Boracay Island: Still The Philippines’ Best
By: Angelo Miguel M. Calabio
When you speak about white sand beaches with pristine and crystal-clear waters, it is perhaps in no doubt
After a peaceful and relatively low-profile flight from Manila to Kalibo or Caticlan, tourists are immediately treated to an exciting boat ride from Caticlan Jetty Port to Boracay. During this 20 minute ride, tourists could enjoy the lovely view of Aklan’s pristine waters together with its rich natural resources. As you disembark the boat and prepare for your island adventure, it would be impossible to miss the majestic view of Boracay’s world famous “White Sand Beach”. The chalk-like sand is unquestionably the island’s most valuable treasure, drawing the tourists and giving the locals a source of livelihood. So, after the white sand, what else could the island offer? Well, quite a lot.
First of all, tourists would never be short on accommodations, as the island boasts of a wide array of choices when it comes to inns and hotels. The thrifty and economy-class tourist could choose to stay in a simple but comfortable Nipa cottage such as those of B&B Beach Resort or in a simple room in the tourist-friendly Boracay Tourists Inn. On the other hand, tourists on the other end of the spending spectrum could spend their vacation billeted in cozy and first-class hotels such as the A-Rock Resort and the famous Boracay Regency. If your concern is how to keep yourself busy during your stay, well, your whole vacation may not be enough to enjoy everything that the island has in store for you. Undoubtedly, the best and cheapest way to enjoy Boracay is to take a dip in its pristine waters and take pleasure in the world-famous “White Beach” as much as possible. Regardless of the weather, the beach remains to be the island’s main attraction, with tourists indulging themselves in the majestic atmosphere. When you finally grow tired of the traditional way of swimming, you could always rent gears and go diving with your friends. Snorkeling would be a very worthwhile activity, as you could take pleasure in playing with numerous kinds of fish and exploring the astonishing array of marine life. Speedboats are also available for rent, if you want to navigate the waters alone at exciting, high speeds. You could also try the thrilling activity that locals call as the “Flying Fish”, wherein an interested tourist would be pulled by a speedboat while riding a parachute airborne. Whey!!! That would be exciting stuff. If you are more of a group lover, you could always bring along your troop for a high-speed adventure in the famous “Banana Boat”. Add to that, groups could also be treated to an exciting sight-seeing adventure while “Island Hopping”. Finally, if your budget is quite tight, a stroll around the 7 kilometer stretch of the island would be free of charge and a worthwhile way of burning calories as well.
After a long day of having fun and using up all your God-given energy, it would be nice to just sit down and recharge while enjoying the diverse cuisine that the island’s restaurants has to offer. All people, of different tastes, would surely find a particular food haven in Boracay. Before finally going to bed, it would be completely stupid for a tourist to miss the experience of visiting the bars that the island boasts. A couple of glasses of beer and the warmth of nice music would be the perfect prelude to a pleasant sleep back in the hotel. The Beachcomber Resort and Club Paraw are just a couple of bars that you cannot afford to miss. After spending your vacation enjoying the thrills of Boracay, it would be a fitting way to finish buying some souvenirs and “pasalubong” for your loved ones and friends who failed to join you in the worthwhile trip. The vast number of choices would surely ensure that you find a suitable gift for any of your loved ones.
The Philippine government has put various schemes in place to ensure that Boracay Island, undoubtedly a national treasure, would be preserved and protected for it to be equally enjoyed by the next generations. Aside from being a money making machine, this marvelous island is a place that one would always crave. Truly, Boracay remains and would probably remain as the Philippines’ best.