#  >  > Travellers Tales in Thailand and Asia >  >  > Philippine Forum >  >  Boracay Sept 2015

## katie23

Hi all,

Just returned from a trip to Boracay.  It was a short holiday spent with friends. We're all young local backpackers, so we stayed at budget accommodations and didn't eat at swanky places. 

It was a great trip, and I'm still a bit tired and catching up with some work. However, I  might as well post a few pics.  I don't know if this will be a full-blown pic thread, as it depends on my time, inclination and internet connection.  

At best, I'll first post the pics of the place where my friends and I stayed, and other "digs" that I saw, so that people who are interested in Boracay can have options aside from the 4- or 5-star ones that BLD and crocman posted.  :Smile:  I might as well promote tourism in my own country and contribute to the local economy. lol This forum has been very helpful to me in terms of info of prices & places to visit, so might as well put up this thread to help people.  :Smile:

----------


## Horatio Hornblower

Be interesting to see,was there in 86/87 no electric and water was limited but what a great holiday.

----------


## katie23

We travelled by ship to go to Boracay, via Caticlan port. We didn't fly into Kalibo. Instead, we took the ship from 2go travel (2gotravel dot com).  The ship leaves Batangas city port at 9 pm and arrives at Caticlan port ~8:30 am the next morning. You should be at the port at least 1 hr before departure.  We were in the "tourist class" section, which has bunk beds and A/C.  The beds are around 0.6m x 2m (or 2 x 6 feet) so not good for very wide or tall people.  There are cabin rooms or staterooms, good for 4 people (I think), but I think you have to pay for the whole room and not by the bed.  The ship fare to Boracay costs ~1,000 Php or ~22 USD (I'm computing at 46.8 pesos = 1 USD).

This was a DIY trip and we didn't rely on tour agencies.  We just relied on info from the net and word-of-mouth, since some other colleagues/ friends have been to Boracay. 

After disembarking from the ship at Caticlan port, you have to pay the terminal fee + environmental fee amounting to 225 pesos. Then you'll have to ride a small speedboat for a 5-10 min ride to Boracay island. If you have a lot of luggage (esp the wheelie cases) then it may be a bit difficult to maneuver the cases in the boat.  My friends and I travelled light and just had 1 backpack each. 

After the speedboat ride, we rode motorbike taxis (they are called "single" there) to go to Station 2.  We could also have ridden tricyles, but at that time, there were no trikes and the local eatery (where we ate brunch) recommended that we ride the motorbikes, if it was ok with us. So we rode the "single" (also called habal-habal in some places).  Helmets were not provided. The motorbike drivers weren't wearing helmets either.  (In my town, helmets are a must - seems the laws aren't as strict in Boracay.)  But anyway, it was quite an adventure and I enjoyed the breeze and the scenery.  

After the short vacation, we hired a trike to take us to the port. We were brought to a different, smaller port (Tambisan port) which was also good since we got to see the 2 different ports.  The boats at Tambisan port are bigger, older and slower.  

If you're staying at a posh hotel, most of them provide airport or pier pick-ups and transfers. There are also minivan services going to Kalibo, Iloilo City or Roxas City.

----------


## katie23

We stayed at Alice in Wonderland Beach Resort.  Room rate at that time was Php 1,008  or ~22 USD, inclusive of taxes (it was lean season).  Alice in Wonderland Beach Resort has a sister hotel, Alice Boracay Resort Hotel, which is a bit higher end w/ higher prices.  Alice resort was recommended by a colleague. 

For more info: aliceboracay at yahoo dot com, w w w aliceboracay dot com

Alice Resort has bungalow type rooms, has grounds and a pool. Rooms were basic but comfortable, good enough for our needs.  Rooms had A/C, small TV with cable, small fridge, 2 single beds, toilet & shower w/ heater, verandah.  One bungalow is a duplex; it contains 2 rooms.  One room is around 5 x 9m, inclusive of the verandah which is ~2m.  

The room rate doesn't include breakfast, but you can have it for an additional Php 145 per person. We didn't have breakfast at the resort since we found a cheaper eatery down the street, which serves Filipino breakfasts for 60-70 pesos. 

Anyway, here are some pics of the room and surrounds.

----------


## katie23

More of Alice in Wonderland Beach Resort

----------


## katie23

We were four in our group - 2 girls, 2 boys. We had 1 bungalow; girls in one room, boys in the other.  We were just friends and we all paid our own way.  We split food & transportation expenses evenly.

----------


## katie23



----------


## katie23

There was a large hotel under construction and it could be seen from the resort.

Btw, Alice Resort is not on the main road - you have to go through a small alley to reach it.  However it's in Station 2 (where there are a lot of restos & bars) and it's only a 5-min walk to the beach.  The beachfront properties are more posh and costly. 



The breakfast area/bar


Most guests staying there were local tourists.  I only saw 2 older white guys and both had Filipina partners.

----------


## katie23



----------


## katie23

This is at the gate


The view when you enter the gate

----------


## katie23

The view upon leaving the gate of Alice Resort, going to the street.  There are several budget places in that street, among them Jung's House (Korean-owned, I think).

----------


## katie23

Another is Coco Rimas St. Vincent Resort, it has wood & bamboo style houses, with A/C too.  Didn't ask their rates.

----------


## katie23

St. Vincent Cottages Resort, also along that alley

 

The entrance to the alley



Near that alley is Alliyah's Beach Resort, which is along the main "side road" to Station 2.

----------


## katie23

Along that road is La Carmela de Boracay Resort Hotel. Rooms vary from 60 to 100 USD, depending on the type of room & location (ocean view, executive wing, etc). 

For info: lacarmeladeboracay dot com

La Carmela has a sister hotel (lower end), which is Boracay Travelodge.  It was our first option, as it was recommended by another colleague. However, Travelodge was fully booked at that time due to a convention. 



These are the east and west wings

----------


## katie23

Boracay Sands Hotel, along the beachfront going to Station 1

----------


## chassamui

Nice pics and informative reportage Katie. Thanks for sharing.

----------


## david44

Yes thanks always wanted to viit but never ever had such awful food as with the Pinoys over the years

----------


## Stinky

^ The only pinay dishes I liked were kinilow and the bbq, the rest was muck.

Great photos Katie that for sharing

----------


## reinvented

agreed; looks lovely Katie
but the food resembles Thai food once the Dementors of Azkaban have been at it

----------


## terry57

Nice Katie.

I can never work out why the food is so Bad.  :Confused: 

How did this come about.  ?

I have never been there but everyone says the same.

----------


## patsycat

I would love to send a postcard from there to my family saying I am staying in Alice in Wonderland Resort!!  And it looks great.

----------


## beerlaodrinker

Great post Katie, good to see that boracay can be done on a budget, that place you stayed at looked alright and wasn't way expensive, bet it goes up in the high season though, keep the pics coming

----------


## aging one

Well done, makes me want to go. Could it be with the food the predominate spice used is vinegar?

----------


## katie23

Hi all, thanks for the replies. Wow, for the first time, I have a 5-star thread! (not that it matters, lol) I'll try to post the pics while my workload is still relatively light and I'm not swamped.  Just this morn, I learned that I was given a new responsibility, which means more work. I don't know if that'll mean more $$, harhar. Anyway, more $$ means I can save more for future holidays.  :Smile: 

With regards to the food - LOL on the Harry Potter reference.  If you don't like Pinoy food, there are many other food choices in Boracay - check out BLD's thread.  There are also places where you can choose live seafood and they'll cook it for you.  I didn't take many pics of the establishments as I just wanted to relax with friends.  Prior to the trip, I had very stressful weeks, so the holiday was good.  

@BLD - yes, I thought too that Boracay was too expensive and beyond my budget.  However, my colleague went last year and he recommended Boracay Travelodge.  He also took the ship to go to Caticlan, but going back, they took the plane from Kalibo.  So I had some ideas and recommendations.  And yes, it was good that my group went during lean season as rates were low. Several resorts had promos and postings of "vacant room available".  The only risk of going during low season would be the weather - there might be typhoons.  Fortunately for us, it was mostly sunny during our stay and only rained slightly during our last day.  We had calm seas too, for the ship travel.

