The Boracay experience
Posted on 03-25-08 · I love photography! Tags: A photo a day, beaches, boracay, Canon EOS 40D, summer, travel, vacationI have never seen a more magnificent place to spend my retirement in. I wonder if they have broadband there…
Above, our friends PJ and Mabel Juinio and their daughter Jill.
After the photo ops, I turned around and…
Darn, ain’t there a slice of paradise that no one owns yet? After taking that photo, I returned the camera inside the bag and busied myself with the vendors who swarmed all over me offering beautiful shell necklaces and bracelets. Speedy paid for three sets.
We didn’t make it back to the hotel until around 1.30 p.m.
If you’re wondering why I never mentioned food at all, well, that has already been posted in Pinoy Cook. See the Food tripping in Boracay entry.
There are a lot more photos that are worth posting but not today. Reality check. Time to cook dinner.
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Lovely shots…makes me miss the Philippines for the first time!
You’re right… there’s nothing better than a white deserted beach.
Yeah, we leave the city to get away from the crowds. Kinda hard to do that by going to Boracay.
Beautiful photos Connie. I don’t know why, but it reminds me of the y tu mama tambien beach scene.
The last time I was in Boracay (2006) medyo dumadami na ang tao. Too many people. A few years back you could actually lie on the beach, have a papaya shake (no fuss for me eh), and rest. Really rest. At night you could walk around in solitude. Maybe in off-season (mga October or November) the crowds would thin out.
You’re right, Puca Beach is tops if you want solitude. Wala pa bang magtatayo ng hotel dyan?
Boca del Cielo, Michael? But my entry has no sexual undertones hehehehe
Kongkong, that was what I was thinking too. Off-season. Re Puca Island: I was thinking… that Private Property No Trespassing sign… perhaps that’s the site of a future hotel. Oh, that reminds me. I should post photos of the hotels and resorts under construction at the edge of Station 1 in Boracay. More accommodations, more people.
One of my closest friend just opened a new spa. I think it’s near station 1, I should’ve known you we’re going. I can recommend you to try her spa. World class quality sya
nakakainggit kayo. hmp!
pupunta ko ng beijing, magbubungee jump sa greatwall. hahaha, asarin ba ang sarili.
gusto ko yung picture ng mga angelfish na kita sa ibabaw ng tubig. di pa din ako nakakapunta ng boracay pero may gusto ko na ata dun sa mga bagu-bagong lugar like bangui ba yun.
may compatible bang marine case jan sa rebel xti nyo?
nga pala connie, i’m planning to buy nikon d40 soon. so far dun palang kaya i-stretch (nang todo-todo) ang budget. ayos naman yun di ba? d40 din ba yung nikon nyo or something higher?
connie ang galing nung pinoy cook mo, may language translation pa. natuwa ako sa paglalaro ng language
next time, jennie.
What’s the spa called?
Kotsengkuba, sama ko sa Great Wall hehehehe
Re cam: there is an underwater case for the 350D but haven’t found any for my 40D which is considerably larger than the 350D and 400D. Re Nikon: naku, I’ve never used a Nikon. Canon kami saka Olympus.
Re translator. Haaayy… investment ‘yan. $30 din yun hehehe
We went to Boracay last September. Not as crowded as Holy Week, I’m quite sure. But we didn’t get to island hop. Without too many people at white beach, it was fine. It was cheap too considering my wife’s a travel agent and we had Piso-fare rates on Cebu Pac.
We brought CJ along as well. She enjoyed everything, even as a 2 year old. Pero syempre pinaliguan siya ng SPF 50 na sunscreen every hour. Hehehe.
I’ve been missing a lot, I know. Never been to any of those places. I think that kind of crowd is expected during lenten week since Boracay is now known around the world. I spent my Good Friday in the church for 5 hours and came out with looots of peace and feeling ready to face the world again. BTW, your cooking website is fantastic and is now my best kept secret. I became more enthused to cook and to try new dishes. How about including meal planning or give suggestions on how to combine the dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner? That is if you still have the time. he he he
Naku, Cebu Pacific was quite another story. Good thing that we had PAL tickets to Manila.
ms. connie did u have to arrange the island hopping trip in advance, or pwedeng doon na lang?
