Boracay Island

Boracay is a tropical island of the Philippines 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. The island comprises the barangays of Manoc-Manoc, Balabag, and Yapak (3 of the 17 barangays which make up the municipality of Malay), and is under the administrative control of the Philippine Tourism Authority in coordination with the Provincial Government of Aklan.

The island was originally home to the Ati tribe. Boracay is part of Aklan Province, which became an independent province on April 25, 1956. Formerly undiscovered, it wasn’t till the 1970s that tourism began to develop in Boracay, and the island became popular with backpackers in the 1980s.

Years ago, Boracay Island was a well-guarded secret, almost possessively so that only a few knew of its existence.

It was only in the 70s when, it is said, a foreign movie crew accidentally “discovered” this island paradise. Others maintain that it was the German traveler, ‘Jens Peters’ book, which included rave reviews of Boracay that changed the island’s pace from that of being a quiet secret to eventually being voted as having the best beach in the world.

Whichever story is true, it was around this time that Boracay Island slowly ceased to be a private travelers hangout and eventually became a favorite tourist destination in the Philippines. In a span of a mere 10 years, the whole world, it seemed, discovered Boracay and the once, nearly deserted stretch of beach became a teeming vacation and leisure spot for upscale tourists from all parts of the world.

  Tourism

Partly because of its wind and weather patterns, tourism in Boracay is at its peak during the Amihan season. During Amihan, the prevailing wind blows from the east. Boracay’s main tourism area, White Beach, is on the western side of the island and is sheltered from the wind. During the Amihan season, the water off White Beach is often glassy-smooth. On the eastern side of the island, hills on the northern and southern ends of the island channel the Amihan season wind from the east onshore, onto Bulabog Beach in the central part of the island’s eastern side. This makes the reef-protected waters off that beach ideal for windsurfing and kiteboarding / kitesurfing.

Accommodation

A number of accommodation types are scattered all over the island, ranging from luxurious hotel types to budget, spartan rooms. Guests can also choose according to location–Station 3 is where most of the cheaper lodgings are located, while Station 2 is meant for those who want to be within close proximity of the bars. Station 1, meanwhile, is where you can find the more isolated accommodations, offering peace and quiet to those looking for a respite from the usual action-packed Boracay night scene. These are usually for the more upscale vacationers.

Boracay is the site of a world-class 18-hole par 72 golf course designed by Graham Marsh. In addition, Boracay now has in excess of 350 beach resorts with more than 2,000 rooms ranging in quality from five-star to budget accommodations, so tourists are sure to find whatever they are looking for.

Boracay also offers a wide range of restaurants, bars, pubs, and nightclubs that bop until morning.

Most Boracay hotels and resorts have Low and High Season price levels, with High Season prices generally coinciding with Amihan Season dates. Some have additional “Super” Peak Period pricing during periods of heavy tourism (usually including Christmas / New Year, Easter / Holy Week, and Chinese New Year periods).

Transportation

On the island, the two main modes of transport are via motor-tricycles along the main road or by walking along the beaches. Pedicabs are also available for transport along the Beachfront Path. Other means of transportation include mountain bikes, quadbikes and motorbikes, all of which can be rented.

To explore around the island’s coast, motorized bancas and sailing paraws are available for rent. These are outrigger canoes and are common sight in waters around the island. The sailing paraw is a narrow hulled boat with outriggers either side and with passengers sometimes seated on a trampoline platform between the outrigger supports. These are extremely fast off the wind, but can be unwieldy for inexperienced sailors.

Getting There:

By Plane
The most popular means of travelling to boracay in Malay, Aklan is by air via Kalibo. There are regular cheap flights from Manila to Kalibo Airport in Aklan on Panay Island. The flight takes less than one hour, but an additional 90 minutes bus trip to Caticlan Jetty Port is required.

 From Kalibo to Caticlan
Southwest Tours, Star Express and 7107 Island Tours ply the route from Kalibo Airport to Caticlan with air-conditioned buses or coasters. Included in the price is also the boat transfer from Caticlan to one of Boracay’s boat stations. Other means of reaching Caticlan are mini-vans, which are a little cheaper, but don’t provide boat service to Boracay. The trip takes 1 to 1.5 hours.

Smaller turbo planes fly directly to Caticlan Airport, This is the fastest way and from Caticlan Airport, only a short tricycle ride to the jetty port.

By Ship
An adventorous but more leisurely and romantic way to travel to Boracay is by Ferry from Manila to Caticlan or Dumaguit, near Kalibo. The trip to Boracay takes about 17 hours.

MBRS Shipping Lines have two boats plying the route from Manila to Caticlan. The ships leave Manila’s North Harbor, Pier 8, every Friday, Monday and Wednesday and arrive in Caticlan the next day.

Other shipping companies service the route Manila to Dumaguit, half an hour east from Kalibo. The companies are WG&A and Negros Navigation.

By Land
Caticlan, the entry point for Boracay, can be reached also by private cars or air-conditioned buses, via the ’strong republic nautical highway’, stretching from Batangas, Luzon, to Cagayan de Oro.  This is probably the cheapest way to go to Boracay.  But it takes more time an adventorous spirit. See Travel to Boracay by RORO

Arriving on Boracay - The new Jetty Port at Caticlan
Boracay Island itself is then reached by travelling on motorized bancas (motorized outtrigger boats), which is continously ply the short trail between the island. The boat trip takes 20 to 25 minutes and land at three defined areas, known as Boat Stations 1,2 and 3 along the shoreline of White Beach. If you’re going to visit Boracay, it is advisable that you find out in advance which Boat Station is closest to the resort where you are staying. Most travel agency can arranged that for you.

TIP: it is best to wear casual clothes like shorts, T-shirt and slippers for arrival and departure boat trips. You may get wet while crossing the channel between Caticlan and Boracay Island, and usually one has to wade a short distance in shallow water from the boat to the beach.