BORACAY ISLAND: IT'S MORE FUN IN THE PHILIPPINES

BORACAY ISLAND: ITS MORE FUN IN THE PHILIPPINES

         Henry Libo-on

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Sunset at Boracay Island.

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Twenty-three years ago, in 1992, I visited the island of Boracay for the very first time.  There were few hotels and beach resorts doing business on the island.  For a few tourists enjoying the sun, the sand, and the sea, a few cottages spread all over the long white beach, was enough to serve their needs for accommodation, food, and a few amenities of an island vacation.

In 2006, my 6th visit to the island, I saw a tremendous development.  Hotels were rising like the proverbial mushrooms.  New ones were being constructed all around from the village of Manoc-Manoc to the other end of the island, the village of Yapak. The village at the center of the island is called Balabag.  This is where most of the tourists chose to stay because it is at the center of the action and most importantly the White Beach.

This is the world-famous Willy's Rock.

Today, there are three (3) Boat Stations.  Stations 1, 2, and 3.  The port of the island has now been developed with a reception building that houses the Pre-Departure and Arrival Area. The port operates 24/7. Why? Because the airport at Caticlan also operates 24/7 where tourists arrive by plane direct from other Asian Cities.  At the Jetty at Caticlan, a modern boat terminal has been constructed many years ago and provided comfort for travelers waiting for the boat to take them to the island.

The transfer of tourists from Caticlan Jetty to the island takes about 15 minutes, boat ride.  Fees included a terminal fee, environmental fee, and your boat ticket.

My 7th time to visit Boracay happened in July 2015   

So, it is off-season.  But, my trip to Boracay gave me a picture of the peak season.  My proof? Hundreds of international tourists and the local visitors were seen queueing towards the ticketing Booth. The sight gave me both joy and excitement.  Why?  I am happy to be one with them to enjoy the island. 

As a Filipino, I am happy that they spend their vacation at Boracay.  I just hope that everything on the island will make their stay memorable.

Coco Bar at Red Coconut Beach Hotel with Johnny, Japs, and Borge.

I arrived at Boracay a little past four in the afternoon.  After billeting at the Red Coconut Beach Hotel which is located at the heart of this paradise island and facing the White Beach, I took time strolling the whole span of the White Beach to see for myself if the Southwind Moonsoon or "Habagat" can dampen the adventurous spirit of travelers to the island.  I proved that I was wrong to make the conclusion that it is "Habagat" and off-season on the island.

Thank you Japs "Japhet" Avelino for allowing me to post your paintings here. Japs is a popular resident artist on the island.\

                                          Presidential Suite, Red Coconut Beach Hotel Boracay

Boracay is like the United Nations where people from all countries converge to enjoy their vacation.  Everyone's doing their own thing and everyone minds their own business.
At night, I walked slowly on the sandy road, and sometimes my shoulder touches the shoulder of another tourist because the road is crowded.  So, can I call this "Habagat" or off-season?  Precisely No!

The facade of the Caticlan Jetty

                                                Caticlan Jetty

I interviewed a hotel staff of Red Coconut Beach Hotel to explain to me why there seem to be more tourists coming to the island even if it is "Habagat"  and he told me that one of the factors might be the accessibility to the island.  All support services operate on a 24-hour basis.  From the Caticlan Airport to the Jetty at Caticlan, and to the Boat Service to the island.  Upon arrival at Boracay, tourists are welcomed by their respective hotels or tour operators.  That is 24/7.  To me, this is excellent.

My informant told me that on one occasion, a planeload of tourists from Korea landed at the Caticlan Airport at 2:00 o'clock in the morning.  Then, they were transferred by tourist buses to Caticlan Jetty and got their boat transfer immediately upon arrival at the Jetty and were received on the island boat stations by the representative of their hotels. What a nice feeling it would be.

Boracay Jetty

How to get there.

I traveled from Bacolod, so, I took the fast craft to Iloilo.  From Iloilo Port, there are Vans that wait for passengers going to Caticlan and so, I took the Van on a five-hour road trip to Caticlan Jetty. We stopped at Pengee's for lunch.
There are regular flights from Manila to Caticlan Airport.  From there, air-con buses transfer the tourists to Caticlan Jetty where the boats are waiting to take them to Boracay.

From Manila, Cebu, and Puerto Princesa, there are regular flights that go to Iloilo International Airport. From there, you can take the Van for Caticlan.

From Dumaguete, you can take the Ceres Bus going to Bacolod.  From Bacolod take the fast craft going to Iloilo. At Iloilo port, take the Van going to Caticlan.  Fare ranges from P400 to P500.  You can also take a taxi from the Iloilo port to Tagbak Bus Terminal, Iloilo City, and take the Ceres Bus to Caticlan.

