Friday to Monday
September 19 to 22, 2025
Iloilo is celebrated online as a very romantic city, exhibiting traits of both rapid urbanization and deep cultural tradition. But I only know it as the place my brother studied high school in. In the midst of a wild rainy season, we were able to spend a few days exploring parts of the city and see what it has to offer. This is my trip report.
Day 1 – City Tour
We booked our flights using Cebu Pacific’s CebPass program. These were cheap flights booked ahead of time, but at the mercy of the airline’s schedule. After a lot of frustrating changes in itinerary (and an additional leave credit from the office), we left Manila on a gloomy Friday afternoon.
I’ve been to Iloilo multiple times as a kid, so I was surprised with the changes that welcomed me. First, the airport was incredibly beautiful. It had a lot of space, despite having only a few gates. Everything was spotless and the huge glass windows gave it a sense of being bigger than it actually was. It was an airport that looked meticulously maintained, modern, and new. One of my favorite local airports, for sure1.
The cleanliness extended outside the airport. Iloilo is now known as a clean city, but it is an awe-inspiring feeling to witness it firsthand. As we took a shuttle to SM City Iloilo (P100 per head), I was inspecting the sidewalks and building facades we passed through. There was hardly any litter anywhere, it was reminiscent of Japan’s cleanliness.
Upon arriving in SM, we hailed a cab to take us to our accommodation for the entire trip. The New View by Ecotel was a recommendation from Tiktok. It is a newly renovated hotel situated in the midst of the historic Calle Real in Iloilo city proper. After a quick check in process, we were led to our room on the 7th floor.
I hurriedly separated the curtains, only to find an opaque window with the locks welded shut. I ran to the window on the other corner of the room. Same situation. The irony of the hotel’s name and the window reveal was not lost on me. Thankfully, everything else about our stay was perfectly adequate. We had a big, comfy bed plus lots of pillows. The sheets and towels were clean and the AC was on full blast the entire time.
After having settled in, we were scheduled to meet with Shane’s cousin, kuya Jay. He took us to Tatoy’s Manokan and Seafood, a well-known restaurant specializing in (surprise) chicken and seafood.
This was a treat from kuya Jay and it was a wonderful dinner. I forgot all about my intermittent fasting once the waitress placed two large plates of Baked Talaba in front of me. Even now, I miss the taste of the garlic and cheese on top of those oysters. So creamy and akin to a bechamel sauce. If only my stomach was bottomless.
We also ordered their Native Lechon Manok. These were smaller and gamier than the mass-produced, artificially-fattened chicken we ordinarily have, but they filled me up as well. Their Garlic Butter Pasayan was top-tier. Each shrimp was juicy and pre-scored for easy removal of the shell (an attention to detail most restaurants don’t have). We also had some shrimps battered and fried which went perfectly with their sweet and spicy dip. I also ordered their Grilled Lucos, which is squid grilled to a perfect chewiness. To round out the meal, we had Tangigue Kinilaw and Tangigue soup. For dessert was a delicious cup of Black Sambo.
Full from the meal, kuya Jay took us to some sights around the city for a bit of walking.
Our first destination was the Molo Church. It was closed for the evening but it was well lit. It looked grand and ancestral. Iloilo is a city that puts emphasis on preserving historical places, so you will see lots of old buildings dotted in between the more modern ones all over the city. Molo Church and Molo Mansion in front of it, plus Molo Plaza in between the two, are time capsules that show us what it looked like in the early days of the city.
After taking some pictures, we crossed the road towards the mansion, which was also closed. But in the mansion grounds were eateries and cafes serving the late night visitors. We were informed that the mansion grounds stay open until 10PM. When I asked what was inside the mansion, the answer given was that it sold souvenirs and items from the local brand, Kultura.
The night’s final destination was the Festive Walk, a vibrant place reminiscent of Manila’s BGC. It was situated inside the commercial district of Iloilo, so there were lots of activity. We walked through an area called “K-town” as it was full of Korean restaurants as well as bars blaring some recent beats. We also passed by the Iloilo Museum of Contemporary Art. I capped the night with a serving of Avocadoria‘s ice cream.
