OUR AWESOME PLANET

KALIBO: Planning Your Kalibo Escape with the Family

We want our boys to be grounded with the right Filipino values and culture. We want them to experience what a real Filipino fiesta is all about with us, and tell stories about the Ati-Atihan in Kalibo.

We know that someday they will outgrow us and experience the fiestas with their own set of friends. 

However, it was very difficult to research on Kalibo's Ati-Atihan because the internet searches are dominated by the hotel-booking companies, and the festival itself is overshadowed by the marketing-savvy Sinulog Festival in Cebu. 

Also, we did not know anyone from Kalibo and the official website does not help either in explaining what to expect from the Ati-Atihan.

That's why I am very passionate about completing this Kalibo Ati-Atihan blog series to share with other families on how to plan their own Ati-Atihan experience even if you don't know anyone in Kalibo. This also serves as my own notes of learning and what to do differently next time we attend a fiesta.

Here are the Final Tips on Planning Your Kalibo Escape with the Family:

THE BEST OF KALIBO SERIES:

• KALIBO: What to Expect in the Sto. Niño ATI-ATIHAN Festival in Kalibo?
• KALIBO: Where are the Best Places to Eat in Kalibo?
• KALIBO: SAYLO Cuisine - The Best in Kalibo?
• KALIBO: LATTE Coffee Cafe @ Marzon's Hotel
• KALIBO: BAKHAWAN Eco-Park's 1.1 km Mangrove Eco-Trail
• KALIBO: The Secrets of SAMPAGUITA GARDEN
• KALIBO: Planning Your Kalibo Escape with your Family

KALIBO: The Secrets of SAMPAGUITA GARDENS

SAMPAGUITA GARDENS is a 2.6- hectare boutique resort located in Aklan of Sam Butcher, the artist and creator of the Precious Moments doll with its signature teardrop loving eyes.

The center of the gardens is Jojo's Christmas Cottage which is a Victorian cottage that offers Christmas Everyday Experience. It has a Precious Moments store in the ground floor and the JCC Museum of Christmas in the upper floors showcasing Precious Moments collectibles.

It is 15 minutes away from the Kalibo Airport and most families that travel to Boracay would make it a point to stay one more night in this Resort before flying out of Kalibo.

Some of the areas of the Resort are a bit dilapidated, but still functional. It is best to go as a side-trip during the Ati-Atihan festival or during the cold BER season in time for Christmas.

Check out what's inside Sampaguita Gardens: 

THE BEST OF KALIBO SERIES:

• KALIBO: What to Expect in the Sto. Niño ATI-ATIHAN Festival in Kalibo?
• KALIBO: Where are the Best Places to Eat in Kalibo?
• KALIBO: SAYLO Cuisine - The Best in Kalibo?
• KALIBO: LATTE Coffee Cafe @ Marzon's Hotel
• KALIBO: BAKHAWAN Eco-Park's 1.1 km Mangrove Eco-Trail
• KALIBO: The Secrets of SAMPAGUITA GARDEN
• KALIBO: Planning Your Kalibo Escape with your Family

KALIBO: BAKHAWAN Eco-Park's 1.1km Mangrove Eco-Trail

Kalibo's Bakhawan Eco-Park is a 220- hectare Mangrove forest which started in 1990 with just 50 hectares of reclaimed land created by the Kalibo Save the Mangrove Association (KASAMA for short)and with 200 members to date. 

I was skeptical at first to go to this Mangrove forest as I thought it was one of those tourist-trap sidetrips. But after walking through the 1.1km. eco-trail and back, we concluded that this is one of the best eco-walks we've ever seen even better than the Mangrove forest in Sabang, Puerto Princesa, Palawan.

