To beach lovers, Boracay is like an addiction—you can never get enough. BLANCHE RIVERA-FERNANDEZ crafts a quick guide on the new, the secret, and the must-do in one of the world’s best islands.
Ariel’s Point is the hottest new must-do in Boracay, offering cliff-diving at Buruanga Island, a fishing town 30 minutes away by boat. It has five diving platforms (3-13 meters above the sea), a bamboo raft for those who fear the plunge, and a canoe for those who want to paddle around the island. Tickets for this day trip (Php1,400/person with round trip boat transfers, grilled seafood lunch and unlimited drinks) must be pre-purchased at the Boracay Beach Club in station 1, where boats leave for Ariel’s Point at 11:30 a.m. daily. Visit www.arielspoint.com.
Boutique hotels are on the rise, following the success of the Tides Hotel (named one of New York Times’ 41 Places to Visit in 2009). Worth checking into are the Mediterranean-inspired Zuzuni in station 1 (www.zuzuni.net; rates from Php3,000/night for two, with breakfast), 357 Boracay, a frequent consumers’ choice awardee, in station 3 (www.357boracay.com; US$130/night) and the 7Stones Boracay Suites (www.7stonesboracay.com; Php6,300/night) in Bulabog Beach, with extreme-vacation packages.
Cheap eats (not more than Php100 per order) can still be found in Boracay, if you know where to look. Smoke, tucked in one of D’ Mall’s alleyways has the best deal for Pinoy food. Real Coffee and Tea House is known for its breakfast menu and calamansi muffins. Jonah’s Fruit Shake and Snack Bar is the go-to for cold drinks. There’s also Lemoni Café for desserts. If all else fails, Mang Inasal and Andok’s are not bad for lunch and dinner.
Diniwid Beach is a quiet, 200-meter cove next to White Beach. It houses one of Boracay’s first luxury resorts, Nami Villas (www.namiresort-boracay.com; Php8,750/night), and a few budget options. Stay here if you want a more laid-back vacation with easy access to the party scene at White Beach—in case you change your mind.
Escape to Balinghai Beach Resort, 30 minutes by tricycle (Php150/trip) from White Beach. Built on the fringes of a cliff, Balinghai will take you back to Boracay before the tourists came. It has a bat house, tree house, and rock house (from Php2,500/night). Dinner on the beach is delivered via a pulley from the hilltop kitchen. Utterly romantic—just slather on mosquito repellent.
Fire-dancers are an attraction in many beachfront bars, so a night out at White Beach would guarantee that you’ll catch a performance.
Get married. On the beach or underwater, island-based coordinators can make it happen (with a hefty price tag, of course). Discovery Shores, Shangri-La’s Boracay Resort and Spa, Seawind, and Asya Premier Suites are top choices for Boracay weddings.
Hair-braiding and henna tattoos— you’ve got to do them once in this lifetime. Just don’t stain the hotel linen.
Island-hopping boat tours (Php1,500/ person) usually take you to Crocodile Island, Laurel Island, Crystal Cove, and Mt. Luho, where you can get a panoramic view of Boracay.
Jungle Bar (complete with vines, a monkey and a rooster) goes reggae on Friday nights and rock on Saturday nights with international DJs, but its full moon parties are the real talk of the town. Their “Fuck You Archie” signature drink, a concoction of the bar manager Archie Aniel, is a must-try. The bar’s Jungle Boys, a fire-dancing tribal percussion group, is also a hit.
Kick off those shoes and dance the night away at Club Paraw in station 1, a Boracay staple that serves reasonably priced food and drinks. You can also rent the place for private parties.
Lonely Planet shirts (from Php350) are popular Boracay souvenirs. For arts and crafts, go to Plazoleta in station 2. You will also pass itinerant vendors selling handmade accessories and décor when you walk from station 1 to D’ Mall.
Mandala Spa and Villas, the Philippines’ most awarded wellness center, provides a tranquil space on this party island and offers day spa packages (from Php5,600) and yoga vacations (from US$740/person for a 3D2N package). They plant a tree for every checked-in guest (www.mandalaspa.com). If your aching back is on a budget, a massage on the beach (Php300/ hour) is a good alternative and a quintessential Boracay experience.
Nature trips to the mainland (Aklan) can be arranged by My Boracay Guide. Its Indiana Jones Eco-Tour (Php1,600/person, minimum of four; www.myboracayguide.com) will take you to Nabas, which claims to have the longest cave in the Philippines, and the cold springs of Hurom-Hurom for a superb late-afternoon barbecue.
Outdrink everyone at Cocomangas in station 1, famous for its Still Standing after 15 drinking contest, and have your name and country etched on its very own Wall of Fame.
Parasailing (from Php1,500/person for 20 minutes) is a safe thrill if you want some action that does not entail hitting your face on a board.
Quirky is what you want, you say? Why not strap yourself onto a giant Zorb ball and roll down from the hill to the beach (Php400/person). Or simply saddle up and take a horse ride (Php700) on a private pocket of white sand. (Look up Boracay Adventures on Facebook)
Reef-walking is another new activity (Php400- 600/person) in Boracay. Takers get a CD of their photos and video while walking underwater.
Shangri-La Resort and Spa is a destination in itself. Even if you can’t afford the Php15,000-a-night rooms, it’s worth a visit for the lovely landscape and stunning sunset view. Buffet dinner at its Filipino restaurant Vintana is not so prohibitive (Php900++/person).
Take a sunset sail on a paraw (from Php500/boat for 45 minutes), possible in the Habagat season starting late May/June, because of the wind. It’s the most relaxing thing—next to a spa— that you can do in Boracay. It’s practically poetic.
Up on My Private Mountain Casitas (www.myprivatemountcasitas.com; from US$110/casita), you’ll find a different Boracay. Perched on Bulabog Mountain, it is one of the most peaceful, charming accommodations on the island (and with fully equipped kitchens, too).
View Boracay from the sky. Boracay Helicopter Adventure offers island tours (Php5,300 per person, 15 minutes). Fancy a Pearl Harbor aerial date experience? Fork over Php15,000 for two, for 20 minutes of flight into the sunset. (Find them on Facebook)
White Beach’s unmatched powdery fine sand is the main reason Boracay made it to TripAdvisor’s Best Beach Destinations in the World for 2011. This is where most everything happens in Boracay. Station 1 is quiet and has a wide beachfront. Station 2 starts all the parties, and station 3 is a rustic retreat.
eXtreme sports—kiteboarding, windsurfing, skimboarding—are over at Bulabog Beach. Get lessons from Hangin Kiteboarding School (around Php5,900/ person for four hours; www.kite-asia.com).
Yachts can be rented for private affairs (www.boracay-yachting.com) like weddings, proposals or simply, parties. Boracay Yachting also offers day cruises to Carabao Island (Php1,500/person, including lunch), touted to be a pristine alternative to Boracay.
Zone out. Take your iPod, lie on the talcum-fine white sand, soak up the sun, and forget the world. This is, after all, what a beach is for.
