Summer time fun in Boracay!

Crystal Cove!

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Just like our Cameron Highland trip, this was also last minute and we only bought tickets and booked our hotels about 5 days before we departed. G had to clear his leave and why waste it! We finally decided on Boracay since we've heard so much about it! It would be a good chance to finally wind down and just enjoy the slow pace of the island.

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Dates of travel: 

21-26 June 2015

Estimated cost for trip (excluding tips, lunches, shopping and other misc stuff):

We changed about SG$700 in cash and prepaid for our air tickets and accommodation.

Click here to find out how to get from Kalibo Airport to Boracay Island!

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What to do in Boracay?

ATV & Mt Luho

We wanted to do the Zipline at Bluewaters and one way to get up there was by ATV! We bargained a price for a packaged deal of ATV, Mt. Luho & the Zipline (including cable car of course) with one of  the tour guides standing along Station 2 trying to sell his services.

on the ATV

We mainly travelled on the main road instead of going off road. It wasn't really an authentic ATV experience (as compared to Krabi, Thailand where I nearly drove into the river due to the lack of traction on my wheels and mud on a steep dirt slope), but we were fine with that. The tyres were nearly bald.

About 20 mins of driving past Boracay's countryside and small farms, we arrived at the stairs to Mt. Luho. It was an easy climb (about 2 flight of stairs) before arriving at the observation tower.



stairs leading up to Mt. Luho



There were a total of 3 towers on the peak of Mt. Luho. We visited the newest and tallest tower, owned by a Korean businessman. The other two towers on either side were either shorter or looked like it was about to fall apart.

check out the view!

On the observation tower, you're able to view the entire Boracay! The island itself is not very big so you're really able to see everything! You could see the waves rolling into the shores of White Beach, but on the other side of the island the waters were so still and stagnate.

someone didn't have lunch

We could see the zipline and golf course below us and about 30 parasails in the air out at sea.

our guide was quite the photographer

Before going up the observation tower, there's actually aviary where they have two eagles and an iguana. The birds of prey were really clever and would fly away when they wanted to poo. They even knew how to step up onto your arm or head!

Zipline & Cable Car

We next rode the ATV to the Zipline place. There are two Zipline companies on Boracay. The one at Bluewater is about 500m and it is the longest and highest Zipline in Boracay.

as requested by the guide

We were strapped on in this huge canvas sack and you felt like you were floating when they lift your legs in the air! I initially didn't want to let go of the metal pole on the floor, but I eventually plucked up my courage and posed for a photo!



he is not letting go

We eventually let go and off we zoomed above the golf course! I really felt like I was flying!! It wasn't scary as I thought it would be. There's no heart-dropping-moments like on a roller-coaster or bungee jump or skydive (this really is nothing after what we've done in New Zealand, haha). I mainly screamed a little at the start just for fun, but soon got tired and just enjoyed the view.



flying without wings~



Reaching the end, we had to climb about 3-4 stories worth of stairs to take this cable car back. I swear the seat belt was just this very long strap over our legs. My ex-colleagues from the theme park would have burst an aneurism or something if they were there. It would have been a much more beautiful view if you did it at sunset!

Cable Car!

Island Hopping



We really wanted to visit all the other beautiful islands around Boracay and so we signed up for an island hopping tour. It includes buffet lunch, going to Bocca Beach, Crystal Cove, Crocodile Island and two snorkel sites.

We really didn't expect though, to be squeezed onto the boat with 38 others. Yes, I counted. It got to a point where after one snorkel site, G didn't even have a space to sit. He had to stand and no one bothered to even make space for him.

on a boat with about 40 passengers.

The snorkel sites were not that fantastic either as there were not much fishes. We even brought bread to attract them, but not much. It really was such a pity as the waters were so clear!

bloop bloop

That's about all the fishes around us and it swam to the boat man. Haha.

Fishies!!

Our first stop was at Crystal Cove! It's a beautiful resort kind of place with white sandy beaches. It's called crystal cove because there's two coves with crystal clear waters! Take note, you had to pay to enter if not you can just chill outside and play on the beach.

Of course we went in since we were there already. We walked a little and saw signs to Cove 1!

Cove 1!

This was taken just outside Cove 1. I really love the waters as it's so clear!

check out the water!

We had to take this spiral stair down to Cove 1. This staircase was really small and narrow. If you're not watching, you might hit your head on the rocks. This would be a really romantic and quiet place, however, all Island Hopping tours bring tourists here, so it was so crowded in the small cove.

stairs to Cove 1

standing on the rocks in Cove 1

We finally just jumped into the water because it looked so enticing. The water is clear and sooooo cool! It would really be a unique experience if not for the amount of people in the cove. It was my first time in such a place, but sadly the experience was ruined by loud-mouthed tourists from a certain country. We left after 10 minutes.

Swimming in Cove 1!



Walking past signs for Cove 2, I decided to sit this one out as I was so annoyed by all those loud-mouths. G went to explore Cove 2 and said that he has to walk down the same kind of spiral stairs and walk across a sunken walkway.



