When Travel + Leisure and Conde Nast Traveler named Boracay the best island in the world, they were only reiterating what the world’s wild party people — that’s including the island’s fire-eating dancers — have known all these years: Bora is where it’s at!
The main action is at the White Beach, a 4-km stretch of white sand so fine you can inhale it when you lie down for some good old skin tanning. On this stretch are bars and restaurants and hotels and shopping centers that ensure endless, exciting people traffic.
The Philippine government temporarily closed Boracay for six months for “rehabilitation,” and reopened it with stern guidelines ensuring ecological sustainability. Now, it’s back to being the number one tourist attraction in the archipelago of 7,200 islands.
For air travelers, the gateway to Boracay are two airports in neighboring Panay Island, the Kalibo International Airport and the Godofredo P. Ramos Airport, also known as the Caticlan airport.
From there, visitors are ferried to Boracay from the Caticlan jetty port.
In Bora, bicycle cabs, known as sikads, ply the Beachfront Path. Otherwise, you can take the electronic-tricycles (e-trikes) on the regular roads. The best option, of course, is to rent your own motorbike or bicycle.
Walk barefoot on the yawning stretch of fine sand and have your fill of the therapeutic sea breeze.
Rush to the crystal-clear seawaters — swim or float or just putter about.
Go around the island aboard a paraw, or outrigger canoe. Some tour packages include a lunch picnic in one of the outlying islets: Crocodile, Puka or Tambisaan.
Take your pick: horseback riding, scuba diving, snorkeling, kiteboarding, windsurfing, parasailing, cliff diving and banana boat riding. You may even get lost in the golf course somewhere.
Explore the beach at night when it is a very happening wow.
White Beach, marked by Station 1, Station 2 and Station 3
Mount Luho View Deck lets you take in a whiff of eternity
Shell craft
Fashion accents made of indigenous materials
Batik cloth and colorful cotton wraps
Try the freshly-baked calamansi muffin at Real Coffee
Complete your island experience with delectable top-of-catch seafood like dungeness crab, lobster, shrimp and tuna.
HOW TO GET THERE
Fly from the US (Nonstop from LAX, SFO, HNL, GUM, SPN) to Manila (MNL)
Fly from Canada (Nonstop from YVR and YYZ) to Manila (MNL)