@AO - yes, we use vinegar. Soy sauce too, as well as fish sauce (patis).

----------


## katie23

As I've mentioned, breakfast can be had at Alice Resort for an additional P145.  We didn't take the resort breakfast, as there was an eatery on the main road which served cheaper food.  Everyone is saying Pinoy food is bad, but hey, if you don't like it, then don't eat it.  :Smile:  

With regards to prices, everything is more costly in Boracay.  The Pinoy breakfast that we had (longsilog: longganisa sausage, rice & egg) costed P60.  Same meal costs P35-40 in my town.  Even stuff at 7/11 or McDonald's are 15-20 pesos higher.  My friend asked at McD's: Why are your meals more exp?  The server answered in an apologetic tone: Sir, Boracay po ito. (Sir, this is Boracay.)  I think the local tax is higher.  

Btw, 1 baht ~ 1.3 pesos.  So if I'm quoting in pesos, subtract a little to get baht prices.

On my last day, I had a 1-hr massage.  It costed me P500, while in my town, it costs P300-350.  But heck, I was on holiday and it was Boracay!  :Smile:  

Anyway, this was my longsilog breakfast for P60.  It was good, cheap & filling. Does it look too terrible? lol
Btw, I like my eggs well done, so this was good for me.

----------


## katie23

Crystal Ocean Resort, also along that alley going to Alice Resort. 





My guess is that prices of the "gaff" (accdg to Terry57) along that alley are similar since they are in competition for clients.  All the gaffs along that alley had "rooms available" since it was lean season.

----------


## katie23

And now, the beach pics



This is in the direction of Station 3


Direction of Station 1


It was lean season and there weren't many ppl on the beach.  Accdg to our boatman (we hired a boat on the 2nd day), during high season, you could hardly see the sand bcos of the number of ppl.  These were taken late afternoon, ~5pm.  The sand is white and very fine.  Best beach that I've been to, so far.

----------


## katie23

@patsycat: Alice in Wonderland is a great resort. I hope you do visit Boracay!

Here's a map of Boracay that I saw painted on a wall


Station 2 is where there are lots of bars & restos.  Station 1 & 3 are quieter.  While walking during late afternoon in Station 3, we saw some couples (some young whites, some Koreans) making out in the water.  They prolly wouldn't do that in Station 2. lol

When my group entered Boracay, we were brought to Corban (?) port, on the western side.  When we left, we were brought to Tambisan port, on the southwest.

----------


## katie23

This is how clear the water is.  Sorry for my fugly feet, lol.

----------


## katie23

This is Nigi Nigi Nu Noos, a resto-bar.  Lots of whites. I think I saw this in BLD's thread.



Quote for the day at Nigi's  :Very Happy:

----------


## katie23

More beach pics  :Wink:  I felt such a perv sometimes. lol 





These were taken on the 1st day.  On the last day, I was already camera-weary and didn't take many pics.  Just strolled around.

----------


## fishlocker

Looks like a nice place and the price is right.  160 usd per person per month is cheap living no matter where your from for a poolside pad. With the money you save on lodging you can surly find some good eats. 

Belut in Philippines,  kielook (sp?) In Laos is considered a delicacie. Different strokes for different folks. My gf would rather eat some stinky paste over a greasy pork chop. 

More pics please. And thanks for them. Allways nice to get a fresh perspective on places I haven't been. Admittedly I'm no Jonny Cash..............I Haven't been everywhere man.

----------


## terry57

> .


Hey Katie, the Last time I was with DBL he had his toe's painted the same colour. 

You stole his war paint huh. 

I must say though, your toes are much nicer than Lao's gnarly old things.   :Smile:

----------


## Smug Farang Bore

One of my more stupid moves was to tell a Scottish mate of mine to fuk off and sober up when he called me in 1991 to say there was a bar for sale on the beach there. One of the only ones at the time.

He even offered to go halves.... doh!

----------


## crocman

> This is Nigi Nigi Nu Noos, a resto-bar.  Lots of whites. I think I saw this in BLD's thread.
> 
> 
> 
> Quote for the day at Nigi's


Top pics Katie. 

Ngi ngi noos is a favourite haunt of the Dragon Lady and I. There is a guy who works there called Reyes who can organise just about anything on the island for you. Seems like he has cousins everywhere. :smiley laughing: 

A lot of people don't realise that there is more to Boracay than White beach. Puka is one of my favourites. And during the low season when the wind is on White beach you take a short stroll across the island to Bulabog beach which is sheltered at that time of the year.

We were there only a couple of months ago Katie but your pics have got me planning our return already.

----------


## beerlaodrinker

> Originally Posted by katie23
> 
> 
> .
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Hey Katie, the Last time I was with DBL he had his toe's painted the same colour. 
> ...


Only cost me 30 pesos to get  that shade of nail polish, screaming bargain that I couldn't say no to.  :Smile: Now back to the more serious subject of pinoy breakfasts, my fave is the one with the tinned corned beef fried up with onions served with garlic rice and a fried egg, they do tend to over do it with the oil though, hits the spot that does, good thing about boracay is you can eat whatever kind of food you like, I think a lot of people whine about Filipino food because it's really not all that exotic or spicy, some good eats to be had though if you take the time to look, Bye the way Katie what do you call that kind of corned beef breakfast? Corn silog?

----------


## Davis Knowlton

^Asked my chef wife. Looked at me like I was retarded, and said "It's called corned beef".

----------


## beerlaodrinker

Ok, we will just refer to it as oil silog then

----------


## Davis Knowlton

That'll work.....

----------


## Dillinger

> some good eats to be had though if you take the time to look





> corned beef


 :rofl:

----------


## patsycat

After looking at loads of trip reports.

I think i would prefer Borocay to Bali as a destination when i win the lottery!!

----------


## baldrick

patsy - you parsley view the frog - try madagascar

----------


## katie23

Hi all, thanks for the replies.  My photobucket doesn't work now, as I have crappy internet and it gets worse when it rains (and it's raining here now). 

So for now, I'll just try to answer responses.  I'll also try to update this thread when I find the time.  Remember that I'm a simple office girl who has to earn her keep. lol  

@Terry - my toes thank you kindly for the compliment. lol

@BLD - yeah, it's cornsilog.  I ate cornsilog one of those days, and took a pic.  Unfortunately I can't upload pics now, so the cornsilog pic has to wait.  :-P

@Davis - don't you guys ever eat silog breakfasts?  Maybe your wife & kids are too "sosyal" that they don't eat silogs.  Even Jollibee offers silog breakfast meals. :-P

I don't eat silog breakfasts that often, as they're too oily and carby (I usually just take a light brekky), but at Boracay there weren't many cheap (and nearby) options, so we ate silog breakfasts during the 3 days that we were there.  BLD is correct that some places overdo the oil. I'm glad that the place we ate at didn't. 

For those who're wondering, ___silog is an acronym. Si = sinangang, which is fried rice (but you can choose fried rice or just boiled), log = itlog, which is egg.  

You can have a variety of silog meals.  They're usually eaten for breakfast, but some places offer "all day silog meals", meaning, you can order it and they'll cook it for you.  

tapsilog: tapa (cured beef)
longsilog: longganisa (local sausage)
tosilog: tocino (cured pork)
hotsilog: hotdog
spamsilog & hamsilog (self-explanatory, lol)
chicksilog: chicken
bangsilog: bangus (milkfish)
cornsilog: corned beef
tuyosilog: tuyo (dried fish)

I bet if you can think of other variants and they have it on stock, they can make a silog meal for you! :-)

----------


## Davis Knowlton

^ I don't eat breakfast, Katie, Haven't since I went in the Army in '67. I have no idea what my wife and kids eat for breakfast; I don't get up that early.