We said our goodbyes to kuya Jay and took a taxi back to our hotel. Our itineraries for the next days required an early morning start so we quickly fixed ourselves up and got some sleep.
Day 2 – Batchoy, Siopao, Heaven
We awoke to a cool, sunny morning. A good thing about our hotel being located in the city proper is that most locations are just one or two jeepney rides away. We took one to La Paz Public Market. Here, we were going to have breakfast at one of the famous batchoy shops in the city.
Netong’s is an icon in the city. It’s one of the originators of this noodle soup dish that is also one of my childhood favorites. Growing up in the neighboring island of Negros, a lot of the delicacies we enjoyed are shared by Iloilo as well. I have fond memories of eating batchoy cooked by wawa Linda from wawa Elen’s karinderya.
The market was being renovated but as proof of its popularity, Netong’s was the only booth fitted with an air-conditioning unit. We entered the small restaurant, fitting only four rows of tables. Upon seating we were handed the simple menu consisting only of variants of batchoy plus some drinks and sides. We ordered the biggest bowl (the only one with bone marrow added) and a side of puto (steamed rice cake).
They accommodated my request to serve the atay (intestines) on a separate plate, which I gave to Shane. The bowl was steaming hot, with the broth wafting the aroma of fat and garlic around us. We promptly devoured everything with gusto. It’s been a long time since I had batchoy and this took me back to my younger days. The chicharon (fried pork skin) was crispy and the egg noodles chewy. By itself, the soup was already a bit salty for my liking, so I didn’t feel the need to add the usual complements of soy sauce and ground pepper.
The puto was served wrapped in banana leaves. We undressed them to reveal three, plump pieces. I loved the consistency of the rice cake and loved them even more after dipping them into the remaining broth. Did you know that you can also ask for another bowl of broth for free? But I had enough because I was still full from last night’s dinner.
Satisfied with the meal, I began craving for my morning coffee. As fate would have it, another historic icon was right in front of Netong’s. Madge Cafe is a local spot serving coffee for more than 70 years. When we arrived, it was full of people, locals and tourists alike.
Fortunately, the staff of both Netong’s and Madge have come up with an ingenious system. One could order coffee from Madge WHILE eating at Netong’s!
We ordered and paid directly to the staff at Netong’s and while it took some time before our coffees arrived, we were able to have them immediately after finishing our bowls of batchoy.
With our iced coffee in hand, we decided to take advantage of the good weather and take a stroll along the Iloilo River Esplanade to return to our hotel. The many Esplanades of Iloilo consist of walking and biking paths that snake alongside the Iloilo river.
We sipped our coffees while admiring the multiple species of flowers that were planted along the path. My iced Media Puro (strong black coffee) helped stimulate my intestines and added some pep to my step. This local coffee is done in the traditional Spanish-style, using a old-school sock filter to separate the grounds from the brew. This results into a strong coffee flavor that remains refreshing and free from bitterness.
As we entered Calle Real, I was able to fully appreciate the beauty of this area. Electrical lines were all moved underground, minimizing the visual mess. The facade of most buildings are designed to emulate the old architecture with flourishes and arches reminiscent of the colonial era. It was like going back in time, but hearing Taylor Swift and Katy Perry playing from the stores immediately brought me back to the present.
We walked along the storefronts towards another Iloilo icon, Roberto’s Siopao. This restaurant is known for their comically large and abundantly-stuffed siopao (steamed meat bun). Back when I was a child, relatives and friends who visited Iloilo would bring back paper bags full of these siopao for sharing. We bought some of their “Queen Siopao” (filled with bacon, Chinese sausage, chicken and pork adobo, and an egg) as our lunch for the trip ahead. Finally, we headed back to our hotel to wait for kuya Jay.
