BRB - I'm sunbathing

The last time I was in Boracay, I was only 11-years old and I remember my jaw dropping when I saw the white sand and the clear blue water. I had never seen anything like it before. My family and I were the only people on the beach almost all week and it was incredible how you could see schools of fish in the shallow water. This was a real plus because at the time, because my little sister still couldn't swim.

Boracay today is now a far cry from what it once was. Renowned for its wild nightlife, especially during Easter season, the schools of fish have now been replaced by hordes of tourists and island-hopping boats.

There isn’t much to Boracay apart from the chilled out vibe of the beaches, the parties, and the water sports, but since it’s transformed from a small beach paradise into a tourist hot spot I’ll give you guys on pros and cons and prices of transport, accommodation, food, and drinks and what is most definitely a ripoff.

Should I fly into Kalibo or Caticlan?

Caticlan is a LOT closer but it’s a really small airport and the carriers only allow check-in luggage up to 10kg. Flights into Kalibo are cheaper but you would have to sort out land transfers – a return door-to-door transfer with Southwest Tours with terminal and environmental fees included costs about 800 PHP each (around 10 USD). If you can avoid flying into Kalibo, I would. There is little price difference when taking into account land transfer fees plus the long commute would shorten the time you can spend soaking up the sun on the beach! Not to mention the land transfer itself is chaotic and stressful at best.

Where should I stay?

It all depends on your budget. Since hotels fill up quickly around this time of year (March till Labour Day is peak season), Holly and I only managed to get a family room in Jony’s Resort at Station 1. It’s a little pricey for what it actually has to offer but this was Holly’s first time in Boracay and so I thought it would be worth shelling out a little extra for a beachfront resort on White Beach. It is also a family-run resort and I feel happier supporting an establishment run by locals than one of those global hotel conglomerates. 

White Beach Station 1

The room was a good size with a TV, airconditioning, a fridge, and a clean functional bathroom and toilet (with complimentary toiletries yay!). I thought it was rubbish that in spite of the money we paid for the room, they don’t offer any complimentary water. They charge you 20 PHP for a small bottle if you take it out of the mini-fridge. I think it’s worth investing a trip to a sari-sari store and getting a 2L bottle or bigger. There is also a supermarket in D*Mall in Station 2 where you can get decently priced water.

Staying in Station 1 is more expensive because it is closest to the nicest part of the beach. I would not stay in Station 2 since it’s really crowded and incredibly noisy at night. On top of that access to the beach isn’t as good because loads of bangkas are docked there and you will get hassled by people all day trying to sell you a sunset ‘cruise’ or island hopping tour.

Some bangkas docked at Station 2

Station 3 is more quiet and laidback and there are quite a few nice hotels that have been built recently. For those on a budget there is a really nice hostel called The Treehouse which is what it is – a really big bamboo tree house. There are cheap drinks at their bar at night with good live music. Because Station 3 is a long walk away from the other two and the sand is no longer white, it’s a lot cheaper to stay there. If it’s your first time in Boracay, I would suggest spending a few nights in Station 1 just so you savour the beauty of White Beach, and then spend the rest of your stay in Station 3.

Where should I eat?

I have to start with singing praises about the restaurant at Jony’s Resort. Although the accommodation itself wasn’t spectacular, the resort’s restaurant Mayas goes above and beyond my expectations. First and foremost: location, location, location! There is nothing better than waking up in the morning and seeing the clear blue waters while having your morning coffee.

Our view of the beach at breakfast.

The resort also has several sunbeds situated right in front of the restaurant reserved for its hotel guests but it’s on a first come first serve basis. Holly and I are not exactly early risers but we befriended one of the hotel staff – Rey who was always kind enough to help us find two sunbeds and serve our tea and delicious cocktails there.

The food at Mayas is mouth-watering. Breakfast was one of the things Holly and I looked most forward to apart from Happy Hour. Their motif is Filipino-Mexican fusion, however, like the resort, the prices are steep compared to the rest of the island. Mains are from 400 PHP upwards, whereas you can easily get a decent meal for around the 200 PHP mark if you look around the island.

For you foodies out there you can get good seafood at D’Talipapa which is somewhere around the D*Mall area. Friends have also recommended Smoke, located towards the back of D*Mall near the main road. I’ve personally not tried it but locals have said the food is very good and reasonably priced. It’s also best to avoid eating and drinking (outside of happy hour) in Station 1 unless you intend to splurge a little.

