Hacienda Maria
Hacienda Maria
4.5

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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.


4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles28 reviews
Excellent
20
Very good
4
Average
1
Poor
1
Terrible
2

suzettestandring
Milton, MA45 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2019
More people should visit Hacienda Maria: stalagmite/stalagtite caves, a waterfall, beautiful gardens, a working farm, and a chance to soak in one of ten iron tubs (Kawa) in herbal water out in nature. The Aquenda family has owned the acreage for four generations. We visited on October 20, 2019, and it's a beautiful escape from the pollution, crowding, traffic, etc that is common in the Philippines. It was raining before we arrived, so the paths to the caves were slippery and muddy. But we enjoyed walking the easy path to the waterfall where you can swim. Alert: You have to walk over two bridges of bamboo poles so be forewarned. Also, if the grounds are muddy, they have plastic "crocs" you can wear. Later, what a treat to soak in the (Kawa) or "hot pot jacuzzis." Actually, there are ten iron tubs imported from Manila and installed among the palm trees and flowers. Very arty. They are filled with water from hoses, and a fire is lit beneath to heat the water. I know, here come the cannibal jokes! It was done in advance for us, so we were delighted to step into the waters sprinkled with flowers and herbal leaves, all nicely warmed. I failed to bring a bathing suit, so I just got in with my clothes, but who cares? It was deliciously relaxing and my clothes dried pretty well on the trip back to Boracay. The Aquenda family fixed lunch for us, adobo, pork soup, rice and fish with beer. They were so lovely. If you go, check your judgments at the door. This site is really for eco-minded nature lovers. I loved the FRESH AIR and the green, lushness of the place. The toilet is kind of primitive, but clean. There are no wifi signals. Hacienda Marie doesn't even have a website. The people are farmers, warm simple people. You do need to have energy and good footing if you want to see the caves, but it's a wonderful place to let go. I'm not sure it's good for small kids because the hike to the caves can be difficult.
I'll always cherish almost falling asleep in the "hot pot." We traveled through Kensington Tours, who used a local Boracay agent to set us up for this day tour.
Written 20 October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Gornikos
Delémont, Switzerland32 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2019 • Couples
I really like this trip however I think its not proper for small kids and senors- in caves its very slippery. Anyway I enjoyed the views, guides were amazing and the food was ok. Swimming in Waterfalls was very nice also. I can recommend this trip:)
Written 1 August 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Raytch
91 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2018 • Friends
It is our first time going to hacienda maria and honestly i didnt like it at all! Very tiring! I mean we’ve been to sagada, tangadan falls in la union and it was the best. We also walked thru kilometers. They also charged us too much in transportation just to get there, rough road and stiff! Will not recommend!
Written 20 February 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Mike I
Sanford, NC349 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2017 • Friends
Ok, so first, good luck finding this tour. It is not widely advertised in Boracay, which I think is a good thing. I was told by the tour guide that the most people they have ever had was 14 in one day. They only do one tour a day and the tour takes all day.
They picked us up from our hotel at 9am and ferried us over to Caticlan on the main island and then put us in a van which took us 1.5 hours to reach the remote Hacienda Maria. Upon arrival we did the cave tour. After the cave tour we had a nice home cooked lunch. Next we went to the mini-waterfall and swimming pool. After that we went to the hot spa area where they cooked us in large woks. Next we were treated to sample some local coconut wine. Lastly we enjoyed a mock cock fight. (No animals are really hurt in this fight. The roosters are allowed to run away from each other when they have had enough.)...
After all that, we packed up our stuff and the van took everyone back to the port for the ferry back to Boracay. We were finally back in Boracay around 7pm.
The tour cost us 2500p per person. All-in-all, it was a very pleasant and relaxing experience and well worth the money for the amount of time they divoted to the tour and the experience itself. Read some of the other reviews to find out more details or ask me some questions.
Written 18 June 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Victoria R
Malay, Philippines24 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2017 • Family
My family joined our friends in exploring this place called "Hacienda Maria" in Tigum, Buruanga. We were told by people from the town that the car can reach the entrance but at the middle of the travel we stopped due to super rough road. We then walked together with my 5 year old daughter. We had fun whilst walking but its really tiresome. When we reached the entrance, we were approached by the in charge in collecting entrance fees. She gave us discount so we were happy. We paid for fees for "water falls" and "kawa". Another walking going to the water falls. While walking, we can hear the sound of the water but we still walk together with our guide. We reached the water falls but we expected too much. I observed that the water from that falls came from the irrigation along the way to the area. The water is cold and my friends had fun in swimming but I did not allow my child to dip in the water as she has a small allergy on her skin.

After my friends were done swimming at the basin from the "water falls", we went our way to the "kawa spa". There were my daughter enjoyed as I saw the water is clear and a kinda hot, we added more water to neutralize the temperature so we can dip.

We just expected much of the water falls because of the 200 fee.

We did not go to the caves but I saw pictures of my friends that those were nice.

