Places to Travel in the Philippines - Travel - Travel Tips

The next destination my friends and I had a rendezvous is in Boracay Island of Aklan. It is one of the top tourist attractions in the Philippines. It has a stretch of white, powdery sand beach divided into 3 boat stations. Station 1 has the finest sands among the 3. Station 2 is where the night life happens and is the location of DMall (it is where the restaurants, souvenir shops, ATM booths are situated). Station 3 has a quieter atmosphere. I find all of the 3 stations equally beautiful and I was excited to have a stress-free 3 days there.

My plane landed at Kalibo (Aklan) Airport some 50.1 kms (31.13 miles) from Caticlan where you will take a 15-minute boat ride to Boracay. The Caticlan Airport which is nearer to the island is under repair. Airlines provide mini buses for passengers going to the isle. The trip took 1 hour and 30 minutes. I paid P50 for the terminal fee, P50 for environmental tax, and P25 for the boat ride (you only pay P75 for terminal fee and boat when youre leaving the island). I was reunited with my friends, Arbie and Wendy, after 5 minutes of tricycle ride for P100 to Le Soleil de Boracay where were staying. The tricycle ride would be P20 per person if you are sharing it with someone else (around 5 passengers).

We just chatted until dinner time. We went to an all-you-can-eat buffet at one of the resorts (most of them has it) for P250.00 and had a ladies drink at Charhls Bar while listening to a live band.

Willys Rock

A rock formation out in the sea of Boracay in Station 1 is one of the attractions in the island. It is the most photographed place. It appears on postcards, greeting cards, etc. It would be a good walk from Station 2 to Willys Rock but it was slightly raining (its September and theres a storm). For P10 each, we were carried there by a tricycle. We swam near it and Arbie got her hair braided there too for P100. And since were wet from swimming, we walked back all the way from Station 1 to Station 2 under the rain. We stopped at Jonas for a fruit shake (P60). Its to die for!

D Mall

We had lunch at Aria, an Italian restaurant, located at the entrance of DMall. We ordered seafood salad, a pizza baked in a traditional wooden oven, drinks and black sambo for dessert. All that cost P1,400.We scanned the souvenir shops for things to bring to our loved ones. When were not feeling full anymore, we tried rock climbing called D Wall beside Dunkin Donuts stall for P50.

Theres a restaurant just to the left of Dunkin Donuts thats manned by hobbits. Its called The Hobbit House. You can have a picture taken with the staffs if you would ask kindly.

There are various water activities which are very affordable in Boracay but we did not try it that time because were there mainly to relax. Ill just talk about it when I write about my first trip to the island 2 years ago.

Other Activities in the Island

When we arrived back at Le Soleil, we asked the front desk personnel to contact 3 massage therapists for us. The rate for an hour of a whole body massage is P500 (theres a P250 P300 rate done in the beach). Sure enough, they knocked at our door after we showered. It was the most relaxed 1 hour I had in a month. We slept for 2 hours after that.

We went out for dinner at one of the restaurants that serve seafood. The average rate of shrimp, fish, crabs, lobster, etc is P250 per kilo. You can choose how you like it to be cooked. My favorite is shrimp gambas. After dinner, we strolled along the beach where the magnificent sandcastles are. You can give donations after you had your pictures taken.

Arbie and Wendy had their back painted with henna tattoo. Price depends on the intricacy of the design. We walked some more after theyre done and was hoping to see a fire dance but it started to drizzle again so we headed back to Le Soleil to rest.

In the morning, I had an early swim, showered and packed my bags to catch my plane at Kalibo at 11am. The terminal fee there is P40.

Le Soleil de Boracay

Le Soleil de Boracay, a 4-star hotel, is a charming Mediterranean-style, beachfront hotel situated at Station 2. Our Premier room is air-conditioned and has a mini bar, telephone and color television. It has 2 double beds, a lounge chair, toilet and shower, veranda, and it faces the swimming pool. Its priced at P7,000 but we got it for free when Wendy converted her credit cards points and used it.

Most of the rooms in the ground floor face the swimming pool. If you plan to unwind in Boracay, I suggest you stay at Le Soleil!

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