AIRPORT-HOTEL TRANSFERS:
OUR EXPERIENCE:
Because we were first timers on this island, and being poor in geography, I had no idea how far Boracay island is from the two airports (Caticlan and Kalibo). And because there were only two of us, both looking like lost little kids, I decided to arrange the transportation before hand. Our hotel helped arrange the transfer under Southwest Tours. The charge was 470 for Caticlan Airport to Hotel, and 570 for Hotel to Kalibo Airport. But I was so surprised that the distance of Caticlan Airport to our hotel was less then 30mins away.
TIPS:
The airport is less than 500 meters or so away from the port, you can even walk if you're an experienced backpacker. Thus I suggest that if you’re on a budget, just take the trike from the airport to Caticlan Jetty port, ride a banca (costs around 30PHP plus terminal fee), then take another trike to your hotel. But if you’re after comfort and you got so much to shell out, then the Southwest Tours is for you. That's if you're travelling via Caticlan. Travelling via Kalibo is another thing. Kalibo is around one and a half hour ride from Boracay Island, so it's really recommended to book your transfers. I'm not sure though if there's any other bus travelling there other than the Southwest Tours. I didn't notice any.
ACCOMODATIONS
OUR EXPERIENCE:
We chose Seabird International Resort because back in June this same year, a couple of friends from college booked under the same hotel. Having heard no complaints, I decided to check out this hotel. The reviews were mostly good. And just in time, they were selling a voucher in Cash cash Pinoy, covering the period we were scheduled for a vacation, so we purchased 2 vouchers then and there (1,999 for 2D/1N). The place was good. It was very clean. And we were welcomed with a smile and orange drinks. The transfer has also been smoothly arranged. The check-in time is 2pm, but our arrival was 7am. We went straight there anyway just so we can leave our things and go explore the beach. But since there was a vacant room available as there were guests who checked out earlier that day, we were accomodated. A real lagniappe: 5 hours before check-in time and we got a room! (So unlike other hotels who would go by the strict rules of check-in and check-out times.) I also specifically liked the location. It was right next to D'Mall, that when we're in our room, GPS would actually say we're in D'Mall.
TIPS:
It's easy to do research for accomodations in Boracay. Trip Advisor is especially helpful. I think the reviews are more or less true. It gives you a good picture of what you would expect with the accommodation you’ve booked in. I've also seen a number of blogs about Boracay, which have given me insights on the different hotels. And of course, testimonies from friends would be the best. You could also await for vouchers, but be sure to check out reviews of those hotels. There might be a reason why it's being offered at a huge discount. It's also good to research on the location, especially if you're not that fond of walking or if you're coming with someone who can't walk too far. Station 1 to Station 3 is very much walkable though. Station 1 is where most of the activities are located (particularly the registration and bancas). Station 2 is where D' Mall is located. The night parties and events happens mostly in Station 2. And station 3 is where the more peaceful, yet quite boring side of the beach is.
OUR EXPERIENCE:
There are a number of things to do in Boracay, other than rest, walk by the beach and sunbathe, such as Island Hopping, Snorkeling, ATV, Parasailing, Paraw Sailing, Banana Boat, Flyfish, Helmet Diving, Zorb Ball and Zipline. I would be focusing on the activities that we've tried. A number of guys, who works on a commission basis, will approach you, asking if you'd like to try any of their activities. The first guy who approached us, and whom we contracted was Kuya Maco with contact no. 0928-2902906. We booked the para-sailing (to be held on the same day) and Island Hopping (for the next day). On the second day though, he wasn't available and it was Kuya Lito (someone from the same group) who accompanied us to the registration booth. It was also him who offered us the ATV for that afternoon.
Parasailing -The activity works this way - a person is attached to a parasail wing (something that looks like a big parachute), which is attached to a boat by a rope. The boat moves on and tows the person as the rope is bit by bit released and the parasail wing goes up in the sky. When we were up there, I can't help but remember Travis and Gabby in Nicholas Sparks' The Choice. I was just reading this book earlier this year, thinking how hesitant and fearful I might have been had I been Gabby. Yet here I am, flying a hundred meters up in the sky.
Island Hopping & Snorkeling - or more like an Island Tour. With this activity, we were able to see Boracay from end to end (I think) We even saw Pacquiao's house, and a number of other resorts in more secluded areas. We were also able to see what's under the sea and even feed fish with some bread. It was not as breathtaking as other snorkeling spots in the Philippines though.
ATV - The ATV can be taken in one hour or two hours depending on where you would like to go. We booked for two hours and we were able to go to three places - Puca Beach, Everland Aviary Farm, and the Tower. The Puca Beach is a bare beach with big waves. It's a place you can take pictures on, where a couple of large puca shells are on display. But the beach itself doesn't seem to have any puca shells. It's more of the souveneir shops selling them and the display. The Everland Aviary Farm is the next stop. It's just like a mini zoo, where there were mostly birds and a huge bayawak. Photo-ops can be done with the animals. The tower is our last stop. It's just a series of steps going up where one can have a bird's eye view of Boracay at the top.
