The Islands of Concepcion

A long time ago, Boracay was a virtually unknown island. It was Aklan's gem waiting to be discovered by the world. People who would visit the island used to have an adventure, they must ride a bus from Kalibo and go to Malay via Libertad, Antique since there was no coastal highway yet. And the roads were rough and the trip would take at least 3-4 hours. After arriving in Malay, they must then find a fishing boat that will take them to the island. And after riding a small boat, they would arrive in the powdery white sand beach of Boracay. And some would camp out at night since there were still no resorts and bonfires were a necessity since there was no electricity in the island.

But how things have changed. Today the island has resorts like a zit on a teenager's face. The beach is a lot smaller because of the resorts, the Ati's along the beach looking for worms can no longer be seen, and cheap is the last word that you'll ever hear. The deafening silence of night is replaced with loud party music, the joy of relaxation is replaced by bottles of alcohol, and the reefs that you used to see are no longer there.

I like to remember Boracay as I saw it for the first time as a kid. And nostalgia kicked in once I had a chance to visit Concepcion.

a glimpse of the majestic Mt. Manaphag or Mt. Pan de Azucar, one of the tallest peaks in Panay

After deciding not to attend our review class, we rode a bus to Concepcion, where or buddies were waiting for us. After a three hour bus ride, we arrived at the town of Concepcion. We met up with our buddies, and after a hefty lunch, we bought important items like rice, water, flashlights, coal, pork and fish. We managed to hitch a ride with a local religious group and paid only a small amount for the boatman.

After a 15-20 minute boat ride, I was awed by the island that we were going to camp in. The yellowish-white sand, no people, no disco music, just us. We stayed in Sand Bar Island Beach Resort, Bulubadiangan Island, Concepcion. They had cottages for rent for P1000 but we decided to set-up tents instead. We paid only P300. And as usual, I had to explore the beach...

locals told us that you can walk to the other island when its low tide

tents

now this is how I like to relax

walking barefoot is the way to go

Sand Bar Island Beach Resort, Bulubadiangan Island

a view of the sun setting in the mainland from Bulubadianan Island

off to go fishing

breathtaking sunset

what's an evening under the stars without a bonfire? We paid P300 for it.

electricity went off after 10pm

bamboo long chairs were provided by the management for our evening bonfire.

view of Mt. Manaphag in Pan de Azucar Island in the morning

after waking up, we decided to check on the locals preparing crab traps.

we also decided to circumnavigate the island

after dealing with sharp rocks and short rock climbs, we were able to go around the island

after our lunch we had a tour to the other islands for P500

Agho Island

cottage in Agho Island

crystal clear waters in Agho Island

view of Mt. Manaphag in Pan de Azucar Island from Agho Island

Malangabang Island in the background

Mt. Pan de Azucar or Mt. Manaphag and Agho Island

reefs near Agho Island are great for snorkeling

Bulubadiangan Island

After our last look around the island, we took a small fishing boat to the mainland. Since the boatman was strictly practicing his being Christian, he only charged us for the gasoline used and for his snack later. I was practicing my religion as well, since we encountered too large for comfort waves and the water in the boat went as high 6 inches from my ankles. That was a trip that I'll never forget... Ever....