----------


## katie23

Re: Boracay accommodations, I got to talk w/ a colleague today who has also been to Boracay.  She went there for a convention.  She said that their "gaff" costed P700/night.  But I bet that it didn't have a pool and that it was just a very basic room with A/C. 

@fishlocker - yes, I eat balut, but not so much now.  Used to eat it a lot when when I was a kid, as my parents used to buy it for us.  We have a saying: "Kumain ng balut, pampatigas (or is it pampalakas?) ng tuhod".  It means: eat balut and your knees will get strong.  :Very Happy: 

@smugfarangbore - if you bought that place in Boracay in 1991, you might've been filthy rich now.  Maybe you'd have an establishment as big as La Carmela. :-)

@crocman - we didn't eat/drink at Nigi's, but my friends told me to take a pic of the quote, so I did. lol Re: cousins, when I go visit my dad's province, it's the same.  Prolly every 3rd person that I meet is a relative.  lol Re: beaches, we hired a boat to go around the island and to neighboring ones (Crystal Cove, etc).  We had to take the boat at Balabag beach (took a trike from Station 2) since the waves were too strong at White Beach for the bangkas.  We spent some time at Ilig-iligan beach and I haven't shown the pics.  We weren't able to go to the part where Manny Pacquaio's house is located, since the waves were too strong according to the boatman. 

@patsy - If you want temples, ricefields as well as beaches, then go for Bali.  Just don't go there during Christmas season since the area of Kuta beach is horrible, full of rubbish.  If you want just beach, then Boracay.   :Smile:  I made a Bali pic thread, and your man Terry has one too.  :Wink:  I'd like to go back to Bali when it's a better time and there's no trash washing up on the shores of Kuta beach.  

@baldrick - I'd like to go to Madagascar, just to see if they have talking penguins.  :Very Happy:

----------


## katie23

> ^ I don't eat breakfast, Katie, Haven't since I went in the Army in '67. I have no idea what my wife and kids eat for breakfast; I don't get up that early.


Lucky you, not having to wake up early. :-) Yup, Army in '67, then Vietnam duty.  Speaking of Vietnam, I talked w/ a colleague (same colleague who went to Boracay) and she told me of her recent trip to Hanoi. She knows that I'm half Viet. I said that I haven't been to the north, only visited the south.  Since she went to the north, all the museums talk about the glorious & victorious VC, and the evil American enemy. lol I gave her a brief history lesson, from the south viewpoint. We both agreed that history can be viewed from many different perspectives - depends on who is telling the story. :-)

----------


## AliceJames

Hey there Katie!

I'm a returning OFW to the Philippines and I plan to treat my family with a trip to Boracay. Can you tell me some of the activities you tried? Also, where did you stay? Please tell a great Boracay hotel I can stay in with my family. Thanks in advance.

----------


## Davis Knowlton

^So Alice, you are a Filipina. And you are joining a Thai-based forum to ask questions about a resort in your own country, to include asking questions that have already been answered in the thread that you obviously didn't bother to read.

 :Trolling:

----------


## katie23

I haven't forgotten this thread, but was quite busy with work+life the past days.  Photobucket hasn't been cooperating either.  The recent kidnapping of 3 foreigners + 1 Filipina has been a downer for the tourism industry, but I think Boracay is still a safe location for tourists.  I'll try to add more pics to this thread later.

Some of you may be wondering what I'm doing here, on a Thai-based forum.  I came to TD initially for some info re: border crossings in Thailand and Cambodia for a backpacking trip.  I saw the travel threads and lingered.

----------


## Baas Babelaas

I'm glad you enjoyed Boracay, found cheap accommodation and went with a group of friends.

Myself and a friend went last July - she's usually loads of fun but wasn't that chipper this time around (she was going through the last stage of divorce and her filthbag of an ex-husband managed to get a house, car, jetski, motorbike and a few hundred thousand Aus dollars out of her).

It rained daily and was windy. I noted in your pictures they has those massive plastic screens near the 'boardwalk' acting as wind buffers - problem is, while you're supping on an extra-strength happy hour (all freakin' day) cocktail, you can't see past them to the ocean. They were still up when you were there?

Great place to get laid, if that's what you want. Loads of Kimchieans, Chinese, foreigners and locals, with plenty of cheap booze.

I look forward to my next visit - probably February next year. But I'll head to Cebu and Bohol, or Palawan again.

Oh, one thing I do so love about the place is Boracay rum - yum yum!

----------


## mikem

> Nice Katie.
> 
> I can never work out why the food is so Bad. 
> 
> How did this come about.  ?
> 
> I have never been there but everyone says the same.


People basically eat just to have something in their stomach unlike Thai, Malaysia etc where eating is a big deal.

Not much effort goes into cooking. And many places use the cheapest ingredients partly to keep prices low. If it's chicken it will be a bit of neck.

There is a very good rice called 7 tonner. It costs more so not in many restaurants.
Also to save money the rice is cooked on a fire. It often means the bottom of the pot has burnt rice and the top has uncooked rice.

There is an ok dish with mung beans cooked in coconut milk. That's about as elaborate as it gets.

The PI is the only place I have eaten pizza.

----------


## thefactoryoutlet

Food is terrible, nice beaches have no amenities and beaches with bars and restaurants are over crowded, transportation is always boring, so I wonder why people go to Phils ?

----------


## Davis Knowlton

It will come to you....... :sexy:  :sexy:  :sexy: in 1, 2, 3.

----------


## katie23

Davis! You put dancing ladies (and three of them, gasp!) in this very "wholesome" thread! (Is there a shocked face emoticon here? lol) 

But, re: the dancing ladies, when we were in Boracay, I asked my male friends where the go-go bars are (one of them has been to Bora before), and if we could take a peek. I was curious and wanted to make a scientific inquiry. lol.  So, in one of our post-dinner treks, we walked towards Station 1, where there were less people and less lights.  Turned out that they weren't really go-go bars, but more of hook-up bars.  I think one of them was called Cocomangas. Another friend/colleague said that hook-ups also happen at Nigi's. We didn't enter the bars, but they looked like ordinary bars from the outside (duh!).

----------


## Davis Knowlton

Well, he was asking about Phils in general, and you are living proof of the lovely ladies here.

----------


## chassamui

> I asked my male friends where the go-go bars are (one of them has been to Bora before), and if we could take a peek. I was curious and wanted to make a scientific inquiry. lol.


Errmm excuse me Miss Katie, your slip is showing.  :Wink: 
Curious indeed! lol

----------


## callippo

this thread brings back memories. 

I have only been to Boracay once, on one of my earlier trips to the Philippines, 10 years ago, and I stayed at the exact same place Alice in Wonderland. 

it was early December and even back then they were charging over 1,000 as a walk-in price. I think it was 1,200 but I got them down to 1,000 a night for I think it was six nights. 

if they are charging 1,000 now, for an airconditioned room, with a fridge (a 'ref' in the Philippines) AND a pool, then that would be outstanding value even in the Visayas, never mind Boracay.

I enjoyed my time there and my visit did bring results, but I have never felt the slightest inclination to return to Boracay.

----------


## katie23

There were a lot of tourists, mostly Koreans & Chinese. Some of them were quite fashionista.

----------


## katie23

@Davis - Thanks for the compliment, but I wouldn't have thought that you're a "bolero". lol

@chassamui - Yes, I was curious. lol Here, nice girls don't go out to seek the go-go bars.  I guess I'm not too nice. haha But re: scientific inquiries, I got some very interesting answers from my masseuse (re: the tourist scene) when I had my massage, but more on that later.

@callippo - Wow, you stayed at Alice Resort too, and the price was the same 10 years ago! I agree that 1000 pesos for a room is low. Even in Luzon, among the resorts here, you'll hardly find an A/C room of that price.

----------


## katie23

Strolling at night around D'Mall.  Lots of C-tourists at that time.  After the convention people had left, there were more foreign tourists than local ones.  





Sorry for the blurry pics. My phone cam doesn't take good night pics.

----------


## crocman

> There were a lot of tourists, mostly Koreans & Chinese. Some of them were quite fashionista.