TIPS:
If you are on a short trip to Boracay, I suggest you try at least one activity, then have the rest of your vacation just chilling out, having food trips, or long walks. We felt so used up the day we returned back home. All our muscles seem to ache. Or maybe....we weren't just used to these much air,sea and land exercises. :P
As to which activity to choose, I don't highly recommend island hopping and snorkeling. The waves were huge the day we went island hopping. Some people also mentioned the same experience. And because of this, we weren't really able to island hop. It's more of an island tour by the sea and snorkeling on some spots. The fish and corals weren't that great though. I've seen better ones in other places. The para-sailing is worth a try, at least experience it once in your life. Be sure to have the right amount of wind though. ATV was fun! I think if I'd ever repeat any activity, it would be the ATV. Or maybe I'll try the Buggy Car next time. :)
I would also recommend doing a canvass. I'm not quite sure if we got a good price from our contacts (Para-sailing 1,500 for 2; Island Hopping & Snorkeling 1,500 for 2; ATV for 2 hours 1,600 for 2), as another group who approached us later on was giving us lower prices (Parasailing for 1,200 and ATV for 2 hours for 1,200). It was a minimal difference though. What I didn't like was the fact that the rate given to us still excludes certain registration and other fees. For instance, the island hopping didn't include the ff charges per person (100 for Insurance, 200 for certain fees, and another 40 for whatever the sea farer was charging us). For ATV, it didn't include the parking rates (50 per pitstop per vehicle and 60 entrance fee to the farm) So if someone offers you a price, ask what it includes and how much more are you expected to shell out.
I'm not sure if people give tips. But we did. Though I realized later on that it wasn't really necessary because they already have a commission.
FOOD
OUR EXPERIENCE:
Because we are in Boracay, enjoying one of the best beaches in the Philippines, we decided to stick to Filipino food that's best eaten in this kind of environment. Our first stop was at Smoke. It was sort of a deliberate decision on the spot. Haha! It was decided around 11:30 of our first day, when my friend browsed through some blogs when we felt the hunger, and she came upon Smoke. Located in D' Mall, it was a very short distance from our hotel. Our orders are Tofu Salpicao, Lechon Kawali, and Bulalo. It was delicious! We weren't happy with the bulalo, though, because we were so used to Kansi Bulalo by now that we were looking for that sour taste of the soup. But it was superb, especially for the price! We downed it with a can of Coke and a bottle of water, and the full bill was less than 500.
Next stop later that afternoon is the street food. There were a number of vendors side by side, selling bbq (10), Isaw Manok(10), Isaw Baboy (10), and Chorizo Burger (40). We really like the isaw as they seem very fresh, unlike most of those bought here in Manila. We also ordered the much talked about Jonah's milkshake. I ordered a bestseller - Banana Choco Peanut (110) and my friend ordered Strawberry Banana (180). I don't know why most reviews I've read would say Jonah's milkshake is a must-try. We waited for almost an hour. (You can easily notice the time in the picture from we first walked in to the time we got our order). More disappointing is that it didn't taste that good. They were too thick for me, and the taste wasn't as excellent as I've expected.
We can't say if it was the chorizo burger or the shake, but after having these, our stomach just can't take anymore food. So we skipped dinner and had a late light snack instead. I was actually looking for soup, but most soup served there would require rice to be fully appreciated. So I decided to have a simple mango crepe (200) from Ti Braz instead.
For the next day, we had a simple breakfast of tapsilog and tosilog from 928 Cafe & Grill. For only 85, it already includes drinks (your choice of coffee or iced tea).
We went on with our activities and was back at the island by lunch time, where we had our meal at 888 Seafoof Restaurant. We had Garlic Crabs and Smoked Fish, with regular Coke and fresh Buko. It's more pricey though. But 900 for seafood is so worth it!
Because of our experience the previous day, we decided not to eat merienda and have an early dinner instead. We were just walking and trying to check out the restaurants when we came upon a guy who was broiling food. The smell was really good and when we asked how much is he selling them, the price was just right. For two rice, grilled liempo, and grilled sugpo, plus two regular coke, we only paid 500 (with small tip already). The serving was just right too. We were very much filled up with no left overs. What's best about this meal was that it was by the beach. I'm not sure though if the food is from Seagaia, but they are located in front of Seagaia and one of the guys serving is wearing a shirt with a Seagaia patch. For me, this was the best meal in our stay!
TIPS:
Be wise. The first restaurant we were supposed to eat in on the second day was Paradiso Grill. They were offering us a very tiny crab for 600. I didn't even like the girl's response when we commented "Ang mahal naman" (That's too expensive) and she said "Mahal talaga" (It really is expensive!) So we went to another restaurant in D'Mall instead and had our taste of fine crab that's rightly priced. There are a number of choices along the stretch from Station 1 to 3, and also in D' Mall. But if you'd really want lots of fresh seafood, some people are suggesting going to D Talipapa to buy then have it cooked. Maybe we'll try this too next time.
A side comment on Timing
While I was buying our Chorizo Burger, there were two friends beside me, discussing about the sand in Boracay. The girl was saying that she wasn't amazed as the sand isn’t that white after all, then the guy responded saying that ‘the sand is actually at its best during summer. November isn’t actually the perfect month to visit Boracay.’
Oh well, we’re done with the activities. Maybe next time we can try the summer months for a chill-out mode or party-mode vacation in Boracay. Because if there’s one sentence I’ll sum up my review of the place, it would be “It’s really worth going back to, again and again.”
