Boracay 2011

My second time in Boracay! =)

This was an unplanned trip. My friend invited me Tuesday of last week for a trip to Boracay on that Saturday.

I needed a great deal of luck to have my vacation leaves approved and to get the funds for the trip - and a great deal of luck I had!

We were off to Malay, Aklan about thirty minutes after noon that Saturday.

Eagle cloud on top of the Boracay Grotto 

There were 23 people in the group composed of my friends officemates and their guests. 

We boarded flights under Airphil Express and Zest Air - not my airline of choice. (I usually fly Cebu Pacific.)

The flights were originally booked through Philippine Airlines (PAL) but had to be re-booked through Airphil and Zest Air because of the labor strike by PALEA (PAL's Labor Union.)

The Airphil flight going to Kalibo went smoothly. No delays, no untoward incidents, nothing special either. 

My Zest Air flight going home was on time. However, other members of the group were not as lucky. In our group of 23, our cluster was the lone team who did not have delayed flights with Zest Air. Other clusters had delayed flights to and from Kalibo Airport - not the kind of time-wasting you want on a trip. 

T'was also weird that when we were about to take off, the Zest Air plane smelled of kerosene - like an arsonist was about to have fun. 

I don't recommend Zest Air and I am never flying Zest Air again.

Kalibo Airport

The flight to Kalibo was smooth and LOOOOOONNNNNGGGG.

It was so long that my friend and I ran out of things to talk about and have started to expound on previous topics.

It is also an option to take a nap, but I had too much coffee.

The ride from Kalibo to Caticlan lasted about an hour and cost about P200.

To save time, it might be best to book flights directly to Caticlan. It may be pricier but you may subtract the P400 that you can save for the 2-way ride from Kalibo to Caticlan and back.

La Carmela Breakfast

We stayed at the La Carmela where they served complimentary breakfast every morning.

A room with two queen sized beds for four people cost P1900. A decent price for an beach front hotel for off-peak season. My friend said this was a discounted rate though.

There are however a lot of other hotels to choose from if you're on a budget. Rates would vary depending on station and distance from the beach.

I don't care much about the hotel as long as it is clean and has air-conditioning (weather in Boracay is soooo hot!)

La Carmela has two outdoor pools but we never even took a dip. They close it near midnight - the only time I get scared of swimming at the beach.

Best headgear =)

Boracay sun is fierce, so don't forget to bring sunblock and reapply every so often.

There are also vendors all over the place selling hats that you can use to protect your hair from the sun - and to add color to a simple swimming ensemble.

Shades also necessary.

Photographer buddy by the shore of Puka Beach

Boracay is known for watersports.

In 2009, I opted for sailing. We rode a boat to sea, stopped at a depth we're sure can kill us, swam wearing life vests and stayed there for about an hour.

We wanted to go para-sailing but it was too expensive at a whopping P1400/person. So, we opted for island hopping which was P1300 for nine people and P50 snorkeling mask rent.

(Please take note that we went to Boracay on October, off peak season.)





The island hop included three hours of snorkeling at Angol Beach and swimming at Puka Beach.

We were supposed to sail to Crocodile Island too but the waves were too high in the afternoon. If you intend to do more in one day, it may be best to do island hopping in the morning and, in the afternoon, other water sports like para-sailing or banana boat.

Finally, for souvenir shopping, it is best to buy your goodies from the local market as beach front stores and airport souvenir shops tend to jack up the prices.



Next time I go to Boracay, I'll be sure to go to Crocodile Island and try parasailing =)