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During every travel, especially if you are bound to a wonderful destination, it would be great to be able to bring home with you stunning photos of the places you have visited. Photos as such may land into your Facebook account and of course, in your Instagram feed. So when you go to a place like no other, especially to a place that you’ll be visiting for the first time, don’t forget to bring with you your trusted tech devices such as your phones, cameras, and even your tripod and selfie sticks. What we did on our escapade was to Capture Capiz.
Capture Capiz: From Day 0 to Day 4
Just this July 2019, our team went from Baguio City to Iloilo and Capiz to witness and capture the beauty of the places and learn about the culture that binds it. And since those places were just cool for me not to brag about and since it was actually my first time to explore these places, here comes a few spoilers for you – almost every location we’ve visited within Iloilo and Capiz were just either very rich in history and culture or simply downright stunning. And I caught a lot of the landscapes and sceneries on camera, so read on and I’ll show you what Capiz and Iloilo have to offer using the phones and camera we brought with us.
From Baguio to Iloilo
Day zero was just supposed to be a hassle-free bus travel plus plane travel but it was in day zero when I came to realize my little mess. So basically, I stuffed all my gadgets in one backpack, together with my clothes, and my bag had been so bloated that it seemed like it was about to burst. And so, when it comes to traveling with a bunch of gadgets to bring with you don’t cramp everything in just one bag, because it will just cause you to worry all throughout the trip about how your tech devices are doing. Yeah, learn from me. It was a bad idea.
Gadgets I brought with me
For our Capiz and Iloilo 4-day escapade, I brought with me two phones. One Zenfone Max M2 and one Zenfone 4 Selfie Lite. Both phones have a good quality selfie camera and rear camera, which of course have been very useful during our tours. I also brought with me my Nikon D3400 DSLR camera for more high definition photos, and I also had with me my ASUS laptop. Those are the devices that I own, but as a team, we also brought a gimbal, 360 camera, and tripods. These are basically what we used to capture the beauty of Capiz and Iloilo.
Day 1: Carles, Iloilo
From the Roxas Airport, we made our way to Solina Beach & Nature Resort located at Carles, Iloilo where we booked our stay. At Solina alone, we’ve already captured many photos – photos of the place and the food they have to offer.
Things to do before going to your Adventure
Travelling, exploring, and wandering into places you’ve never been before no doubt creates so much excitement, but before going to an adventure, make sure that you’re ready for it, especially if you are to capture the beauty of both your journey and your beautiful destination. So here are the things I did before our Roxas City Tour which I highly recommend for you to do as well wherever your adventure may be.
- Make sure that your gadgets have fully-charged battery. Charge your phones and cameras so you’ll get to Capture Capiz or wherever your destination may be without worrying about running low on batteries all throughout your escapade.
- Bring with you your power bank and of course, see to it that it’s fully charged. Sometimes, even though we charge our phones to its capacity, there’s still a chance that it won’t last the entire adventure, so it would be better to bring with you extra power.
- Make sure that your devices (phones and cameras) have enough storage to capture your entire adventure, or better yet, bring with you extra memory cards so you won’t end up regretting not being able to capture a stunning landscape.
Day 2: Capture Capiz, Roxas City Tour
On our second day of being tourists, we went on a Roxas City Tour which was, of course, thanks to Circulo Travel and Tours. Throughout this entire tour, we’ve captured photos of almost every place that we’ve visited using the phones and cameras that we’ve brought with us. Honestly speaking though, I personally used my phones more, my ZenFone Max M2 and ZenFone 4 Selfie Lite, in taking photos of our tour since it’s obviously a lot less bulky than and easier to use than my camera.
We went from Solina Beach & Nature Resort at Carles, Iloilo to Roxas City, Capiz and here are the following destinations we’ve visited and captured.
1. Cafe Terraza
The Cafe Terraza was where we had our breakfast. Having breakfast in a place with a captivating view is simply one of the best things one can experience in a perfectly great morning at Roxas City. The best things to capture in this location are basically the cottages and the view of nature just across and of course, we didn’t forget to take some shots of its beauty.
