In the summer of 2012, my husband and I visited this wonderful place in Surigao just a few hours away from my hometown, Bislig. It is called Britania Group of Islands. It is a breathtaking paradise in San Agustin, Surigao del Sur and is dubbed as the province's 'best-kept secret'. The place has pure white, fine sand and amazing beaches. It was the best beach destination for us, not until we discovered Boracay Island a few days ago.
We have heard so many things about Boracay but never had time to go there due to our busy schedule. Finally, after months of planning, we booked a round trip ticket to this island and it was the best decision.
HOW TO GET THERE
Boracay is an island in the Philippines that is known for its long stretch of white beach, diverse marine life and cool restaurants that offer a wide selection of great food.
There are two ways to reach Boracay Island from major cities in the Philippines. First, by booking a flight to Kalibo, Aklan. The Kalibo International Airport is a 2 hour ride to Boracay by bus/van and water jet. Flights to Kalibo are way cheaper so if you are not in a hurry to reach the island and if you want to save extra pesos then this is the best option for you.
The second option is booking a flight to Caticlan, The Caticlan airport is just a few minutes away from the jetty port going to Boracay. From the jetty port it would probably take you 10 minutes to reach the island.
DAY 1: ARRIVAL IN BORACAY
We booked our flight from Manila to Boracay a year ago (2016). We paid PHP 2,600 for our round trip tickets for 2 Pax via Air Asia (PHP 1,300 each) and spent another PHP 2,500 for our Cebu to Manila flight. That's PHP 2,550 round trip fare per passenger. Thanks to Air Asia's seat sale.
Our flight to Manila was originally scheduled at 10:00 AM but was delayed due to additional servicing of the aircraft. It was moved to 11:35 AM then to 3:30 PM and finally at 6:00 PM. We arrived in Boracay super late (around 10 PM) and we were so tired so we just stayed at the hotel overnight and decided to start exploring the island the next day.
WHERE TO STAY
Whenever we travel, we usually stay at hotels / resorts mainly because of privacy and security. Before, we have this impression that staying at hostels or dormitories and sharing it with strangers is not safe. Of course, this depends on the destination and what hostel your are staying.
Travel Tip # 1: Do your research. Check real reviews on the Internet before booking your accommodation.
We had a nice experience staying in one of the hostels in a recent trip to Coron, so we decided to book the same accommodation during our vacation in Boracay. We're glad that some hostels also offer decent private rooms at a low cost.
After checking a lot of reviews, we decided to book MNL Boracay Beach in Station 2 and paid around PHP 5,700 for 4 days 3 nights. This is already inclusive of taxes and other fees plus daily breakfast (a selection of coffee or juice, fruits, eggs, bread and jams/peanut butter). The place has free wifi and the room is bigger compared to what I've expected. It has a lounge area where you can watch TV or just simply mingle with other tourists.
MNL Boracay Beach is also just a few minutes walk to the beachfront, some carenderias and affordable restaurants and cafes. I love its location since it is near to D-Mall. It's a place in the island that you can hang out to eat and chill and buy groceries, etc.
Travel Tip # 2: In choosing for an accommodation, aside from the price, also consider the location, & the room inclusions (if it comes with breakfast, free airport shuttle, etc).
Station 1 and 2 are the busiest areas of Boracay and where average to expensive hotels are located. There are still nice, budget friendly hotels around the area. You just have to go back to Tip #1 - Research! :)
DAY 2: CHILL AT THE BEACH
We got to explore the island in our second day. Our first impression of the place - it was too touristy and there were areas that were dirty. But after we saw the beachfront, we were totally blown away of how beautiful it was. It was raining when we arrived so we were amazed to see that the water is still clear and clean and the sand was very fine. Now we know why it is crowned as the No. 1 beach destination in the country.
Vic and I did not avail any island hopping activities since all we wanted to do is just chill at the beach, do some DIY photoshoot, explore the beach from Station 1 to 3 and go on a food trip. But there are a lot of fun things that you can do at Boracay like go on an island hopping tour, go on a diving adventure, and try other water activities (banana boat, parasailing, etc.). These are just some activities that we are also planning to try the next time we visit the island.
Here are just some photos of our DIY photoshoot.
DAY 3: MORE SWIMMING AND FOOD TRIPPING
We visited D-Mall on our third day. While walking and checking some souvenirs, we noticed that a lot of people (mostly Koreans) were lining up at Halomango. We got curious, so we tried one of their desserts - Mangoholic. Basically it is just a Mango Sundae with syrup and ripe mangoes on top. It actually tastes delicious. We loved it!
We also tried paddle boarding for the first time in our lives. We enjoyed it even it was just for 40 minutes and promised to do it again in our future trip to Siargao.
BORACAY NIGHT LIFE
It's our last night in Boracay so we decided to hang out at the beach and order some drinks.
DAY 4 - DEPART BORACAY
We spent the last few hours packing our stuff. Our flight's at 5:00 PM. Travel time from Boracay to Kalibo would normaly take 2 hours so we need to be at Kalibo International Airport around 2-3 PM to catch a flight to Manila or else we will be spending another night in Aklan.
Overall, it was a fun filled vacation in Boracay. We will surely come back and this time try other activities too and maybe invite some friends / families to come with us. 'Til the next seat sale! :)
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