When we first planned our vacation to the Philippines, I was excited about Boracay but was most excited about El Nido, Palawan. Boracay had been hyped up to me as being better than the Caribbean beaches I’ve been used to. I couldn’t believe it and the videos and photos I had seen from Palawan really got me excited. I was also told that it was best to go to Boracay first, so you wouldn’t be let down after coming from Palawan. For me it was the opposite. I was glad to go to Palawan first because going to Boracay after was the cherry on top of our beach experience in the Philippines.
There wasn’t as much to do in Boracay, but that’s okay because White Sand Beach of Boracay is all I needed to enjoy our little vacation away from a vacation. Wherever you’re staying in Boracay, the beach is right there and it’s amazing. The sand is white and the water is crystal clear. In terms of sheer beauty, Boracay is right up there with the top Caribbean beaches I’ve been to. There is also a beautiful sunset which can be seen from virtually anywhere on the island. The only downside was that the atmosphere doesn’t compare to the Caribbean and Latin America. But the people are friendly and the beach is awesome.
In Boracay, the walk through downtown is literally on the beach, not the road but on the sand between the shops and restaurant and the water. It is really nice; the only problem is your feet are always full of sand. But our hotel, Mandarin Island Hotel had a nice little foot wash station when you enter the restaurant. Still, I constantly managed to drag sand into my room at the annoyance of the wife. There are a wide range of restaurants and souvenir shops and there are a number of bars along the strip. The night life was hyped up to me, but it wasn’t spectacular. The night life consisted of karaoke in hotel bars/restaurants, live bands and a few bars where the music was of the old American variety turned up a few too many notches on the speakers. On your walk down the beach back to your hotel you will notice many women lining the beach. Take a guess what they’re offering. When you are with someone they will leave you alone, but if you’re walking by yourself be prepared to be approached on numerous occasions.
Asides from the beach, good restaurants, good smoothies (surprisingly, it's hard to find good smoothies and fresh tropical juice in the Philippines, but not in Boracay) and some night life, there are several excursions to choose from. The excursions aren’t as grand as El Nido or many other beach destinations I’ve been to, but there are island hopping tours, ATV rides, parasailing and jet skiing. I did Jet Skiing, it was very overpriced and the experience was limited, but it was the only excursion I would partake in so I could afford the price. And still it was fun to jet ski on the crystal blue water; plus the jet ski was brand new and very powerful.
There are also several different beaches, asides from White Sand Beach, that you can check out. You can rent a motorcycle to go there, but it is very expensive. The best option is to take an e-tricycle. These are more expensive than the tricycles in rest of the country because they are electric but the price is fair. We took one to Pukka Beach to watch the sunset. It cost us 300 pesos for everyone. Pukka Beach was beautiful and less packed but the water was rough and didn’t look safe for swimming. I had a beer on the beach and in a race to catch a good sunset photo, I lost my toenail. I was running across the sand and smoked my foot on a washed-up coral reef. It was bloody and it was painful, but the guys on the beach fixed me up nicely with some first aid and a few shots to ease the pain.
One thing you will notice in Boracay, like the e-tricycles, everything is very organized and environmentally friendly. Years ago, Boracay was packed with tourists, dirty and dying. But whether you like him or not, Duterte helped restore Boracay. Boracay was closed for 6 months and establishments built too close to the water were demolished. Boracay is now more regulated. The regulations only allow you to partake in water activities in certain locations, which can restrict the experience but helps protect the environment and beach which is good in the long term. The water quality has improved, the coral reefs have been saved and the sand is clean. You are no longer allowed to smoke on the beach and warnings against littering are more serious. These regulations impacted the fun of the jet skiing but has resulted in a beautiful and clean Boracay with one of the most pristine beaches I’ve seen.
Boracay Vlog here - https://youtu.be/zYOfRZyh1z4
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