Did you notice the trend of the Korean couples wearing matching outfits. Absolutely hilarious. The Dragon Lady and I are always in stitches Watching them.

We once saw a Korean couple beside the pool wearing matching Dorothy the Dinosaur onesies.

And can anyone please explain the obsession Korean girls have with pink lacy frills????

----------


## katie23

@crocman - The girls that you highlighted were Chinese, not Koreans. When we were strolling along D' Mall, there was this large C-group, and those girls were at the tail end of the group.  I can distinguish between K & C-tourists as the K-ones are usually taller.  I can also distinguish "An yeong ha se yo" from "Ni hao ma", so I'm pretty sure the girl in the frilly white dress was Chinese.  :Smile: 

I didn't particularly notice if the K-pop grp wore "couples" shirts, as they're called here.      However, I went to Seoul in May of this year, and I noticed that the girls tended to wear very shorty-shorts during sunny days.  There were also a lot of fashionistas in Gangnam district.

----------


## lamphun alan

Nice thread, i have fancied going to the philliphines for years but never knew where to go, so many islands!

----------


## katie23

@lamphun - depends on what you want to see. If it's the beach, then Boracay is a top beach destination.  Boracay is well-developed already and has many hotels (from budget to 5-star), bars and restos.  If you don't want to pass by Manila, there are direct flights to Boracay or Kalibo from Clark Airport (I think).  Try looking at Air Asia or Cebu Pacific for flights. Boracay doesn't have go-go bars (from what I've seen and heard), so if that's what you want for your holiday, then Angeles and Subic have lots of them.  The US bases were there until the early 90s(?), so those places have many bars and clubs.  

If you want beach + nature (and a bit isolated), then you can go to Palawan.  There's an underground river and limestone cliffs, similar to Ha Long Bay in Vietnam. 

You can also try Bohol and Cebu, there are beach resorts there too.  Bohol has the tarsier, while Cebu has the Magellan's cross and other historical stuff.  You can also go boating + whale sighting (butanding) in Cebu.  A friend of mine did that. 

If you want an island which is near Luzon and you don't want to fly, you can try Puerto Galera in Mindoro island.  Puerto Galera is ~1 hour by boat from Batangas City port.  From Manila it takes 2-3 hours to go to Batangas port, depending on traffic.  I haven't been to Puerto Galera but some colleagues have, and they said that it's also nice but can't compare to Boracay. 

Natalie8 made a thread about Palawan
https://teakdoor.com/philippine-forum...o-palawan.html

BLD made a thread about his trip, which included Boracay, Bohol & Manila (?)
https://teakdoor.com/philippine-forum...and-babes.html 

crocman also made a thread which included some Phil. destinations
https://teakdoor.com/thailands-travel...-and-ties.html

----------


## katie23

Alice Boracay Hotel, sister hotel (slightly higher end) of Alice in Wonderland Resort.  I thought that these are owned by Filipinos, but when I looked at their website, turns out that both places are owned by a Japanese consortium.  During the time that we visited, lowest rooms at Alice Hotel were ~ 1,600 pesos or ~34 USD (low season).  

Alice Hotel is along the main road, White Beach road. If you've booked at Alice Resort and you can't find it since it's in an alley, you can ask to be dropped off at Alice Hotel and a staff member will accompany you to Alice Resort (which is what they did for my group).  

For info: aliceboracay dot com

----------


## callippo

I did enjoy Boracay and got a payback out of it, but going only once, was enough. Boracay is a bit of a nothing island really. It's far too small, and creaks with all the pressure of the tourists like an earthquake about to happen and is on balance best ignored. The better islands in the Philippines are all in the Visayas. Siquijor, Camotes, Camiguin being the best.

----------


## katie23

Farther along that road, White Beach road, which is the main road in Station 2, is a 7/11.  So if you want cheap beers, you could always buy them here.  Across 7/11 is another mini-mart, which isn't airconditioned and products cost slightly less.  (Well, one has to pay for the A/C at 7/11, lol)

----------


## katie23

@ calippo - True, Boracay is very touristy.  Along Station 2, there are many touts offering boat trips, henna tattoos, massage, trinkets, hair braids, etc. I got many offers for hair braids, but heck, I can braid my own hair, lol.  From what I've seen and heard of Palawan, I think I'll enjoy it more, since it's more unspoiled.  I haven't been to Siquijor or Camotes, but I went to Camiguin last year.  Great small island, and I liked the provinciality of it.  But I think it would be too sleepy for those looking for bars, restos and nightlife.

----------


## katie23

Also along White Beach road...

Folks had better behave well, because the police are just nearby.  :Smile: 


In case anyone needs rescuing, the coast guard is there

----------


## katie23

For your touristy needs







These pics were taken during early morning, so some stalls were not yet open.

----------


## katie23

"Higher-end" bakery along White Beach Road.  There's also a "working class" bakery farther down the road. 




Btw, those are ladyboys

----------


## katie23

Dos Mestizos, a Spanish resto.  They have a singer + guitarist to entertain folks during evenings. 



My group didn't eat at Dos Mestizos, even though it was near.  Instead we ate here.  Cheap food & free wifi.  :Smile: 



Btw, free wifi at Alice Resort only worked at the breakfast/pool area.

----------


## katie23

During evenings, there are lots of places with singers/performers.  Some were inside bars/restos, some were outside on the beach.  

This group was good.  They were inside a resto-bar.




This guy was in the open.  He was also good.  Took his pic as we walked along Station 2.

----------


## katie23

There are many places offering eat-all-you-can dinner buffets.  This was at Boracay Regency Hotel.  Lots of K-ppl. 


Station 2 at night


Btw, those are plastic sheets to ward off the wind.

----------


## katie23

If you're feeling very adventurous & brave, you can try this Reverse Bungy. It's along the way to Station 3.



Those people were looking at a K-girl being tossed about, like on a rubber band, for ~5 min. She was on the middle seat.  This thing can hold 3 ppl at a time. At first, we could hear her screams.  Later on, she lost her voice.  We were saying among ourselves, maybe she fainted? lol



G-max on the ground

----------


## callippo

surprised you didn't run into any 'Mongolian buffets', which are of course, nothing to do with Mongolia. On my solitary visit to Boracay 10 years ago, I was ambushed by 'Mongolian' buffet vendors several times. They held me up and forced me to eat there. However I think they let me off, the food was not all that bad, it was all-you-can-eat, and it only cost 199 pesos. It's probably gone up to 299 now.

----------


## katie23

@callippo - there were a lot of touts offering dinner buffets, but we didn't take their offer.  I think the lowest dinner buffet was P400.  The one at Boracay Regency hotel was P800, IIRC. 

On the second day of the holiday, we hired a boat to bring us snorkeling and island-hopping. One of these was our boat, forgot which one... 



This was at the snorkeling site

----------


## katie23

There was this roving coconut man. He sold coconut to us and to the neighboring boat. 


We also passed by Crystal Cove, which is a private island and has an entrance fee.  We didn't enter, just took photos at the signage.

----------


## katie23

I think these are the views from Crystal Cove island, can't remember exactly...





As we were leaving Crystal Cove, a pair of K-girls arrived in another boat.  They wore frilly cotton dresses and I think they went there for a photoshoot.  :Smile:  Sorry I didn't take pics, I was lazy at that time.

----------


## Stinky

> As we were leaving Crystal Cove, a pair of K-girls arrived in another boat. They wore frilly cotton dresses and I think they went there for a photoshoot.  Sorry I didn't take pics, I was lazy at that tim


Oh come on!  :ourrules:

----------


## katie23

We also went to Ilig-iligan Beach, which is on the opposite side of White Beach.  It's a more isolated beach and the sand is very fine too.  There was a couple doing a pre-nuptial photoshoot on the far side of the beach (the girl wore a white wedding gown).  I thought at that time that they must be hi-so if they can afford to have a photoshoot in Boracay!

