Wednesday to Friday
February 12-14, 2025
I’m a big fan of the sea and beaches are always a welcome destination. When we scored some cheap tickets to Boracay last year, it didn’t take any convincing to go along. Here’s a quick log of my recent trip.
Day 1 – Checking in and pigging out
Because it was a seat sale, we didn’t have control over the time of the flight. As such, we arrived in Caticlan airport at around 3PM in the afternoon. We then took the standardized tricycle to the port bound for Boracay island.
I suggest pre-registering using the Boracay iPass because it takes away the hassle of lining up for the terminal fee, environmental fee, and boat ticket. All this for a small convenience fee is worth the time saved.
We showed our QR codes and were quickly accommodated by the assigned iPass workers. We boarded our boat and 15 minutes later, we landed in Boracay.
Our accommodation was MR Holidays Hotel, a homely hotel in Station 1. I stayed here last year for a friend’s wedding and loved the location and price. I highly recommend this place for backpackers on a budget as this hotel has all the basic amenities covered, as well as free breakfast at their partner restaurant, Beach Bites Bistro.
The only downsides I can see are the lack of elevators and no access from the main road. That means a good, 10-minute walk along the beach from the nearest accessible alley.
After checking in, we headed to Hennan Regency Resort & Spa for our buffet dinner. It was Shane’s mom’s birthday and unlimited food was the perfect way to celebrate it.
There were lots of people (mostly foreigners), and there was a long line for their signature beef steak. I enjoyed the few slices I was able to scrape off the nearly empty serving plate. Medium rare, juicy, and tender. If only I had the patience to line up again.
Still, there was more food to devour. While most of the dishes were of average, mass-produced quality, we had our favorites:
We enjoyed the make-your-own-nachos bar where we used up all the cheese and chili con carne. The sauces and chips were flavorful and even went well with crispy battered kangkong.
The beef teppanyaki was also noteworthy, as was their tempura, which was battered well and consisted of shrimp and squid rings.
The highlight of my night were the Mango Buko Pandan and their Vanilla soft serve. Despite my impending diabetes, I had multiple servings of both, with black chocolate drizzled and hardening on top of the ice cream. It wasn’t overly sweet and tasted legitimately of Vanilla beans. I’m still dreaming of it until now.
Our dinner ended late into the night as the friendly staff went around giving birthday dances and cakes to all the celebrants. There was also a short segment where the chefs performed a dance and song number for the attendees. It was a lot of fun and well worth the price.
With bellies full, we walked to D-Mall, the commercial hub of Boracay, and bought some food and water for our hotel rooms. Tired after almost an entire day of travelling, we returned to our room and ended the first night.
Day 2 – Land Tour and Party Time
We started our day with our complimentary breakfast at Beach Bites Bistro. I had my usual tocilog. It was filling enough to give me energy for the day. With no plans for the morning and the beach right in front of us, we all decided to chill and just absorb the vibes.
While Shane and her family enjoyed the cool waters, I decided to go for a jog. It was already half past 10 in the morning, but with some intermittent showers, the weather was very cool and the sun was barely felt.
In my beach attire, I did a 5-kilometer barefoot jog. There were parts of the beach with small stones that irritated my foot, but it was overall a pleasant experience. I huffed past a lot of people doing different beach activities. Frisbees and volleyballs whizzed past me and tour groups waddled toward their destinations.
Full of happy hormones from the run, I decided to finally jump into the water and be refreshed. After a quick soak, it was lunch time!
We decided to eat at Beach Bites Bistro again and had their Kare-kare which was very saucy. I ordered their cheesy omelet instead of a rice meal plus I was able to try a few pieces of their chicken spring rolls. Everything was good, but that Kare-kare sauce was the bomb.
Our afternoon was reserved for the land tour. We coordinated with a local guide, Kuya Mel. He directed us to a couple of e-trikes and we were off to see the sights of the island.
First was the mangrove forest. Nothing special here, just a viewdeck that was occupied by locals you “tip” for their photo-taking services. As the line for the pictorial was a bit long, we skipped this and just went straight to the next location.
Bulabog beach was more of the white sand, but there were less people here. The landmark of this place was the “I <3 Boracay” sign. We had our pictures taken here, with the help of some enthusiastic locals.
Another point of interest was a slightly tilted coconut tree that people were lining up to take pictures on. Crazy what social media can make people do. I ignored this and inquired for the prices of some snacks. P100 for a cup of Taho is wild. Pass. P50 for a cone dirty ice cream is also wild. Pass.
Stomach empty but wallet still full, we headed to New Coast. This new, affluent subdivision is still in the process of being built. It’s still free for everyone to enter (but I doubt it will stay that way) and is only accessible via a vehicle or if you have strong legs and stronger patience.
Passing by multiple blocks of condominium buildings, we finally reached the shore. There, we alighted our e-trikes and walked down the road to the next landmark, Keyhole Rock.
It was really cool to see this structure, but the modernization of the surrounding area seemed to dampen the impact. Even there, a line was forming for everyone who wanted to take a photo. We waited our turn and snapped a few pics before leaving.
Our last destination was Puka Beach. This beach on the northern part of the island was small, but had a more chill and secluded feel to it. There were still lots of shops, but there was less algae here and the waves were a bit more livelier.