Kuya Jay made us hop on a jeep to Mohon terminal. The place was bustling with activity. People were hopping off and boarding buses going to every destination on Panay island. For our trip, we were on our way to Miag-ao. It was a bit of a long ride, but I entertained myself with reddit and my e-book. A noteworthy aspect of Iloilo is the strong 4G presence throughout the city and its nearby provinces. We alighted in front of Miag-ao Church or properly known as the Santo Tomas de Villanueva Parish.
It was here that we took a moment to offer some prayers inside the church. While there, we admired the ancient architecture. Huge stone blocks and concrete were used to build the structure and it was all very impressive. While there were some renovations made, some of the stones were covered in moss that seemed to come from times of old.
We took some photos and ate our packed siopao on the benches outside the church. The siopao was hefty and the bread itself was soft. It was the right amount to fill me up and the Chinese sausage was my favorite filling. It was a quiet Saturday afternoon and the weather was nice. People went about their lives and I observed some elderly selling candles and rosaries near the entrance.
Finally, it was time to head to the main spectacle of the day. We took a jeep to San Joaquin, specifically, the junction to Garin Farm. There, we waited a bit for a tricycle and hopped on to be taken to the farm’s entrance (P20 per head).
Garin Farm is a resort and pilgrimage site that’s famous in social media for its “heaven on earth” display. There are also activities available inside as well as rooms for staying the night. We paid for the entrance (P150 per head) and went in.
The first thing that welcomed us was the tunnel of flowers and leaves. Pretty white flowers hung from the ceiling in irregular intervals. Beside us were models of the Bahay Kubo as well as habitats with turkeys, goats, and rabbits. The tunnel ended at the foot of an ascent and we walked our way up a concrete slope towards the foot of the so-called “stairway to heaven.” This was right in front of the restaurant and one could skip the 480-step staircase climb by paying to ride a golf cart. Of course we chose the free option.
The start of the pilgrimage was marked by a diorama of Noah’s Ark. As we climbed, we were treated to more dioramas from the birth of Jesus up until his crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. At the top of the staircase, we admired the view of the nearby farmland as well as the sea. Thankfully the weather was still cooperating with our tour. Next, we entered a dark tunnel as we were led into the place that depicted “heaven.”
If you ever plan on visiting Garin Farm, I suggest bringing a pair of sunglasses. “Heaven” is a display of statues and figures all coated in pure white paint. With the sun high in the sky, it can be almost blinding to witness. There, speakers blared a repeating hymn over and over as statues gave praise to a central altar. On the altar was a depiction of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
It is said that there used to be a time when photos were not allowed in this area. It was supposed to be a surprise; a reward for your pilgrimage, for overcoming the hardship of the steps. Or for paying your way up. Nowadays, few things are hidden from the internet. Garin Farm’s heaven is not one of them.
After taking photos and admiring the desire to replicate heaven in this way, we descended back to earth. At the restaurant, we cooled down with a couple of bottles of coconut shake. The much more tangible reward after that pilgrimage.
As we returned to the main entrance, there was a blow of a horn that marked the feeding time of the multitudes of doves that the farm keeps as pets. This fact also made me hungry. The sun was setting and we needed to return to the city soon.
We bade farewell to kuya Jay as he helped us catch a ride on a mini-bus bound for Mohon Terminal. It was a long ride, and I was able to catch a few moments of sleep. At the terminal, we took a cab to Shops at Atria, an outdoor mall by Ayala Malls. Here, we managed to buy my favorite butterscotch at the Original Biscocho Haus before they closed. Then we homed in to our planned dinner place.
Kap Ising’s Pancit Molo is another bastion of Iloilo cuisine. They have reportedly been cooking this wonton soup since the 1920’s! After Shane had a bowl of this in Silay, she has been craving it for a while. It was a no-brainer to have it at one of the most authentic places.
Aside from the Pancit Molo, we also ordered their Dinuguan, Fried Molo Wraps, Fresh Lumpia, and a serving of Puto.