Ilig-iligan Beach. One of those men is our boatman. 


and one of these was our boat

----------


## katie23

> As we were leaving Crystal Cove, a pair of K-girls arrived in another boat. They wore frilly cotton dresses and I think they went there for a photoshoot.  Sorry I didn't take pics, I was lazy at that time
> 			
> 		
> 
> Oh come on!


haha.. sorry! I was on holiday mode and not on pervy mode  :Very Happy:

----------


## katie23

More of Ilig-Iligan Beach

----------


## katie23

There was a hut which was part boutique, part resto.  A tout from the resto offered to cook lunch for us - there was fresh fish, lobster and liempo (pork belly).  She said they would cook it while we swam, and would call us when the cooking was done. We gave in.  :Smile: 



This was our lunch - fish sinigang (soup cooked with tamarind - the head & tail of the fish), grilled fish (the middle part of the fish), and grilled pork belly (liempo).

----------


## katie23

Going back to Balabag beach.  

Balabag beach is on the other side of the island and where you'll have to go to ride the boats.  The largest beach, White Beach, is where there are paraws (sailboats) and just for swimming/chilling.  The area for the jet-skis, banana boats and other water sports is in a different part too.  Our boatman also pointed out the area where the golf course and zipline are located.



This is Seven Sands(?) Resort, I think. It's beachfront property but a bit far from Station 2 where the restos & bars are.  But I think it's only 10-15 min by tricycle, so if you want beachfront and a bit quiet, then this is good.

----------


## katie23

Some scenes from the boat ride

This resort/hotel is owned by a European (I forgot if Italian or German).

----------


## katie23

The main strip along Station 2. There are a lot of touts for boat rides, massage, henna tattoos, hair braids, trinkets/souvenirs, dinner buffets, etc.  If you don't like to encounter these on a daily basis, then don't pick Station 2. 



Ok, Stinky, here's a K-couple for you  :Smile:

----------


## katie23

Because it's the rainy season, there are plastic sheets/walls to protect against the rain & wind along White Beach



Walking along White Beach at twilight

----------


## katie23

It was cloudy, so I didn't have good sunset pics

----------


## Baas Babelaas

Beautiful pictures - you remind why I love the Philippines.

----------


## katie23

We walked along the beach to Station 1, where those rocks are.  We saw some people there and we were curious as to what it was about.  Turned out that there's a grotto of the Virgin Mary.

----------


## katie23

Walking back from the grotto, we saw some fire dancers at La Carmela de Boracay.  La Carmela has many wings - the east & west wings (shown in earlier pics) and this main wing, which is beachfront on Station 2.





After their gig, the fire dancers go down from the stage and collect tips from the audience.  If you liked their dance, please donate.  :Smile:

----------


## katie23

La Carmela (main wing) during the day.  We waited along this area for our boatman to pick us up.



Vendors setting up shop in the morning

----------


## katie23

Guys picking up the rubbish on the beach. It's good that the environmental fee is put into good use by hiring these guys.  But in another way, I find it bad/sad that people just throw their trash on the beach.

----------


## katie23

BLD, here's a cornsilog breakfast for you. Sorry it's just boiled rice & not fried rice.  :Smile: 



This is bangsilog, with bangus (milkfish).

----------


## katie23

@Baas, thanks! But I thought you didn't like Boracay?  :Confused:

----------


## Baas Babelaas

> @Baas, thanks! But I thought you didn't like Boracay?


I did, sort of. My mate (female) was going through the final stage of her divorce, so we drank to get drunk. It rained all day every day, and there were hordes of K/C-tourists.

I prefer tranquility when I go to the Philippines. Thus I like Palawan.

----------


## beerlaodrinker

> BLD, here's a cornsilog breakfast for you. Sorry it's just boiled rice & not fried rice. 
> 
> 
> 
> This is bangsilog, with bangus (milkfish).


That corn silog doesn't look to greasy, what happened? Anyway I had a traditional Scottish breakfast here in Laos this morning of square sausage and tattie scones ( potato scone) brought back from Glasgow from a Scottish mate, Awesome. But also a bit fatty

----------


## Iceman123

Scottish brekky - now yer talkin'

----------


## beerlaodrinker

> I think these are the views from Crystal Cove island, can't remember exactly...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> As we were leaving Crystal Cove, a pair of K-girls arrived in another boat.  They wore frilly cotton dresses and I think they went there for a photoshoot.  Sorry I didn't take pics, I was lazy at that time.


Crystal cove was actually worth paying to enter Katie, can't remember what we paid but you climb down a ladder to get into the cave and have a nice little spot for swimming, we were the only ones there at the time and unfortunately no K girls in frilly knickers :Smile:

----------


## katie23

@BLD:  I think the entrance fee was P200.  As we were kuripot backpackers, we said "no thanks".  I could buy 3 cornsilogs with P200.   :Wink:  I looked at your thread again and saw the cave.  Maybe I'll go there if I visit Bora again and have more $.  I think the price is too steep as an entrance fee for local travelers.  If the owners want to increase tourists, then they should lower the entrance fee.  But then, it's a private island and the owners probably don't really need or want the money from entrance fees. <shrug>

Re: square sausage, I had to google that, as I didn't know such existed.  Looks interesting.  When uncooked, it looks like frozen Libby's corned beef.   :Smile:

----------


## katie23

Some random photos

Canyon de Boracay, another gaff along White Beach road. It's ~3 min to the beach, and probably mid-range.


Folks at Canyon de Boracay waiting for their ride to the pier


Along that alley is the Blue Marina Boutique Hotel

----------


## katie23

Some early morning pics

C-girls taking a morning walk

Family picture

----------


## katie23

Early morning swimmers


More ppl picking up the trash (there are 2 pairs of basureros/garbage men)

----------


## katie23

Pinjalo Resort, also along White Beach road on Station 2. There are many budget to mid-range options. 


View from the beach going to White Beach road

----------


## katie23

More early morning pics

Security guard buying his morning bread. This is the "working class" bakery near our gaff.  There's another resort-hotel under construction nearby.


Took a walk along this road to check the vicinity.

----------


## katie23

The main highway.  Those are coast guard ppl riding the motorbike.  Notice they all don't have helmets.


The Crown Regency Hotel is just across the road, ~7 min from beach.

----------


## katie23

Priceline, a USA overruns outlet, which is beside Crown Regency Hotel

----------


## katie23

Best Western Boracay Tropics.  Americans are familiar with the Best Western chain.

----------


## katie23

More random pics 

Mirai Spa, where I had a massage.  I chose this since I didn't want to have a massage out in the open in one of the massage stations along the beach.  While having the massage, I asked my masseuse some random questions.  Turned out all of the girls there are not local; they're from Bulacan, Pampanga or Pangasinan which are provinces north of Manila.  They live in a dorm provided by the owner.  The ladies are either single or single moms.  She told me they're prohibited from "entertaining" clients outside of the spa (the owner forbade it), but she knows that it happens in other places.  It's underground economy since prostitution is not legal in Boracay.  Based on other people's stories, there are many girls available as "language partners" if that's what you want for your holiday...

----------


## katie23

The breakfast bar at Alice Resort



There were a few white guests but most were local tourists. 



White foreigners are called "kano/kana", short for Americano/Americana. It's similar to "farang" in Thailand but it's not a deregatory term as it's just slang.  White half-breeds are "mestizo/mestiza".  The Phils was colonized by Spain then by the USA, so there are Spanish & American influences in the language.

----------


## katie23

Some digging near the Best Western hotel



You can hire pedicabs if you're lazy to walk short distances

----------


## katie23

This is the large hotel under construction, the back portion of which can be seen from Alice Resort.  

Luana Hotel won't be beachfront property, but it will just be a 5-min walk to the beach

----------


## katie23

I'm glad these coast guard ppl are happy campers  :Smile: 

Across them are tricycles that you can hire to take you to other parts/beaches of the island or to the pier. 


While I was walking, I saw this gal.  If you want some female company, I can recommend her.  
She's a single mom and could use the TLC.  :Smile:

----------


## katie23

This was posted at the Best Western hotel


This is across the Best Western/ beside the Crown Regency hotel

----------


## katie23

Dapogan Cafe, where we had our "silog" breakfasts.  They were still closed, as it was early.