2. Captivating I Heart Capiz
The Captivating I Heart Capiz mark is just a few steps away from the Cafe Terraza. This is where you can most literally Capture Capiz if you’d ask me. Group photos or even solo photos could be best taken here especially if you’re a tourist just like us.
3. Sacred Heart of Jesus Shrine
The Sacred Heart of Jesus Shrine at Roxas City, Capiz is where the giant statue of Jesus called the Sacred Heart of Jesus stood. The gigantic monument is over 30 meters tall, which is why it could be seen right away before you even get up of the location. The small hill just across the monument is a good spot to capture whole body photos of the monument. It’s also a great spot where you can take a long-shot photo with it.
4. Panubli-on Museum
The history and culture of Capiz are being preserved in the Panublion Museum. This museum was once a water tank and its past is very evident the moment you set foot inside because of its circular and dome shape structure. If to Capture Capiz’s rich past is what you’ll be up to when you visit the place, make sure that this location makes it to your itinerary no matter what.
5. Cafe Pueblo at the Plant Farm
Looking for seafood? Well, Capiz is the Seafood Capital of the Philippines and the Cafe Pueblo at the Plant Farm is just one of the cafes at Roxas City that serves mouthwatering seafood dishes such as shrimps, scallops, and more! And if you’re fond of taking pictures of Instagrammable cafes and food, you’d enjoy dining in this place. Capture Capiz and their local dishes.
6. Palina Greenbelt Eco Park
We also captured Capiz at our sixth destination which was Palina Greenbelt Eco Park, thanks to Circulo Travel and Tours. What to expect here, you ask? Bamboo huts over bamboo rafts! That’s right, we’ve experienced river cruising riding a bamboo hut that is perched over a bamboo raft.
7. Capiz Provincial Park and Government Center
The Capiz Provincial Park and Government Center is a beautiful park. To be honest, the first thing that I noticed in this park is the man-made falls with a mini fish pond. The falls is also a good place to take photos and selfies. So if this park makes it to your itinerary when you take a trip to Iloilo, don’t forget to capture its beauty as well.
8. Sta. Monica Church and Bell
The Sta. Monica Church is known for having the biggest Christian Bell in the Philippines. And its facade on its own looks amazing.
9. Roxas Ancestral House
The Roxas Ancestral House was where Fifth President of the Republic of the Philippines, Manuel Acuña Roxas, was born. It is one of the historic houses in the country wherein visitors are welcome to visit. However, you have to set an appointment before you can enter. Taking photos inside is allowed so Capture Capiz even within this Ancestral House.
10. Roxas Monument
We’ve also seen the Roxas Monument located nearby the Panublion Museum by Legazpi Street, Roxas City, Capiz. Got no photos of it though, since it suddenly rained when we were about to have a Heritage Walk. And about that, don’t forget to bring your umbrella even during tours. This isn’t only to protect yourself from the rain but also to protect all the gadgets you’ll be bringing along with you.
11. I Love Roxas City
Just like the “Captivating I Heart Capiz” sign that we’ve visited prior, there’s also this I Love Roxas City mark where group or solo pictures could be taken. Capture Capiz’s I Love Roxas City as well when you drop by this location.
12. Baybay Beach Dried Fish
Yes, we’ve all probably already seen what dried fish looks like, but at the Baybay Beach Dried Fish at Capiz, it was my first time seeing thousands of it resting under the sun. Check out the photos we’ve captured for you.
For our entire Roxas City Tour, Circulo Travel and Tours guided us to these admirable locations. There are still a lot of locations in Capiz that we haven’t been to yet, but still, with those locations, I could say that it has been very educational and we did Capture Capiz indeed!
