Boracay
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Image:Ph locator aklan boracay.png Image:Boat on boracay beach.jpg Boracay is a small bone-shaped tropical island located approximately 200km south of Manila and 2km off the northwest tip of the mainland island of Panay in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines. It is one of the country's most popular tourist destinations. The island is under the jurisdiction of the municipality of Malay in the province of Aklan.
It has also been voted in 1990 as one of the best beaches in the world by the BMW Tropical Beach Handbook. The British Publication TV Quick in its issue of December 21, 1996 gave the latest accolade for Boracay as the number one tropical beach in the world. The island roughly shaped like a dumb-bell, is 7 kilometers long and the narrowest spot is nearly 1 kilometer wide.
The most popular part of the island is its 4 kilometer "White Beach," also called long beach by the locals. It is situated at the West Coast between the villages of Angol and Balabag. The water is shallow here, and its sand brighter and finer than most beaches in the archipelago. There are about 350 beach resorts with more than 2000 rooms to suit virtually everyone's taste. There is accommodation of all types and price categories.[1] Other Boracay beaches include Diniwid, Balinghai, Punta Bunga, Puka Shell, Ilig-iligan, Bulabog, Tulhaban, Tambisaan, Manoc-manoc, and Cagban.
Aside from its resorts, Boracay boasts of a diverse selection of restaurants, ranging from the native fast-food stalls to establishments that would satisfy even a gourmet. One can find bars, beer joints as well as discos with amazing light and sound equipments open until the late morning hours. The White Beach may be the main attraction of Boracay, but there's much more, including watersports, beach volleyball, diving, snorkeling, motorbiking, mountainbiking, hiking, trekking, and even plain lazing around.
As recently as 1990, Boracay vacationers had to bring in their own drinking water and camp on the beach with only fire for light. Now, Boracay has electricity and piped water and has grown into an international tourist hub with dive sites, bars and restaurants, tattoo parlors, banks, a fire department, a hospital, and a police station. In the recent years, Boracay Island has been experiencing environmental issues related to waste water, zoning, over-population, pollution, and solid waste disposal. Steps are being taken by the government to address these issues.
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Geography
Boracay Island belongs to the Western Visayas island-group, Region 6 of the Philippines, along with the western part of the province of Negros, the island of Panay, and many smaller islands. The westernmost island in Western Visayas, Boracay borders the provinces of Mindoro to the northwest and Romblon to the north.
Languages/Dialects
Other than Tagalog/Filipino and other local dialects, English is widely spoken in Boracay. Aklanon is predominantly spoken in Aklan, the gateway to the island.
Climate
March to June are the summer months in Boracay, with temperatures reaching as high as from 28 to 38 degrees Celsius. November to February are spent with pleasant winds, cool nights, and occasional rain showers. July to October are the wettest months.
Transportation
Getting there
By Plane
From Manila, the Manila Domestic Airport has flights to Boracay either via Kalibo (45 minutes) or via Caticlan (30 minutes). From the Kalibo Airport, air-conditioned vans and buses for hire are available to take you to the Caticlan Jetty, where boats are stationed to take you to the island. The bus trip takes around 90 minutes, and the boat ride, 20 minutes.
Carriers from Manila to Caticlan:
- Asian Spirit
- Corporate Air
- Interisland Airlines
- South East Asian Airlines (SEAir)
Carriers from Manila to Kalibo:
From Iloilo, there are air-conditioned vans and buses going to Kalibo or directly to Caticlan, where boats going to Boracay are stationed.
From Cebu, Asian Spirit and Sea Air fly to Kalibo two times weekly.
If you want a hassle-free transfer from the airports or jetty port to Boracay, book your accommodations prior to coming to Boracay. You may be approached by some people at the Kalibo and Caticlan airports who try to sell rooms to travelers without bookings. If travel-weariness or darkness is approaching, book a room through them for only one night and look around the next day. If you have a prior booking, do not be swayed by people offering "cheaper" or "better" accommodations.
Around the island
On the island, public transportation is mainly by motorized pedicab. Prices on the flat area are 7.50 pesos per person. Tricycles for island trips can be rented at the office of the Tricycle Association or by negotiating a price directly with tricycle drivers. Other means of transportation include mountain bikes and motorbikes, which can be rented at several places. Motorbikes along White Beach and most of the beach path are forbidden by law.