From Iloilo City's Tagbak Bus Terminal, you can also take the Ceres Bus to Caticlan.

What to do in Boracay

Regardless of your age, whether you are 9 or 99, Boracay has something to make your vacation a pleasant and happy experience.  I mean, there are activities for children so that their parents can also enjoy themselves during this vacation.

Most, if not all, hotels have swimming pools where kids can frolic in the water.  They can also enjoy the beach with their parents.  The depth of the water ranges from the level of your feet to one foot up to the waist level of children.  There are lifeguards trained by the Red Cross Boracay and headed by Marlo Schoenenberger.

At least, 30 Life Guards have been trained to ensure the safety of the swimming public in White Beach.
So, what are the things that you can do while in Boracay? Take these for example:

• Sunbathing
• Swimming
• Island hopping that includes the famous Puka Island.
• Scuba Diving.
• Snorkeling.
• Underwater photography.
• EXTREME FUN that includes flyboards, hoverboards, among others.
• Banana ride.
• Jet Ski.
• Sailing the Paraw (locally constructed boats with sails).
• Helicopter Ride that will take you to an aerial view of the island.
• Board Jumping at Ariel's and lunch included, just arrange it with your hotel front desk.
• Hair braiding.
• Tatoo, both Henna and permanent.
• Museum tour.
• Buying art pieces from local artists.
• Reading on the beach with books borrowed from a local library.
• Island tour using a rented bike or riding the Tricycle or Golf cart if you happened to be a guest of the golf club.
• Golf.
• Beach Volleyball with local boys and girls, I mean, not really locals because some ex-pats living on the island take the lead to play volleyball with tourists.
• Play Football with locals who are avid fans of Brazilian football, a few of them have connections with Brazilian football enthusiasts.
• Play basketball in the local gym with local players
• Massage Therapy under the coconut tree.
• Shopping for locally made products at D'Mall.
• Bar and Restaurant hopping is an exciting experience for you to savor on local and international cuisine.
• Listen to live band performances.
• Watch the Fire Dancers.
• Go to the beach, in the early morning and catch the fishermen bring their catch of local fish
• Stroll the long stretch of the White Beach barefoot.  It is not good to walk the sand with flip-flops because it can cause ache on your feet and maybe, strain your muscle.
• Go hunting for souvenir items like tees, key chains, colorful malongs, and other products at D'Mall.
• Go to the local market for fresh vegetables, fish, fruits in season, and coconut, among others.
• Eat coconut under the coconut tree and drink the fresh coconut water, or shall I say coconut juice.
• If you want you can just hang around the bar and restaurants to entertain yourself in the company of local and international tourists.  The locals call it Daddy's Day Care while Mommy went shopping.
• You can also drink Philippine brewed beer and Lambanog which are served as COLD as your Ex's Heart.
• And many other things that your heart desires. 

There are banks, ATM machines, and Foreign Exchange Counters to help you. Just be extra careful when drawing money from the machines.

There are hotel representatives that move around the island offering you a free lunch or dinner.  Be cautious with these because they might invite you for a product presentation that will eat up your whole afternoon.  I experienced this and my island tour, as well as my museum tour, was canceled because I was held "hostage" from 11:15 in the morning until about 4:00 o'clock in the afternoon.  I felt pissed off, but I remained cool.  I will go back to Boracay some other time and finish my unfinished business.

In the final analysis, the Boracay that I experienced in 1992 was a different island in terms of facilities.  The introduction of additional hotels, resorts, bars, and restaurants as well as activities that can ensure the joys and happiness of an island vacation have been elevated to the next level, so to speak, with these modern facilities on the island.  I fell in love with Boracay in 1992 and will love her more in 2015.

                            So, if you are traveling to the Philippines, spend a little time in Boracay.

Source: Barbubro's 2010 video from Youtube.

Beach Volleyball is popular in Boracay where locals, ex-pats, and tourists play this game.

With the influx of Brazilian tourists, Soccer Football is gaining popularity on the island too.

Source: Youtube

You can visit the website of Red Coconut Boracay here - - -  http://www.redcoconut.com.ph

For hotel accommodation, try this hotel where I stayed.  Here is the link:

http://www.redcoconut.com.ph

On Facebook - /RedCoconutBoracay

On Twitter     - @RedCoconutHotel

Global Positioning of Boracay - 11`58'10"N 121`55'38"E (It reads, 11 degrees, 58 minutes 10 seconds North    121 degrees, 55 minutes, 38 seconds East) Source: Wikipedia.

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Touristang Pobre holds the copyright to all his photos in this blog. If you wish to use them, you can ask him through this blog. Thank you.

Updated on May 23, 2018.

Updated on October 3, 2020. 

Reviewed on March 6, 2022.

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