My 4-Day Boracay Itinerary 2011 Part 1
I promised myself to go back to Boracay this summer since my last year's trip was focused on doing land and water activities and, thus, fell short of time for relaxation. This time, I wanted my itinerary to give me opportunities to do beach bumming and food tripping.
Note: All amounts in Philippine Peso, and all shared expenses (e.g. accommodation, food, tricycle) are divided by two
Photo and Video Credits: Paul, my travel buddy
Tickets and Accommodation:
Since our travel period is already on peak season, the most decent rates I found were:
Manila to Caticlan via Cebu Pacific (CEB) = P1,846.88 per pax
Kalibo to Manila via Philippine Airlines (PAL) = P2,304 per pax
I know it's not budget-friendly, mas mahal pa eto sa Singapore ticket ko! The only consolation with our PAL tickets, since we have the Fiesta Saver class, is that we were able to select our seats right upon purchasing the ticket.
Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) T3 for CEB, NAIA T2 for PAL
Like last year, we reserved a room at Tan's Guesthouse (TGH) in Station 2. What I like about TGH is its clean rooms, proximity to places of interests, good service and, of course, budget-friendly rates. Surprisingly, we got better rates than last year. The staff quoted P1,500 on e-mail against P2,000 on the website. And as returning customers, we got a 20% discount so it's down to just P1,200 per night with daily buffet breakfast - budget deal!
Tip: When doing a reservation, mention that you learned about TGH in an online forum such as PinoyExchange - it's an instant 10% discount ;)
Ticket and Accommodation Expenses:
Round-trip Airfare = 4,150.88
NAIA 3 Terminal Fee = 200
Tricycle: Caticlan Airport to Caticlan Jetty Port (50/chartered trip)= 25
Environmental Fee (up from 50 last year) = 75
Caticlan Jetty Port Terminal Fee = 50
Pump Boat: Caticlan Jetty Port to Cagban Port = 25
Tricycle: Cagban Port to D' Mall (100/chartered trip) = 50
Tan's Guesthouse (3,600 for 3 nights) = 1,800
Miscellaneous (taxi, Jollibee, water, etc.) = 273.50
Total = 6,649.38 --> 2,498.50 excluding the airfare
Click here for a more detailed guide on How to Go to Boracay (Directions and Fees)
Click here for a more detailed guide on How to Go to Boracay (Directions and Fees)
Day 1:
It was noon when we arrived so we first had our lunch at Smoke Resto in D' Mall. We had two of their best sellers - chili chicken (P95) and beef salpicao (P99). Really good food at relatively affordable prices. However, their mango shake (P60) disappointed us, also the calamansi juice (P40) which tastes almost just like water.
Smoke Resto has two branches in D' Mall, this one is in the market area
chili chicken can be served mild or spicy - a must try
When I searched in PinoyExchange for a reliable third party contact for the activities, Mang Niño seems to be the most famous. True enough, he offers one of the lowest, if not the lowest, activity prices. We hired his service and had ATV for P400 per head per hour. For your reference, his contact numbers are +63.922.8876639, +63.920.9060466 and +63.915.8722855.
better looking ATV's by Borayd's compare to what we hired last year
compare and see the difference here
The real highlight of going there is this...
It was not the best moment to do beach bumming because of the weather; so we instead went on some food trip for the rest of the afternoon. First stop - Ti Braz at the southern end of Station 1.
The most common route for ATV ride is the Mt. Luho and Butterfly Garden combo. Mt. Luho is Boracay's highest point and provides a 360-degree view of the island, entrance fee is P50.
we could have had a better view if not because of the gloomy weather
tama si Kuya Kim - it's a wet summer
Butterfly Garden inside Fairways and Blue Water bored us last year. We were hoping to have a better experience for this trip but it even disappointed us more. With its cheap entrance fee of P60, it's still not worth it.
aside from this frame, we've seen not a single butterfly that day - promise, no exag!
The real highlight of going there is this...
don't you think it should have been called BATterfly garden?
To end up the afternoon,
our favorite - Jonah's Banana Choco Peanut shake, the best seller
a famous line: you haven't been to Boracay without zipping Jonah's shake
a famous line: you haven't been to Boracay without zipping Jonah's shake
We've seen three branches of Jonah's: one in the beach front and two along the main road - all in Station 1 area. The shakes range from P95-110; and unlike before, they don't collect service charge anymore.
After taking some rest and freshening up for our "night activities", we headed our way to look for a dinner buffet by the beach. That night, we tried Alf's Resto located in front of D' Mall.
all these for P350
rating: forgettable, nothing stands out
Programs and events are common during summer especially on weekends. For that night, it was a bikini contest sponsored by Star World.
too bad, it was almost the end when we dropped by
Fire dancers entertain the tourists during the wee hours of Boracay night life. They are usually seen in Boracay Regency area in Station 2 and along some bars of Station 1. Tip ranges from P20-50, depende na rin kung gaano ka ka-kuripot :p.
amazing!
fire dancers are the stars of the night
Boracay is not complete without a party. We headed to Club Paraw in Station 1 where, as they say, lots of memories are made.
what happens in Boracay stays in Boracay
Midnight really is just the start of the day.
