The good life on Boracay’s strip

Just how often can you stretch a hedonist’s bottom line? Boracay is Boracay. The sand. The waters. The azure skies. Those lithe, curvaceous bodies glist’ning in the sun. The...everything.

Really, where on earth do you begin with your to-do list for the path to absolute pleasure? It is the place to unabashedly celebrate your totally indulgent side. It is the ultimate loafing haven. The center of hedonistic non-activities. The perfect context within which to challenge your sense of the sensual, the romantic and the risqué; let loose the gourmand and the adventurous, the reckless and the pensive, backdropped against that breathtaking scenery.

And what about the essential non-activities to do? Like, vogue on the beach. Work on deliciously strategic tan lines. The customary and much-suggested vegging out on the lounge chairs. Or, everybody‘s favorite: taking in the delectable sights. Including the beach, of course. Not since the advent of cafes has voguing on the beach with all these beautiful people become somewhat taxing.

I outlined my game plan as soon as I got off from our Cebu Pacific flights with some of the members of the group. The location, of course, is crucial, so it had to be the Boracay Regency Beach Resort. It’s been a favorite, you will often spot celebrities coming here for a quick R&R.

The Regency’s been a top choice for a variety of reasons: the U-shaped and sprawling Mediterranean-designed hotel is smack in the middle of the strip, straddling the upscale action on the left, and the laidback scene on the right.

With the inauguration of its latest wing, the Regency boasts of 85 very comfortable, tastefully outfitted rooms, with a balcony, ranging from the presidential and honeymoon suites to deluxe. But when if you’re staying at the Regency, it hardly matters which room when all rooms are exceptionally furnished.

All the creature comforts are here: large beds, electronic gizmos, spacious toilet and baths and we have to mention that balcony again, because heaven knows everyone wants to wake up each morning to that spectacular view of the turquoise waters and the sand!

In all of Boracay, the Regency has arguably the best Presidential Honeymoon Suites, where – again, the crucial details, pardon me – from your elevated position and from your wide balcony, the sands and waters beckon. You can practically wake up and amble over to the sand and waters, if you choose. The Honeymoon Suite sits higher and combines both privacy and that remarkable view at the same time. Not a bad way to start connubial bliss, if you ask me.

This latest wing boasts of the first restaurant in the island with five kitchens, touted to serve Chinese, Korean, Spanish and Filipino specials. This is fabulous new, trust me, because the Regency is already known for Prince Hendrik’s mouth-watering dishes, and the addition of this new resto completes its fantastic array of dishes. Incidentally, I like the design, which is sleek and echoes chic touches of top metro dining places.

Henry Chusuey, president of the Regency and the man with the job we’d like to have, even for a day, likewise pulled off twin coups, unprecedented in the island: there’s the underground disco to be fitted with the same cyber/laser lights and sound system used in the best rave and fashion events in Asia. On top is an expansive greenery for cocktails, landscaped by no less than Shirley Sanders, the same landscape designer for such families as the Ayalas, the Cojuangcos, Uytengsus and the Sys, to name a few – so, imagine sipping that frosted margarita, high above the promenaders on the Strip, while the breeze blows and you’re in your most sheer cotton get up.

While prepping for the party, it’s always nice to hang out on the Regency’s balcony before the Boracay action begins. Trust me.