The soup was hearty and flavorful, as expected. The wantons were filled with juicy meat and the fried ones were even more addictive. The fresh lumpia was delightful. The dinuguan and the puto were decent but not quite up to our standards. We had a wonderful dinner, and our Pancit Molo cravings were satisfied.
For our post-meal walk, we strolled around to see more of the shops. There were branches of Netong’s and Madge Cafe here, bigger and shinier than the ones at La Paz market. I was glad to see that the coffee culture in Iloilo is thriving. Even before today, I noticed so many indie cafes with witty and catchy names in almost every building block in the city. I wanted to try them all but alas, I am only one man.
We entered Barbs. Donuts & Coffee. Shane ordered a Matcha latte which she found satisfactory. I ordered an iced dark chocolate which I found disappointing because it tasted exactly like the Chuckie Chocolate Milk Drink. I skipped on the coffee because we had to wake up early the next day and didn’t want any caffeine in my system by then.
We stopped over at Born In Bread, a pastry shop and cafe that caught my eye the day before. Tatoy’s Manokan and Seafood is also in the Atria area so when we passed by, I noticed their pastries on display. They looked delectable and I had to go see for myself.
We bought a box of pastries which will serve as our breakfast tomorrow. We need to be up early and will have no time to look for a place to eat that was open before 4am. With everything on our itinerary checked off, we took a cab back to our hotel to get the most sleep we possibly can.
Day 3 – Gigantes Island Daytrip
“Baby, this is what you came for.” -Rihanna
By 4am, we were prepared and waiting for our pick up. This whole-day trip was coordinated by Shane with the LGU tourism’s travel agency. As per her feedback, they were very responsive and finalized the details beforehand.
At around 4:30 the van driver contacted us and picked us up right in front of the hotel. We roamed around the city, picking up more joiners before we set out for the municipality of Carles2. It was a 3-4 hour drive so I spent the time taking naps and the occasional Reddit when my phone had internet. I was most impressed by how well-paved the provincial roads of Iloilo were. They were very wide and smooth, optimized to give me a good sleep.
I awoke to us being dropped off at the sea port. There, we queued up to the tourism building. Shane had already reserved our slots with a down-payment, so all we had to do was pay the remaining balance and we were ushered into a waiting area. There, we watched other people divided into tour groups per boat. I had some taho while waiting for our names to be called.
When it was our turn, we were given our boat’s name and we headed off to the pier to board it. With our lifejackets on and everyone on board, we were given a short introduction by our tour guide, kuya Dindo. We were warned that the itinerary was open to change depending on the weather. It was already Habagat3 season, so the winds were quite unpredictable. We set off towards the islands, which was estimated to take 1.5 hours.
Somehow, despite the heavy rocking of the boat and strong winds, I was able to fall asleep during the voyage. I only woke up when the waves started to collide with the boat at such tremendous force that most of the passengers started to get drenched. I wiped the seawater from my face and put on my sunglasses. I looked around and saw that the waves our boat was tackling were incredibly tall. I was imagining the worst-case scenario, but everyone else was quiet and calm so I pushed the idea of capsizing from my mind. Our boat captain expertly maneuvered us through waves the height of three men and after some time, we reached the first island.
Pulupandan island is a tiny island, probably the size of 4 basketball courts. At the center are a few nipa huts with no other amenities. It’s mostly sand and rocks, with a rock formation on the side used for picture taking. After anchoring down, we were given 30 minutes to explore. There are a lot of man-made “frames” made of rocks and wood to take pictures with.
Once time was up, we boarded the boat and were taken to Lantangan Beach for lunch. It was still early, but with the waves being erratic, this was the safest course. When we arrived, our table was already prepared with a lot of food. This was all included in the tour and featured “unlimited scallops”. We were assigned our seats and told to dig in.
