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14 November Boracay Trip ReportThis is re-posted from my original site. My trip to Boracay in the Philippines in January 2005.
In March 2004 Nick and I went to Phi Phi in Thailand. We enjoyed Phi Phi so much that we had booked to go back for New Year. On the 26th December, 2 days before we were flying out to Thailand, the South East Asian tsunami happened. I was tremendously saddened at the loss of life but somehow wanted to believe that Phi Phi had escaped the destruction of the tsunami. Unfortunately, the early reports on Internet forums were depressing. The first report I saw was that only 2 hotels were standing on Phi Phi. Still recovering from shock of all this it was clear that going to Phuket and on to Phi Phi was a “no go”. In retrospect, we were very lucky having looked at these pictures of the Charlie Beach Resort where we would have stayed. Here’s also my weblog entry with more pics and details about Phi Phi. A destination that Nick and I had discussed way back in March was the possibility of going to Boracay in the Philippines.
Singapore Air was very helpful and changed our tickets to Manila. We booked separately to fly to Caticlan (which is a short distance away from Boracay). I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from Boracay as the Phi Phi experience we had in March was what I wanted to experience again. Plans were finalised and we were ready to set off to Boracay on the 3rd January 2005.
Arriving in Singapore is always a pleasure! It's a nice airport with everything you could want. However, upon arriving in Manila, you know immediately that you're in for a different experience! I was initially nervous as the customs declaration forms said you could only bring in $100US in Philippine notes. I wasn’t aware of this and I had £400 worth (about $740US)! Left that particular entry of the declaration form empty so I could ask what to do? No sooner had I got to the counter, they just stamped it and said "next"... We got through Immigration and customs and had to get a taxi to the Domestic airport. We soon realized how scary the traffic is in Manila! Brian immediately started smoking a cigarette in the back seat! Luckily we got to the Domestic airport in one piece. The Domestic airport is an experience! This is when Brian turned round to me and said, "Gwyn, this is a real adventure eh!". The Domestic airport makes Zimbabwe’s airport look like Heathrow! The airport is basically one big room with four doors at one end which represent the gates and it has loads of chairs in a symmetrical layout. Once we boarded the South East Asian Air turbo prop plane, we soon took off and surprisingly went sleep till we got to Caticlan an hour later.
Upon arrival in Caticlan, we took a small tricycle ride to the Jetty and boarded the boat. The bags were placed on the roof (untied) and off we went... 25 minutes later, we're on White Beach, Boracay. My initial impression was that this was going to be a different type of holiday experience compared to Phi Phi. I had initially thought that Boracay might be very similar. It sort-of-is... it's got nice beaches, it’s a small island and very beautiful. However, I could feel that something was different. There are a few differences, but this is what comes to mind. Boracay is primarily an Asian holiday destination. There are not many Westerners there, a few Brits, a few Aussies, etc... For me this was a refreshing surprise! I would probably say that Boracay is a more untouched experience than Phi Phi. It's not as well developed and the same goes for the infrastructure. I'm sure this will change as more people go there and the investment train that is likely to stop by, but I for one really like the way it is now.
The main beach area is called White Beach. It's big, it's long and it has white soft powder-like sand. There's a load of palm trees which stretch back about 15-20 meters, then a walk way and then the bars, restaurants, hotels etc... I like this design because when the beach is viewed from the sea, you mostly see the palm trees which has an untouched look and feel to it. There are many hotels to stay at. Although a lot of them don't seem to publish anything on the Internet, so if you're finding it hard to find somewhere, there may be a place to stay that fits your budget. The hotels I mostly found on the Web were very expensive (well at least I thought so). However, I was lucky enough to speak to somebody on Boracay who set us up in the Seabird International hotel. This is a "no frills" place and suited our needs perfectly. All 3 of us shared a family room for £30 ($55US) a day, that's £10 each. You can go to the far end of White beach and stay at the Sababi Resort for about £8 in a bamboo hut (with fan) on the beach sand, or you can go to some of the more expensive places from $100US - $180US.
Brian is in to Kite boarding and if this is your scene, then Boracay is excellent for this. Bulabog beach is nearby (5 minutes walk) where all the kite boarders get together for some fun! If you're into Snorkelling or Diving, then there are several good places around the islands and there are loads of people who can help you. The Diving establishments are also bars and you can have a good chat with the experts about where to go and organise a trip with them.
We found that every day we were relaxed. We enjoyed the little trips and walks around the island. Boracay is known for its sunsets and they are very beautiful! Just get yourself a bean bag and watch the sunset with a good beer! Before you've finished the beer, the sun drops below the horizon. Nearly every picture you take of the sunset will look like a postcard!
If you want to party (as opposed to chilling out on bean bags on the beach), then you might want to check out Summer Place, Cocomungas and Pier One. To just talk and sit on the beach with the small waves crashing nearby, then I can highly recommend Boom Boom. Despite its name, it’s a bar that plays Reggae music and is more chillout than boom boom!
The one thing that is great about Boracay, is that it is cheap! Beer is 25 pesos (25p); evening meal is around 200 pesos (£2); boat day trip is around 1500 pesos (£15); tricyle's are around 100-200 pesos (£1 - £2); fruit juices/shakes around 60 pesos (60p).
For general information about Boracay, check out http://www.boracaytravelclub.com. Here's a map of Boracay:
My recommendations... How to get there? - When you get to Manila, fly to Caticlan with either Asian Spirit or South East Asian Air (SE Air). The flight costs around £60 and takes an hour or so to get to Caticlan. The touts at the airport will direct you to a tricyle that takes you on a very short journey to the Jetty port. Your bags are placed on the roof of the boat and 25 minutes later, you're on White Beach. I recommend getting somebody from the hotel to meet you on the beach. Remember to wear sandels as you'll be walking in water.
Where to stay? - There are a number of places to stay, some expensive, some cheap. Stay near or on White Beach for easy access to everything.
Where to eat? - I highly recommend Ai Pazzi and Jay Jay's. There are loads of places to eat! Simply walk along White Beach and there are resturants everywhere!
Where to party? - Summer Place, Cocomungas, Peir One are all good places to enjoy yourself. However, there are many many more... The music doesn't get pumping till around 9-10pm. So take your time having dinner!!
What to do? - Relax. Take it easy. Don’t be in a hurry to do things! There’s plenty of time! But when you do get round to doing something, you must go snorkelling! This is fantastic!!!! Just hire a boat for the day. Pop along to Crystal Cove. There are loads of PADI diving places around. If this is what you’re into, then Boracay seems like a good place to dive.
How long should I stay? - We stayed for 10 days, would have liked to stay for 6 months! Comments (6)
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