Getting Cooked in Culasi, Antique

By Wanderingjoshua
I was looking for something unique to do during my trip to Panay. I just came from Boracay and decided to head to Antique. I've heard good things about Malalison Island and the very unique kawa hot bath in Tibiao.

My Goose Was Cooked
I arrived in Antique at a bad time, Typhoon Ruby was already wreaking havoc in Samar on its way to Panay. The boat trips to Malalison Island were cancelled a day before the storm made landfall. So I was stuck with nothing else to do in Antique. Thankfully, the kawa hot bath was still an option.

I didn't know anything about the kawa hot bath till I saw pictures of it online. It looked like a unique experience I have yet to try. Who wouldn't to experience getting cooked?

I found the preparation for the kawa hot bath quite amusing. The big kawa (it looked like a gigantic cooking pot) was heated using firewood and the family that took care of the place added some leaves (it was like mint) and flowers into the mix. It really did look like they were preparing to cook something.

As soon as the bath was warm enough, my new found friend and I (met her through couchsurfing in Antique) dipped into the bath. It was quite an experience to be actually in a kawa hot bath with a live fire heating it up. I would've loved to explore more of Antique but the bad weather ruined my trip, maybe next time.
*There is a fee of P200 per person for the kawa hot bath.
How to Get to Tibiao
Ride a bus bound for San Jose then tell the conductor you want to alight at the Tibiao Fish Spa or Barangay Importante, they'd immediately know where it is. Once at the junction, you can hire a motorcycle with driver for P70 one way to get to the kawa hot bath area.