Boracay

General Info

Boracay is a tropical island in the Philippines, an hour flight from Manila. It's 4km long, powder white sand beach and the crystal clear blue water is #1 of the world's best beaches. It is the most popular beach destination in the Philippines. Boracay Island is about 7km long, and has several other more remote beaches around the island, as well as Bulabog Beach, which is the best kiteboarding and watersport beach in Asia. Boracay is a vacationer's paradise, with luxury 5 star hotels, through traditional bungalows; something for anyone's budget and taste. There are all kinds of activities on the island, most famous for the diving, kiteboarding, and windsurfing. There are many fantastic restaurants on White Beach with food from around the world. Boracay is above else famous for it's nightlife, with pubs and bars of all kinds that are jumping until very late at night.

 

Geography

Boracay is in the province of Aklan. Aklan is located in Panay. This is the center of the Philippines. These central islands are the Visayas, region 6.

The Island of Boracay is shaped like a dog bone. It is 8 km long, and 1 km wide at it's narrowest. White Beach and Bulabog beach are the primary and secondary tourism beaches, both located opposite of each other.

Boracay is located 2km from Caticlan, the mainland gateway for sea and air access to Boracay. There are ports both in the south of Boracay (Cagban Port) and Caticlan (Jetty Port) to ferry passengers across the Tabon Straight.

Boracay is separated into three districts; Yapak in the North, Manoc-Manoc in the South and Balabag in the center. Tourists will use the boat stations of White Beach for reference. Boat Station 1 in the north, Boat Station 2 in the center, and Boat Station 3 in the south. (The boat stations are no longer in use, however they are the accepted points of reference for all things White Beach.)

Boracay has 12 beaches. White Beach is the most famous with most of Boracay's establishments lined along the 4km long beach and footpath. Bulabog Beach, directly opposite, is the secondary watersports beach and protected by a great reef. There is also the beautiful and undeveloped Puka Shell Beach in the north. The remaining other beaches are either deserted, remote, or have private resorts and villas. You can access nearly all beaches by a series of paved or gravel roads, or by sea.

Weather

Habagat  - High Season
September/October to May/June
28-38°C (82-100°F)
hot and humid western wind, little or no rainfall

Amihan - Low Season
May/June to September/October
25-32°C (78-90°F)
cool north-east wind, moderate to heavy rainfall

Tourist Season

The Low Season is when the winds change and blow eastward into White Beach. There is more rain than usual, but there are also fewer tourists, better prices on accommodations, and other lower prices. The low season begins in May, and ends in October.

During High Season, the winds come from the other side of the island, and White Beach is protected. The wind blows out to sea, leaving the beach pristinely clean and generally calm. It is also winter in the northern hemisphere, and tourists come in numbers in search of sun, heat, beach and party. High Season starts in October and ends in May.

The Peak Season is when the tourists are at their height. This includes Christmas, New Year, Chinese New Year, and Holy Week (Easter Week). Some resorts have a +10% to +25% premium on their rooms, and the island gets fully booked. Make sure you book as far in advance as possible.

 

Getting There

By Air:

Caticlan Airport is a smaller airport 5 minutes from Boracay. There are domestic flights from Manila and Cebu. A motorized trike will take you to the Jetty Port, less than five minutes away. This is definitely the preferred airport for ease and convenience. Due to the small size of the runway, smaller turboprop airplanes are used.

 

 

Kalibo Airport is a larger airport 90 minutes from Boracay. This airport that has some international flights, and accommodates larger jet airplanes. An air-conditioned van service will take you from Kalibo Airport to Caticlan for 150 PhP, or by Jeepney for 65 PhP.

 

 

 

Airlines that serve Caticlan from Manila/Cebu (in order of price for early booking)

http://www.cebupacificair.com/

http://www.palexpressair.com/

http://www.asianspirit.com/

http://www.flyseair.com/

 

By Sea:

MBRS Shipping Line ferry travels to Caticlan from Manila (North Pier 8) departing Friday at 5:00pm, arriving between 6:00am and 8:00am the following day. The ferry departs Caticlan Sunday 12:00noon and arrives in Manila Monday 5:00am. 860 PhP/person Economy class, 1644PhP /person Deluxe class, and 1812PhP /person in 4 person cabin. (+632) 243-5886 or 243-5888

By Land:

The Strong Nautical Highway is a both an overland route and a series of Roll-on/Roll-off ferries. The trip is 16-20 hours with stopovers and dependant on sea conditions. It's locally known as the RORO Boracay route. (A/C bus 1500 PhP)

LAND Manila -> Cubao | 2 hours
SEA Cubao -> Calapan | 2-3 hours
LAND Calapan -> Roxas | 2-3 hours
SEA Roxas -> Caticlan | 4-5 hours

Getting In

 

1. Caticlan Airport to Caticlan Port – After getting out of the small airport, there will be a line up of Motor Tricycles. The ride costs 50-100 PhP per trike for the five-minute trip to the port.

