Kawa Hot Bath in Tibiao, Antique

 

One of the most unseen destinations in the Philippines is Antique with the town of Tibiao as a center for adventures from kayaking to trekking.

 

A very unique activity is the kawa hot bath.

 

The only place where you can experience it. My Facebook page’s cover photo was me enjoying my kawa hot bath and I got some questions namely from my brothers ( with a dash of cyberbullying) and a cousin so I decided to write this post first.

 

The kawa is used to make muscovado sugar, that’s why you often see these in Negros too.

 

It is filled with spring water and some leaves along with flowers and ginger slices.

 

Yes, there is fire but just enough to warm the water.

 

The kawa is very thick it will not scald your precious skin. Besides, you often do this after swimming in the river or in our case, after dipping in the nearby Bugtong Bato Falls ( separate post later) so a hot bath is really soothing.

The fun part of the Kawa Hot Bath in Tibiao, is the thought of cooking a person. Antique like other provinces in the country, believe in aswang ( witches).

 

Complete with a laddle. It was really fun..

 

It has been under the radar and some travel bloggers referred it as a “sauna” or a “jacuzzi” but I personally think it is like ofuro.

 

Ofuro in Japanese is hot bath and usually inside a rectangular wooden tub.

Because I lived in Japan as a language teacher, I enjoy ofuro pretty much. A nice way to end a stressful day just by soaking in a tub of hot water ( after shower).  I still enjoy ofuro in hotel rooms with a tub. It’s my me time.

 

Kawa hot bath is the best way to temporarily soothe our battered bodies from trekking for two consecutive days.

 

The kawa hot bath can run up to an hour for 200Php per person.  We had our kawa bath at Peter’s Lodge, just beside the Bugtong Bato Falls ( 0920-499-6903/0939-4928-554)

A nice view while soaking..

 

There are bigger kawas that can accommodate two.

 

But I don’t recommend having three people in one kawa unless you have the body of  a child. You have to dip your whole body to get the full benefits.

 

Tips

– Slowly dip your body into the kawa so you will not shock your body and you can really feel the soothing effects.

– If you have facetowel, dip it and place on top of your head.

– Do not take a cold shower after the kawa hot bath.

– Like ofuro, it is nice to sleep right away. So stay in inns with a kawa hot bath like Kayak Inn and Peter’s Lodge

 

Would you like to try this distinctly different activity in Tibiao, Antique?

 

Related Article:

The Golden Beach of Antique

The Church of Anini-y