Boracay (Philippines)

Boracay Island, situated very close to the northwesterm tip of Panay, has been dubbed countless times in the past as the "Number One Tourist Spot In The Philippines". The BMW Tropical Beach Handook has recognized Boracay Island as a host of first-class beaches in 1990. TV Quick, a British publication, awarded Boracay with the "Number One Tropical Beach In The World" prize in its December 21st, 1996 issue.

Though much less popular worldwide than the other finalists, Boracay was awarded numerous prizes, mainly for its "White Beach", located on the West Coast, between the villages of Balabag and Angol. Serving as a home to no less than 300 beach resorts which host more than 2000 rooms in total, there's no shortage of options, even for the most picky of travelers. The water is shallow, and the sand is brighter and finer than most beaches in the Philippine archipelago. Boracay also offers a extensive range of nightclubs, pubs, restaurants and bars that lights until morning.
Boracay Island combines sugary beaches that screech when walked on, crystal clear waters, and lush hilly landscapes into an idyllic traveller's haven, that's guaranteed to mesmerize and lull visitors into tranquil harmony with its simplistic beauty.

Boracay is a beautiful small island surrounded by coral reefs and located west of Panay island in Visayas of the Philippines.

Boracay used to be a famous yet well hidden resort known to a small, limited number of beach lovers before the mid 1980s. Things started to suddenly change for the small island from there on, and by 1997 Boracay was already serving as a beach resort for no less than 150000 tourists, most of them South Korean. Nowadays though, the island is visited by tourists from all over the world, from places such as Europe, America, Korea and Taiwan, just to name a few.
There are plenty of places where you can practice marine sports in the Visayas, enhanced by white beaches and coral reefs. Boracay's "White Beach", stretching for almost 4 km, is by far the best spot for such activities. There are also countless hotels and restaurants hiding behind coconut trees along the "White Beach".

Most visitors to Boracay Island get there between the months of November and May, while the off season is usually between June and October. Price of accommodation is of course dependent not only of the facilities and amenities of hotels but of the period you chose to use them as well. Boracay is a windy place, and more so during the off season.

Besides the resorts that have sprung up on the island, Boracay serves as a good home for a fine selection of restaurants, going from tiny, native fast-food places to gourmet cuisine. The White Beach is certainly the main landmark of Boracay, but there's plenty more to experience, including activities such as beach volleyball, hiking, trekking, snorkeling, diving, mountainbiking just to name a few. Discos and pubs in Boracay don't close until the early morning of the next day.

Flying to Boracay Resort

From Metro Manila, the Manila Domestic Airport has daily flights to Boracay either via Caticlan (30 minutes) or via Kalibo (45 minutes). From the Kalibo Airport, air-conditioned bus and vans for hire are available to take you to the Caticlan Jetty, where boats are stationed to take you to the island. The boat ride takes around 20 minutes while the bus trip takes about 90 minutes

From Iloilo, there are air-conditioned bus and vans going to Kalibo or directly to Caticlan, where boats going to Boracay are stationed.

From Cebu, Sea Air and Asian Spirit fly to Kalibo two times weekly.