Going there.
Like many other planned vacations, ours is not an exception. Going to Boracay proves to be a challenging ordeal. A two-day trip to be exact, full of unplanned stopovers, cancelled flights, and long cues in the ticketing booth.
Anything worth seeing is definitely worth waiting for. That is the only food for thought that keeps me going all through out the trip. Pretty soon, the Boracay bliss is within reach.
From Kalibo airport to Caticlan port:
Upon securing our luggage, we immediately went outside for our bus that would take us to Caticlan port. It would be a one-hour journey by land. The local dialect is Ilonggo but English is widely used as well as Tagalog. The Boracay island is a 10 minute ride if by ferry boat, and 20 to 25 minutes if by pump boat. We took the first option.
What to Expect:
Expect long cues in the ticketing booth. We took about an hour to pay all the necessary fees like terminal fee, environmental fee, and ferryboat ticket fee. Upon securing the necessary fees, the boarding pass will also be given to you. Boracay’s peak season is during March until May. It is considered as the summer season in the Philippines. Expect large influx of tourist and locals at this time.
If you are travelling by ferry, expect to wait a couple of minutes in the lobby. Many people opt to travel by pump boat because it’s way cheaper and it also offers an open view to the nearby islands. Ferryboat maybe faster but it’s air-conditioned so it can be tricky to those that have motion sickness.
Welcome to Boracay!
Upon arriving in the famous Boracay Island, enjoy the breath taking view of the horizon, the clear Boracay waters, and powdery Boracay sand. Ride a pedicab for 100 pesos if travelling by group, or you can opt to split the bill if you have locals with you. The hop on – hop off rate is 10 pesos per person. Do make a negotiation to the driver first before hopping in to the pedicab. It will take you about 5 to 10 minutes from the jetty port to be taken to your hotel, kindly tell the driver what station you are in and you are good to go!
Experiencing Boracay!
The famous Boracay white sand beach is about 4 km. long. You can enjoy wide range of activities from kite boarding to watersports. It’s been voted as the number 1 watersports beach in Asia and one of the best beaches in the world. I must say, Boracay is truly a traveller’s haven. From luxury 5 star hotels, through traditional cottages, Boracay caters to travellers in different walks of life.
If you are a budget conscious individual like me, I suggest you would just book your activities through local guides in the area and not online provided that they gave you their identification card and do double checks before giving out your reservation fee. Online booking is good for hotel deals but in terms of activities, I suggest to book your activities in Boracay to look for cheaper deals. Of course, be mindful of scammers along the area, always trust your instincts and if it’s too good to be true, it probably is.
Do not leave Boracay unless you have tried one of their famous activities like banana boating, parasailing and helmet diving. These activites are all in station 2, as with many commercial establishments and beachfront hotels, station 2 is the best station to stay. Station 1 is very tranquil and it has the famous Puka beach and lots of 5 star hotels, station 2 as I’ve said before is very commercialized, you can do and find almost anything in this station, station 3 is not yet very developed but if you like a chill and down to earth environment, then this station is for you. Aside from the chill and down to earth environment, there are also many reasonable restaurants around the area and many locals are also visible.
One of the things we missed- the number 1 activity in Boracay as voted by travellers, which is the famous Pub crawl. This is an activity you should try if you want to meet fellow travellers and if you want to explore the different pubs and bars around the area. This activity should be done upon your first night in Boracay. Pub crawl is open during Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Boracay night life is as exciting as Boracay during day time. There are also acoustic bars, and sports bar around the area. It’s all a matter of preference. Boredom is inexistent in Boracay!
Before heading out to your flight, opt for a relaxing massage at Mandala Spa and villages. They are the Asia’s leading spa resort, world famous for their signature massage and outstanding service. My girls and me really enjoyed the experience. The place is so serene, coupled with outstanding professional massage by their skilled therapist. One word to describe the experience- exquisite!
See you in Boracay, and please do me a favor, stay at least one week there! We only stayed for 4 days and we are dying to come back!
