Hurom-hurom and Basang Cold Springs

People coming from Boracay usually have sunburns. I personally hate sunburns. It’s on top of everyone’s list of the worst body pains one could get from excessive swimming at the beach and exposure to sunlight.

But fortunately for us, there are quite a few places we could visit in Aklan wherein we could chill out and relax from the fast paced life of Boracay. Our favorites are the cold springs of Hurom-hurom and Basang, located in the municipality of Nabas which is a good 18-kilometer drive from Caticlan.

You will reach the resort area in about 15-30 minutes from the main highway depending on the condition of the 2-kilometer rough road by the river beds of a white water river (right side of the road).

That river is actually the Gibon River and is one of the longest rivers in the country. It is said to stretch all the way to Pandan, Antique. During rainy days, when the current is strong, kids usually go on rafting trips using old make-shift salbabida (lifebuoys) with a bunch of their friends waiting downstream to catch them. It’s their version of white water rafting. We haven’t tried it yet but the locals say that it's really fun. I’d like to try that someday. I bet it’s better than paid rides. *eyes widen*

At Basang, there is nothing like enjoying the cold water while occasionally sneaking up behind our two companions who took charge of preparing lunch. Taking a few slices of bite-size, grilled salted pork and plunging back into the cold, free-flowing water is probably one of the best ways to spend a rainy get away from the city.

Going there during a rainy season had lots of advantages. One: It was freaking cold but we loved it. Even during summer, they say that the waters of both resorts are as cold as ice. The rains make the place even cooler. If you forgot to buy ice cubes for your drinks, improvise! Put your bottles of soft drinks into one of the pools and check it out after a few minutes. You’ll know what we mean.

Two: we had the place all to ourselves! There was no one in the resort, except for a few caretakers. You’ll have no problems renting lifebuoys and grills.

Basang Cold Spring has this shallow canal which supplies the cold spring water for the whole resort. Kids will surely enjoy riding on of the large salbabidas and make their way down to one of the smaller pools through an opening underneath a small bridge. We tried it and believe me when I say we felt like we were back in 5th grade.

Go there with your friends (anytime of the year except peak seasons) or maybe you and your family might actually end up having a private pool party. 

Correction – an awesome private pool party.

Check out our album:

Basang Cold Spring

Plunging in to Jawili's Seven Basins

It was mid-October when we decided to go on a trip to Aklan. We got tired of our jobs and we thought we needed some place cool to visit and unwind.

Our destination was one of Aklan’s most popular tourist spots– the Jawili falls and its famous 7 basins. In just an hour's trip from Caticlan and 30 minutes away from Kalibo, you can reach this place by taking a bus or a jeepney. But since we’re talking about a road trip, the best way is still to bring a private vehicle. Don’t bring your sedan. Trust me. It’s best to bring a van or a 4WD vehicle.

We prayed that it wouldn’t rain so that we’d enjoy every bit of our weekend get away. But alas, in the middle of our trip, it did. The sky poured down so hard that we thought our trip was over.

Little did we know that the rain was actually a blessing! When we got to Jawili, we saw that the current flowing through the chain of lush waterfalls was stronger than the usual sunny days – this made the view even more breath-taking. It almost looked like something from a movie scene. The small waterfalls connecting 7 deep basins are arranged somewhat like rice terraces and culminate at the tranquil waters of a main basin. As we approached one of the basins, we felt gentle sprays of fresh cold water touching our faces and I have to tell you, the feeling was so inviting.

A small stair case by the side of this large pool leads you up to more of the basins. The rocks were very slippery because of algae and prevented us from exploring more of the area. Using your Havaianas slippers won’t do you any good in that terrain, believe me. It is way better to be on foot.

Even though I’m not a big fan of swimming in cold, green waters (They give me the feeling that there’s some nasty creature lurking beneath the rocks) I was tempted to and accepted the challenge to jump into one of its smaller basins. But calling it “small” doesn’t mean that it’s not deep enough for a 10 foot cannon ball plunge. Our friend, Imman, who has been there for quite a few times already, jumped first into the basin. After 3 seconds or so, Imman surfaced and began swimming towards the rim of the basin, panting.

Alvin and I jumped next and even though I had my hesitations, I still went for it. It was just one of those I-have-to-try-this moments that’s so hard to resist. I felt the splash of my lame leap of faith but never the terra firma beneath the water. It was that deep – a 10 foot deep basin - but it felt great! The water was fanatically cool and it was just the right temperature.

We stayed at Jawili for not more than an hour but after taking some more pictures, we admired the place for a little bit more, packed our stuff and said our goodbyes. 

I told myself that the next time we go to Jawili, I won’t have second thoughts about jumping into one of its beautiful, crystal clear basins.

Check out our album:

Jawili Waterfalls