For Spring Break this year, ten SIS staff members (plus two children and Raja) decided on a group vacation to Boracay Island in the The Philippines. To get to Boracay, you must first fly into Manila, change not only planes but airports, board a small prop plane, fly to Caticlan (45 minutes away), get picked up by the hotel, taken to a way station, then transfer to a powerboat, get picked up by the hotel on the island, and then driven to your hotel. It's actually more complicated then it sounds. We were all shocked by how quickly we got from Caticlan Airport to the Henann Garden Resort on Boracay.
We left Seoul at 5 AM and finally arrived to the hotel at 4 PM. Raja had arrived five hours earlier and was asleep in the hotel room when I arrived. That first night we were all sort of tired and I didn't even make it out to the beach until after sunset so I wasn't able see how beautiful it was until the next morning. For the hotel, I rented a room that had direct access to the pool. It was great but a little noisy because our room was the end room right next to the three spigots that sprayed streams of water into the pool. This noise, though, served a good purpose because it blocked out the sounds of construction noise that was happening next door to the hotel. The pools and grounds of the hotel were beautiful, and the hotel was set far enough back from the main beachfront that you couldn't hear any noise from there.
The White Sands beaches of Boracay have spoiled me for all other beaches. The water is aquamarine blue and the sand is soft and white. The beach is lined with restaurants and coffee shops. Unlike Bali and other beaches, the hotels are mostly all set back and do not take up valuable beach front. Instead of side walks or boardwalks, the walkway in front of the restaurants is just packed sand. The strip is line with palm trees, so it's shady and pleasant. Most of the restaurants have tables planted in the sand on the water's edge, so you get to dine with your feet buried in cool sand. The breezes from the ocean are delightful.
Cars are not permitted on Boracay, so traffic is not as heavy as it it could be. The only vehicles are three-wheel cabbies, motorcycles, and hotel vehicles. The three-wheel vehicles are the equivalent of riding in a tin can. If you sit in the back, there is no headroom. I had to bend at the waist to fit inside. And since the roads are so narrow, they tend to jump the curbs and ride at a 30 degree angle. Truly uncomfortable.
There isn't much to do in Boracay other than water sports such as snorkelling, jet skiing, sailing, banana boats, or para-sailing. Our days were mostly spent swimming in the pool, walking the strip, or laying by the beach. The ladies in the group went pearl shopping. Pearls in Boracay are incredibly inexpensive. The group settled into the pattern of meeting by the hotel bar at 5 PM, enjoying a cold drink, then heading out to the water to watch spectacular sunsets. We would then search for a restaurant and plop down for the night. We found one italian restaurant that we liked very much. We ended up having drinks and dinner there several times.
One day, we organised a trip on a catamaran to sail around the island, snorkel, and have lunch on Puka Beach, which is on the opposite side of the island from us. It was a perfect day and the catamaran was just the right size for 13 of us. Snorkelling was a bit disappointing because the reefs around Boracay are all destroyed from the fisherman throwing their anchors down. We barely saw any fish. Also, the first place we stopped was really choppy. I was nervous to get into the water. For lunch we stopped at Puka Beach, a gorgeous white sand beach with no one on it. We were able to sit in a restaurant and eat the food we brought. Before we left on the boat, some of the ladies shopped and bought pork and chicken with rice and delicious mangoes. It was a great meal. Afterwards we swam in the beautiful ocean.
One evening, the group decided to have drinks at the Shangri-La Hotel, the most expensive hotel on Boracay. It's located on the northern tip and has 360 views of the ocean. We all piled into the hotel vans and rode to the hotel. When we arrived, there were no seats to view the sunset, but the hotel graciously put some tables together for us and we had a great view of the sunset. Many pictures were snapped, and the drinks were delicious. I would've stayed for dinner, but the group thought it was a bit pricey. The rooms at the hotel start at $650 a night!
One afternoon, Raja and I decided to go jet skiing. Neither one of us have ever been on a jet ski but I figured how hard could it be. The cost was about $40 dollars per 1/2 hour for each jet ski or $80 dollars per hour for one. We opted for one jet ski. This was a mistake because I did not realise how terrifying it is to be behind someone who is driving a jet ski. It started with three of us on the ski because the instructor takes you out first to show you how to use it. Once the instructions were given, he proceeded to go full throttle across the waves, weaving in and out. I grabbed onto Raja with all my might and buried my face into his back praying I wasn't going to die. Next, I let Raja drive first. Raja doesn't even have a driver's license, and he thought it was a blast to speed along as fast as he could. I felt sure I was going to get thrown off the ski. When it was my turn to drive, I discovered it's much more secure holding onto the handles so I wasn't too nervous to go fast either. I must admit that Raja was much braver behind me than I was behind him! At one point I hit a wave at the wrong time and a huge amount of water splashed into me, making me choke. Unfortunately, the course wasn't very large and basically you're driving around in circles. After 45 minutes, I had my share of getting soaked and having my ass pounded against the seat. I was ready to stop. Next time I go, it's definitely separate skis. And a 1/2 an hour of time is plenty! Also, remember to bring a change of clothes and a towel since you get off the ski soaking wet.
Boracay is a beautiful location and definitely the place to go to get some sun, cheap drinks, and beautiful ocean vistas. I hope to go back one day!