Boracay is a tropical island surrounded by stunning white sand beaches about an hour's flight from Cebu or Manila just off the larger Philippines island of Panay.
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| (Philippines) – Travel to beautiful island - Boracay |
For beach connoisseurs it competes with the best beaches of more popular destinations such as the Caribbean and the South Pacific as well as neighbouring Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. For those wanting to just lounge around and top up their tan, beach-front hotels usually have lounge chairs set up just a few steps away from the hotel entrances. The more active will appreciate water sports and activities such as sailing, wind surfing, snorkelling, diving and jet skiing. The fun in Boracay doesn't end when the sun sets. Boracay night-life pulsates with many bars and restaurants serving food, drink and fun until the dawn.
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| (Philippines) – Travel to beautiful island - Boracay |
How to get there and away
Air
The quickest (and most expensive) connection between Manila and Boracay via Caticlan is by Air Ads, Asian Spirit and Pacific Airways; the one-way fare is P1700.
Asian Spirit and Air Ads bookings can be made at the Red Coconut, Balabag.
Pacific Airways bookings can be made at the Dublin Rest house in Angol, the Red Coconut in Balabag and at the Boracay Tourist Center.
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| (Philippines) – Travel to beautiful island - Boracay |
The little PAL office is next to the Sea Resort in Angol. Apart from taking care of changes in itinerary and flight confirmations PAL also sells tickets for P150 for the air-con bus from Caticlan to Kalibo, which includes the boat trip from Boracay to Caticlan. The office is open from 8:30am to noon and 2 to 4pm. PAL flights also can be booked at the Boracay Tourist Center and at Pantelco, above the Pa-am Minimart near the Mistral Resort.
PAL flies from Manila to Kalibo on Panay and Tugdan on Tablas Island, in Romblon Province. The connection from Kalibo to Boracay via Caticlan is better than the one from Tugdan to Boracay via Santa Fe. After the aircraft arrives, there are air-con buses from Kalibo to Caticlan. PAL also flies from Cebu City to Kalibo.
The trip with a bus belonging to the companies Southwest Tours or 7107 Boracay Shuttle cost P150. Southwest Tours sells tickets at the domestic airport in Manila. The price includes the boat transfer from Caticlan to Boracay.
Boat & Bus
Many boats cruise along White Beach heading for Caticlan; just wait at one of the boat stations if you want to go there. The first boat comes along at about 6 am. There are three so-called boat stations on White Beach for boats to and from Caticlan 15; 30 minutes): Boat Station I at the Mila's Boracay Beach Resort, Boat Station 2 the tourist office and Boat Station 3 at the Sulu Bar. From June to November, during the south-west monsoons, the sea on the west side of Boracay can grow too rough for outrigger boats. They then have to leave from Tabon (to the east of Caticlan) instead of from Caticlan itself, and drop anchor on east coast in the bay near the Dead Forest, or near Bulabog.
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| (Philippines) – Travel to beautiful island - Boracay |
As almost all passengers have to wade through the water to get to the boats or back to shore, patent-leather boots and well-pressed long trousers are definitely not the things to wear.
On arrival in Caticlan, you can get a Jeepney or bus to Kalibo (two hours).
A bus leaves Caticlan for Iloilo City via Kalibo at around 6.30 am (six hours). Anyone wanting to take this bus will have to take either the first boat at 6 am or a Special Ride for about P175 from Boracay.
Air-con buses make special trips from m Kalibo airport, timed to catch the departures of PAL flights. Tickets for the Tours bus can be obtained at the PAL office on Boracay; the 7107 Boracay office is located near Boat Station 1.
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| (Philippines) – Travel to beautiful island - Boracay |
There are also shipping services between Manila, New Washington and Dumaguit, both are near Kalibo on Panay.
Getting Around
The island is so small that we can walk around on foot and see close up nature.It takes only one hour and half or so for come and go of 4 Km White Beach from one end to another. However you have to be tough to go around Yapak on foot, as it is hilly and you may seldom find shade trees. Direct sun light is especially strong from noon to around two p.m.
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| (Philippines) – Travel to beautiful island - Boracay |
Tricycles are motorcycles with sidecars for passengers.They are one of the most popular transports in the Philippines. The fare is from P5 to P20 per person. They cannot enter White Beach.It costs approximately P150 per hour to charter a tricycle.
Many resorts rent out bicycles.They cost about P50 per hour. Check up breaks and pedals first when you borrow a bicycle. Bicycles should run on the right. Beware of tricycles on roads.
If you want to lend motorcycles, ask your resort staying. Road conditions and driving manners might be different from your country's, so they are not recommendable for tourists.International drivers licence is required. It costs approximately P150 per hour to charter a motorcycle.
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| (Philippines) – Travel to beautiful island - Boracay |
Attractions
Every day seems to be a holiday on Boracay - all you need to do is relax and enjoy yourself. Just get up, make some coffee and decide whether to go sailing, windsurfing or perhaps snorkeling and looking at corals.
Mount Luho is the highest elevation on Boracay Island with 100 meters above sea level. For the uninitiated, it can be an excruciating ascent going there, but definitely worth the view. Once up there, a little kiosk serves cold water and soft drinks and one can take a rest in one of the hammocks between the trees.
The Bat Caves are on the north East coast of Yapak. It’s the home of cave bats and the giant fruit bats with a wingspan of up to four feet. The fruit bats fly regularly at twilight to their nocturnal hunt for food. Naturalists, photographers, spelunkers and brave souls willing to bear the intense stench in the cave can hire local guides, usually young children from the village, to lead them through the jungle-paths to the caves. Environmentalists, however, rather leave the fruit bats to their daytime sleep and wait for the sunset at the White Beach as hundreds, sometimes thousands, of bats take their nocturnal flight right over their heads.
The Bat Caves are on the north East coast of Yapak. It’s the home of cave bats and the giant fruit bats with a wingspan of up to four feet. The fruit bats fly regularly at twilight to their nocturnal hunt for food. Naturalists, photographers, spelunkers and brave souls willing to bear the intense stench in the cave can hire local guides, usually young children from the village, to lead them through the jungle-paths to the caves. Environmentalists, however, rather leave the fruit bats to their daytime sleep and wait for the sunset at the White Beach as hundreds, sometimes thousands, of bats take their nocturnal flight right over their heads.
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| (Philippines) – Travel to beautiful island - Boracay |
The Dead Forest next to the fishponds in the south of the island there are scores of dead trees. Their silhouettes jut eerily into the landscape in a horribly fascinating way (especially at the witching hour on the night of a full moon).
Museum The Kar-Tir Shell Museum in Iligan has a small collection of sea shells display as well as arts & crafts works various woven products to see.
(Wiki Travel, Facebook, Boracay Online)
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