Day 3: Gigantes Island Tour
I’ve enumerated the Things to do before going the Adventure or simply the things you should prepare, but for our Gigantes Island Tour, I prepared something else which is a waterproof underwater phone pouch/case. For the Gigantes Island Tour, we did island hopping with a boat, which is exactly why I brought with me a waterproof underwater phone pouch/case to protect my phone. I recommend you to do so as well.
Gigantes Islands we visited
Every island that we’ve visited for our Gigantes Island Tour has its unique features. We have visited four islands – the Pulupandan Island, Cabugao Gamay Island, Antonia Beach, and Bantigue Island. Here are the photos we’ve taken for each and every island that we’ve set foot to.
Pulupandan Island
Cabugao Gamay Island
Now this one is my personal favorite. The Cabugao Gamay Island is also called Selfie Island. Wondering why? Well, there’s a high spot on this island which is a very popular selfie or photo spot. Groups are only given limited time to take photos and selfies on that spot to give other groups time to take theirs.
We used our phones and I used my ZenFone 4 Selfie Lite to take photos in the Cabugao Gamay Island simply because taking selfies with my Nikon D3400 DSLR camera would be such a hassle.
Antonia Beach
Bantigue Island
There’s another popular island that is part of the Gigantes. This island is called Tangke, however, due to the rainy weather, we were advised to skip the island for safety precaution.
Day 4: Capture Capiz and Iloilo City Tour
Again, for our Capiz and Iloilo City Tour, the Circulo Travel and Tours is the one that guided us to each and every destination that we went to. For this tour, we visited the Capiz Eco Park, I am Iloilo, Molo Mansion, Molo Church, La Paz Batchoy, and Tinukib.
1. Capiz Eco Park
The Capiz Eco Park or the Capiz Ecology Park and Cultural Village in Nagba, Cuartero, Capiz promotes indigenous tourism. In this destination, we’ve toured to different indigenous houses and even experienced being serenaded (Harana), which to be honest, is a first time experience for me.
We’ve also learned how to make some Capisnon native delicacies such as linupak nga saging, langkuga and inday-inday. We’ve also taught by the cultural master, Tatay Rudy, how to weave baskets. This place is very educational and enjoyable at the same time. So, if you are also planning to Capture Capiz, definitely don’t miss this place.
2. I am Iloilo
Just like the Captivating I Heart Capiz and I Love Roxas City, I am Iloilo is a good spot for group photos. This could make a great souvenir from your unforgettable adventure.
3. Molo Mansion
The Molo Mansion or the Yusay-Consing Mansion at Molo, Iloilo City was once a neglected mansion until it has been turned into a heritage museum. Inside the Molo Mansion, there are also cultural retail shops where tourists like us could buy local delicacies and products as souvenirs. The interior and of course the facade of this historic structure is very stunning. So if I were you, when you get to visit this place, go capture some photos.
4. Molo Church
The Molo Church or the St. Anne Parish Church has a coral stone facade with Gothic-Renaissance design. You may take a stunning photo with the Molo Church while you’re standing at the Molo Plaza.
5. La Paz Batchoy
We also had La Paz Batchoy during our tour. Just a bit of trivia with regards batchoy – it is said that batchoy originated in the district of La Paz, Iloilo City in the Philippines, thus it became very well known as La Paz Batchoy. Want to capture even the food? Well, go for it!
6. Tinukib Cafe and Souvenirs
And for our last destination before we went straight to the airport, we dropped by at the Tinukib Cafe and Souvenirs. This pasalubong or souvenir store has a variety of local products to offer. So if you want to shop for pasalubong before heading home from your Iloilo escapade, you may drop by here as well.
Go Capture Capiz and Iloilo too!
And that concludes our 4 days Iloilo and Capiz escapade. Should you want to Capture Capiz and Iloilo while learning and having fun just like we did, check out Circulo Travel and Tours‘ Website, Facebook Page, and Instagram to know more about their services and tour packages for a fun-filled, hassle-free, and educational Capiz and Iloilo tour. For a great Gigantes getaway, you can check out Solina Beach & Nature Resort‘s Website and Facebook Page.
