Travel: Boracay, Aklan, Philippines

By donyaluzee June 26, 2020

White sands, calm beaches, cocktail afternoons, seductive sunsets, and mojito nights.

And a "honeymoon" with my husband's family.

I've been to Boracay for about 3 times. And it just got better and better.

Every time I try to describe Boracay to my friends and colleagues from... a different land (haha), I always get the "Woah, really?! Sweet!" look and reaction of disbelief combined with doubt and equal astonishment. Especially when I talk about the picture perfect sunsets and how fine the powdery white sand is. Yes, surf the internet and the photos ARE REAL.

Boracay is located in Aklan, in the Western Visayas (central) region of the Philippines. From Manila, you take a plane ride to Aklan and take a ferry boat ride to Boracay Island. I've even had the experience of going there by boat (the RoRo which was the "Roll On, Roll Off" boat) from Manila to Aklan. My sisters and I chose to use this route because it was a lot cheaper to get a private room in the boat than to buy plane tickets. Plus, the additional experience of actually taking a boat voyage. Haha. All the other times, we took a plane.

Boracay is separated into 3 Stations which tells you where the hotels are and which activities are offered. The first time I went there, I was probably around 12 years old and if I remember correctly, we stayed in Station 1; which was a quieter part of the island. The other 2 times, we stayed at Station 2. Don't get me wrong, all the stations are alive and busy. But Station 2 is more commonly known for its nightlife and lots of shopping. It's basically the epicentre.

As morning breaks, you'll slowly feel the island come to life. With fresh juices and breakfasts prepared for you. All you really need to do is wake up, put your swimmers on, and get ready to soak up the sun! One must-try is definitely the Jonah's Shakes. It's an institution. I've tried and had it EVERY TIME I went there. One of the activities I also remember most and I LOVED was getting massages on the beach at sunset, with a matching fresh mango shake beside me. Oh! And of course, island hopping. You get to go to your own private corner of a separate beach and just take in all the beauty. There were even packages with lunch included! And then when dusk starts creeping in, you'll feel the nightlife simmering. Then you've had about 3 mojitos already and eventually dancing the night away. I think there was one night we hopped on to I think 4 bars. Just trying to taste
test which mojito served the best. 😅

Carl and I had our church wedding in Manila on December 20, 2014. The party ended I think about 2AM (or 3AM?). We had to be at the airport at 5AM to catch a 7AM flight to Boracay. YUUUP! Our "honeymoon" was a 3-day trip spent with 6 family members (my mom- and sister-in law, and my husband's 4 cousins). Carl and I were gifted a separate cabana/villa stay while the family stayed in a larger unit, still in the same resort. We had a blast! From all the food we ate, the cliff-diving (I'm a chicken. Camille and Kuya Stein did this.), the beach walks, the island hopping, and even just chilling in the beach. What fond memories we'll always cherish.

Here are some photos to take you to Boracay.