7 reasons why you should camp in antonia beachCarles, Iloilo
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Day tour travellers visiting Antonia Beach
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Entrance fee is only P40
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I don't usually camp out in beaches but doing so in Antonia Beach was a worthwhile experience. Camping in the island was not as difficult as it seemed. Here are a few reasons why camping out in Antonia Beach will give you an unforgettable vacation:
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#1 sunset and sunrise can be viewed from the same beach
Unfortunately, I only have photos of the sunset. I was not able to catch the sunrise since I woke up only at 6:45 AM. Tents are set up almost facing the sunset. Although the sunset was blocked by mainland Gigantes Sur, it was still a magnificent spectacle. In the morning, the sunrise is visible from the opposite shore, a few steps away from the tents. Bottomline, the Gigantes experience will not be complete without guests witnessing both sunrise and sunset in Antonia Beach.
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#2 entrance & camping fees are budget-friendly
As an alternative to staying in resorts in Gigantes Norte (which is much more expensive), guests have the option to camp overnight in Gigantes Sur. And personally, the best place to camp out is in Antonia Beach. Campers are charged P100 to P150 pesos per person per night, if they have their own tents. If guests do not have tents, there are about 5 or more available tents in the island which can be rented at P200 per head per night. According to one of the locals, the tents were actually donated by charitable organizations after the island was devastated by typhoon Yolanda last 2013.
For tourists planning to go on a day trip to Antonia Beach, the entrance fee is only P40 to P50. If you are staying in one of the resorts in Gigantes Norte, Antonia Beach is a famous island hopping stopover during lunchtime. Tourists would usually arrive before lunch, have lunch in the island and leave right after. Compared to other islands, grilling and barbeque areas are available in Antonia Beach at a first-come first-serve basis for tourists and are usually used by boatmen/guides to prepare lunch for their guests. Tables and chairs are also set-up under the coconut trees by the beach.
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#3 seafoods are ridiculously fresh!
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Freshly prepared lunch in Antonia Beach usually includes squids, crabs, oysters, scallops and my personal favorite, wasay-wasay. Wasay-wasay looks similar to an oyster but has a different color and shape. It is literally translated as ax-ax because of its resemblance to an ax and because its shell is very sharp. That's why fishermen who gather wasay-wasay have to be experienced and very careful when handling such seafood. 
Steamed wasay
Fresh wasay waiting to be cooked
Steamed crab
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The locals prepare lunch for guests
These seafoods are usually gathered from around the island or from nearby islands. Wasay-wasay comes from another island, transported to Antonia Beach and thrown back to the sea to retain its freshness. Once guests come in and lunch has to be prepared, they gather the wasay-wasay again (usually bundled in nets) to be steamed. Since we camped in Antonia Beach, we had the luxury to eat these seafoods all day long -- for breakfast, lunch and dinner! |
#4 the tents are spacious and give a spectacular view
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Most of you would probably think that camping meant being cramped in a small tent with 2 or 3 people with all your bags using up valuable space. The tents in Antonia Beach are surprisingly spacious. It's so spacious, you can set up a pabahay showcase inside. Haha! The tents come in different sizes but the biggest ones can fit 5-6 people comfortably, with enough spaces for your big backpacks. The tent also has an ample headroom so guests can stand up inside the tent. Since the tents are set up along the beach, it gives you a spectacular view of the sea and of the nearby Bantigue sandbar. It also almost faces the west so it also gives you a good view of the sunset at late afternoon. One setback though -- there is only 1 bathroom and 1 toilet so you'll have to line up. Fresh bathing water is also available at P25 to P35 per gallon. |
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#5 coral reefs are a stone-throw away from the beach
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Antonia Beach is not only a haven of white powdery sand usually ideal for swimming. A few steps away from the sandy part of the beach are coral reefs rich in marine life. All you need is a set of snorkelling gears, a pair of fins and you're good to go. If you do not have a snorkelling gear, you can rent a set for only P50 from the only sari-sari store near the shore. The best coral reefs are located near the rocky end of Antonia Beach (see photo in upper left if using desktop browser). You can ask the locals to direct you to that area. You don't need a guide because it is generally shallow but if you are not comfortable, better ask your boatman for a life vest, which are usually provided for free as part of your island hopping tour. Since the corals are found in shallow waters, make sure you don't step on them. There are lots of fishes living in these corals and you better not ruin their homes. |
#6 a nearby cave provides venue for spelunking
Isla de Gigantes is gifted with lots of caves -- some are available for tourists to explore and some are probably too difficult to traverse and kept excluded from the tourist map. Antonia Beach has at least one cave that can be visited by tourists, which is very near the beach. To get to the mouth of the cave, you need to climb a steep stairs, which looks almost like a ladder from afar.
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It will take you about 15 minutes to get to the end of the cave. At the end, you have the option to cliff dive as exit or go back through the same route. You can only cliff dive if it is high tide. We wanted to cliff dive but the waters were too shallow so we had to go back via the same way that we went in.
#7 you can play beach volleyball during downtime
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If you get bored lounging by the beach, you can borrow a beach volleyball for a price from the same sari-sari store where you borrow snorkelling gears. The rent is P50. I There is nothing more fun than playing beach volleyball with your travel buddies. 
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damage/expenses*All-in-all, I spent less than P2,000 for the trip to Isla de Gigantes.
** The rate will depend on number of pax and services included. Please inquire through their Facebook page.
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how to get to isla de gigantes:First, you need to go to Estancia port. If you are flying from somewhere outside Panay Island, there are several gateways to Estancia: one is via Roxas City and the other one is via Iloilo City. Roxas City is only about 2 hours to Estancia while Iloilo City will take about 3-4 hours.
From Roxas City: Ride Estancia-bound Ceres bus or L300 from the Roxas terminal. The trip will end only at the Estancia bus terminal so you'll need to ride a tricycle going to Estancia port. From Iloilo City: From Iloilo City, go to Tagbak Terminal in Jaro District and ride a bus/van to Estancia. Again, trip will end at the Estancia bus terminal so you'll need to ride a tricycle going to Estancia port. From Estancia Port: Estancia Port is the most popular jump off point going to Gigantes Norte or Sur. From the port, you will need to ride a passenger boat which travels to Gigantes once at 2PM daily. The same boat goes back to Estancia port once daily, too, at 9AM. You can also opt to hire a private boat at a more expensive price. key contactOur trip was made possible by The Gigantes Experience, which you could contact through their official Facebook page.
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