Summer is about to end!?! Huhummm... why oh why?? I haven't gone to the beach yet!
On this hot sunny day..I could just daydream...take me to the beach please. And beach means...I should be here..NOW!!
The ultimate beach (atleast for me)..will always be Boracay, Philippines!!
I won't elaborate the how, where, when to go... You may check it at http://www.myboracayguide.com/ . It helped me a lot to get information on my last 2 trips to Boracay.
Booking a flight: flight to Caticlan is quick (the runway is short and so the landing is a bit tricky), but if you're in a budget, flights to Kalibo cost less but from there, you need to travel by road in more or less an hour to reach Caticlan Port.
Accomodation: Depends on who you're with. My first trip was exclusively for 2 (wink), so we stayed in a private resort (off White Beach). It is okay if you want an "alone" time, but it's an effort when you go party at the main beach (Station 1-3) then you need to take a ride (tricyle if the hotel service car's scheduled pick-up is way over) back to the mountains and walked down at pitch black (if you happen to have a hotel which is so out of the main road), intoxicated and all. My 2nd trip was with a group of foreigners with no other aim but to go out and experience the beach, so we stayed at Station 1, Residencia Boracay is simple and clean, not too crowded and cost-wise perfect. My 3rd trip was with close friends (all Filipinos), the family stayed in a 4-star hotel complete with amenities (pool) so there are options for the kids, but as for us, who only need a bed, shower and toilet...we got a clean, air-conditioned room up the OLE Boracay Restaurant, cheap and few steps away from the beach, food and all the shenanigans.
What to do once you step on the island..Check-in, remove those clothes and run to the beach (don't forget your sunscreen lotion)...
Chill and let it all happen. My happy place is just enjoying the sight with ice cold beer.
A lot of activities. You may want to go for...snorkeling, underwater adventure, parasailing, island hopping, or even land activities, etcetera. Where to book? At your posh hotel, stores along the beach/street, or just simply hang out at the beach and wait for those guys to approach you and offer different options (boat included), choose and haggle for a lower price.
Don't miss going to Puka beach and enjoy lunch (with your bare hands) there!
If you want to bum out at the beach the whole day..please do so.. get a henna tattoo or a massage or build a sand castle...don't forget your ice cold beer please.
Food trip. Eat all you want and can. A lot of restaurant at D' Mall, Station 2!! Cost is reasonable. (Souvenirs and other good buys are available here as well)
But for a great experience (especially if you're a tourist), do try the "street food", from isaw (bbq chicken intestines),betamax (pig's blood), adidas (chicken feet), and balot (fertilized duck egg w/ developed embryo). The local drinks like San Miguel beer, Red Horse beer, Tanduay Rhum & Ice, or even Ginebra Gin.
For the real deal, go and take a trip to D' Talipapa, a wet market where you can buy fresh live seeafoods and have it cooked at the nearest eatery. Yumm--eeeh!!!
Night life is all on you. Eat, drink, dance, sing and be merry!!
So why is Boracay the best beach ever??
Because the hashtag is true... #itsmorefuninthephilippines
Come experience!!
PS: all photos from my Summer 2012 trip