My husband and I share a pact to visit a different place each year -- one place in the country and another outside. For some reason, our local trip for the year lead us to Boracay. A place we've both visited more than once. After our flight and hotel was booked, that's when it struck me -- why are we going to Boracay again? And when I asked my hubby the same question, he said: yeah, why? To which I answered: Because I thought you wanted to...to which I replied: I thought YOU wanted to! As much as we wanted to get to the bottom of it, it was futile. So, we just agreed to make this Boracay experience different from our past visits.
First, the flight. We decided to take the fastest way the island -- Sea Air. It was booked. Found the next fastest -- InterIsland Jet - 5 minutes longer travel time. It's a 30-seater jet plane, that's very cramped! But hey, it's fast, so we lived with it.
Flying on a jetplane
Next our accommodation. I usually prefer staying at the border of boat station 1 & 2 because it's near everything -- the stores, restos, bars, events and parties. This time, we decided to stay at the end of boat station 1, away from the maddening crowd. Our friend Paulo Tirol recommended the new resort their family opened -- SUR. I usually prefer staying in places where my friends (specifically those who know how particular I am with bathrooms) have stayed in. But what with the discount he gave us, how could we resist?! Hehehe. But seriously, aside from the great location, the ever so friendly and accommodating staff, the cozy ambience, they only have enough rooms to accommodate around 30 guests, so it doesn't feel crowded if you decide to just stay in.
Interested? Send them an email
Of course there's the never ending decision of where to eat. Of course you can't leave Boracay without gorging on grilled seafood -- which you can get practically from every resto. And no one is his right mind would go to Boracay without having Jonah's shakes (and my personal recommendation, their army navy sandwich)! Then there's our ever favorite Cafe Breizh (try their sausages and chicken cordon bleu! of course, their crepes, too!). Of course, with the developed (still developing) d*mall, you can surely pick out a resto that will delight your taste buds. But there is this particular resto we discovered (a place which i want to, but don't want to blog about. if you know what i mean.), it's called Palomaria. Located at the other side of the island, this quaint place offers great food (as in yummy food!) at really low prices (as in cheap! below P200 for a hearty meal!)! They also offer accommodations called The Lazy Dog (inspired by their dog Milo) bed and breakfast (which only has 4 quaint rooms. drop me a note if you want the contact number. i don't want to publicly post it without the owner's permission. but i must say that we spotted several artistas checked-in there.).
A pleasant discovery
The resto is so close to the other beach side -- Bulabog Island (where wind and kite surfing are done) that we decided to walk down the road to check it out. The water is crystal clear! None of those lumot (algae). Plus, it's not (yet)inhabited by resorts. A peaceful refuge, I must say. This must be how Boracay looked in the 80's or 70's.
Virgin Island
Of course there are several activities you can engage in while in Boracay. And since we agreed to make this trip different, we decided to do the following:
- Paraw Sailing - I did this last year, but I wanted my hubby to experience the same. It's such a peaceful way to ride across the sea, to the nearby islands. Unlike motor boats, you just cruise along with the wind, on the sides of the boat without the noisy motor ruining the moment.
- Skimboarding - they say that this is more difficult that surfing (surely surfers will have a different take on this) because the board you use will not float on the water unless it's moving fast -- on shallow water at that! I am still sore and bruised from all the falling, but it I sure learned to glide on the water! Fun!
- Parasailing - we've always wanted to do this and always inquire about it whenever we go to any beach that offers this adventure. finally, we did it. the experience was worth the wait, worth every peso -- the rush of being pulled away from the boat is inexplicable. the awesome view 500 feet above sea level, in open air is just breathtaking.
Having visited just last year, I was surprised to see the many, many changes that the island has embraced. The boats from the jetty port now have bus-type seating arrangement to accommodate more passengers, there's the P50 environmental fee to help preserve the island, hotel buildings rising left and right, d*mall now has a concrete strip and a ferry's wheel right in the middle! No wonder Boracay is now tagged as the most cosmopolitan beach in Asia!
concrete mall
tsubibo at tsinelas sa Bora
bus-like bangka
now open 24 hours
they make the P50 environmental fee worth it
Boracay is indeed a place to go back to every now and then. There is always something new to do and discover. Plus, nothing beats it's clear waters and powdery white sand -- something that will never cease to take my breath away.
I'll be back again someday
