Boracay 2003
It’s finally over after months of planning and anticipation. I can only look back and wish that the days were longer in the island paradise of Boracay. Now, let me try to collect the memories of our trip and put them into words. Last January was my first time to go to Boracay. Along with 3 of my friends, we stayed at my boss’ resort. We had a very good experience enjoying the sun and sand of this tropical island paradise. I felt that this is a place where one can come back again and again and never feel bored.
Since then a lot of my naïve friends have urged me to plan another trip. They were very much enticed with all my after-trip promotions. And so after much consideration, we decided to pick this year’s Holy Week to go to Boracay.
One thing I neglected to consider for this trip was that I had to book our flight early to avoid the holiday squeeze. Regretfully, I was able to reserve our seats around mid Feb already (Which is still early considering our flight is still on April). True enough we landed on the waiting list. The travel agent told me that people already started to book their flights as early as last December. Talk about early birds. So faced with this predicament, I just prayed that we get our seats or I will be the first one to be crucified by my Boracay-hungry friends this holy week.
Fortunately, our booking got confirmed one by one as the weeks passed. Although it was better to fly to Caticlan (which is nearer to Boracay), we opted to fly to Kalibo since my friends felt it’s safer to be on a bigger plane. So, after much research on what to do and where to go once we’re there, the big day finally came. It’s off to Boracay for us!
Day 1 was almost over when we got to Boracay. The flight we got was in the afternoon and we had to take a van to Caticlan plus a twenty minute boat ride to reach my boss’ resort. Good thing my boss was very generous to let us use his house so we don’t have to rent. The name of our resort is Mika’s Place. It’s a nice resort located on the hillside of Diniwid beach. Compared to the usual White beach, this place is more conservative and it appeals to people who want to relax in a peaceful and quiet environment.
Our house was almost entirely made of wood and bamboo plus nipa for the roof. The front boasts of a very nice balcony overlooking the beach. The furniture was all made of bamboo and one cannot miss the unique collection of different kinds of seashells displayed on the table. I personally liked the huge wooden blinds that provided a nice shade from the afternoon sun and the candles that light up the walkway to our house during the night. The wind chime gave a relaxing tingling sound that can lull you to sleep.
After we settled in and unpacked our stuff, it was time to hit the beach! It was starting to get dark when we jumped into the cool waters of Diniwid beach. There we soaked our tired, hot bodies and let the waves gently massage our pressures away as we watch the afternoon sun go down over the wonderfully hued horizon. It was truly a majestic sight to behold.
That evening, after having our dinner at Mika’s place, we strolled to white beach. Station one was the first stop. As expected, there were a lot of people hanging out on the beach. Some were having a sumptuous seafood dinner by the sea while others were having an evening stroll like us. The most obviously celebrated activity in the evening obviously, is to PARTY! Different gigs and events were organized to celebrate the long holy week. As we strolled from one resort to another, we saw the whole place coming alive. The sun has definitely set but not with the party appetite of these people. With them, the day has definitely just started.
Our long stroll ended in a resort called Pier One as there was definitely a big party brewing here by the large crowd that gathered around and the loud music in the air. We stayed for awhile and ordered some drinks (Non-alcoholic) and listened to the band play. A lot of celebrities started to come in. Among them were Keempee de Leon, Willy Revillame, Kristine Hermosa, Bianca Araneta, Hans Montenegro and wife Maritoni…etc. After a while, it started to get too noisy so we decided it was time to call it a day and head back to our resort.
Day 2
Today, we plan to do some aqua sports. My buddy and I rented a kayak at Pier One and paddled our way around white beach. We left the ladies to do whatever they liked and that we would rendezvous with them later to try the banana boat ride. It took us 2 hours to kayak from station one to Diniwid beach and back (with rest of course). We rented the kayak for P250 an hour so we had to shell out P500 after we returned it. I was not too happy about it.
Now comes the fun part! It’s time to ride the banana! This ride cost P150 per person for a measly fifteen minutes. I don’t know how much it would cost during the low season but I’m sure it’s a lot cheaper. We rented an eight sitter banana boat so we could all fit in. The ride was fast and exhilarating to some extent but I couldn’t help wonder how it felt to try parasailing. I guess the best part of our banana ride was when we got thrown off. The banana boat flipped to the side as the speed boat took a sharp turn and everyone was thrown into the water. Now that was fun! Our time wasn’t up yet so we were dragged up onto the banana and continued our short lived thrill.
It was around 2pm when we had our lunch. We ordered Baked oysters and pizza at Cocomangas. Then we had halo-halo for dessert. Yum! It was an energy filled morning so some of us opted to spend the rest of the afternoon in bed while some of us still went for a swim.
