went with my mom and my cousins at le Boracay last June this year. and yes, during the storm. haha. what can i say? plane tickets do come cheap on rainy days. we were half excited half terrified on our plane trip to Kalibo via the Cebu Pacific but gladly we made it to and back safe and ALIIIIVE! (think Frankenstein)
anyhoo.
thought i'd share with you the things that we did whilst in the island.
Boracay June 2013
Boracay is not such a tricky place to go to. you'll never go missing when you're in there. and that's saying something coming from me, one that doesn't have sense of direction and easily freaks out on a strange city. basically, you can just hop on a tricycle or multicab to the main road (located behind the establishments strewn across the shores) and it will take you from point A to point B. and i'd also like to point out that vacationing at Boracay is cheaper than most people often thought. there are lots of cheap hotels and cheap restaurants that mere mortals like us can more than afford.
Snorkeling/Banana Boat/Island Tour
our first day started off with some rain. we had to wait it out till it stopped raining. it was almost midday when we finally got to hop on our rented yacht... err boat. we went snorkeling and cruising along the island. the corals and fishes as usual were wonderful. we stopped at some ihaw-ihaw restaurant for our lunch. the island tour wasn't exactly fun for me since i was dizzy the whole time. i had to puke at some point too. lastly, we went riding at the famous banana boat. sadly, it wasn't as fun when the whole time, you get sprayed water on your face. they were painful. and they weren't gonna let us fall. bummer.
Parasailing
for me, the highlight of our Boracay trip was the parasailing. it was a good thing the sun finally showed up on our second day in the island, good day to parasail. it was awe-mazing to be up there! i'd do it again in a heartbeat. for fifteen minutes, we were up in the air admiring the view below our feet. it wasn't scary or anything. we were lifted in the air gently and before we knew it, were several feet up in the air. you should definitely try it. the ride costs P1600 but we haggled it down to P1100 since we are about a dozen.
Calamansi Muffin
before jumping on the plane to Boracay, i of course did a research about things to do and food to eat on the island. and every travel blog i go to, this calamansi muffin always pops out. so my cousin and i could not wait to try it. calamansi muffin is located at Station 1. i was expecting it to be lavish since it was located on a more upscale part of the island. when we got there, i was so shocked to see the place. it looked like cheap inuman. yeah, so whatever. we tried to chat with the server and they are not very welcome-y. they're not rude but not polite either. it really annoyed me. i was screaming inside of my head "im definitely going to blog how suplada their staff are!". so we did what we came to do, tried the damn muffin and.... it was good. and that's it. there's nothing more to it. it wasn't ground breaking or anything. it was just delicious. and overrated.
Grotto
located at Station 1. basically it's like an altar in the middle of the beach. you can go onto it, and pray, or what you guys do. it kinda is a landmark. people always take photo with this on the backdrop. my cousins and i love to hang out here because it's right in front of our favorite Jonah's Fruitshake.
Puka Shell Beach
the Puka Beach is located on the other side of the island. most island tours usually include this on their itinerary. but you can also go there riding tricycle. tourists especially prefer puka beach as their swimming destination. the place is far from the commercial area, therefore much less people, less noise and much much less pollution. the water at puka beach is indeed as clear as crystal. the sand may not be as fine as those at Station 1 but i prefer to go swimming on a beach without drunken men as my audience, thank you.
Jonah's Fruit Shake
Jonah's Fruit Shake is one of the things that popped out on many travel blogs' recommendations. and this time we weren't disappointed, except my mom. well, not exactly disappointed. she thinks that it tastes exactly the same to the ones we make at home. we love Jonah's Fruit Shake because it is heavy and creamy (read fattening), and the combo flavors are like explosion in the mouth. one bottle of shake costs about P110. my favorite was the banana peanut vanilla. Jonah's Fruit Shake if i'm not mistaken, has 3 branches. so you wouldn't really miss it. one branch is located in front the grotto thing.
Crown Regency Convention Center
we stayed at Crown Regency Convention Center, located somewhere in Station 2. they have a huge wave pool right at the center of the hotel. it was also nice to see some rooms have direct access to the pool (see lower right photo). how cool would it be to wake up in the morning, jump out of bed, stepped out of the balcony, and plunge in to the pool. haha. we didn't get those type of rooms though. our room with two double size beds, good for four people cost us P4000 a night. we had to leave the next day and had to move to another hotel. a much cheaper hotel called Boracay Sunset. it was conveniently located near the D'Talipapa and near the beach. it was not lavish. but it was clean and decent enough for us. the room with two double size beds good for four people only cost us P1800. we decided to stay there throughout the rest of our days in Boracay.
D'Mall
every night we always see to it that we go to D'Mall where shops and restaurants of all sorts are located. the shops and restaurants though are a little expensive on the side. but if you want to dine and shop without getting holes on your pocket, you should definitely see D'Talipapa. you can go shopping for beach wear and souvenirs. they are really affordable and sometimes the prices can go really low depending on your haggling capabilities. the restaurants at D'Talipapa aren't as posh as those at D'Mall but the coolest thing about is that it is located near the wet market. you can go buy the freshest seafood of your own choice and have it cooked the way you want to for a low low price. very convenient for us with special diets (read pork-free).
Group Picture! yey!
(right to left:) mahal, fai, kaka bong, mom, zee, far, kaka fao
things to bring on the beach
canvas bag: why i think canvas bag is perfect for beach is because it's low maintenance and they can be pretty flexible. you're not going to worry if they get dirty because they can be easily cleaned. beach bags should also be large enough to fit all of the things you will be bringing. striped bag from Mango. beach hat: not only it protects you from the sun, it also makes good fashion statement. make sure the hat matches well with all of your outfit. pink hat from SM Accessories. sunscreen: people, you have to realize that it's very important to protect yourselves from the harmful rays of the sun. aside from the widely know fact that it causes skin cancer, exposure from the sun causes premature aging. that's why supermodels like me are always equipped with sunscreen when were at the beach (hey laugh it's a joke, the model thing). sunscreen from Nivea. sunnies: protect those gorgeous eyes from the glare of the sun with fashionable sunglasses. got mine cheap at an online shop. beach towel: something to make you dry. last but not the least, my favorite, the waterproof cellphone casing: it allows you to take precious moments at the beach, in the water and while up in the air even, without worrying about your precious phone to get soaked, windblown and get dirty on. it came really handy for me during parasailing. i was the only one who was able to take photos and videos up there. it was really cool. oh, you can get them just about anywhere for P150.
Ever been to Boracay?
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