If you don't want to eat silog meals, you could order one of these and have the staff cook it for you.

This pic was taken from one of the restos along Station 2.  
There's also a Talipapa (wet market) where you can buy seafood and have it cooked.

----------


## katie23

As I've stated at the start of this thread, my group arrived by ship to Boracay. 
Arrival at Caticlan port. 


The ship to Caticlan was full of ppl who went there to attend a convention. 
Here are the convention ppl lining up to pay the environmental fee.

----------


## katie23

Caticlan port, back view. I'll post a front view of this later.  


View from Caticlan port

----------


## katie23

This is the speedboat that took us from Caticlan port to Boracay island.  It's a small boat and if you have lots of luggage it might be tough to maneuver.  But then there are lots of porters who can help you (for a fee).  :Smile: 


Arrival in Boracay island.  Big advertisement from Air Asia.

----------


## katie23

Some resorts have golf carts to bring ppl to & from the port.
This is Cagban (?) port, which is usually used during high season.

----------


## katie23

I don't know if ppl are interested in pics of the ship, but I'll post them anyway.  :Smile: 
Since the Phils is an archipelago, ships are used for inter-island travel. 

Queue at Batangas port before boarding the ship.  


Ship's front desk

----------


## katie23

This is the "tourist class" cabin, where we stayed. I was on the upper bunk. Bunks are ~2 feet x 6 ft.
Tourist class has A/C and TV screens. The TV showed news or Hollywood movies.


This is the "economy class" or cattle class.  No A/C, just fresh air.  You stay with the chickens and other animals.  :Smile:

----------


## katie23

The ship's amenities.  This was the restaurant.


The toilets were clean. Sorry I didn't take pics inside.  :Razz:

----------


## katie23

Up on deck. You can have a drink and just chill.  :Smile: 


Bar on deck

----------


## katie23

Karaoke machine on deck


View of the ocean.  Those aren't my legs.  :Razz:

----------


## Davis Knowlton

Boat looks really clean and comfortable...even cattle class. Except for that abomination of a cursed videoke machine...which should be chucked overboard.

----------


## katie23

After the vacay, we hired a trike to bring us to the port.  
The driver brought us to a different port, Tambisan port, which is used during low season. 


Have a drink at Editha Store before you leave.  :Smile: 
It's a typical sari-sari (mix-mix) mom & pop store.

----------


## katie23

@Davis - yeah, the ship was clean and comfy.  Not bad for an O/N trip.  2gotravel is formerly the WGA Superferry (changed owners, I think).  I've taken the Superferry previously - O/N trip Iloilo to Manila.  I was in tourist class too, so I knew what to expect.  The cattle class can get really hot, humid & smelly, so it's advisable to shell out the extra $ for the A/C in tourist class.  

LOL on the videoke machine. It's good that nobody is celebrating his/her bday today in my area, so there's no group belting out songs outside.  It's a weekend nuisance, but we just grin and bear it.  :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):

----------


## katie23

Some views from Tambisan Port


That's a boat arriving to the island.

----------


## Davis Knowlton

> LOL on the videoke machine. It's good that nobody is celebrating his/her bday today in my area, so there's no group belting out songs outside.  It's a weekend nuisance, but we just grin and bear it.


Strangely noise pollution-free here today as well...might be too hot for 'em. 89 degrees here.

----------


## katie23

This was the pump boat which brought us back to Caticlan port.


Another boat waiting for passengers.  The boat leaves every ~15 min, or when it's full.

----------


## katie23

Inside the boat


Bye-bye Boracay

----------


## katie23

The boat ride was 5-10 minutes. We were brought to a small port, where there were trikes and L300 vans (minivans) going to Kalibo, Iloilo and other parts.  We took a trike to bring us to the Ceres Bus terminal, which is just across the main Caticlan Jetty Terminal. 



During my research for the trip, I read about the Ceres buses, so I knew which transport to take.  There was a white backpacker couple who were in the same boat with us.  They were quite tall (guy was 6 ft+, girl was ~5'8") and they wanted to go to Iloilo.  They were debating whether to take the van or the bus.  I told them it would be better for them to take the Ceres bus since they're tall and would have more leg room.   They were thankful for the help, and I was glad to have helped in a little way.  :Smile:  They also rode the same bus with us, which traveled to Iloilo City.

----------


## katie23

We had initially planned for an O/N stay in Roxas City, Capiz and take the ship from Roxas port.  However, our plans changed and we extended our stay in Boracay.  But we still had to take the ship from Roxas.  So we had to travel from Caticlan to Roxas City, which took ~5.5 hours (including stopovers and change of buses in the town of Sigma in Capiz province).  On the net, the estimated time is 4 hours, but in reality it's 5-6 hours because there are stopovers, waiting and change of buses.  Lesson learned: always add 1-2 hours travel time to what's posted on the net, esp. if taking public transport! Live and learn.  :Smile:  

If I were to do it again, from Caticlan I would take a bus/van to Kalibo (~1.5 hours) and fly from the Kalibo airport to Manila.  

Anyway, here are some pics of the Caticlan port.

----------


## katie23

Porters doing their stuff at Caticlan port. 


Seeing those porters made me remember my dad. After high school, he worked as a porter in Lucena port + server at a canteen before he was granted a scholarship at a state college.  Thanks, Dad, for your hard work. RIP.

----------


## katie23

Caticlan Port

----------


## katie23

Vicinity of Caticlan port

----------


## katie23

After ~5.5 hours of bus travel + 30 min of tricycle ride, we arrived at Roxas City port ~2pm, just in time for check-in for our 3pm departure. During the bus ride, we were worried that we would miss our ship, but thankfully, we made it in time.  :Smile:  This was the ship which brought us from Roxas City back to Batangas port. 



It had a bigger front desk & lobby.

----------


## katie23

Ship from Roxas to Batangas was only ~40% full, so we had lots of space. I had the lower bunk for the trip home. 


Cattle class was empty.

----------


## katie23

Ship pics

----------


## katie23

This ship was bigger and had a viewing area above the lobby, aside from the outside deck.

----------


## katie23

After the O/N trip, the ship arrived at Batangas port ~6am. 
Outside the port, there are several buses which can take you to Manila or other provinces.


That's it for this Boracay thread.  Hope y'all liked.  Thanks for watching!  :Smile:

----------


## Davis Knowlton

Great job!

----------


## Takeovers

> Great job!


Seconded. Can't green you again.

----------


## beerlaodrinker

I enjoyed that, Thanks for taking the time

----------


## katie23

Davis & BLD - maraming salamat for the lurv
Takeovers - danke schoen! Ich spreche Deutsch ein bisschen, aber jetzt ist schlecht.  Keine uebung.

----------


## danno5

nice report, thanks Katie!

----------


## biff

salamat Katie ulat mahusay na paglalakbay

Thanks Katie , great trip reports..

----------


## katie23

Danno & Biff, thanx for the lurv. 
@biff, I'm pretty sure you used an online translator, as the order of the words are a bit off. But I got the message and your effort is appreciated. Cheers!

Btw, warning to anyone travelling to the Manila airports: traffic is very bad now along the airport road because of the construction of the MRT extension.  My colleagues went to the airport this week & their travel time was doubled.  Please allot ample travel time.

----------


## callippo

> Boat looks really clean and comfortable...even cattle class. Except for that abomination of a cursed videoke machine...which should be chucked overboard.


I like it when Filipino ferries have videoke machines on board. In fact once I was in a taxi in Cebu and trying to find out departure times of a ferry to CDO or somewhere on the phone. I asked them if they had a videoke machine on board, to help while away the 10-12 hour ferry ride. They said no so i hung up and rang another ferry that said that yes, they did have a videoke machine on board. I said great, reserve me the stateroom. 

the taxi driver, overhearing, thought that this was totally hilarious.

