Neophyte’s guide to Bora

The thing about Boracay is that despite the negative feedback about it being so different and polluted and way too commercialized from the island that it was 20 years ago, it is still one of those great summer places to be in if you need to get away from the city without being too out-of-touch. And yes, there is such a thing — even if you’re in the middle of a burnout or an emotional breakdown. I know this because I often thought that I needed time away without the luxury of television, Internet access and zero network coverage and I found myself wrong one too many times. City people will always be city people. You will look for some kind of noise and you will crave some kind of connection to the outside world even when on vacation. So thank heavens Boracay is like having the best of both worlds. The water is still pristine and the sand is still powdery —if you’re into beaches, you won’t really want anything more than that. Just make sure you plan your trip right.

What to do

So who cares if you’ve been to Boracay before? Or if the hype is just getting to you? The trick is to explore the island and not do the same thing everyone else does or what’s written in the guidebook. More often than not, the working class residents of Manila have visited Boracay at least once in their lives. And then there are the other die-hard beach fanatics that visit the island at least twice or thrice a year but never do anything different from the usual body-baking routine at White Beach or late boozed-up nights spent at Hey Jude or Aria in Station Two.

For a change, it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to actually head over to the eastern side of the island to Bolabog beach and at least check out what it looks like — or better yet, to check out what the windsurfers over there look like. And bring a sweater while you’re at it. There’s a reason windsurfers hang out there.

But if you’re not into that kind of thing, you can visit the Boracay Butterfly Garden and The Sunken Garden, also located in the Bolabog territory. Although the island may be famous for its crystal clear waters and white sand, don’t forget that you could also opt to climb Mount Luho, the island’s highest peak, to get a great view of the beach.

Where to stay

The Boracay Tropics Hotel, located at the southern part of Station Two is one of the best new hotels to park your exhausted city-rush-bombarded-body in. Rated by the Department of Tourism as a Triple A resort, the Mediterranean-style hotel is furbished with complete amenities and is an eight-minute walk away from White Beach — which means you will be able to avoid any sort of noise emanating from the beachfront bars at night, and access to Bolabog beach and Mount Luho will not be a problem. Each room, suite and cabana is designed to provide an environment free of stress — so that means a lot of room to walk around in, a bathroom bigger than the regular cubicle-like space commonly seen in other resorts and a sizable balcony for those who want to smoke or simply get a breath of fresh air.

Where to eat

Boracay has been developing steadily over the years. A few years back, there were fewer restaurants that were reasonably priced. Today, being a little short on cash will definitely not make you the poster model for starvation central. For one thing, Andok’s and Chicken Inasal, along with other reasonably priced restaurants, have already opened in D’Mall. And if you don’t mind eating instant food in your hotel room, Budget Mart or the island’s famous Chori burger is also another great way to save cash.

Price Tag

It’s summertime so Boracay will probably be in super peak season mode (yes, not peak season but super peak season), meaning there will probably be a lot of overworked and highly-stressed people from Manila and around the world (believe me, there are times the island can look like it’s hosting a huge United Nations conference) lounging around in their swimwear. And by this time, accommodations will be priced a tad bit higher than usual but the stay will definitely be worth it. Expect to spend a least P5,000 per person a night for accommodations (that includes roundtrip land and water transfers plus breakfast buffet at the Boracay Topics) and then prepare at least another P5,000 (or less if you’re planning to eat cheap and not spend on massages) for your pocket money if you intend to stay for three or four nights.

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For more information, e-mail Asian Spirit at aspirit@asianspirit.com and contact Boracay Topics at 687-1465/667-3974 or e-mail info@boracaytropics.com.