Here, I finally gave in and bought a Spanish Latte from a local coffee booth. It tasted like milk and ice with a tiny hint of coffee. Still, it was enough to wake me up. We splashed around in the water until it was time to go.
We were dropped off at the alley to our hotel and there we said goodbye to Kuya Mel. If you need a tour guide for your Boracay trip, you may contact him at 0985 581 3947. He has more services to offer, you just have to ask.
After fixing up, we walked to our dinner venue, Meze Wrap. Homaygahd, this place made the entire trip worth it. We ordered the Meze 3 + Hummus dip for P598 and it was worth every centavo. Their flatbread is so heavenly, we had to order 4 more pieces. The sauces were all delicious and ensured that every bite had a different flavor. Homaygahd. If you are even capable of digesting meat, you should try to eat here (they also have vegan options).
With my stomach happy after that crazy delicious dinner, we walked the shores of Station 2 looking for a place to spend the night. There are lots of choices for Boracay nightlife. After asking around for the entrance fees of the famous spots, we ended up at Summer Place.
I have to give props to their friendly staff for allowing us to hop tables until we finally got the prime spot right beside the dance floor. It was entertaining to watch the people bop to the DJ’s music. If I had one gripe, it would be that the DJ kept repeating the same songs over and over again.
Eventually, we joined the dance floor and it was as if world peace was contained in that single 4x4m stage. Everyone was smiling and dancing with each other. Gangnam Style made everyone go ecstatic.
Eventually, the population inside the club dwindled until the dance floor was empty. The place also ran out of cocktail towers. This was a sign of the end. With nowhere to go and nothing to drink, we ended our night and returned to our hotel.
Day 3 – A Relaxing Sunset Cruise
Despite sleeping late, it was an early final day for us. Shane had joined a morning Yoga session by the beach. I decided to go to the beach as well and just soak in the sun while waiting.
We had our final breakfast at Beach Bites Bistro. Afterwards, we just relaxed by the shore until lunch time.
Because we were booked for three nights, we actually had three breakfasts paid for. But since we were leaving so early the next morning, we will not be able to claim the final complimentary breakfast. Thankfully, Beach Bites was negotiable enough to cook this breakfast earlier and turn it into this day’s lunch.
And so by lunch time, I had two servings of Tocilog that day.
After lunch, we were scheduled for the sunset cruise by Red Whale Boracay. This cruise was half island hopping, half party tour. From the get go, the staff were so full of energy and entertaining.
It was impressive to see that they were not only entertainers, but also full-time skilled workers. They were free-divers, speedboat drivers, photographers, videographers, kayak paddlers, fish-feeders, Korean-translators, and everything else.
They provided us with a lot of fun during the cruise and I admired their seemingly endlesss energy. Even the foreigners onboard started out looking serious and ended up dancing along as part of a giant conga line.
The cruise’s first destination was a coral reef where we could snorkel, freedive, and use the slide at the back of the boat. Here, we did some fish feeding and said hello to Nemo and Dory.
After some time, we returned to the boat and sipped on some mocktails as we headed towards a lagoon where the waves didn’t reach us. This was the perfect place for some kayaking and riding the speedboat.
I just did some more snorkeling and enjoyed my time under the water. There were no corals in this area and the fish were not as colorful.
Next, we hopped on a speed boat that took us to a short out and back ride, zigzagging all the while to give the passengers a thrill. It was my first time riding a boat that fast and it was exhilarating. One of the passengers fell off his seat as the boat maneuvered a sudden U-turn.
Arriving back at the main boat, I felt some tiredness. I climbed on the top deck and had a nap, my polo shirt hiding my face and body from the sun.
I woke up to see some passengers jumping off the top deck and into the water. Not missing a chance to dive off high places, I followed suit. What a rush!
Finally, when most of the passengers had their fun, we anchored nearby where we had an uninterrupted view of the horizon. The sun was about to set and we had the best seats in the house. There, we waited and watched.
As the last rays of sunlight faded and the sky turned a dark orange, the cruise started to head back to the pier. But the fun was not yet over.
All the way back, the staff treated us to dancing and celebration. They did their dance performances and incited the passengers to join in the fun. They even prepared some water guns for the final song.
This experience may not have been cheap, but it was worth the price. Throughout the cruise, I was eating a lot of their hors d’oeuvres. They also serve unlimited Korean cup noodles and I enjoyed snacking on an Udon cup while lounging on the nets in front of the boat. This paired with unlimited cocktails and mocktails led to a wild and fun sunset experience.
Our final meal in Boracay was dinner at Island Chicken Inasal. I had a bowl of Batchoy and a glass of Mais con hielo. Both were satisfactory, though for the price, I expected the Batchoy to have chicharon bits.
With dinner done, we headed back to our hotel to pack up for our flight early the next day.
Boracay is one of the most famous places to visit in the country. We were fortunate enough to get a visit in before the peak season. Though, with the amount of people there, it seems that peak season is all year round now.
I found the place to be a bit overstimulating especially with the amount of barkers touting their services and the sheer number of tourists you’ll be brushing elbows with. But, I really wish I can take Meze Wrap back to Manila. I can definitely see myself going back to Boracay just to eat there again.
Thank you, Shane and family, for the company and for taking care of the logistics of this trip. As well as for most of the photos in this post. Until the next one!
I compiled some video snapshots of the trip, viewable below:
Thanks for reading and keep on moving.
-jgzn