I haven’t been to Boracay in many years, but was surprised to hear that it’s become crowded. White Beach is a very long place, and I never felt the crowds as you described, but then perhaps Boracay is now reaching capacity. Have you heard the old story that Marcos attempted to buy the entire island back in the 1970s? I first visited Boracay in 1979 on my first travel around SE Asia, and loved the fact that the island had no electricity; everyone was give a gas lantern at night and it was very romantic, although I was alone.
dhayL,
Island hopping in Boracay is being peddled by vendors much like the private pools in Pansol. So you could just go there and hop in.
It’s as Jon says, dhayL. There seems to be a centralized system though. Whichever boatman you choose, before boarding the boat, you have to register at a mini port.
Same here, i also do not know why people are sooo in love with bora maybe just for a mere “status symbol”. Except of course, if you will go island hopping and snorkeling. Been there summer of 2001, White Beach was really crowded that we didnt enjoy it, water was also not that clean that you can even see some trashes on it especially on the seashore. Its great you still had a great vacation there!
by the way, peddling ice cream seems like a delectable idea, but i hope boatmen and tourists are conscious about not throwing plastic wrappers into the ocean.
hello, sassy lawyer! like this entry! at least you give your readers an idea about what else to do besides drowning oneself in an ocean of people at white beach. I’ve never been to boracay, and i might go with friends during the lean season. My friends say that the best time to go really is around the first quarter (before holy week) or last quarter (before Christmas) of the year when there are less tourists parading at the beach and better / more-reasonably priced hotel accommodations available.
Great that you’ve been there Connie. Too bad it was crowded. We usually go early February, it’s not crowded yet. We once went during summer…..super crowded. One consideration is Amihan and Habagat, which affect where the calm waters are, either on white beach or at the snorkeling area. Sarap ng seafood, there was a time when we were island hopping when a small fishing boat gave some freshly caught fish to our boatman. We went ashore and cooked it – sarap! I used to remember to waking up to nothing but the sound of the waves. Boracay has indeed changed, but the combination of good food, fine sand a lively night life keep me going back. Then again, it would be nice to explore other places. Maybe Bohol.
Connie, and I thought I’m one of the few who’ve never been to Boracay. Most of my family have been, in a trip with balikbayan relatives while I was busy with work. The other things that are keeping me from going are the many transportation modes to be taken before actually getting there and news reports of trash. How did the vendors in the water dispose of their trash anyway?
faye, you should see this pic. I never went swimming on White Beach. Ewww.
Sleepyhead, re trash. I sure hope not either.
Peterb, the food was good, no doubt. But Roxas City was much, much better.
Em, I really have no idea. We stuffed our ice cream wrappers in the empty coconut husks and the boatmen disposed of them when we got back.
It’s called Tirta Spa, she turned a year few weeks ago. Send me an email if you’re heading there again.
Okay, Jennie, thanks.
Hehe, that little island is only as beautiful as the first typhoon of the season with it’s 20 foot waves. =)
Hindi ako magccomment para ipatanggal pictures ko. MA, TANGGALIN MO PICTURES MO.
Makes it sound attractive around August, Chris.
Sam, ‘wag ka antipatika! DI ko na nga sinama yung mga cleavage pictures, noh?
Basta picture mo, meron.
May bijokehan ba dyan?
Just kidding. I hope one day to go there through Roro(?) and if I’ll be by myself, I’ll take along with me my bike.
Kaya pala tahimik ang blog mo on those days…
I’ve never been to Boracay. Must arrange a business trip there someday.
Sam, NOT TRUE!
Trosp, come to think of it, wala nga yata akong nakitang videoke or narinig na karaoke. Live bands lang at night.
Paul, I hope you’re thinking of going during the lean season hehehe
A quick day trip should suffice. How should I justify it, as a “scouting mission” perhaps?
