"I will always go back to Boracay"
This is probably one of the most popular shirts sold in Boracay. It was my second time and I still have plans to go back to this white sand beach as many as I could. but this time, I tried traveling via 2go ferry (formerly Superferry). last February, I had really no plans of going back this summer since I have already booked a supposed Puerto Galera trip (Metrodeal) on April 21-23 but suddenly, our mission trip in Cotabato and Davao City pushed through on April 17-21 of evening. Since, It was hardly possible for me to join my officemates in Galera, I sold it to another officemate. So, that meant to say that my summer trip would be zero. Fortunately, I accidentally found a 2go advertisement that promotes "Batangas to Caticlan, experience starts at 460*" and I had to admit, I am not a choosy when it comes to traveling, I could travel by any means. So, I realized that was a great deal. I booked a ticket and encouraged my high school classmates. I chose May 3 to 6 when my boss' friend also booked ticket for her daughter's graduation. My boss also told me to just sleep at their hotel room so I wouldnt have to pay the accomodation! DEAL! :)
MAY 3, 2012 (THURSDAY-DAY 01)
3p.m. We departed from Cubao Terminal Alps, travel time was almost two hours.
ROSELUN, WIWIT, JOM and ME
We arrived at Batangas Port at 5p.m. Since 2go's departure would be at 8p.m. Check-in was smooth and fast so we had to wait 1 hour and a half. Boarding time was at 7p.m. At least we had the time allowance
When the ship departed, a loud party sound started at the top floor and yeah we discovered a party place. We never thought that we were travelling, we just killed time together with other passengers. "cute" foreign passengers wearing "BORACAY is the place 2GO" I was just curious who they are"they were mostly koreans
Anyway, We ordered a glass of rhum cola as our sleeping pills alteernative and relaxed in a way of listening to dance music. It's my way of relaxing hahaha. :) fortunately, two beds were availble for us to relax and sleep.
JOM, DENISE AND ROSELYN
but we decided to go downstairs at tourist section to sleep. It was already 11p.m. and we had been traveling three hours,
2GO's lobby / information desk
I honestly did not have a good sleep not because of the accomodation. I woke up at 4:15 a.m. and we were supposed to arrive Caticlan at 5 a.m. I went up to the disco, the sound was already toned down and I saw that we were already approaching Boracay (I assumed because of lights from a distance)
BORACAY ISLAND at DAWN
MAY 4, 2012 (FRIDAY, DAY 02)
6:00 a.m.
We have already docked at Caticlan Port, but the offloading was a bit delayed.But I was really surprised that all fees have increased at almost 100% We had to pay 100.oo for the terminal fee, twice expensive than last September. Boat fee also increased from 20.00 to 30.00, and the environmental fee remained at 75.00
My GIRLS, Jom, Wiwit, Roselyn and Denise
AND HELLO BORACAY, It's more beautiful the second time around! This time with my high school classmates but I wasnt able to meet with my officemates due to time constraints and classmates were really starving so we had to go to D'Mall for a heavy brunch. But before that, we checked in at Villa Romero located 30 meters from the beach front of Boat Station 3, near Sands Hotel. I asked the receptionist that our two classmates have already check in, so she brought us to our room and Sherylou and Rhina were still sleeping. :) We just fixed our belongings first immediately, and fastly, looked for a restaurant for a breakfast. We ended up ordering PM2 in Mang Inasal. Imagine, our last meal was rice meal from 7-11 Batangas Port, the worst food I ever ate, that sisig with plenty of preservatives or should I say the other way around, Basta I I swear I'll never eat that anymore!!
THE WHITE SAND and THE TURQUOISE WATERS OF BORACAY
I had never seen Boracay this beautiful before, last September, I wasn't able to capture the real torquoise color of Boracay due to the weather that time, it was cloudy so that the turquoise color of the sea did not reflect.
SOMEWHERE IN FRONT OF D'MALL
After our brunch, we roamed around from D'Mall back to our hotel. We took rest and a nap for 2 hours. At 3 p.m., we changed outfit to swimwear and walked from Station 3 to 1, I told my classmates to prepare for a long walk. Station 1 (Willy's Rock" from our hotel is about 2.5kms)
TEMPTATION ISLAND GIRLS
READY TO PLAY VOLLEYBALL
After almost 30 minutes of walking, we reached Station 1 and stopped over in an area near Yellow Cab, We bought fruitshake, smoked and rested for another 30 minutes before we continue our procession hahaha.
AND THE WINNER IS.............
JUMPSHOT! It's more fun in Boracay!
It took us another 10 minutes to reach Willy's Rock and I told my classmates that I did not fail to inform them about this trekking hahaha. so walking from Station 3 to 1 would take us for almost 40 minutes to 1 hours to complete.
THIS PART OF WILLY's ROCK DID NOT ESCAPE FROM SLIMY SEAWEEDS
Locals told us that those seaweeds make Boracay Sand whiter. Mmmmkay! but still, tit was a sort of annoying
tell roselyn who's the sexiest of them all. hahahaha
We spent a lot of time here. It was the only part of the beach that's best for swimming, aside from shallow waters, there were no annoying seaweeds here. We played volleyball.