I immediately grabbed some grilled talong, scallops, kangkong, lumpiang shanghai, and inihaw na liempo. Everything was very fresh but the highlight of the meal were the freshly grilled fish that Shane de-boned and gave to me. The freshness and the tenderness of the meat plus the smoky flavor were a good combination. I had some native bananas for dessert. It was a satisfying meal and made me appreciate fresh seafood all the more.
After lunch, we waited for the others to get ready to return to our vessel. I entertained myself by watching the local kids play by diving into the water from the boats. Some were asking the other tourists to throw some coins into the sea, which they would then dive and find.
We climbed on the boat and as we were going to our next destination, we passed the Tangke Lagoon. Unfortunately, the weather didn’t permit us to visit this as well as the Bantigue Sandbar. :( I believe it is best to visit during the summer when the water is calmer, but peak season would also mean a huge influx of tourists. Oh well, there’s always a tradeoff.
Next, the boat took us to Cabugao Gamay island. This is the most famous spot in the Gigantes island group. Most of the pictures you see when you search for “Gigantes island” on the web will show a picture of this island. Upon landing, Shane and I immediately climbed the viewdeck to get the famous picture. Thankfully, kuya Dindo was also there to take our photo. A queue had started to form so we were glad to be the first. After the pictorial, we headed down and finally decided to dive into the waters.
The water was very refreshing and while the beach got deep quickly, the waves were carrying us towards the shore the entire time. It was fun being swept along by the water. I spent some time pretending to be a piece of wood being carried by the ocean. Sadly, we weren’t able to use our snorkels as the strong waves meant that there weren’t any fishes or corals in the area. When the rest of our group was finished, we headed out for the final stop.
We arrived at Antonia Island where you could do some more swimming. There was also a resort on this island if you felt the need to stay the night. They have amenities like bathrooms and eateries. I found a local selling sea urchins for P50 a piece. He would break them open, clean them, and serve them with a spoon and some vinegar. I’m not a big fan so I passed on this and instead got myself a cup of banana con hielo and mais con hielo for Shane. After these refreshments, Shane decided to do some more swimming while I got some sleep. She woke me up when it was time to return to the boat.
For safety, all tours are expected to return to Carles port by 4pm. Thus, at 2:30pm, we ended the tour and our boat started the journey back. This time, the ride back was incredibly bumpy as the weather had started to worsen. Rain started to fall and I was unable to sleep with the drops hitting my skin like a needle massage. The waves were also the highest they’ve been all day and even the afternoon fog started to cover the distant islands.
Eventually, we reached the port. We said our thanks to the staff of the tour and took a tricycle to where our van was waiting for us. I have to mention the pro-activity of the staff even after we alighted the boat. There was still someone checking our names on a checklist and pairing them to our driver to make sure that no one was left behind. The systems in place for the tour were well thought of and commendable.
We fixed ourselves up in the available shower rooms, bought some snacks for the ride back, and returned to the van. From there, it was another 3-4 hour ride back to Iloilo city. We were dropped off right at our hotel, where we left our belongings at our room and ventured out to find a place to have dinner. It was already 9:30 in the evening so most of the places were closed, aside from the franchises like Chowking and Jollibee.
We walked around the block of our hotel until we reached a local eatery selling chicken inasal and beef pares. This place seemed to cater to locals that get out of work late or working the night shift. Since we were already hungry, we ordered a plate of inasal each (with unli rice and a Pepsi on the side) and a bowl of pares. The chicken was juicy and well-marinated. It was delicious, especially after a day of activities. The bowl of pares was piping hot and warmed my body immediately. The beef chunks were tender and savory. We couldn’t help but order some more rice. They also had free refills of soup, this time we had the lina-ga4.
For dessert, we crossed the street to a vendor selling balut. This was our last meal of the day and we had two eggs each. Satisfied, we headed back to the hotel for some rest. Despite the chopped up sleep throughout the day, I was feeling good, especially since we crossed off the main reason we went to Iloilo.
Day 4 – Shopping and Sayonara
It was our last day. We were still able to wake up early despite having turned off all alarms, so we decided to maximize the time by having breakfast at another Batchoy place. Fortunately, the place was just a short walk away because it started to drizzle lightly.