2. Caticlan Port to Boracay Port – The Jetty Port has Bangka pump boats that ferry between the Caticlan mainland and Boracay Island from Sunrise to Sunset. There are sometimes ferries after dark, but not reliably so. The Bangka trip is 25 PhP, however non-residents also pay a 50 PhP environmental fee, and a 50 PhP Terminal fee. You need to get these tickets outside the Jetty Port before you enter. The trip from mainland to the island is 20 minutes. If you have heavy luggage, there are porters to assist you at 20 PhP per item tip.

3. Boracay Port to White Beach – Depending on the season, you will arrive at one of two Boracay Ports – Cagban Port in the High Season and Tambisaan Port in the Low Season. The distance from either to White Beach is about ten minutes. There will be a long line of Motortrikes to take you from the port to White Beach. This trip is 60 PhP per motortrike, or 100 PhP if you are foreigner.

4. White Beach – The Motortrikes cannot go to the actual beach, but will leave you on the Main Road with a path that leads down to White Beach. The larger paths have pedal trikes that can take you down to your resort, or you can walk the five minutes. The Motortrike drivers should know the right place to drop you off.

 

Getting Around

From Caticlan Port, you will take the bangka (pumpboat:photo left) to Boracay Island Port (Cagban Beach). This is a 20 minute boat trip, and boats depart frequently in both directions all day. When you arrive in Boracay, you will need to take a motortrike from Cagban to White Beach (ten minutes/100 PhP). Then you will need a pedal trike to take you from the main road to your hotel or resort. The whole trip from the mainland to your resort should be less than an hour, and the route is very standard. Just follow the tourists. There are plenty of porters to help you with heavy baggage.

 

 

Most visitors to Boracay stay on the White Beach and the footpath and travel by foot. It's an hour and a half walk from one end of the beach to the other. Motor vehicles are not allowed on the footpath and beach. There are motorbikes with sidecars (trikes:photo left) on the main road running parallel to White Beach. The fare between boat stations is 10 PhP. You can also hire a trike and driver to take you around the island for 150 PhP/Hour. This is a good way to visit other beaches such as Puka Shell Beach, or the highest point on Boracay, Mt. Luho View Point. You can also rent a motorcycle from the vendors on White Beach for 150 PhP/Hour or 400 PhP/half day. Wear a helmet and go slow. Bicycles can be rented from many resorts for less than 50 PhP/Hour.

 

 

You can also Island Hop around the island by Paraw, native canoe type sailboat (photo left). They are all over White Beach and should be 350-500 PhP per hour with crew. Popular rides are to Puka Shell Beach, sunset cruise, or up and down White Beach. There are also ATVs available for rent on the main road past station one, as well as off road buggies. They cannot be driven on the main road parallel to White Beach.

 

 

 

Money

The currency is the Philippine Peso (PhP). Bill denominations are : 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1,000 pesos. If possible, bring your cash in 500 PhP denominations as you will find that getting change for 1000 PhP bills is at times difficult. ATMs dispense in 500 PhP bills. There are ATMs on White Beach, at D'Mall, and on the main road that will accept foreign debit/bank cards.

Foreign Currency is best exchanged at the banks or money changing stores. Only the larger restaurants and hotels accept credit cards including MasterCard, Visa and American Express, although a 5% surcharge on credit cards is standard. Personal checks are generally not accepted. Traveler's checks get a lower exchange rate and should be changed at Allied Bank or the Boracay Tourist center. The Tourist Center will also give cash advances on credit cards (7%+ fee), and safe deposit boxes for rent.

 

 

Communication

Boracay Island is serviced by two mobile providers, SMART and GLOBE. They have good reception through most of the island, and certainly the White Beach main area. Visitors can purchase a SIM card with phone number for 65 PhP and then purchase loads (user minutes) in amounts as low as 10 pesos. Text messages are definitely the main form of local communication at a cost of 1 peso per text. (The Philippines is the text message capital of the world). Talk time is more expensive between 6 to 8 pesos per minute. International text messages are quite affordable (most countries 20 PhP).