Written 9 May 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

333Helge
Oslo, Norway669 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2017
Even with the long trip there from Boracay (1 hour drive) this is well worth it. We did the cave walk, the waterfall diving and the hot water pot. Very fun and real authentic Filipino lunch.
Very friendly staff . Will for sure go there again !
Written 15 April 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

MrsLCR
Scotland17 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2017 • Friends
I would recommend the Hacienda Maria tour. It’s a trip to a beautiful, tropical ‘jungle’ on Panay Island. We had a tour rep called Pau and she was excellent. It was amazing how unspoiled and uncommercialised this place was. There was a fantastic cave to explore and it was so unspoiled you feel like you are the first person to discover it. The guides (who grew up there) take you on a walk through the jungle to a small waterfall where you can swim. There was also a good photo opportunity with the ‘hot pot jacuzzis’ where they pretend to ‘cook’ you in huge iron pots. It’s a bit of a trek and not suitable for those with walking difficulties, but definitely worth seeing. They also served a traditional lunch complete with fresh coconuts. There was nothing on sale, so no pressure to buy anything. (Didn’t like the cock fighting or when a guide picked up a rabbit by its ears). The tour involved taking the public ferry to Panay, then a one hour minibus journey to Buruanga.
Written 7 April 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

jangjamie_
Calumpit, Philippines42 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2016 • Business
If you wanna be away from the beach and the crowd, Hacienda Maria is a perfect place where to relax and enjoy the beauty of nature. It is an hour away from boracay. They call it Hacienda because of the big land area and Maria because of the owner's name. According to the local tour guides they also called it Maria because the female population will always have Maria as their first name (Maria Cecilia, Maria Agnes, Maria Luisa, etc)
There are two caves to see, it will take 15mins of trekking to reach them. You will have a helmet to protect your head, footwear that they will provide to protect your feet and flashlight to see the different forms of stalagmites and stalactites. On the first cave, you'll be able to see the dragon hall, frozen waterfalls and the bat cave. You will also see the way to the second cave which is too small to walk in. Fresh coconut water is waiting for you outside the cave one because you'll definitely need energy on the second cave which is a bit challenging because it's always slippery and you need a good balance. You'll also do duck walk to reach the end of it. I'd say that cave two is a bit hassle. After caving, the local people will serve you a delicious filipino dishes like pork nilaga, chicken adobo, grilled fish, cucumber salad and mangoes plus fresh coconut water!! They also serve halal food depends on their guest. After lunch you'll be trekking for about 15mins to the waterfall, you'll see their different crops that they sell in the market while trekking. The clear green and cold water is really great! You can also jump from the bench, big tree and the falls. extreme? You'll be able to see little shrimp because of the clear water, amaaazing. Hacienda Maria is also popular because of their traditional hot pot jacuzzi or kawa which helps us to reduce toxins from our body by the help of the herbal leaves that they put. Many were asking "isn't it too hot?", it's really warm. But if you want it to be hot you can request it. Have you ever heard of lambanog and tuba? Lambanog is an alcoholic drink that they make through coconut water. Whenever they ferment it for 8 hours they'll be able to produce tuba(which will be a vinegar soon) and lambanog. They call it as coco spirit production. The last one is cock fighting which is popular for ya filipinos, they will just show you how it works. I was a trainee and I've been there countless times, it will amaze you how big the place is. I definitely miss the place! Their vinegar is the best! A must visit place! It's worth your money! I only have few photos to share but you can check my album on facebook. Tatay Eddie is the best local guide there! Don't forget to give them a tip because they only have a minimum salary.
Written 28 September 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

camilletabin
Pangasinan Province, Philippines2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2016 • Family
Looking for something peaceful and refreshing place. Come and visit the hidden paradise of Hacienda Maria of Buruanga, Aklan. If you want to escape the crowd of the city, this is the best place you can visit. It is applicable for family, friends or even couples. While you're on your way, you will enjoy sight seeing! you will see the greenery surroundings, you will feel the fresh wind and you will meet the hospitable and friendly locals. There's a lot of activities you will enjoy while staying here. There is caving and cock fight which is for extreme. Trying the best "Filipino Cuisine" (adobo & nilaga) and the native coconut wine which is "lambanog and tuba". Enjoying the cold and refreshing waterfalls. And the relaxing hot pot Jacuzzi with an open fire. if you visit here, I will assu;re you that you will treasure this another adventurous and enjoyable activities. :)
Written 8 May 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

JaneMillete29
Pangasinan Province, Philippines2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2016 • Friends
It is my first time to visit "Hacienda Maria" in Tigum, Aklan Philippines. Hacienda Maria was so amazing, incredible, very extreme experience and a lot of places that will visit. Its includes the caving, swimming in an exotic waterfall, hot pot jacuzzi on an open fire and tasting the local drink-coconut wine called " Lambanog". You can try this all activities, but before that you can book here in Boracay Option Tours and Travel Services INC. to experience this kind of activity.
Written 8 May 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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HACIENDA MARIA (Buruanga) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go