By GAB AGCAOILI
I know of a place where summer is experienced all year round — a place where people are ecstatic and elated about their environment – sun, sea, sand – 365 days a year. A setting where shorts, tank tops, and slippers are in fashion all year long. A background of picture-perfect sunrises as well as sunsets captivates its visitors and residents. And a slice of heaven where temperature is regulated at a comfortable zone all day everyday.
Some call it paradise. I call it Boracay.
Boracay is a palm-tree filled island showered upon with powdery white sands which stay cool to one’s feet even under the scorching heat of the hot noontime sun. This island is gifted with a warm weather yet cool-breezed climate. The reflection of its crystal-clear, warm, blue waters will hypnotize you. This tiny, butterfly-shaped island at the northwestern tip of Panay in Western Visayas, will offer days of lazing on the beach and nights of indulging in the tropical party lifestyle. But the best part of the island is the four-kilometer stretch of pure white beach. Commended as the “finest beach in the world”, Boracay’s surrounding water is shallow and the sand is finer and brighter than most beaches in the country and the world. The sand is so fine that your feet will feel like it is treading on cool talcum powder.
There is no dress code in Boracay. People here wear informal clothing – from tank tops to shirts, from shorts to skirts, the whole day every day. Slippers or barefoot are likewise popular footwear in the island; walking barefoot is a rule rather than an exception. The mood here is undeniably care-free. Dancing on the island is given another definition; as discos have the beach as its dance floor.
Inhibitions are not welcome in Boracay. A very popular sight during mid mornings and late afternoons are visitors having a soothing massage under the shade of a coconut tree or under the warm friendly heat of the afternoon sun beside the shoreline. For the more private individual who would rather have a world class pampering of sorts and spend a day in a spa facility, Boracay is home to two world-renowned Spa Resorts – Mandala Spa and Tirta Spa. Both offer quite an extensive scope of treatments – from body scrubs to heat wraps, from Swedish massages to shiatsu pressure treatments, their wellness packages will make you want to stay in the island just a tad bit longer.
On normal days, visitors have endless options of things to do and experience. Sail boating and windsurfing are very popular activities, giving an option to both the adventure-seeker and the laid-back type of individual. Dive sites surround the god-formed island paradise and are learning venues for both the novice and the professional divers. If the thought of riding a 12-foot boat shaped like a banana being pulled by a motorboat to a speed of up to 36 miles per hour delights you, then banana-boat-riding is definitely for you. Just make sure you wear your lifejackets, for the motorboat driver will definitely make sure that you will toss, turn, and tumble into the water.
If perhaps speed is more your cup of tea, you would probably enjoy riding and driving a jetski — monster machines that are more like motorcycles on the water. Jetski rentals are available at an hourly or daily rate. For the water enthusiasts who like to relax more than raise their heart rate, there are also laid-back water activities on the island. Beach-biking, rowing, or kayaking are likewise popular activities.
For the rugged, outdoor type but not much of a water person, mountain biking or trekking are also likewise very fashionable on the island. Walking around or renting a motor scooter can also bring the fearless to the island’s quaint interior villages or to its edges of scenic, rocky cliffs, where one can discover many hidden coves with isolated beaches far from the rustle and bustle of the tourist crowd. And for the golfers, Fairways and Bluewaters finds its home in Boracay. A golf and country club with an 18-hole championship course, many local and international tournaments are held here; it is not so frequent that one can play golf “on blue.”
Still, many just walk and enjoy being under the sun all day and exploring the island paradise. A leisurely walk takes one through restaurants and bars that offer exotic lobster tails, pork barbeque, and the freshest fruit shakes where flavor meets excitement.
Bring your cameras. Every spot here is picture perfect from sunrise to sundown. If photography is your therapy, Boracay is your psychiatrist.
When the sun sets, the party begins. Club to club, the island turns into one big party. Having too much to drink is perfectly legal here as no one needs to drive home. Partiers are most welcome to sleep-drunk on the cool powdery shores of the beach. Many do so.
Getting to this slice of heaven is not difficult at all. From Manila, there are flights to Boracay either via Kalibo or Caticlan, both about 1 hour and 30minutes away. If you opt to take the Kalibo route, air-conditioned vans and buses for hire are available to take you to the Caticlan Jetty Port, where boats are stationed to take you to the island. The bus trip takes around 90 minutes, and the boat ride, 20 minutes – not bad at all for a lifetime of unforgettable experience.
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