We had our buffet lunch on the main island. It consisted of measly prawns, some meat dish, steamed fish and skewered meat. I swear it was so forgettable (I'm being polite) I don't really remember what I had. Maybe because I didn't even eat half of what was on my plate. Both G and I had bouts of food poisoning on our first day and we really didn't want to eat something to trigger our puking session.

Note: Please bring some snacks and enough water to last you!

I am really REALLY trying to be unbiased here, but I really cannot stop comparing our experiences to Thailand. It doesn't matter if you're in Phuket or Krabi, all island hopping trips will cost roughly about the same or at most about 1.5 more, depending on where you are. The island hopping will be conducted on a speed boat, and although it can be quite bumpy, it's so fun. You actually have your own personal space. The boat crew will cut you watermelons and pineapples which were always served cold and fresh. There will be unlimited supply of cold bottled water or Coca-Cola. At most, there will be only be about 20 pax on the speed boat, if not lesser. You get to enjoy the water, the fishes and the islands more. Don't talk about the lunch, because even the packed lunches were awesome. I was never grumpy, ever, when I went island hopping in Thailand.

If I ever come back to Boracay, I will never do this Island Hopping thing again. I'd just do scuba diving straight away.

The boat we were on!

Scuba Diving - Boracay Eclipse Dive Center

Address: (Beachfront after Regency Hotel & El Centro, before Nigi Nigi Noo Noos)

Station 2 Mangayad, Boracay Island, Malay, Aklan 5608

Tel: +63 36 2882502

Email: info@boracayeclipsedivecenter.com

Website: http://boracayeclipsedivecenter.com/

After prowling through TripAdvisor, I decided I wanted to dive with Eclipse. All the dive schools along White Beach charge around the same - 1,800 pesos per dive. Eclipse had nothing but 5 star ratings and comments and it is also at Station 2, about 10 mins from our hotel.

dive equipment

What started out as just one dive, became three dives because Henry - our dive instructor was so good. We did Camia Shipwrek, Tri Bird Airplane Wrek and a reef dive off Crocodile Island. We were able to do the wrecks as we were advanced divers having done deep dives before. Both wrecks were at a depth of about 30ms maximum. Also, a part of our reef dive, we went as deep as 29m and we saw a gigantic sea fan which has a width of 2m!!

I had to steal photos online as I didn't bring my underwater cam down. I don't think it can last at a depth of 30m.



Camia Shipwreck

So both wrecks were sunk on purpose just for recreational diving. Camia was sunk about 15 years ago and Tri bird only 5 years ago. You could see the vast difference in terms of coarls and marine animals around the wrecks. Both had tons of fishes living inside though and one even nibbled on my thigh.





tri bird airplane wreck

During the reef dive, we saw tons of Nemos!! Excuse me - Clown Fishes. Cute as they may be, they're quite territorial and aggressive in defending their coral which they're living in. I was so tickled at their angry orange faces trying to attack my mask or try to bite my hand if I got too close.

lots of clown fishes

One thing to take note though, Eclipse has lockers for your personal belongings. You can leave your phones/wallets, etc in the lockers and just bring a dry bag for water, towels and your camera perhaps. We suspected that the boat man actually took 500 pesos (about S$15) out from G's wallet when we were underwater. Gilbert took out the exact amount of money we had to pay for our second dive and after returning to the dive shop, he realized his wallet's zip was wide opened and one piece of 500 pesos was missing. It really could be anything, we tried to talk to the boat man, but obviously they will never admit it and risk losing their job over just 500 pesos. There were no CCTVs on board and we couldn't prove anything. Henry and the owner, Mike really took charge of the matter and tried to sort it out as best as they could. We enjoyed our dive nonetheless and we ended it on a positive note.

We still went back for our third dive that very afternoon.

enjoying the wind after our dive

Eclipse even have showers for you to rinse off the sea water! They actually provide towels, shampoo and body soap! I am seriously impressed! It may look small and simple, but everything was neat and tidy.

Eclipse Dive Center

Our dive master - Henry was always professional. He never made fun of me when I struggled with my mask on my second dive or when G struggled with his buoyancy (haha, I did though). He made us feel safe all the time and ensured we saw as much marine life as we can. Pointed out scorpion fishes when our armature eyes couldn't spot them.

I seriously will come back to Boracay, just to dive with them again.

Henry from the UK!

Paddle Board

This is the new trend in sea sports! After we moved to Station 1, we saw locals renting out paddle boards. Rent was a whopping 600 pesos for 1 hour for each board. That was quite a rip off! G managed to bargain for 600 pesos for 1 hour for two boards!

paddle boarding on our knees

We started out on our knees to get the hang of it. Tackling waves on our knees were quite easy as our center of gravity was lower. Soon, our knees got tired and we tried standing.

trying to stand

Ahem. Pardon all the water droplets. Our action cam was not that water resistant after all. I tried to wipe off the water, but smudges would stay! No money to buy GoPro. :( Anyone wants to sponsor me one?