Popoy’s Batchoy is another famous restaurant in Iloilo. While it doesn’t have the pedigree of the other batchoy places5, it is known for winning the title of “Best Batchoy” during the Iloilo Batchoy Festival back in 2020. We arrived at the central market branch which was bustling with activity.
We ordered two bowls and two servings of the puto. They were served quickly and we dug in. The broth was comforting and warm, while the generous serving of noodles helped fill me up. It was a more basic bowl compared to the one from Netong’s, but I preferred the toned-down flavor of this bowl. Shane, on the other hand, preferred the more garlicky kick of the former. But either way, none of the bowls we had were bad. In fact, Popoy’s had a closer flavor profile to my childhood batchoy, hence my preference.
While paying for the meal, I asked the cashier if there was a nearby cafe for my morning coffee. She kindly directed us to a nearby stand. And that is how we came upon Glory’s Cafe. I had a cup of iced black coffee as we made our way back to the hotel and prepared for checkout.
After gathering our things, we left the hotel and took a Grab to SM City Iloilo. We planned to spend the rest of the remaining time here before boarding the van to the airport. It was also here that we first availed of the services of the SM City Traveler’s Lounge. This was a very convenient service because they had a waiting area, a place to take a shower, and most importantly, a baggage area. This was a lifesaver for a country with no coin locker services. For only P30, you could leave your things for the day, up until 9PM. It was here that we left behind our luggage. With the weight off our shoulders, we headed into the mall to explore what it had to offer.
I was impressed with the mall, especially because it had a Decathlon branch inside. We spent some time window shopping and had lunch at Ramboy’s. Touted as having “Aklan’s best chicken & liempo”, we ordered a plate of their garlic rice and a serving of liempo. While I haven’t tasted other Aklanon liempo for comparison, I have to admit that their crispy liempo is delicious. They didn’t skimp on the servings and they served a lot of meat compared to the fat. However, my favorite was their garlic rice, which was very addictive that we finished it despite being good for 3-4 people. I was practically inhaling it because of how good it was. It might just be the MSG, but that was the most garlicky and umami-laced garlic rice I’ve ever had. With the rice gone, we had the remaining pieces of pork packed for take out.
Full and ready to leave, we retrieved our luggage and boarded the van bound for the airport. It took some time for the van to fill up, so we deliberated taking a grab instead, but we were able to reach the airport with some time to spare. We headed for the pre-departure area and found a good place to wait for our flight. I admired the clean and spacious airport once more before we were called for boarding.
And with that, we were bound for Manila, ready to tackle the workload waiting for us.
Iloilo has enchanted me with its clean streets, multitudes of cafes, and its blending of their classic heritage with fast-paced urbanization. It is a beautiful city and is absolutely worthy of its moniker, the “City of Love”. I would love to return here as someone who is now more discerning and mindful than my younger self, to explore and record everything else it has to offer.
But mostly, I just want to have a quiet morning walk and have a bowl of batchoy for breakfast.
Thanks for reading and lots of thanks to Shane for taking care of all the logistics as well as the photos for this post. To more adventures together!
Be safe and always full of food!
-jgzn
Footnotes:
- Puerto Princesa’s airport is still number one when it comes to aesthetics. That airport is a vibe on a different level. ↩
- Carles is the northernmost town of Iloilo. It is known for its fishing grounds but most importantly, the jumpoff for Gigantes Island. ↩
- Habagat is the Filipino term for a southwest monsoon, which brings heavy rain and winds. ↩
- Not to be confused with the tagalog nilaga. In Iloilo (and Negros Occidental), lina-ga is a beef stew with batuan and langka. The flavor profile is sour, almost like sinigang, but closer to cansi. ↩
- Popoy’s was established in 1978 while Netong’s goes as far back as the 1940’s. Ted’s opened in 1945 while Deco’s started in 1938. ↩
