First Time: Boracay Itinerary 2010 Part 2
Click here for First Time: Boracay Itinerary 2010 Part 1
Day 2:
We woke up early the next day as we have a couple of activities to do. We had our buffet breakfast at the rooftop of TGH (inclusive of accommodation price). My favorite is the ham and cheese omelet.
there's more on the buffet table :)
First activity is reef walking a.k.a. helmet diving. Beware, some locals may quote it as high as 1,500. Learn how to haggle and you can get it as low as 350; we got it at 450, not bad. We were oriented how to counter pressure (it's called equalization) and the hand signals under water. Feeding the fishes lets you feel their bites; but don't worry they don't hurt. This is a must-try in Boracay, such a different experience. (Note: I have some diver friends who didn't enjoy on this activity since they can do and see so much more when they're diving so don't recommend this to divers). Included in the price is the CD of the pictures and video that can be picked up at the booth or be delivered to your accommodation the following day. So don't do this on your last day as you won't get your CD until the next day.
they're mobbing for the feeds; some of them bite big time!
Next to try is island hopping by Allan B Fun Tours. It's priced at 700 inclusive of buffet lunch but TGH tenants can get it for only 500. We rode a boat together with about 15 other people; maximum capacity is 20. The whole trip lasted for 6 hours from 10AM to 4PM. I was hoping the boat will make a stop at Puka Beach but the waters are not in good mood so we were diverted to other islands which I can't remember the names except for the Crystal Cove. The latter is a good place to take pictures; just don't forget to bring extra money for the entrance fee which costs 200. If not interested, you can just stay at the shore while waiting for the others. Touring around the place made us thirsty to buy buko (coconut) worth 70.
Crystal Cove Island
We were also shown the following north of Station 1:
Shangri-La Boracay
Manny Pacquiao's rumored rest house (which I don't care if true or not :p)
It may take time before I'll get fun tour again because of the raving waves, insipid food and the seems-to-be unbalanced boat. I have to recover from trauma. We are supposed to do zorb and have henna tattoo but I guess we'll try them next time. We're so exhausted and just decided to take a rest before dinner.
We planned to have dinner at D' Talipapa but it was too crowded. When we went back in the center of Station 2, almost all the buffets are on their way to their end. We checked the buffet in Regency but it costs 500 (or 600?) per head. Since we were on a budget, we ended up going back to La Carmela.
If you're a party animal, then this is the perfect beach for you. You'll have a hard time choosing which place to go because of the many restau-clubs available. We first hopped at Guilly's Island; this is the same Guilly's that you can find in Manila. We ordered sisig and some bottles of beer. Some sexy ladies also wanders around the club to give free taste of GSM Blue.
We planned to have dinner at D' Talipapa but it was too crowded. When we went back in the center of Station 2, almost all the buffets are on their way to their end. We checked the buffet in Regency but it costs 500 (or 600?) per head. Since we were on a budget, we ended up going back to La Carmela.
If you're a party animal, then this is the perfect beach for you. You'll have a hard time choosing which place to go because of the many restau-clubs available. We first hopped at Guilly's Island; this is the same Guilly's that you can find in Manila. We ordered sisig and some bottles of beer. Some sexy ladies also wanders around the club to give free taste of GSM Blue.
Guilly's dance floor
san mig + sisig + free gsm blue
After a while, a group of... came on the floor... Ok, I'll shut up, I don't want to be mean. But anyway, we moved to the nearby Club Paraw where people are more into dancing (and grinding). By the way, take note that most clubs in Boracay implement pay-as-you-order since the setup of the clubs lets anyone to easily escape without getting noticed. There are more better clubs along the shores, others are even on the second floor so keep looking. Night life makes Boracay alive 24/7 (almost) :)
Day 2 Expenses:
Reef Walking = 450
Fun Tours (inclusive of lunch) = 500
Buko Juice (Coconut) = 70
Crystal Cove Entrance = 200
Dinner (La Carmela) = 250
Night Life (Guilly's and Club Paraw) = 350
Total = 1,820
Day 3:
It was Palm Sunday. We went to the church to hear mass, bought Palaspas (palm leaves) and have it blessed. The language used is the local dialect so we weren't able to understand most of the words. We're also surprised that some natives prefer to bring giant palaspas out of whole cut coconut stems.
Tip: You can ride a tricycle along the main road to and from the church. If you ask the driver, they'll give you a price as high as 50 each though. You have to know that the standard price is only 7 pesos for everyone including foreigners. But be a bit generous, make it at least 10 pesos ;)
We decided to spend the rest of the morning on relaxation - more on walking along the shores, taking some pictures, drinking shakes (Jonah's again) and basically just bumming.
Day 2 Expenses:
Reef Walking = 450
Fun Tours (inclusive of lunch) = 500
Buko Juice (Coconut) = 70
Crystal Cove Entrance = 200
Dinner (La Carmela) = 250
Night Life (Guilly's and Club Paraw) = 350
Total = 1,820
Day 3:
It was Palm Sunday. We went to the church to hear mass, bought Palaspas (palm leaves) and have it blessed. The language used is the local dialect so we weren't able to understand most of the words. We're also surprised that some natives prefer to bring giant palaspas out of whole cut coconut stems.
Tip: You can ride a tricycle along the main road to and from the church. If you ask the driver, they'll give you a price as high as 50 each though. You have to know that the standard price is only 7 pesos for everyone including foreigners. But be a bit generous, make it at least 10 pesos ;)
We decided to spend the rest of the morning on relaxation - more on walking along the shores, taking some pictures, drinking shakes (Jonah's again) and basically just bumming.
Virgin Mary Grotto at Station 1 (can you see the queue of people waiting for their turn to take some pictures?)
how about some lumot (moss)?
Don't forget to take some pictures with the sand castles, you can even have your name written on it. Just give like 10 or 20 pesos tip for the local who maintains it.
you can put the tip on the basket (I promise to bring a better camera next time)
Beach umbrellas/chairs are only available for the tenants and customers of the respective hotels. What my friend did is to buy halo-halo (mixed fruits in ice and milk) in the hotel and that gave us the right to lay down under their umbrellas for the rest of the morning without being confronted by the staff :D
We had our lunch at the famous semi-budget Smoke located in D' Mall. We had bulalo and pork chop. It just tastes regular for me but I noticed that Koreans love it. We spent the rest of the afternoon looking for souvenirs at D' Talipapa which has cheaper prices than D' Mall.
Before leaving, we just love Jonah's shake that we got another for takeout. The way going back is just vice versa of Day 1's route.
we chose Kalibo over Caticlan 'coz we prefer jet planes over propellers ;)
Day 3 Expenses:
Tricycle to and from the church = 20
Palaspas = 20
Jonah's Shake = 110
Sand Castle Tip = 20
Lunch (Smoke) = 170
Souvenir Items = 1,235
Jonah's Shake again = 110
Tricycle to Cagban Port = 50
Cagban Port Terminal Fee = 50
Boat Ride = 25
Van = 175
Kalibo Airport Terminal Fee = 40
Total = 2,025
Grand Total = 10,030 for 3 days and 2 nights. Of course, don't forget to take in consideration miscellaneous expenses such as drinking water, sunblock lotion and some extra money in case of need.
To those who say that Boracay isn't amazing anymore, think again! It may not be as natural as before but it's still one of Philippine's (world's?) best, at least for me. Too many people cannot be wrong.
See you next summer Boracay!
