The Visayas: Welcome to Boracay

Emerald waters. Long stretches of white-powdery sand beaches backed by palm trees. Warm shallows extending 20 meters or so out to the sea. There are virtually no rocks underwater. Just fine white sand. And at midday, the waters sparkle like a liquid stained glass against the bottom shoal. For years, Boracay has regularly earned excellent reviews. In 1989, Forbes Magazine named Boracay as the best beach in the world. Conde Nast counted Boracay twice to be among the world’s top 10 beaches. Prestigious surveys often included Boracay as one of the planet’s finest beaches. Soon, the island has become busy as it hosts yearly water sporting events such as the International Funboard Cup every last week of January, the Asian Dragon Boat Race and the Frisbee Tournament every summer.

Whether it is the beach or the shoal, Boracay is a picture-perfect tropical destination. But pictures are not enough to describe the awesome cool and soft feel of its sand. It is made from millions of seashells that have been ground by the sea over time. Even a sore tourist wanting to black eye Boracay with a bad photograph on a sunny day will end up twice annoyed with a stunning picture.

Perhaps there is magic at work in the island that continues to weave its charm. The 4-km. White Beach, Boracay’s most touristic strip, is lined with resorts, restaurants, and shops. Here, sun-tanned Westerners mixed with Asian tourists who love the water but stay out of the sun, interestingly, to keep their skin Caucasian-white. And much of this crowd is made up of young people. Local yuppies, who finally acquired the means to discover their country, come in droves during weekends. Surely, they come here not only for the sights and sports. Just as many go for the beach, many also come for the food, the nightlife, and the parties. In a way, Boracay is the Philippine version of Florida, a beautiful place packed with young and beautiful people. It is an island getaway. But it is also a party place.

@Boracay cc image by Sweetpigor on Flickr

Boracay is a 10.32 sq. km. island just 2 km. off the northwestern tip of Panay island in the province of Aklan. Located at the town of Malay, it is 315 km. south of Manila but can be reached by 1½ hour flight. The quickest route is from Manila to Caticlan Airport, a coastal village of Malay. An alternative flight route is from Manila to Kalibo, the provincial capital. Then take a bus or van to Caticlan for 1½ hour ride. There are plenty of home rentals http://www.vacationhomerentals.com/and you won’t lack for places to stay.

From Manila, Boracay can also be reached by boat, like Negros Navigation. There are also Visayan-bound vans and buses stationed around EDSA corner Santolan Avenue in Quezon City. They board the roll-on roll-off (RORO) ferry transport that sails from Manila, makes a pit stop at Roxas, Mindoro Oriental, and docks at the Caticlan jetty port. Travel time on water is 13 hours.
At the Caticlan jetty port, ready Php 200 (US$2) for terminal fee and boat-transfer. Then take a 15-minute boat ride across the strait and get off at Cagban pier, Boracay’s gateway. Take a trike to bring you to your hotel or resort for Php 20 per head or Php 100 for exclusive hire.