LOL Ocular inspection hehehe
Jon Limjap/ms.connie, thanks for the info, i’ll keep that in mind!
I was telling my sis to go to Bohol instead for a more relaxing experience, ok din naman ang beach. Boracay is just too crowded, ala-Ibiza na.
But I love the photos, and your cleavage huh! Talaga naman.
Next time buy the spray on sunscreen so it would be easier for you to protect yourself, not too messy with the camera-wielding-hands.
No prob, dhayL.
Auee, pinapatanggal ni Sam yung pics na may cleavage hahahaha Cropped na nga mga yan, ano? LOL Re Bohol: that’s the next stop. Panglao.
Puca Island looks much, much better. I have also saw a show about Carabao Island, no crowds, only locals. One can go there from Boracay using the chopper for hire
You planning on going to Panglao? That’s where hubby’s relatives live
A few more years, Bohol will be like Boracay, full of people. Dami mga Kor****
The seaweeds on White Beach, ewwww!
I was quite amused by the “buko vendors”. About the ice cream vendors, sa Burnham Park sa Baguio, meron na ring nagtitinda ng ice cream sa middle ng lake. Another “onli in the pilipins” scenario.
The buko vendors remind me of a golf driving range at Philippine Plaza where you have to hit the golf balls towards the sea and there are I guess hired children to retrieve them. Men, these kids could swim too.
Which resort did you stay at? We’re thinking of going back to Boracay (we were there years ago — wala pang D’Mall noon) and would be interested to hear what you thought of the place where you stayed. Panglao is your next stop? We enjoyed Panglao Island Nature Resort. Alona Palm Beach Resort was fine too. Basta maganda talaga ang Pilipinas.
Julie, yes, that’s the next target local place to visit.
Ting, oh yes, only in the Philippines. Speedy and I were just talking about it and he said it’s business after all. Hand it to Pinoys to be where profits are for the taking.
Angel, at La Carmela de Boracay. It’s okay (2 double beds, aircon, cable, T&B, veranda for smoking) except that the food in the coffee shop is so forgettable.
hi ms connie, this is a late comment to an old post, but I hope that you’d be interested to read and maybe write about another aspect of Boracay, involving the Ati people who were among the island’s original settlers. i posted an article in my blog but the original article is from the multiply blog of a Hands On Manila staffer (http://donnmarcky.multiply.com/journal/item/9/Boracay_An_Island_Paradise).
You said in a recent post that you look for the human angle in any advocacy, well, this is definitely it. I do hope you’d be interested. Cheers!
Rina, I already wrote about that twice in the newspaper column.
well, obviously i missed that
can i have the links? i’d like to give them to hands on manila so they have more info; they’re putting together a program. thanks!
Rina, it’s about how natives are being displaced with all these resort building. Not specific to the Atis but the general trend about how our seas are no longer ours. You’ll have to look at the Manila Standard archives because I haven’t moved the “sassy lawyer” entries from the other domain. The date would be around a year ago.
hi! was just wondering how much does ‘island hopping’ cost?(“,) were going there this week.. thanks!
Charms, the boatmen usually start the price at P4,000.00 but keep haggling and you can bring it down to P2,000.00.
really?(“,) 2,000 is for the entire boat right? its not per head? and where do we find these boatmen?(“,) thanks!
They’re all over the beach, charms, peddling their service.
oh ok(“,) thanks! i hope we’ll enjoy bora as much as u did!
WOW!!! I enjoyed this entry so much.
Nakakainggit…you sipping the fresh coconut
juice and savoring the pinipig crunch…and Speedy
enjoying himself in the waves.
My daughter got the impression that Boracay
translates to crowd. So when she went to the Phils.
for the 1st time, she chose Pagudpud Beach and El Nido,Palawan.Maybe this will enlightened her and
perhaps visit Boracay in the future.
Emy, it is crowded in Boracay. That’s why the only part of our 3-day stay there that I enjoyed was the island hopping. Kept us away from the crowds.