In the evening, we had dinner at Mika’s place with one of our boss’ client from Cebu. A seafood feast was prepared for our enjoyment. There were crabs, prawns, squid, fish, chicken and vegetables. After some chitchats with our client we proceeded to the souvenir shops located around station two. We spent the whole evening going from stall to stall. We met some more celebs along the way as we pressed our way through the sea of humanity. It was pretty crowded. If was like the Titanic sank nearby and everyone swam to this island. With all the buying and selling, eating, drinking and partying, it was apparent that many people seek for pleasure rather than commemorate the true meaning of the so-called Holy week. Hey, we weren’t exactly there to whip our backs either.
Day 3
We woke up late this morning. Our plan was to go snorkeling at crocodile island but our boat was nowhere to be found. Mang Boy had to arrange another boat for us. The sun was already hot and high up in the sky when we left Mika’s place around 10am. Not all of us had a snorkeling mask so we had to rent from the boat guy for P100 a piece. Expensive huh?
When we reached the snorkeling area, we were greeted by a lot of other outriggers filled with avid snorkelers. The visibility of the water was clear but the waves were pretty strong. We had to hold on to the boat while trying to get a glimpse of the multicolored fishes that abound in the area. Unlike last year, I made sure that we would bring some bread as bait to attract the fish. Surely enough, the fishes started to gather around us as we tossed the little pieces of bread into the water (The bread was actually the airline snack dubbed “local calzone”). I was able to take some pictures of the neon colored fishes swarming around us with a waterproof camera of my friend. I hope they come out ok.
Later, we moved to a calmer area so it will be easier to snorkel. Some of us who know how to swim shed our life jackets so it’ll be more comfortable to move around the water. We continued our undersea perusing and finally decided it was time to head back to shore.
Today is our last day in Boracay so we opted to treat ourselves to a sumptuous seafood buffet by the beach. The night was young as we marched to look for the best buffet table white beach has to offer. Like a pack of hungry wolves searching for their prey, we sniffed our way from one resort to another. Actually, we didn’t get very far as our feet and stomach would not agree with us. Our best bet? Seafood buffet at Seawind resort!
We settled down in our table and started to talk about our day’s conquests. The soothing dinner music plus the evening waves provided an ideal atmosphere for dining and chitchat. Everyone was happy. Everyone was hungry for more.
Sigh, it took me 3 months to write this amateur article. It’s hard to remember all the details anymore. Anyway, to cut everything short, we all got so full that night, slept, woke up, packed up, had our last pictures taken, said our goodbyes, boarded our boat, Rode on our van to Kalibo, and flew back to polluted and congested Manila. Sigh….that’s it. I quit. Ha ha.
Hey, did I mention my friend took a picture of someone sunbathing topless?
Since then a lot of my naïve friends have urged me to plan another trip. They were very much enticed with all my after-trip promotions. And so after much consideration, we decided to pick this year’s Holy Week to go to Boracay.
One thing I neglected to consider for this trip was that I had to book our flight early to avoid the holiday squeeze. Regretfully, I was able to reserve our seats around mid Feb already (Which is still early considering our flight is still on April). True enough we landed on the waiting list. The travel agent told me that people already started to book their flights as early as last December. Talk about early birds. So faced with this predicament, I just prayed that we get our seats or I will be the first one to be crucified by my Boracay-hungry friends this holy week.
Fortunately, our booking got confirmed one by one as the weeks passed. Although it was better to fly to Caticlan (which is nearer to Boracay), we opted to fly to Kalibo since my friends felt it’s safer to be on a bigger plane. So, after much research on what to do and where to go once we’re there, the big day finally came. It’s off to Boracay for us!
Day 1 was almost over when we got to Boracay. The flight we got was in the afternoon and we had to take a van to Caticlan plus a twenty minute boat ride to reach my boss’ resort. Good thing my boss was very generous to let us use his house so we don’t have to rent. The name of our resort is Mika’s Place. It’s a nice resort located on the hillside of Diniwid beach. Compared to the usual White beach, this place is more conservative and it appeals to people who want to relax in a peaceful and quiet environment.
Our house was almost entirely made of wood and bamboo plus nipa for the roof. The front boasts of a very nice balcony overlooking the beach. The furniture was all made of bamboo and one cannot miss the unique collection of different kinds of seashells displayed on the table. I personally liked the huge wooden blinds that provided a nice shade from the afternoon sun and the candles that light up the walkway to our house during the night. The wind chime gave a relaxing tingling sound that can lull you to sleep.
After we settled in and unpacked our stuff, it was time to hit the beach! It was starting to get dark when we jumped into the cool waters of Diniwid beach. There we soaked our tired, hot bodies and let the waves gently massage our pressures away as we watch the afternoon sun go down over the wonderfully hued horizon. It was truly a majestic sight to behold.
