Now, if you are fond of grilling your own meal for dinner just like the Koreans do, don't miss the Pinoy version of Espacio Verde Resort and experience outdoor cooking at their Veranda Restaurant.

Also if you have that little extra budget, try to experience the comfort and luxurious stay in their villas!

Another must try with a scenic view overlooking Roxas City is Cafe Terraza! 

A Scenic Hilltop dinning restaurant that is perfect for you to enjoy an exquisite dinning experience either day or night! 

One of the must try here is their seafoods Kare-Kare! ohh just saying its name brings back the glorious flavor on my taste buds! And just like any other Kare-Kare it also blends perfectly with baguong or shrimp paste – but of course, shrimp pastes in Roxas City is not just your ordinary shrimp paste!  

Another favorite and best seller here is the salt & pepper squid in honey butter sauce! Just imagine the taste by its name, superb! It's a perfect blending of flavors with a very fresh and soft squids! Makes me really hungry every time I think about it!

Taking a rest on seafood, let's not forget about the food for our soul. 

The Sacred Heart of Jesus in Roxas City, Capiz is a marvelous religious site know to be the tallest statue of Jesus Christ in the Philippines, standing at 132-feet high. The structure was completed last January 5, 2015 and now a religious venue for their rich cultural and local traditions or "panata". They offer daily mass here every 11am and daily confessions from 9 to 11am.

Having our mind, body, and soul set for another adventure, its time for the next highlight of our Panay Island adventure:

3. #IslandofGiants

It's actually my second time visiting Islas de Gigantes and it's good to know that there are many improvements now to make things easier for travelers. The Gigantes Travelhub & Café for one by Las Islas Travel and Tours. 

It's a perfect rendezvous place for all travelers of Gigantes and where unlike before, people now have a comfortable place to chill and have coffee while waiting for their boat. This is actually the pickup point for those who booked with Las Islas and even for joiners who are doing DIYs. This is where we were greeted by our tour guide and Gigantes Island expert, Mr. Alfred Yap. 

From the port to the first island of Gigantes, it will take you approximately 2 hours and this is where Sir Alfred's specialty comes in. We got some anecdotes about Islas de Gigantes while on transit that we haven't noticed that we traveled the sea for that long. We began our adventure with Pulupandan Islet, a sandbar which used to be known for its only-three coconut trees standing but since typhoon Yolanda rampage the area it was left but only one coconut tree. Nevertheless, it has promising spots for pictorials and sunbathing.
Islas de Gigantes is probably the second most sensationalized destination in Panay Island aside from Boracay. It is famous with its now called "selfie" island – the Cabugao Island that stormed the social media alongside with the Tanke Lagoon which is the Palawan-like rock formation. These two famous destinations brought in thousands of tourists from all around the world to Islas de Gigantes.

By this time, we actually expected a huge crowd especially it was the peak of summer period and the advent of Boracay Closure. As we arrived at Isla ng Tanke or Tanke lagoon, however, to my surprise, the crowd was way more than what I have expected, haha. 

Still beautiful though, no wonder why people around the world are trying to get a chance to have their picture taken in this marvelous art of nature. A little route management of boats and crowd control and it will be perfect! 

Another Improvement here is that now they have built a wharf and a stable bridge that made it easier for visitors to get into the island from their boats. Unlike before as I remembered, we used to climb the rocks from the boat to get into the lagoon.

Next stop, is Antonia Beach. 

A privately owned Island that was named after their great-grandmother Anotnia. Improvements I found here are overnight tents and a lot of water-sports activities now available in the Island. Also, the place is still a beauty for picture takings!

The Next Boracay: Tinagong Dagat! This Island of Islas De Gigantes got to have the finest powdery-white-sand that is comparable to the famous white-sand of Boracay.

I don't know what, but there's got to be something in Western Visayas for them to have a very good marine sanctuary and the finest variety of white-sand in the Philippines. This is the part of our tour where we mostly enjoy swimming and idling by the seashore.

Next stop is where we had our lunch, Bantigue Sand Bar. 