When the sun was about an hour to set, we decided to go back to station 3 but before that we tried their "Chori" Burger, I havent tasted this before, even my first time last September, I was not familiar. so we tried and it was delicious. You can find a lot of BBQ Stalls along the beach and I suggest that one behind Obama Bar, I forgot to ask the name of that ate but she was really adorable and entertaining. perhaps, it has been her only job for a long time, she knows how to capture her customers' taste.
And the sun was about to set, so we brisk-walked until we reached station 2, near La Carmela, where we decided to stay and watch the sunset, fortunately, there were locals playing beach volleyball, so I joined them. feels good to have experienced my dream sunset. I was playing volleyball while others were observing how sun sets to the horizon of Boracay.
My camera battery's ran low, Thanks roselyn and sherylou for the reserved cameras. This was really breathtaking, I will surely bring my family here in the near future.
BEACH VOLLEYBALL, IT's MORE FUN in BORACAY
And so when it was getting dark, I thanked my team mates for letting me play. We went back to our hotel, took a bath, rest and changed outfit for the nighlife. But before that, we waited for our two friends to arrive. We expected Idolle and Eugene to arrive before we had our dinner.
And so it is, they arrived with a formal dress as if they were going to Republiq hahaha, I picked them up somwhere along the street leading to our hotel. We let them changed their outfit first before we went to our dinner.
we ate our first dinner (second dinner for Sherylou and Rhina) at Andok's near Station 3. I ordered Dokito, as usual, but this time, the chicken was newly fried and crispy. This is my way of budgeting our trip.
I was not yet hungry that time, I felt like our brunch at Mang Inasal had not yet been digested that time.
And now we're heading to Boracay's highlight, the main reason why I always go back--. NIGHTLIFE. Who would not want to watch Firedancing by the beach? Where would you see nightlife by the beach other than Boracay's? So we had to go back to Station 1 again, we chose to walk than to hire a tricycle so that the two gays would experience walking here. We stopped over at Mang Inasal D'mall to meet Eugene's aura. Hahahaha. and just some steps from it was Epic Bar where a lot of TV stars were partying. Alju, Daniel matsunaga, Derik Ramsay, JC Tiuseco were also there. I had been to Epic once but during happy hour where we did not have to pay the entrance fee but the this time, there was entrance fee but still at reasonable price. 300.00 to cover up two cocktail drinks. but instead, I referred Guilly's Island/Club paraw. And then, I would prefer the set up of Guilly's Island, I also dreamed of having a drinking session on their table, banig and throw pillows, I though Club Paraw also had this but their set up was just a plastic chair and table.
So we ordered Kamikazee, three pitchers that cost 1,100.00 but I thought we would also have another order of it. hahaha but it was enought to screw us. hahaha
After our session, We all wanted to go back to hotel to sleep but we had to AGAIN, walk and walk and walk. I lost my pair of Havaianas (which i really loved for two years) and my Blue Rayband Eyeglasses. How saad!....
EXPENSES: Roundtrip 2GO Fare, 1,677.00 (Regular) 1,109.00 (Promo)
Expenses per Pax:
BUS from Manila to Batangas: 175.00
Batangas terminal fee: 30.00
Food Dinner: 40.00
Rhum Cola (2go Ferry's Disco) 50.00
Caticlan Terminal Fee 100.00
Environmental Fee: 75.00
Boat Fee: 25.00
Tricycle to Hotel 20.00
Brunch Mang Inasal 100.00
Dinner Andoks 50.00
Nighlife 170.00
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TOTAL: 835.00
MAY 5, 2012 SATURDAY (DAY 03)
at 7:30, we woke up early and Eugene had already arrived from an overnight stay with his aura. hahaha we did not have a sumptuous breakfast this time, we just ate our baon, tasty bread and peanut butter c/o Jomarie, Great taste white coffee
sponsored by Roselyn and then without hesitation, we headed to the beach for the morning jog (supposedly) but it turned out to be a beach volleyball. we didnt get too far from our hotel, we just played at station 3 where Frisbee competition was held That was really exhausting and sweating but that was a good one. We went back to resort after an hour. We charged our cellphones and cameras for the island hopping and other beach activities a little later. at 11a.m. we had our early lunch at a carinderia at the back of Villa Romero. We had a satisfying lunch at the cost of 35.00 including rice. After our lunch, we headed to Boat Station 3 for the Island Hopping.
OFF TO ISLAND HOPPING
I might say that this island hopping was a disappointing one. We were told that we might go to Crystal Cove Island but we wouldnt be able to use the facilities, we could just have pictures at the entrance but if we want to use their facilties and have a comprehensive tour in the island, we'd have to pay the entrance fee of 200.00. We just told them to just take pictures in the island. Our first activity was Snorkeling, Sherry and Rhina rented snoreking gears for 100.00 each. I decided not to rent for I knew that corals in the area were not as beautiful as what I've seen in Coron, so I guess that wouldnt be a good deal so I didn't mind about it.
