Kayaking in Antique, Philippines

White-water kayaking

Success is a journey-not a destination

The final destination for my 4 week adventure was Boracay but, on the way we were eagerly anticipating some white water action on the Tibiao river in Antique on the island of Panay ( a few hours south of Caticlan; the gateway to Boracay). What we got far surpassed our hopes and has left me with a raging thirst for more white water kayaking.

Our adventure began in a place called Tibiao in the north-west of Antique. From Tibiao we drove several kilometers up a dirt track into the mountains, to the Kayak Inn, run by Australian Greg Hutchinson, the only resort dedicated to kayakers in the Philippines. The Lonely Planet describes the Kayak Inn as a simple, primitive paradise; I concur. We all felt that we had found it, a paradise.

The best time of year to go Kayaking on the Tibiao river is between July-January, when the rains come, but , due to the heavy rain we have had this year, there was still good white water for us in March.

The Tibiao river is narrow and rocky and you need a short kayak to manage the shutes, slaloms, holes and small drops. You don’t need to be an experienced kayaker to run the river but it helps to make the right choice of kayak. The Kayak Inn provides two types of kayak; sit-on variety for the less experienced and the sit-in type for the experienced. Although the river is navigable by kayak for about 23km the usual route is either 8Km or a shorter 3km, which allows for an easy return to the starting point. Without a pickup truck an 8km walk back with a kayak is not very appealing. As we had driven all the way from Cebu in a pick-up truck it was easy to put the kayaks in the back , drive back and do the run all over again, each time attempting to improve by trying not to fall out of the kayak as many times as the previous run.

My first ‘Go’ was a bit embarrassing as I had foolishly elected to take a sit-in kayak despite no previous experience of this type of craft. I soon found out that they are as stable as a Hippo on a tightrope as I toppled over at the first rapid and struggled to get back in. Not only that but I suffered several bruises on my legs aswell as a bruised pride.
Thankfully we were all wearing helmets and foam lifevests which protected us from the rocks. Otherwise I might not be writing this story. But, perseverance is the way to success and the best thing to do after a fall is get back on, so I did. This experience was far more demanding than the white-water rafting experience in Cagayan a few weeks earlier. I quickly swopped kayaks with one of the guides so I could use an easier and more stable sit-on type..

Upper body strength is an asset but not essential, as the most important skill is a good sense of balance and good steering skills. I soon realized that it was an advantage to be directly behind the guide because then you could more easily follow him, and so take the correct line. At the back it was more difficult to read the correct route through the rapids, rocks, drops and slaloms and this invariably led to a capsize. After the first run we couldn’t wait to have another go, despite the bruises from my first rude capsize

There were also a few quiet sections of water for us to relax and take in the breathtaking scenery, wave to local children on the riverbank and for us to take a cool dip. After four runs I really felt like I had improved. I was certainly not falling off as much as I had on my first go ,and I felt like I was beginning to get the hang of the paddling and steering.

In the evening we were treated to a native ‘kawa’; this is a fire-heated giant wok made of iron which is big enough to bathe one man. I was worried that the locals were going to cook us for dinner ,but my worries went unfounded as we sat in the baths, easing our bruises , listening to the glorious rush of the river in the Canyon 50M below us. We all slept very well in the cool mountain air; no fan was needed and we even required a sheet to stay warm. The locals tend to go to bed early, as there is no electricity and not a lot to do in the evenings, but we were not complaining, as we slept gloriously after our kayaking and hot baths.

Sheila, who manages the Kayak Inn in Greg’s absence will do all your cooking for you. It’s best to get all the ingredients before you come from the local markets in town although she will get the food from town for a nomianal fee. The room at the Kayak Inn cost P400. It was just big enough for 2 adults and a child. Our other 2 adventurers slept out on a mattress under a nippa roof, in the restaurant for a nominal P200 each.

The Kayak Inn charges P500 for a half day’s kayak rental and P800 for a whole day’s rental. The guides are P200 a day and Sheila should also be rewarded for her culinary efforts.

Alternatively, you can go with Tribal Adventure Tours( arranged in Manila or Boracay). They charge P3000 for a trip from Boracay ( it takes about 2 hours from Boracay to Tibiao).

Asides from kayaking there is a beautiful series of waterfalls which is well worth a visit.within the vicinity of the Kayak Inn. There are seven waterfalls in all but only 3 are easily accessible and two of them require a bit of climbing. But the trek of 30 mins is well worth it as the scenery is beautiful, the water is fresh and cool and the ambience is pure quality.

Just so you know how good the Kayak Inn is we stopped off there again on our drive back from Boracay to Cebu. Bring on the rainy season again.
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