Landline calls are cheaper, and best for international calls. There are several International Phone booths along the White Beach footpath and in D'Mall. Some resorts also have international phone service, but generally at higher rates. Philippine country code is +63. Boracay's area code is (036). MyBoracayGuide's phone number would be +63 36 288-4783

Boracay has several internet cafes along White Beach, at the Tourist Information Center, and in D'Mall. Half hour is 25-35 PhP, one hour is 50-70 PhP. Connections are not very fast, but sufficient to email home.

Many hotels also have WiFi internet connection, and some restaurants have WiFi hotspots. Getting online shouldn't be a problem, although speeds are going to be slow and subject to interruption. Check the Beaches and Resorts section to see which hotels have internet access.

There is a post office in the Tourist Information Center, as well as Balabog Plaza behind Station One. There is Fed Ex and Air 21 for shipping in D'Mall.

 

Dos and Don'ts

Do

In addition the activities listed in the activities section of this guide, here are some other suggestions:

Horseback Riding - located at Station 1 behind the main road. Boracay Horse Stables (800PhP/Hour)

Golf - Fairways and Bluewater 18 hole first class golf course (see Spotlight at left)

Henna Tatoo is available all over White Beach. The artists are quite skilled, and is reasonably priced.

Banana Boat Ride - 200 PhP per person, 4 riders or more.

Kingfisher's Farm - behind boat station 3 near Bulabog Beach. You can fish for your lunch in a very relaxing environment. The staff will grill up your catch.

Tennis - There are tennis courts at Tirol & Tirol Resort central White Beach Station 2.

Wallclimbing - In the center of D'Mall, or at Patio Pacific Resort.

Ultimate Frisbee - There are afternoon games on White Beach that you can join in.

Manicure/Pedicure - There are a few places in D'Mall, or shops along White Beach. There are also women walking up and down the beach that offer nail treatments at a reasonable price while you lounge on the beach.

Shopping - D'Mall (upscale) or D'Talipapa (local) markets, or anywhere along White Beach. Best deals are further from the White Beach footpath, and it pays to negotiate. They will give you a "special price" that is really your starting point for bargaining.

Bat Caves - Located at the northern tip of Boracay. Rent a trike for <150 PhP/Hour. A local kid will take you into the caves for a small tip. Can add in a stop at Puka Shell Beach for a good afternoon.

Gym - There are gyms at Seraph, Patio Pacific, Boracay Holiday and the Regency. This includes use of their swimming pool (150 PhP+)

Butterfly Gardens - There are butteryfly gardens at the entrance to the golf course. A good stop if you are mountain biking or ATVing in the northern part of the island.

ATV /Offroad buggies - can be rented on a hourly basis to cruise around the northern part of the island. They are available at several shops north of station 1. Can be arranged through the Seraph Hotel or Mandarin Hotel at Station 2, or Diamond Watersports Station 1.

Bulabog Beach - Most tourists stay on White Beach, but it is only a ten minute walk to Boracay's secondary tourism beach. To get there, take one of the roads heading East from behind D'Mall. Excellent for sunrises and watersports in high season.

 

Don't

 

Don't leave valuables on the beach when swimming. Boracay is a pretty safe place for tourists, but there are always bad apples. Don't flash around large quantities of cash.

Don't get angry or argue. Loss of face is something to be avoided in Asia, the Philippines is no exception. The Filipinos are a friendly and hospitable people. Smile. You're on vacation.

Don't drink the tap water. While the water quality in Boracay is getting better, it's still best not to drink it. Larger hotels have their own purification systems, and the ice is also made from purified water.

Don't be too quick to meet up with someone for an encounter. Some have been known to ask for money for services, and others simply to rob you. Know that there are very attractive girls that are actually boys. Having said that, Boracay is a seductive and romantic place and there are many encounters that are just good fun. Be smart.

Don't do drugs here. The Philippines have very strict laws and are enforced. While it may be possible for foreigners to pay a heavy fine / bribe, this is not assured, and happens less as of late. In any case, the drug scene in Boracay is minimal at best, and this should not be an issue. There are undercover police officers offering marijuana.

Don't overstay your visa. The Philippines actually have quite favourable extension rules; visit the Bureau of Immigration early for extensions. (located behind D'Mall on the main road)