I guess it was a blessing in disguise as it blocked the unsightly view of my tummy which has consumed too many chocolate cakes and ice creams.

finally standing!

Hanging out on the beach

I will let the pictures do the talking. This is seriously one of the best beach I've ever been to! The water is so clear, the sand so white and soft. Other beach destinations I've been to, though the water may be clear, there are either tons of dead coarls washed up onto the beach, thus it's quite painful to walk on the sand. In Boracay, no such thing. It was so lovely!

Massage - Lim Spa
Address: Road 1-A (Bulabog, Boracay), Malay, Aklan, Philippines
Tel: +63 36 288 2188

Of course, a slow-paced and relaxing vacation is not complete without a trip to the spa! Walking back to White Beach after our island hopping tour, we passed by Lim Spa. From the outside, the compound looks huge and we walked in to enquire and eventually made a reservation.

Each 90min session cost us about 1,600 pesos. It would be considered cheap in Singapore's context, or expensive in like Philippine's context. I thought it was pretty steep for a place like Boracay, but it was the most decent looking place with proper spa facilities and one of the cheaper ones.

Welcome tea

Our 90min Basic Oil massage package includes a 60min full body aroma oil massage and 30mins hand and foot therapy. We were brought to the couple's room and were told to shower and get dressed in the bathrobe they've provided.

large room!

Pardon the mess, G's brilliant idea to take photos of the room after our massage. As you can see, it's a spacious room with mattresses on the floor. The massage technique's were very good actually! I usually don't like too hard strokes unless it's on my head, shoulders, or neck, and they delivered! Some massages are quite ticklish due to the lack of experience or technique, but I really enjoyed this massage!

waiting area at reception

I am not sure about other rooms, but our room came with a full fledge bathroom. Shower and toilet with even a bathtub! There's a Lim Spa package where the use of the Jacuzzi is available for use.

bathroom

Nami Resort Restaurant

Address: Diniwid Beach, Boracay Island, Malay, 5608, Aklan, Philippines
Tel: + 63 36 288 67 53
Email: nami.boracay@yahoo.com
Website: http://www.namiresorts.com

Indeed, they have the best view in Boracay.

The restaurant in Nami Resort is the only restaurant I recommend going for dinner. First we took a tricycle to Diniwid Beach (100pesos) and walked across the small beach. Along the beach, there's only two other bars which looks like a really quiet and nice place to chill with friends.

lift up to Nami

After climbing up a flight of stairs, we arrived at this bamboo like wall/door. We were quiet confused initially as I read on TripAdvisor that there's a lift to bring you up to the reception/restaurant. We realized that there's a small doorbell on a woode panel next to the lift entrance. We rang it and soon enough, someone came down and got us.

sign in the lift

I must say the lift itself is an attraction on its own. Despite being jerky and quite heart pounding, we were soon lifted from the trees onto the side of the cliffs where the reception and restaurant were housed.

Nami restaurant

We made a reservation for 5.30pm as sunset was 6pm and we didn't want to miss it. When we arrived,  it was empty, save for 2 tables. The view was spectacular and it was so romantic.

what a view!

We ordered two appetizers, two mains and two desserts. 

Although this soup may not look like much, the beef soup is very flavourful! Quite generous with the beef and vegetables too!

Beef Soup

I had half a rack of baby back ribs. It was succulent, juicy and oh-so-tender! The fries were so crispy, just the was I like it!

baby back ribs

G had a seafood platter which consisted of grilled juicy, soft cod fish, salmon, prawns, squid, clams, amongst others. The cod fish was absolutely amazing!

seafood platter

We also had crème Brule and mango pudding.

crème brule

mango pudding

Lemon Café in Dmall

When I was researching on Boracay, I thought Dmall was literally a building complex with air conditioned stalls. Man, I was wrong. Dmall is basically single story shops built on the sand. There are all sorts of restaurants and stores there, selling everything from simple knickknacks to bikinis.

We stopped by Lemon Cafe (because of TripAdvisor recommendations), and it was not a bad decision!

mango cheese cake

tiramisu

The eggs were buttery and oh-so-good! Halfway through it got a bit too much due to the butter, cream and all the egg. I stopped eating the bread and just finished all the eggs and salmon.

scrambled eggs & smoked salmon on toast

The meatballs were amazing! It was so tender and tasty, it was seriously one of the best meatballs I've ever eaten.

meatballs with mash

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There are plenty of other things to do in Boracay which we didn't do, like Helmet Diving (because we went for an actual dive and saw corals instead of the sandy sea bed), parasailing (too expensive and we did it in Thailand and Malaysia many times before) and the Zorb Ball (closed).

Will I go back? Maybe? I didn't quite enjoy the tours and atmosphere of Boracay or even the food (like Manila had cheaper and nicer food), but I did enjoy the white sandy beach and super clear waters!!