorful rocks and river corals, I was treated to at least an hour of peace and quiet.

The waterways that flows through the town, has won the title of "Cleanest River in Western Visayas" for six years (1996-2001) and has been a consistent finalist in the national category for that period.

The Bugang River tour package is available for as low as R1,576 per person (minimum of five persons), inclusive of entrance fee, morning and afternoon snacks, lunch, motorcycle transfer, trail guide and boatmen.

Day Three

Our next stop was Nabas in Aklan. We drove our way to Barangay Tagororoc for the so-called "Buyong Trail Challenge."

Barangay Tagaroroc provides the gateway to the highlands of Nabas where unique wildlife abounds.

We made a few stopovers on our way to Bantud View Deck wherein the locals did a livelihood presentation on copra (one of their major resources), a presentation on jungle survival and a visit to their agricultural land technology project.

The nature tripper will enjoy Nabas where the last remaining intact lowland rainforest and crystal clear rivers, water basins and waterfalls in the country are found.

After the trek, we had lunch near the Tuog River Basin where the locals served us, among others, a dish called "binabak," a mix of steamed shredded shrimp and coconut.

Day Four

Since it was last on our itinerary, I thought it was going to be an easy trek.

It was actually a breeze walking through Pangihan Cave, not until we encountered mud. It took us almost an hour to get out of the 80-meter Cave.

And as we were recounting our experiences on our way to Bonbongan Beach, exhaustion has finally caught up. I did not even had the energy to eat lunch. To cut the story short, I never made it to Tuhaw Hills, I decided to go back to Boracay. Of course, I had to exit in style...I sailed back on a "paraw" (a racing sailboat).

Although I was tired, I didn’t pass up the chance to unwind and experience once more the famed Boracay nightlife. On our way to Cocomangas, I met Camp Puka Bora owner Stevie Tajanlangit who introduced me to his artists/friends who were billeted in the said resort. He prodded me to visit the place the next day.

(To be concluded)