----------


## beerlaodrinker

> Originally Posted by Davis Knowlton
> 
> 
> Boat looks really clean and comfortable...even cattle class. Except for that abomination of a cursed videoke machine...which should be chucked overboard.
> 
> 
> I like it when Filipino ferries have videoke machines on board. In fact once I was in a taxi in Cebu and trying to find out departure times of a ferry to CDO or somewhere on the phone. I asked them if they had a videoke machine on board, to help while away the 10-12 hour ferry ride. They said no so i hung up and rang another ferry that said that yes, they did have a videoke machine on board. I said great, reserve me the stateroom. 
> 
> the taxi driver, overhearing, thought that this was totally hilarious.


you mad c
Katie you have jogged my memory now, I recall taking the overnight ferry from a port near busuan city,(can't remember the name of the port)Heading for Cebu city where I planned a couple of nights of RnR
I had booked the stateroom as the company were paying, good decision. That room was luxurious , I couldn't believe my luck. Anyway to cut a short story long I found the bar on another deck and there was the inevitable Karaoke going on, I had been working in Mindanao for about 6 months at that time so was no stranger to karaoke, my Filipino co workers used to take me to a karaoke every night , then suddenly they stopped taking me? It turns out I'm the worst karaoke singer they ever met. Apparently I was "Hurting there ears" But in that bar on the top deck I met the most beautiful Filipino girl I've ever seen and we got on like a house on fire, one thing led to another and as she was sleeping in cattle class I invited her to share my luxurious digs :Smile: she agreed that would be a good idea indeed, sadly nothing ever came of it, otherwise I might of been living in the Philippines. I was 29 at the time and brutally handsome :Smile: lol, funny how life works itself out. Married to lovely Lao girl now , no regrets

Thanks for the memory jog, a lot of people shitcan the Philippines but there is some amazing things to see and do there, the inter island ferries are a blast, just don't take them in typhoon season and it's all good

----------


## katie23

@BLD - I think it's Butuan city, not Busuan, but no matter.  :Smile:  I haven't been to Butuan, but I know people who are from there.  They speak Bisaya/Cebuano, not Tagalog, as their mother tongue.  Since my dad is from the Tagalog region, I don't speak other dialects aside from Tagalog, which I find a bit sad, as I know some people who can speak 3 dialects - mom's, dad's & Tagalog. 

But anyway, re: Butuan, I haven't been there, but would like to, in the future. In Mindanao, I've only been to Zamboanga city, Cagayan de Oro City, and Camiguin island.  I don't have pics from Zamboanga as that was a long time ago, but I have some pics from last year's CDO-Camiguin trip, and if I ever get the time & inclination (and my net cooperates with me), then I might bung up another thread.  Camiguin is a nice, small, sleepy island and might go the way of Boracay (in terms of commercialization) so I'm glad that I was able to visit it while it was still relatively unspoiled. I think you've been to Camiguin too, when it was still very primitive? Nowadays there are resorts, but more of homestyle resorts and not 5-star or international chains. 

LOL again re: karaoke machines.  In my area, the neighbors usually have videoke days or nights during weekends.  You'll also see the guys (and a few girls) on plastic tables and chairs, either inside or outside their house gates, with a couple of Ginebra  gin or Red Horse beer, as they sing their hearts out. It's usually somebody's birthday during a weekend, so sometimes the singing is in the east, sometimes in the west.  The people don't complain since they take turns in being noisy. Oh well. Live and let live.  :Smile:   :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic): 

The ferry from Cagayan de Oro city to Camiguin didn't have a karaoke machine on deck, as it was only a 2-hour travel.  There were just seats - no bed.  Cattle class was on deck.  They had "poorer" class of chairs (I think no cushions?) and they had the sea breeze  - no aircon. My group took the A/C option. 

Interesting story re: the girl. I guess during that time there was no internet, email or cellphones (or they weren't so popular yet) so nothing came of it. Reminds me of a story from one of my more senior colleagues re: a girl he met on a plane during the pre-internet/cellphone days.  Were you already a "large mammal" during that time?  :Razz:

----------


## beerlaodrinker

Yes, it was butuan city, nice place btw. there definately wasnt any cellphones or internet going on then , at that time i was only a medium sized mammel

----------


## katie23

^Cheers, BLD. 

Some bonus tracks (like the dvd version of a movie, lol)

After disembarking from the ship at Batangas port
Please don't quote this post or copy the pic, thanks.

----------


## katie23

More beach pics

----------


## katie23

After the Boracay trip, I had a craving for longsilog (silog with longganisa sausage) from my fave eatery in my hometown, so I went there and had one.  Costed only P35 (was P60 in Boracay)

----------


## katie23

These were the breakfast stuff being offered. Different kinds of silog meals.



My fave eatery in my hometown. I don't eat here often anymore since I'm only in my hometown during weekends or holidays. Might as well give them free advert, I'm friendly with the owner.  :Smile:

----------


## katie23

Another eatery in my hometown offering silog meals

----------


## katie23

In Boracay, my group had Taho after the boat trip, as we saw a Taho vendor along the beach.  Taho is a sweet/snack made of soybean curd, sugar syrup & tapioca pearls (sago). It's usually sold by a Taho vendor (man), going around and shouting, "Taho- oooo". This is not the taho from the Boracay trip but of Taho that I bought for my mom & myself. I loved taho as a kid.

----------


## katie23

Another dessert that I had after the trip is Halo-Halo (mix-mix). It's a desert or snack made of crushed ice, sweetened beans, different colored gelatin, tapioca (sago) pearls. It may or may not have rice puffs, leche flan (custard) and a scoop of ice cream.  

This was Halo-halo from Chowking, a Chinese fastfood resto - same owner as Jollibee.  Had it during an office trip while waiting for colleagues.  



You can buy halo-halo from street stalls, fastfood outlets or hi-so restos - depends on you.  
It's refreshing to eat when it's so hot outside.

That's it for the thread. Some Pinoy beach, food and culture for you.  :Smile:

----------


## Exit Strategy

Thanks Katie, much appreciated, photos and especially info. Having been to PH so many times I realize I have much to learn, and that's what I will do.

----------


## Baas Babelaas

Katie - check your inbox. Have some questions about Cebu, Bohol, etc.

----------


## Davis Knowlton

^She's in the province for the holidays mate; not sure that she has internet.

----------


## Baas Babelaas

Shite - no rush. Planning a holiday down that way.

----------


## Davis Knowlton

She'll be back next week; school starts on the 5th.

----------


## katie23

^ I was surprised for the bump. I thought Davis just wished me "happy holidays". 

@BB - I answered your PM. Will try to log in again, when I can. If not, then it will be after the New Year, as I'm in the province.

Happy Holidays to all! Wish everyone a safe, blessed and prosperous New Year!  :Smile:

----------


## katie23

Updating this thread with some info...

I saw this travel agency across the Caticlan port as I was going back to Manila after the holidays. They cater mostly to foreigners, I think. I saw some foreigners led by a tour guide to their office. I guess they waited in the office for more clients before they were taken by bus to Kalibo Airport. 

For those interested, see www southwesttoursboracay dot com





If you don't want to use a travel agency, you can fly into Clark or Manila, then get another flight to Kalibo airport. From Kalibo, you can take a van/minivan or bus (~1.5h) to Caticlan port, then travel by speedboat or pump boat to Boracay island. Upon reaching Boracay island, you can take a trike to your hotel/resort, or have a pre-arranged pick-up from your hotel.

----------


## katie23

Update to the thread:

Flew in to Boracay recently for a short R&R, as well as a late celeb for my birthday.

Boracay Island was closed off to tourists for 6 months last year. It reopened in ~ Nov 2018.

I went back to some of the old haunts from 4 years ago. Some places were the same, some were different (changed owners, closed off, etc).  I didn't take too many pics this time, but will post a few when time & Internet permits.

----------


## katie23

Beach was much cleaner & more beautiful than before - no filter or editing



This pic was taken in late afternoon - lots of signage about prohibitions on the beach - no smoking, eating or drinking on the beach, etc. Lots of police presence, so I wouldn't recommend violating the rules. 