It's a must-visit if you have time to explore Kalibo and don't miss to try the mangrove woodworm delicacy called "Tamilok" :)

Here's our BAKHAWAN Eco-Park's 1.1km Mangrove Eco-Trail experience:

THE BEST OF KALIBO SERIES:

• KALIBO: What to Expect in the Sto. Niño ATI-ATIHAN Festival in Kalibo?
• KALIBO: Where are the Best Places to Eat in Kalibo?
• KALIBO: SAYLO Cuisine - The Best in Kalibo?
• KALIBO: LATTE Coffee Cafe @ Marzon's Hotel
• KALIBO: BAKHAWAN Eco-Park's 1.1 km Mangrove Eco-Trail
• KALIBO: SAMPAGUITA GARDEN's Precious Moments
• KALIBO: Planning Your Kalibo Escape with your Family

KALIBO: Where are the Best Places to Eat in Kalibo?

KALIBO is a melting pot and transit hub of the Aklan province. Its food offerings are most often overshadowed by the best fresh seafood in the nearby province of Capiz or the yummy Ilonggo food in Iloilo. Most people just pass by this municipality that aspires to be a city one day.  

It was a bit hard to research online about places to eat in Kalibo. Most of the recommendations online are intended for the transit tourists or the Ati-atihan backpackers but not for foodies looking for yummy local food to better appreciate the Aklanon culture.

After a three-day food trip during the Ati-Atihan Festival with more misses than home runs, here are the best places to eat in Kalibo:

THE BEST OF KALIBO SERIES:

• KALIBO: What to Expect in the Sto. Niño ATI-ATIHAN Festival in Kalibo?
• KALIBO: Where are the Best Places to Eat in Kalibo?
• KALIBO: SAYLO Cuisine - The Best in Kalibo?
• KALIBO: LATTE Coffee Cafe @ Marzon's Hotel
• KALIBO: BAKHAWAN Eco-Park's 1.1 km Mangrove Eco-Trail
• KALIBO: The Secrets of SAMPAGUITA GARDEN
• KALIBO: Planning Your Kalibo Escape with your Family

KALIBO: LATTE Coffee Cafe @ Marzon's Hotel

LATTE is the best place for breakfast in Kalibo. It opens as early as 7am and offers your breakfast favorites, comfort food and yummy cakes. 

It's conveniently located in the road that leads to the airport and beside the best hotel in Kalibo. 

It gets mixed reviews because of inconsistencies, but we love the selection of comfort food.

We kicked off Aidan's 8th birthday celebration with a yummy breakfast here:

THE BEST OF KALIBO SERIES:

• KALIBO: What to Expect in the Sto. Niño ATI-ATIHAN Festival in Kalibo?
• KALIBO: Where are the Best Places to Eat in Kalibo?
• KALIBO: SAYLO Cuisine - The Best in Kalibo?
• KALIBO: LATTE Coffee Cafe @ Marzon's Hotel
• KALIBO: BAKHAWAN Eco-Park's 1.1 km Mangrove Eco-Trail
• KALIBO: The Secrets of SAMPAGUITA GARDEN
• KALIBO: Planning Your Kalibo Escape with your Family

KALIBO: SAYLO Cuisine - The Best Restaurant in Kalibo?

SAYLO is a Visayan term which means "to welcome" or "to invite to come in".

It is also a term which means "to transfer" which has a double meaning -- it's a good transfer stopover when you are flying via Kalibo International Airport, or if you are tired of Latte -  you transfer to Saylo.

We love the hip ambiance, offering of authentic Aklanon food with a good presentation and the yummy pasta. The only thing that turned us off  was the "provincial" service from the staff - lax, not trained well, and inattentive. 

Still, SAYLO gets our vote as the Best Restaurant in Kalibo! Check out our Saylo Experience...

THE BEST OF KALIBO SERIES:

• KALIBO: What to Expect in the Sto. Niño ATI-ATIHAN Festival in Kalibo?
• KALIBO: Where are the Best Places to Eat in Kalibo?
• KALIBO: SAYLO Cuisine - The Best Restaurant in Kalibo?
• KALIBO: LATTE Coffee Cafe @ Marzon's Hotel
• KALIBO: BAKHAWAN Eco-Park's 1.1 km Mangrove Eco-Trail
• KALIBO: The Secrets of SAMPAGUITA GARDEN
• KALIBO: Planning Your Kalibo Escape with your Family