Boracay Island – Philippines

Boracay is a tropical island located approximately 315km (200 miles) south of Manila and 2km off the northwest tip of the island of Panay in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines. It is one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations. Its long white sand beaches rival the best beaches of more popular destinations such as the Caribbean, the South Pacific as well as neighbouring Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Accommodation standards vary, with top of the line hotels and resorts to a simple bed rented from a resident. As such, whatever your budget, you could easily find a suitable place to stay. During peak periods such as Holy Week, Christmas and New Year, rooms are more difficult to find and more expensive, so book in advance. Staying along White Beach gets you closer to the bars, lounging and food, while staying closer to Bulabog beach gives you better access to the popular wind and kite-boarding areas.
TIP: Avoid making reservations in the low season, just go to White Beach or the region you want to stay and negotiate deals with the places you want to stay at. Many street touts will offer to show you the rooms first and then you can negotiate. This way you will avoid paying more then you should to notorious travel agents (many of them located in Manila) passing themselves off as the resorts, often through websites.
Because of its wide draw of international travelers, Boracay has a wide variety of places to eat, including a surprising number of bakeries. You must try :

• Blue Jade Cafe is in D’Talipapa and offers Asian and European cuisine. Customers can also shop in the market for fresh sea food and have it cooked for them at the restaurant.
• D’Talipapa The best and cheapest place to eat. Around the place are a variety of food stores that offers to cook for you, you could just buy Fresh sea foods/ etc (located just near the stores) then have the stores cook it for you with what ever way you like it.
• Smoke , located down one of the alleys opposite Lemon cafe in D’mall is a very good budget eatery. Local dishes, meat and seafood dishes, omeletes and excellent sandwiches are on offer.
• Zuzuni, near boat station 1, is the island’s best Greek restaurant, serving excellent cuisine in a romantic, beachfront setting. The service is friendly and extremely efficient.

Since you are on an island is always interesting to try new stuff like the availble seafood (the stranger it look, the better it tastes) and something with lemons to get you fresh for the rest of the days activities.
If you’re into cliff diving, snorkeling, and boating in an unspoiled setting comprised of volcanic caves, mangrove forests, turquoise coves, and remote beaches you definetly need to go to Ariel’s Point.


Take a para-sailing tour around the island, to explore quiet beaches and snorkel sites. Ask your crew to organize a romantic BBQ on the beach with fresh grilled seafood. Cruise back at sunset to experience breathtaking views.
Horse riding is a fun activity in Boracay. Get off the beaten path and experience native villages and scenery most other visitors don’t get to see. All levels of experience are catered to. Ask a tricycle to take you to the Boracay Horse Riding Stables.




Boracay’s Bulabog beach is known as the best kitesurf destination in Asia. The season runs from November to April with onshore winds varying between 12-30 knots.



Boracay is the site of a world-class 18-hole par 72 golf course designed by Graham Marsh.
In case non of the above draw the energy out of you, try scuba diving and skimboarding. And if you’re tired check any Spa availble as all are amazing and will put you back on your feet in no time.
You have two options to get to this amazing place, by plane or by boat.
The nearest domestic airport to the island of Boracay is Caticlan or Godofredo P. Ramos Airport. Flights to and from this Caticlan are bounded by sunrise and sunset limitations. Airlines with flights to and from Caticlan are South East Asian Airlines, Cebu Pacific Air, Philippine Airlines, and Air Philippines. The second airport near Boracay is the Kalibo International Airport which is served by bigger planes with early morning and late evening flights. The airport is at least 90 minutes away by land to Caticlan Jetty Port. Airlines with flights to and from Kalibo are Cebu Pacific Air, Philippine Airlines, and Zest Airways.
The “Nautical Highway” is a combination of overland highways and roll-on, roll-off (RoRo) vessels that allow you to bring your vehicle up to Panay Island and visit key cities like Kalibo. Taking your car all the way to Boracay, though, is not possible. Public transport also operates on the same route, and is the most cost-effective way of traveling between Manila and Boracay. Assuming good connections, the total journey time is around 12 hours.