I am thankful to the Lord for a vacation I never imagined I would have in my lifetime. Boracay is a really nice and clean beach to spend a few days of vacation if you can afford to. It is an island located near the Northwestern tip Aklan, Philippines. If you are coming from Manila, your air travel options are either a plane to Kalibo Airport or a plane to Caticlan Airport.
Kalibo Airport is the older airport and is farther from Boracay. You will probably have to allot 2 hours of travel time from Kalibo to Boracay. From the airport, you can either spend the night in Kalibo, especially if you are arriving late in the evening or even in the wee hours of the morning. Most of the boat rides from Caticlan's port to Boracay are from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. so it is better to travel during the daytime so you can enjoy the boat-ride scenery. The van ride from Kalibo to Caticlan will cost you about 100 Php per person while the boat ride and port fees (Terminal fee and Environmental fee) will set you back by about 155 Php. And then from Boracay's port to the beach, expect to shell out another 100 Php (no distinction whether group or individual) to tricycles to bring you there.
Caticlan Airport was constructed to improve tourism to Boracay. Landing there will shave off an hour from your travel time. And once you get from Caticlan airport to the seaport, it all becomes similar to the previous guide above.
Once you are at the beach, finding a suitable place to stay in would probably be your first priority. We were fortunate enough to have been able to book the place we were staying at online, before coming to Boracay. We stayed at the Luna Rosa beach resort. The room was clean and decent. Air condition, Cable TV, and a hot shower are usually all I am after and all these amenities were present in the room. I would say this though, the staff could use a lesson or two in customer service.
Boracay's long white sandy strip is divided into three stations, dubbed Station's 1, 2 and 3. And just like in marketing, this division is meant to segregate customers into classes A, B, C, D and E. It doesn't mean that people can not move from one station to another. But in terms of spending, I think that you would have to have more money to stay in Station 1 than in Station 3. Station 1 boasts of the high-end hotels and restaurants. Station 2 is the place for the middle class, where familiar eating spots like Starbucks, Yellow Cab and Shakey's Pizza are available. This is also where the D'mall is located, where you can shop for clothing and souvenirs. Stations 1 and 3 are much quieter in my opinion than Station 2.
There are lots of daytime activities to keep a tourist preoccupied. Beach volleyball and soccer are popular activities for big groups. Kayaking, sailing, and "banana" boating are also options for individuals who want to spend time above the water. Helmet diving and snorkeling are options for those who want to spend time underwater. If you want to just lie down on the beach, there are masseuse and tattoo artists willing to lend their services while you relax. Food stalls and shops are abound so you will never go hungry as long as you have money to spend. And the local resorts have their own private pools if you happen to be their guest. But if I had the money to spend, I would have loved to learn kite-surfing, a really expensive but fun-looking sport that I will probably write about in another post.
At night, people would usually eat at an all-out seafood buffet. Just make sure to ask which items are included in the buffet. You would think that giant crab, giant lobsters, and giant shrimps should be part of the all-you-can-eat experience, but these are usually paid for separately and are paid for by the ounce (or by the gram). Nighttime is also singing and performing time. A lot of bands, and acoustic performers come out to entertain dining guests. Fire dancers also display their talents. I've also seen bands turn into Karaoke services, inviting dinner guests to be their lead singer, and this often turns into a funny scene, and results to the chagrin of some listeners.
Overall, Boracay is really an enjoyable experience. It is like placing the amenities of a local mall beside a white sand beach. So go get that mocha frapuccino and then find a spot on the beach and watch the quiet waves as the sun sets. And through all of this may you find God's peace and rest.
Caticlan Airport was constructed to improve tourism to Boracay. Landing there will shave off an hour from your travel time. And once you get from Caticlan airport to the seaport, it all becomes similar to the previous guide above.
Once you are at the beach, finding a suitable place to stay in would probably be your first priority. We were fortunate enough to have been able to book the place we were staying at online, before coming to Boracay. We stayed at the Luna Rosa beach resort. The room was clean and decent. Air condition, Cable TV, and a hot shower are usually all I am after and all these amenities were present in the room. I would say this though, the staff could use a lesson or two in customer service.
Boracay's long white sandy strip is divided into three stations, dubbed Station's 1, 2 and 3. And just like in marketing, this division is meant to segregate customers into classes A, B, C, D and E. It doesn't mean that people can not move from one station to another. But in terms of spending, I think that you would have to have more money to stay in Station 1 than in Station 3. Station 1 boasts of the high-end hotels and restaurants. Station 2 is the place for the middle class, where familiar eating spots like Starbucks, Yellow Cab and Shakey's Pizza are available. This is also where the D'mall is located, where you can shop for clothing and souvenirs. Stations 1 and 3 are much quieter in my opinion than Station 2.
There are lots of daytime activities to keep a tourist preoccupied. Beach volleyball and soccer are popular activities for big groups. Kayaking, sailing, and "banana" boating are also options for individuals who want to spend time above the water. Helmet diving and snorkeling are options for those who want to spend time underwater. If you want to just lie down on the beach, there are masseuse and tattoo artists willing to lend their services while you relax. Food stalls and shops are abound so you will never go hungry as long as you have money to spend. And the local resorts have their own private pools if you happen to be their guest. But if I had the money to spend, I would have loved to learn kite-surfing, a really expensive but fun-looking sport that I will probably write about in another post.
At night, people would usually eat at an all-out seafood buffet. Just make sure to ask which items are included in the buffet. You would think that giant crab, giant lobsters, and giant shrimps should be part of the all-you-can-eat experience, but these are usually paid for separately and are paid for by the ounce (or by the gram). Nighttime is also singing and performing time. A lot of bands, and acoustic performers come out to entertain dining guests. Fire dancers also display their talents. I've also seen bands turn into Karaoke services, inviting dinner guests to be their lead singer, and this often turns into a funny scene, and results to the chagrin of some listeners.
Overall, Boracay is really an enjoyable experience. It is like placing the amenities of a local mall beside a white sand beach. So go get that mocha frapuccino and then find a spot on the beach and watch the quiet waves as the sun sets. And through all of this may you find God's peace and rest.
Thanks a bunch for sharing this with all folks you really realize what you are speaking approximately! Bookmarked. Kindly additionally seek advice from my web site =). We could have a hyperlink alternate arrangement between us
ReplyDeleteMy site :: last minute griekenland
Thank you for sharing your experiences.
ReplyDelete