While Sherry and Rhina were snorkeling, others just had a dip beside the boat while holding the outriggers. a couple of minutes after, we boarded the boat again and asked the boatman where our next destination was, I was a bit confused because we're heading to Puka Beach already (I know the island and directions very well) He answered that we might not be able to enter because it's a private resort. Oh! that was really annoying! next i asked them where the crocodile island is and then they pointed to a small rocky island about several hundred meters far and that's it! I thought it was a beach where we could swim, have a snorkeling or roam around, we just passed by while the boat was still moving. DISAPPOINTED. so I just sit and relaxed. It was another twenty minute and the boat was slowly moving, at the right we could see the Carabao island which is a part of Romblon province and at the left is the Bulabog Beach, the peaceful other side of Boracay island.
MT. LUHO, BULABOG BEACH
Picture above is the Mt. Luho, that's still a part of Boracay Island, it's the other side of the crowded White beach and embedded is a Santorini-inspired hotel resorts, probably that was one of the luxury resorts in the part of bulabog beach.
The boat was slowly moving yet it was a scenic ride. I never seen the other side of Boracay during my first visit. We went to Puka Beach and Mt. Luho by tricycle before but now by boat.
NEARING PUKA-SHELL BEACH
Our boat did not dock on the part of Puka Beach where we had been last September instead, it landed on the western end of the beach but i never expected that Puka Beach is also a long beach. This area of Puka Beach is more beautiful and pristine than the other side. We stayed here for less than an hour but we were satisfied already, the towering limestone cliffs similar from Coron were also present but not that impressive.
This limestone cliff is embedded to a hill.
P-U-K-A!!!!
TEMPTATION ISLAND
The sand here in Puka beach is not as fine as in white beach (please read my previous post Boracay 2011) The sand here are puka shells.
We boarded the boat again back to the White Beach but I told the boatmen to drop us at Boat Station 1 for the Banana Boat activity while Jom, Denise and wiwit at Station 3.
My background is the Shangri-la Boracay, where sherylou stayed last August, sushalera!n This is one of the most expensive resorts in the country. Accomodation ranges from 16,000 - 33,000 per night. taray diba!
MAP OF BORACAY showing our island tour destinations.
Finally, the said "Island hopping" has ended, I don't call it island hopping because at the first place we did not hop from island to island, we just stayed at one island. I don't know what kind of marketing they do to tourists like us but that was really wrong so I suggest to other that ask and confirm everything before you deal, they also ask you for hidden charges like snorkeling fee on board. NKKLK!
The boatmen dropped us at Station 1, we looked for some refreshing fruitshakes, I suggested Jonah's but it's far from the boat station so we ended up staying at MINT, somewhere near the boat station. Afterwards, we decided to go Banana Boating but this time, we have three others who joined in the boat but actually I didn't prefer it, we might want to request an extremer banana boat ride but we were not able to because they were kids.
Banana Boat, our background is the controversial Santorini-inspired "West Cove Resort" familiar? It's arguably owned by Manny Pacquiao.
I was not satisfied in this activity but it was at least fun, I wanted an extremer banana boat ride. I wanted to try flyfish but I was in the tight budget already so we decided to roam around, stay at station 1 near Willy's Rock where we stayed for several hours a day before and waited for the sunset again.We played Volleyball with the three Jedda-based Americans who we perceived, were attracted to Sherylou. hahaha
The crowded White Beach, it's during the late afternoon so expect, Filipinos were the ones who made it. haha. I don't have to explain it! The second afternoon, sunset failed to show, it set not on the horizons but on the thick clouds. At least, I saw the sunset the first afternoon!
So we went back to the hotel to take a bath again, we took rest and had dinner again. This night, everyone seemed so tired, they didnt want to nighlife. Who would come with me? I was so tired but of course, that's what I was after all. Nightlife. I was about to sleep when Eugene came back to Hotel and asked me to walk along the beach with him but it turned out to be a nightlife. FORTUNATELY! I asked him to go to Guillys for a bottle of beer! Magic 89.9 was hosting an event in Guilly's Island,
We headed back to resort at 1 a.m. I had to at least take a nap for the early trip tomorrow. Sherylou, Rhina, Roselyn and had to wake up at 4 a.m. for an early flight the next day. Jom, Denise, Wiwiwt, Eugene and Idolle left at the hotel and extended their stay until the afternoon.
TOTAL EXPENSES
Day 1-2: 835.00
Day 3
-Lunch 35.00
-Island Hopping 180.00 (1,700 for group of 9)
-Banana Boat 200.00
-Chori Burger 45.00
-Dinner 35.00
-Dinner (Buffet) (275.00)
-Nightlife 80.00
-Pasalubong 500.00
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TOTAL 1,075.00 (1,350.00)
Others:
Terminal Fee (Boracay back to Caticlan ) 100.00
Caticlan Terminal Fee 50.00
Breakfast/Lunch 2go Day 4- 50.00
Bus Batangas to Manila 175.00
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TOTAL 375.00
TOTAL
Day 1-2: 835.00
Day 3: 1,075.00
Day 4 375.00
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TOTAL 2,285.00
Ferry 1,600.00*
Accomodation 1,250,00*
You might have an all-in expenses for less than 5,000!
*Changes from time to time
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