Edit - what happened there? I see thumbnails only. Does anyone need to quote or repost? Thanks!

----------


## katie23

Since it was low season, there were relatively few local tourists. Some whites, many Koreans and Chinese.

Chinese...


Koreans...

----------


## katie23

More beach pics

----------


## Cujo

Katie good thread and when I went to green you somehow I redded you by mistake.  Solly.  Soon as I can I'll make it up to you.

----------


## katie23

^no problem, Cujo. We're still friends.  :Very Happy: 

Arrival in Caticlan Airport. It's a small airport, only 1 runway. They've improved/renovated it recently. Before, only Bombardier type airplanes could land in it. Now, it can handle A320s. Three airlines fly to Caticlan: Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific and Air Asia. There are flights from Manila, as well as from Clark and Cebu. The arrival hall is in a different building from the departure hall - opposite ends. On our return flight, we were transported by bus from Departure Hall to Arrival Hall (1-2 min ride).

----------


## katie23

From Caticlan Airport (which is on the island of Panay), you need to get to the seaport, which is ~10 min drive. You can go there by minivan or tricycle. At the airport, there are various travel/ transport agencies that can bring you to the seaport. An alternative is to walk out of the airport and there are tricycles which can transport you. We took a minivan, Php 100 each. At the seaport, it was Php 50 each for the boat ride (10 minutes) to Boracay Island. (1 USD ~ 52 Php now) 

An alternative is to get a Klook transfer - a colleague did that recently, Php 300 each.  You can buy the Klook voucher online, then present it to the Klook desk at the airport.

Tabon Port in Panay Island (5-10 min away from Caticlan airport) 


Boat ride to Boracay Island


Arrival in Boracay island - the sand was a beautiful cream color.  :Smile:  


 



Then you'd have to walk on the sand to get to the main building, where you'll have to pay the fees (tourism, environmental, etc).  

In my travels around the country, I've found it easier to travel with a small backpack because it's easier to lug around when using public transport like buses, jeepneys or tricycles.  I saw lots of tourists (usually Chinese) struggle with their heavy cases as they wheeled them on the sand.

----------


## katie23

Fees to pay upon arriving in Boracay: Php 75 environmental fee + 100 terminal fee.  You can go out of the port and hire/haggle for a trike or motorbike taxi, or you can get a transfer service from an agency. We chose the latter, for Php 350/ person, so 175 goes to the govt & 175 to the agency.  If you go through the agency route, a staff member will accompany you to your resort/ hotel. Or you could book a transfer/pickup from your hotel/resort. 

New rule in Boracay: you must also have/ show prior reservations for accommodation; walk-in isn't allowed. For day trippers to the island, you'll pay different fees and you'll get a stamp on your wrist which signifies that you're there on day trip only - another colleague of mine did that earlier this year. They visited family in Iloilo and went to Boracay Island on a day trip.

----------


## David48atTD

> Katie good thread and when I went to green you somehow I redded you by mistake.  Solly.  Soon as I can I'll make it up to you.


Greened Miss Katie 4 U

----------


## Cujo

I was there in 94. There was no pier at the time.
There WAS a floating bamboo raft bar anchored just off the beach.
Also one of the towns we passed through on the way was having a festival,  the anti anti han.
A bizzaro confluence of Christian easter and some local pagan festival. 
Do you know of it Katie?

----------


## Cujo

> Greened Miss Katie 4 U


Cheers mate, greened you for greening Katie. 
Anyone else need a green ? I need to spread the love.

----------


## katie23

@cujo - it's the Ati-Atihan, a local festival in January. It's to celebrate the Ati tribe (local name fir the Aeta people) who have dark skin and curly hair (out of Africa migration theory of peoples - we have several tribes have African-like features).

It's both a Christian and pagan/animist festival.  The locals (usually medium brown skin Filipinos) dress in festive colors and rub charcoal on their skin (black face).

@david48 - thanks for the green.

Thanks for the greens from other ppl. More pics when I've got time. Cheers!

----------


## katie23

Some old haunts...

This place was still under construction 4 years ago


Now it's a hotel and mall. There's a big pool at the center.

----------


## katie23

Went around the neighborhood. The Crown Regency was still there. 


Priceline shop was still there


But this changed a bit - it was the Best Western Inn before. Now it's Boracay Tropics.


And this was Aliyah's place before. Now it's closed.

----------


## katie23

We went to the market and bought fresh fish, shrimps & veggies, then had a nearby stall cook the food for us.


^paluto means to have something cooked 


^Entrance to the market/ eatery

----------


## katie23

Dinner that night





^the stall on the rightmost was where we had our food cooked



Cheers!

----------


## NamPikToot

> Katie good thread and when I went to green you somehow I redded you by mistake.  Solly.  Soon as I can I'll make it up to you.


 :rofl:

----------


## JournalistsAreLiars

Can you score weed easily ? do they propose ?

----------


## Cujo

> Can you score weed easily ? do they propose ?


Yes and yes.

----------


## katie23

^I don't know about that now, cujo. Your Boracay experience was many years ago. Now, there's a lot of police presence, especially on the beach. There would probably be weed sellers, but discreet.

For those looking for "short time company", there are also pimps on the beach. We overheard a white guy telling the pimp that he didn't want a fatty and large ass. <rolleyes> So yeah, if that's what you're looking for, you could find it there too.

----------


## katie23

This was our digs, Sundown Beach Studios & Austrian Pension House. It's managed by an Austrian guy, his Filipina wife and their adult sons. We stayed in one of the rooms facing the garden - I liked having a veranda. It was in Station 3 (quiet end) and just a few meters away from White Beach. The white apartments in front of the resort had rooms with balcony & sea view. Our room was at the back, with garden view, around Php 1,500 (~30 USD), low season rate.


^front of the resort which faces beach, most beachside resorts & restos had plastic sheeting to protect against the wind/rain


^stayed in one of those rooms


^ordinary room, not posh


^room was similar in size & layout to the room/ resort where I stayed 4 years ago


^view of garden and back building which was under renovation

The resort was in a quiet part, towards the end of Station 3, which was what we wanted since it was a couples' getaway weekend. However, it may be too quiet for some. For those who like to be more central, go to Station 2. Lots of big & small resorts there. Some with pools, some budget places. Rooms could go for 30-100 USD/ night.

----------


## katie23

From Station 3, we walked along the beach to Station 2. I wanted to see "my" old resort. It had a bit of new paint, and had changed names/owners (according to the agency staff who guided us to the present resort).

Voila! Paradise Garden Boracay Courtyard (Formerly Alice in Wonderland Beach Resort)



Looked similar inside, slightly different color scheme


The resort across it changed name too


Also in that alley was Jung's House, which was also there 4 years ago


St Vincent was also an old sight

----------


## katie23

Walked along Station 2, late afternoon


^Boracay Sands Hotel, owned by Senator Cynthia Villar's family


^Andok's, one of the budget places for eating

Beach at Station 2





^sunset day 1, it was cloudy

----------


## katie23

More beach pics...

Koreans coming back from a diving trip


Beach regulations 


Some parts of the beach were almost deserted on days 2 & 3


Sunset pics, day 2

----------


## katie23

Random pics

Bamboo tricycle on display at the new mall/hotel


For adrenaline junkies


Braids & boat tours 


Souvenirs and flip flops


Police station & local 7/11


This wasn't here 4 years ago <rolleyes>

----------


## katie23

Budget meal at Andok's for lunch


Seafood meal at the market for dinner

----------


## MarilynMonroe

Great pics, Katie! Good information as well. I had heard that it closed for quite awhile. Nice to know that Boracay is back up and running again. 
The food looks delicious. Cheers

----------


## katie23

^thanks. Boracay reopened in November last year, in time for the Christmas holiday season.

Random pics

Sleeping cat inside a grocery store 


Pork sisig & steamed okra for lunch




Walked along this road from Station 3 to the market


Casa Pilar Resort & Resto, where we had lunch

----------