the party place where I can wear tanks...
white tank for extra brightness - thanks to the UV light :D
Day 1 Expenses:
Lunch (Smoke Resto) = 137
ATV = 400
Mt. Luho Entrance Fee = 50
Butterfly Garden Entrance Fee = 60
Merienda (Jonah's) = 110
Dinner (Buffet at Alf's Resto) = 350
Fire Dance Tip = 20
Fire Dance Tip = 20
Night Life (Club Paraw's Melon Bull) = 160
Miscellaneous (water, tricycle, etc.) = 70
Total = 1,357
Day 2:
We woke up late because of earlier's last night's gimmick. We had brunch at the rooftop of TGH, this is already inclusive in the accommodation.
eto na lang ang natira s'min, tanghali na kasi :(
We were supposed to do water activities but the weather is not cooperative so we decided to skip them for the next day, hoping for a literally brighter tomorrow. We just strolled along the windy, a bit cold and gloomy beach.
end of March and it should be scorching hot; is this what they call climate change?
It's true, the municipal government doesn't allow locals to make sand castles anymore. As we wander, we saw these kids trying to stand a discreet sand structure. They make it significantly smaller so it won't be easily noticed by local officials and destroy it. Dolphin prototypes are also becoming the new sand castles (errr, no picture).
KJ naman ng local government
It's lunch time and we still feel full due to the late breakfast. So we decided to just zip, guess what - our favorite Jonah's shake! We also tried another best seller this time - Mango Melon.
Mango Melon and our favorite Banana Choco Peanut
Honestly, mango melon tastes good but not above average. Maybe because mangoes and melons are not rare to us Pinoys, so there's no surprise factor. This could also have been better if they used riper mangoes. We noticed that other Asians and Westerns love them though. Banana Choco Peanut shake is still our top pick ;).
view from Jonah's new location in Station 1 beach front - the famous grotto
It was not the best moment to do beach bumming because of the weather; so we instead went on some food trip for the rest of the afternoon. First stop - Ti Braz at the southern end of Station 1.
their best seller - mango amour at P215 plus service charge - overpriced
Mango amour didn't amaze us because the mango used is sour and the filling is not generous enough for its price. Still nice to try if you have some spare money, can be good for two.
Next stop: Bite Club Grilled Burgers located in D' Mall...
"choose your burger + add your choice of topping = create your own burger" -Bite Club
bombarella with hickory smoke bbq sauce as topping at P225 - good for two
I intentionally removed the upper bun for less calories; bondat na ako ;))
Bite Club's burger has a potential. Our only regret is that we should have had Cheddar Cheese Cream or Quick Melt Cheese Slice for the topping instead. We like hickory sauce, but maybe not in a burger.
For dinner, we tried another buffet by the beach - Sunset Grilled Buffet located at the southern end of Station 2.
P295 per head including own iced tea pitcher per table
rating: well-organized, but the food doesn't taste good enough
We are so entertained by the fire dancers the previous night that we decided to have an even closer encounter with them at Sand Bar in Station 1. It is a bar by the beach known for fire dancing shows while customers lie down a comfy low seat sofa with throw pillows. Feeling sosyal muna kami hihi.
entrance fee is to have at least P295 per head worth of consumables
People like it when customers are teased with fire.
quite expensive yet a fun (and funny) experience with the gay fire dancers
We ended the day with our second grinding party night at Club Paraw. We just love Boracay's night life!
Day 2 Expenses:
Lunch (Jonah's) = 110
Merienda 1 (Ti Braz) = 118.25
Merienda 2 (Bite Club) = 112.50
Dinner (Buffet at Sunset Grilled Buffet) = 295
Night Life 1 (Sand Bar) = 310.75
Night Life 2 (Club Paraw) = 30 --> just bought a bottled water ;))
Miscellaneous (bottled water, tip, etc.) = 50
tnx ah!
Yep, I looked for part 2 nga.
We were there last year with family and like u I committed to comeback.. this time, alone
hehheh..
Looking forward to the next installment!
im writing the 2nd installment na, hope to finish it by tomorrow
ps- walang crepe na hindi masarap! haha
Nice blog.. I'll be back to Boracay this June.. Nung first time ko sa Bora, di kmi nag-foodtrip.. I promised to my self na this time, I'll make sure to try all delicious food in Bora.. So excited to try "Jonahs Banana Choco peanut Shake" (tama ba?).. :)
By the way, is the place you stayed in (Tan's Guesthouse) a good one? Thanks for your response!
Hulog ng Langit ang blog mo. :) I read it the whole day and researched and now i'm almost done with my tentative itinerary with all the details possible (price, location, contact, etc.) Thanks so much, we're going there July 1-3 i'm really excited. :) By the way, How much did you pay your Guide/contact so il know how much to give. :) thanks a lot!
This also inspired me to start my own food and travel blog as well, to be able to help other tourists. Do check out my Boracay post and tell me what you think.;)
http://rodifiedopinion.wordpress.com/2012/02/27/oh-my-boracay-part-1/
Thanks!
Going for the 2nd time this december. Laking tipid pag may kakilala ka dun. We got our tickets from PAL Php2500 round trip via kalibo. Stay kami 6 days!!