I’ve also seen a LOT of tourists buying the buko shakes and buko juices at the beachfront stalls of Stations 1 and 2. Please don’t. It breaks my heart to see people being royally ripped off. They charge around 110 PHP but if you wander around the D*Mall area you can find stalls that sell it for around 30 PHP.  Sure, if you convert the difference to USD or GBP, it’s not much of a difference but it’s the principle innit.

Guess the conclusion is: want to splurge? Station 1. Want good local food for a reasonable price? Station 2.

Where should I drink?

Take advantage of happy hour. Seriously do. There is nothing like having good quality cocktails or a cheap bucket of beer while watching the sunset in Station 1. Happy hour is around 4pm-8pm, sometimes 9pm for most of the places in Station 1. Recommended places for some lush drinks are Two Seasons and Sur, although Holly and I kind of just picked out the best deals. Cocktails cost around 200 PHP and during happy hour it’s 2-4-1. 

Happy hour cocktails at Station 1

Station 2 has a lot more going on later in the evening so after happy hour is over you can head down there for some more drinks or to go clubbing in Epic, Wave House, or Summer Place. Entrance for Epic is 300 PHP inclusive of two drinks whereas Summer Place is about 100 PHP without drinks.

You can also lounge around in the outdoor areas of the bars in Station 2 and wait for the fire dancers to come out. It’s loads of fun but they do come over to your table a LOT asking for monetary contributions.

Firedancers yippee.

Want a little bit of weird? There’s the Hobbit House in D*Mall, which appears to just be a pub decorated with LOTR memorabilia but take a closer look you’ll see that all the waiters there are midgets… I kid you not. The drinks are good I guess, but to be honest I was a little distracted by the sign proclaiming they were the pub with “THE SHORTEST WAITERS IN THE WORLD.” Is this something to brag about? A lot of tourists find this place fun, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that the entire thing is a little politically incorrect.

Entrance to Spiderhouse

Last but not least there is The Spiderhouse in Diniwid beach. Holly will probably kill me for spreading the word about our little haven of harmony and awesome, but I just have to! No happy hour, but the venue is worth the money. Just hop on a tricycle and ask them to take you to Spiderhouse, Diniwid beach. It’s accessible through a little hole in a rock at the end of the beach and you climb up the stairs until you reach the bar. Just ask anyone for directions if you’re confused.

You can sunbathe on that wooden float at Spiderhouse

It’s a great place to watch the sunset and you can climb down the bamboo ladder to the water if you fancy a swim. There’s also a small wooden floaty thing you can sunbathe on.

Two downsides to Spiderhouse: as the sun sets it begins to fill up with some really weird people so go early. Secondly, the food kind of sucks so go elsewhere for dinner or just go with the Western food.

Anything else?

Like in Bali, there are ‘local’ prices and ‘foreigner’ prices, so haggle if you can. Sadly there is an abundance of spendthrift tourists on the island so prices may not go down a lot, especially for tours and water sports. Try haggling with them later in the day.

For those on a budget: when you are taking a tricycle make sure you ask for the ‘regular price’ and not the ‘special price’. A trip to Diniwid beach from Station 1 can cost 100 PHP with a special price and only 25 PHP with the regular price. The difference between the two fares is that the special one is a private transfer to your destination. With the regular fare, the tricycle driver will pick up people along the way who flag them down on the way to your destination.

Sunset at Diniwid Beach

Ok this may sound like a no-brainer, but seriously, wear SPF 50. The Filipino summer sun is a merciless fiend. My entire upper body got sunburned although I naturally have a darker skin colour, I slathered on SPF 30, religiously re-applied, and avoided the sun between noon to 2.30 PM. Wear SPF 50. You will burn.

So there you have it. These are my tips on what to do when you’re in Boracay. If you haven’t been, go soon. Boracay today is so different from what it was when I first saw it. Although the many establishments have made it more fun and accessible, it feels less like the Philippines and more like an arbitrary beach holiday and in spite of the Philippines’ efforts in eco tourism, I fear that in several years time the beauty of White Beach will be overrun with clubs, pubs, and whatnot and become another Patong Beach, Phuket.