Another thing that comes to mind when you say Islas de Gigantes is Scallops! fresh-catch and native scallops! Probably the best tasting and best texture of scallops in the Philippines, here at Gigantes you can buy a bucket of them at a very cheap price (for as low as 1 peso a piece!). So yeah, we knock ourselves out with the best-tasting scallops in the Philippines!
The next four highlights of our Panay Island adventure can be found in the Province of Antique! 
4. #KasaRayaInn

Here we stayed at Kasa Raya Inn, strategically located and a perfect jump-off for all your antique adventure!  
What I love about Kasa Raya is that everything about it screams proudly Pinoy (Filipino). I love how it highlighted our culture, from the outstanding hospitality of their staffs, delicious food, up to the overall ambiance of the place that is so tropical, very relaxing, nostalgic, and cozy. And of course, the most important thing is that it is clean and comfortable.
If you want to slow down the time from the very hectic and busy City-life, this is the place for you to be. Surrounded by rice field and a scenic view of the mountains, surely you'll have a peace of mind.
Kasa Raya Inn is perfect for budget travelers and those who would really like to immerse in one's culture when they travel. For as low as 500 pesos, you already can have a room inclusive of breakfast! For more information/promo packages they offer, bookings,  and reservations you may contact Ms. Aph Cruz at Tel. no (036) 521-0725 09177093856 (Globe), or 09395340828 (Smart).
In photos are the owners of Las Islas Travel and Tours Mr. Alex Española and Ms. Aph Cruz together with my terrific travel buddy Mon Villaverde. Also the Kaya Raya resident doggies, RItz and Ascot. Probably the most special dinner we had during our trip where we were served with a fresh-catch fish from Seco Island cooked by the master-artist and culinary expert Sir Alex! Indeed, you can really distinguish the flavor of a fresh-catch fish from the ones cooked and bought from the market.
5. #LegendaryRollingHills
Whenever you find yourself in Antique, one destination that you should never miss is Malalison (pronounced as Mararison) Island. This is also my second time to visit the Island but the exciting feeling to hike and witness the magnificent view of the Island never fades. And this time around, I've learned more about the Island thanks to our tour guide.
Unlike the first time I went there, it was actually just a naked beach and you have to do everything all by yourself (setting up camp, navigate the island and even hike the hills all by yourself). Now with the effort of the local government and community living in the island, Mararison is more organized and developed. They now have cottages for you to rest, information assistance desks, and guides that will help navigate and inform you about the island. 
Mararison is actually a living example of the saying "there's a rainbow after the rain" for the beauty of the island was only noticed by both local and international community/tourists after the island was greatly devastated by the typhoon, Yolanda. It was by then all help from other countries came to the island and people around the world saw its hidden beauty. 
Another trivia about the Island is that is has a folk story. According to legends, Madya-as (Highest peak in Panay) and Kanla-on (An active volcano & the highest peak in the Visayas) has three stubborn children namely Mararison, Batbatan, and Maningning. Marirason was fond of violating rules, protesting over their parents, hence the Ilonggo term "Malalis" which means to protest or answer back. Batbatan grew up to be the strongest but disobeys his parents and the elders. Manining was the prettiest in Antique but she grew up to be very lazy and refuses to do household chores. Because of their attitudes, the chief god Bulalakaw punished them, threw them to the sea and turned them into islands. Being the first born son and most loved by his parents, Marirason was the nearest, also because he realized his mistakes but it was too late. 

Rolling Hills of the "Malalis" Mararison

6. #MysticalColdSpring
Another famous destination in Antique is the Malumpati Cold Spring. It is a perfect summer destination for the whole family or friends with all its amenities and water-activities. 
Famous with its very deep waters, it's very name came from the saying "Malumpat ang Ati" which in Ilonggo means the Ati (One of the indigenous tribe in the Philippines) will jump. They are also known for river rafting, unfortunately, the timing for us is not perfect because we went there on the peak of summer where the water current is not strong enough for the activity. Nevertheless, we took the opportunity to appreciate the nature tour which is perfect for the season where the water is very calm and pretty turquoise colored.
Take the 30-minute trail and be enchanted with the beautiful nature in its untouched form. Hear it sing and feel it breathe to you the fresh forest air.
The Mystical Blue Lagoon in the above photo is one of the deepest body of water in the land where its total deepness is still unknown up to this date. Divings in the area were discontinued brought by the dangers encountered from previous exploration thereof and also for the purpose of nature conservation.
7. #KawaBath
Last but definitely not the least is the Kawa bath in Tibiao, Antique. Reward your self after a tiring trip or from stressful work with a very relaxing and therapeutic hot bath. We had our relaxing bath at Bluewave where you can have your seasoned hot bath for only 200 pesos.
That's it, folks! So if you're planning your next summer vacation or if you happened to be in one of the provinces of Panay Island you already know where to go and what must you include in your itinerary!

For your own travel convenience and for a worthy vacation, trust only the professionals, protect yourselves from fly-by-night operators (scammers) and only book your tour with the best that is

And here are the reasons why you should choose Las Islas over other tour agencies for your dream vacation!