That evening, after having our dinner at Mika’s place, we strolled to white beach. Station one was the first stop. As expected, there were a lot of people hanging out on the beach. Some were having a sumptuous seafood dinner by the sea while others were having an evening stroll like us. The most obviously celebrated activity in the evening obviously, is to PARTY! Different gigs and events were organized to celebrate the long holy week. As we strolled from one resort to another, we saw the whole place coming alive. The sun has definitely set but not with the party appetite of these people. With them, the day has definitely just started.
Our long stroll ended in a resort called Pier One as there was definitely a big party brewing here by the large crowd that gathered around and the loud music in the air. We stayed for awhile and ordered some drinks (Non-alcoholic) and listened to the band play. A lot of celebrities started to come in. Among them were Keempee de Leon, Willy Revillame, Kristine Hermosa, Bianca Araneta, Hans Montenegro and wife Maritoni…etc. After a while, it started to get too noisy so we decided it was time to call it a day and head back to our resort.
Day 2
Today, we plan to do some aqua sports. My buddy and I rented a kayak at Pier One and paddled our way around white beach. We left the ladies to do whatever they liked and that we would rendezvous with them later to try the banana boat ride. It took us 2 hours to kayak from station one to Diniwid beach and back (with rest of course). We rented the kayak for P250 an hour so we had to shell out P500 after we returned it. I was not too happy about it.
Now comes the fun part! It’s time to ride the banana! This ride cost P150 per person for a measly fifteen minutes. I don’t know how much it would cost during the low season but I’m sure it’s a lot cheaper. We rented an eight sitter banana boat so we could all fit in. The ride was fast and exhilarating to some extent but I couldn’t help wonder how it felt to try parasailing. I guess the best part of our banana ride was when we got thrown off. The banana boat flipped to the side as the speed boat took a sharp turn and everyone was thrown into the water. Now that was fun! Our time wasn’t up yet so we were dragged up onto the banana and continued our short lived thrill.
It was around 2pm when we had our lunch. We ordered Baked oysters and pizza at Cocomangas. Then we had halo-halo for dessert. Yum! It was an energy filled morning so some of us opted to spend the rest of the afternoon in bed while some of us still went for a swim.
In the evening, we had dinner at Mika’s place with one of our boss’ client from Cebu. A seafood feast was prepared for our enjoyment. There were crabs, prawns, squid, fish, chicken and vegetables. After some chitchats with our client we proceeded to the souvenir shops located around station two. We spent the whole evening going from stall to stall. We met some more celebs along the way as we pressed our way through the sea of humanity. It was pretty crowded. If was like the Titanic sank nearby and everyone swam to this island. With all the buying and selling, eating, drinking and partying, it was apparent that many people seek for pleasure rather than commemorate the true meaning of the so-called Holy week. Hey, we weren’t exactly there to whip our backs either.
Day 3
We woke up late this morning. Our plan was to go snorkeling at crocodile island but our boat was nowhere to be found. Mang Boy had to arrange another boat for us. The sun was already hot and high up in the sky when we left Mika’s place around 10am. Not all of us had a snorkeling mask so we had to rent from the boat guy for P100 a piece. Expensive huh?
When we reached the snorkeling area, we were greeted by a lot of other outriggers filled with avid snorkelers. The visibility of the water was clear but the waves were pretty strong. We had to hold on to the boat while trying to get a glimpse of the multicolored fishes that abound in the area. Unlike last year, I made sure that we would bring some bread as bait to attract the fish. Surely enough, the fishes started to gather around us as we tossed the little pieces of bread into the water (The bread was actually the airline snack dubbed “local calzone”). I was able to take some pictures of the neon colored fishes swarming around us with a waterproof camera of my friend. I hope they come out ok.
Later, we moved to a calmer area so it will be easier to snorkel. Some of us who know how to swim shed our life jackets so it’ll be more comfortable to move around the water. We continued our undersea perusing and finally decided it was time to head back to shore.
Today is our last day in Boracay so we opted to treat ourselves to a sumptuous seafood buffet by the beach. The night was young as we marched to look for the best buffet table white beach has to offer. Like a pack of hungry wolves searching for their prey, we sniffed our way from one resort to another. Actually, we didn’t get very far as our feet and stomach would not agree with us. Our best bet? Seafood buffet at Seawind resort!
We settled down in our table and started to talk about our day’s conquests. The soothing dinner music plus the evening waves provided an ideal atmosphere for dining and chitchat. Everyone was happy. Everyone was hungry for more.
Sigh, it took me 3 months to write this amateur article. It’s hard to remember all the details anymore. Anyway, to cut everything short, we all got so full that night, slept, woke up, packed up, had our last pictures taken, said our goodbyes, boarded our boat, Rode on our van to Kalibo, and flew back to polluted and congested Manila. Sigh….that’s it. I quit. Ha ha.
Hey, did I mention my friend took a picture of someone sunbathing topless?
posted by Lee @ 4/17/2006
1 comments
1 Comments:
my first time in Bora!
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