Destination Boracay - Travel information

Tropical island paradise, featuring the beautiful Boracay. A hop, skip and jump,... well, more like two flights and a bumboat ride. Just remember to travel light. There is a weight limit of 10kg for bags so leave your gold bars and nine inch heels at home. Flip flops and swimming togs essential though. Boracay is an island of the Philippines located approximately 315km south of Manila. Boracay is voted as having one of the best beaches in the world and is listed as one of the top five diving spots in the world. Postcards don’t lie. Picture perfect powdery white sand and crystal clear water did not disappoint.

Boracay does not have an airport and you would have to catch a flight either to Manila or Cebu to catch the connecting flight to Caticlan before jumping on a short motor-tricycle ride to the ferry terminal. A ten-minute bumboat ride ensures you arrive in Boracay in no time.

Boracay is approximately 7 km long, dog-bone shaped with the narrowest spot being less than a km wide and has a total land area of 10.32 square kilometres.

You will notice that there are no cars in Boracay. Main modes of transportation include mini-vans, motorbikes or one of the many motor-tricycle that just seem to pop up everywhere in the island. They are hired much like a taxi. You may hire one exclusively for yourself or share with other commuters who are going the same direction. The former which sets you back approximately A$3.50 for two people for a 15 min ride from the ferry terminal to our resort. The latter of course is even cheaper.

CURRENCY: Phillipino pesos (about A$1 x 43 pesos) or (about S$1 x 30)

ACCOMMODATION:

The Boracay tourist stretch is divided into three different sections - from the most basic of accommodation in Station 1 to the more exclusive and expensive properties in Station 3.

This is the interior of the Garden View Suite at the Boracay Beach Resort.

An exclusive five-star property built by popular Fillipino boxing star, "Pacman".

FOOD & BEVERAGE:

Check out the size of that breakfast.

Bamboo Lounge where you can sit back and relax with food and drinks. Cheap cocktail and a fire-dance performance each night.

Plenty of fresh live srump-dilli-umptious seafood.

Huge range of different types of food to suit different pallettes and plenty of scrump-dilli-umptious live seafood to choose from.

Special mention - The Rib Place. Great tasting food, very reasonable prices and friendly, helpful service.

WHAT'S THERE TO DO:

It's a small island but you are not likely to get bored. There are so many activities to choose from. Boracay is well known as a wind-surfing hotspot with board competitions held here yearly. Kite-surfing is also extremely popular. Boracay is also one of the top diving spots in the world. Zipline at Mt Luho, the highest peak in Boracay is a popular attraction. Licenced adventure companies also cater to eco tours, island hopping, horseback riding, mountain biking, stand up paddle, go-karts, segway,island tours, scuba diving, fishing, sailing, snorkelling, the list goes on.

For 600pps (approx A$14.00) for two hours, we hired our own motor-tricycle. Our driver, Bong took us to Mt Luho, the highest point in Boracay, the bat cave as well as lovely Puka Beach. On arrival near the bat cave, we hopped on to the back of a guide's motorbike. 700pps (approx A$16.30) for the guide's service and 50pps (approx A$1.15) for entry fee. The three of us sandwiched together racing over a km or so of farmland and two dilapidated basketball courts before walking another km or so to get to the bat cave. It was a very steep good two stories down the slippery rock cave before we reached the bottom. Sharing just one flash light in the pitch black cave, we took turns and walked blindly over bat poo and stood under the ceiling of hundreds of bats screeching and flying above us. All this in just our swimming costume and our flip flop with wedge heels no less. Not the most sensible gear. We may as well have done it like beauty queens in seven-inch heels. It was a miracle we did not break an ankle or fall and chip a tooth. And nevermind the dodgy looking snake lurking behind a rock. The luminous clear blue pool at the bottom of the cave looked so inviting for our hot, sticky, dirty bodies in the humid, stuffy cave. The only thing missing were lovely little mermaids. I wouldn't want to go in there when it's raining though. A flash flood would be fatal.

Boracay is a great holiday destination. It is perfectly safe. The skills of the massage ladies are some of the best I have ever had and for someone who's been to some of the best spas in south-east asia, that's saying alot. Surprisingly, even the mani-pedi lady on the beach did an impressive job. Apparently the right training is compulsory before they get their certificate to practice.

Making your way to Boracay, just be prepared to rough it out a little - preferably back pack and travel light. I would not recommend it for families with very young children or elderly folks. You must remember that this is a small island and any activitity tends to carry a higher level of risk compared to a more developed place. That said, it is these elements of risk and freedom from rules and the unknown that makes it even more exhilarating. If Boracay maintains its environmental conciousness, we should still be able to enjoy their unspoilt beaches and reefs for years to come. Can't wait to go back... :-)