Jakarta - Manila and from here another flight to Boracay, our first destination in the Philippines, and apparently that of many more tourists. Although, we expected it to be more crowded, and more after knowing that here is now summer, what high season means, what high prices mean! We were lucky to find a family hotel in a courtyard with a lot of local life, separated from the most tourist areas, but on the beach.
We arrived at the weekend and we found that the vast majority of tourists were Filipinos with more or less pasta, spending a few days on the most famous island in their country, mixing with some Westerners like us. Tournaments of something similar to beach soccer with freesbee, bars and restaurants on the same beach cooking seafood and roasting piglets, here called “piglet”, chiringuitos with happy hour of the authentic San Miguel and super professional karaokes. The truth is that you can't get bored here.
And of course, it also has great beaches and some movie sunsets. Although the first day we agreed with a plague of algae that infested the seashore, luckily the following days he moved to the pija area ... TAKE!
So our plan was basically to bathe in the sea, read, tumble along the seafront, and enjoy the sunsets with a beer or a halo halo, the typical dessert here, super refreshing! But the relaxation is over: the next adventure will be aboard a ship ... for 42h! let's see if we endure like real pirates!
Transportation How to get to Boracay?
We arrived by plane at Kalibo airport. From there we catch a combined minivan + boat to reach Boracay for 250 pesos (in the same airport there are many agencies that offer this service, although clearly for free it is cheaper since we then saw that the boat to reach Boracay only costs 25 pesos! So we have paid the minivan 225 pesos, a lot of pasta for 1.30 hours of travel) Once we arrive at the port of Boracay we catch a tricycle, we pay 20 pesos each. We did not see jeepneys.
Fees
Arriving at the port of Caticlan from where the boat is caught for Boracay we have encountered another surprise ... fees! There is one that you have to pay to use the terminal, it costs 75 pesos. The other is to enter the Boracay area and is 100 pesos. On the way back there are another 100 pesos of fees, this time to use the port of Boracay. As they have it well mounted!
Accommodation Where to sleep in Boracay?
We did it at Desiree's Place, on Pier 3, next to the Lily White resort. We paid 700 pesos for a double with fan and bathroom. Site recommended, with terrace and quiet, 1 minute from the beach.
Food Where to eat in Boracay?
There are several cheap options in a fast food beach bar (hamburgers at 40 pesos, kebabs, dumplings ...). We tried to look for local restaurants on the main road but we were not successful. In the area of the pier 2 there is a fast food on the beachfront with very good prices, and it's fine! The halo halo costs at most 20-25 pesos. We saw at the beach restaurant that they sold it for 150 !!
