Boracay Diaries Before Corona

Hello Hive and Hello World!

Boracay will always have a special place in my heart. I've had my share of unforgettably fun memories on the island through the years. For my fourth blog, I am going to reminisce about my Boracay stories before the coronavirus health crisis.

World's Best Island

When someone would ask to name the best beaches in the Philippines, Boracay would always be part of the list. In fact, Condé Nast Traveler, the world’s most premier luxury travel magazine named Boracay as the World’s Best Island. From the poll of 300,000 travelers from the world over, Boracay topped the list.

Even in the previous years, Boracay was always consistent in making it to the Top 10 Best Island in the World. What makes Boracay special?

Boracay Island is located in Caticlan, Aklan. It is blessed with a very long stretch of powdery white sand beach, they call it the Main Beach. Boracay offers azure and crystal clear waters, a breathtaking sunset, local parties, and vast choices of food trip options. It also offers island adventures and activities for people of all ages.

2011: For The First Time

After the second semester of my first year in college ended, my dormmates and org-mates from Region 12 planned to visit Boracay. Fortunately, my friend Beegee was from Nabas, Aklan and she wanted to tour us around.

It sounds like a perfect idea for someone like me who grew up in Mindanao and always hears the word "Boracay" constantly in the news and reads about it in the magazines. It is an iconic travel destination for many.

Boracay is approximately 6 hours of land travel from Iloilo City and another 20-minute boat ride. It was a long and tiring trip but everything was worth it when we finally stepped into the white sand of Boracay. We didn't stay overnight since we had limited time and budget as 17-year-old college students. We spent the whole day exploring the island.

2013: Before The Start Of School Year

I was an incoming fourth-year engineering student at that time when we planned to stay at Boracay. It was the first week of June 2013 and is already considered as the low-peak season of tourists, so the accommodations are cheaper than the summer months. We stayed at Station 2.

It was my quick break before the start of the school year which is a challenging one for me to balance my studies along with my responsibilities as a member of the university student council and chairperson of the tournament board committee. Remember college days? 😅

_{GoPro cameras wasn't mainstream back then so we have underwater digital camera}

2014: LaBoracay Week

This was one of the most random and craziest weekends I had in my younger years. We went to experience Boracay at its peak season. I and my college classmates spent two days on the island.

LaBoracay is an annual event celebrated on the 1st of May. During that week many celebrities and tourists would fly to Boracay to attend beach parties and participate in summer activities. I remember the crowd just at the port, it was fully packed and way different from my previous trips. Luckily we found a place to stay somewhere in Station 3 as walk-in guests.

I retrieved these old photos from my Instagram account:

I remember that we were counting our every expense that time because everything was costly and we were on a tight budget on our allowance.

2015: After Graduation Party In Bora

This was my favorite Boracay trip since I was with my family and relatives. It was just an idea years ago that my relatives would attend my graduation and go to Boracay afterward. On the last weekend of June 2015, the dream became a reality.

Right after my graduation ceremony, we drove to a beach restaurant in San Joaquin to have our lunch and continued the remaining 5-hour trip all the way to Caticlan to celebrate. It was already dark when we arrived at the island.

_{At our hotel while still wearing my UP Sablay and posted with my diploma}
My parents and sister were there. My aunts, uncles, and cousins were also there. It was an experience of a lifetime that I will never forget and a special way to end my college life.

Here are some of the photos from my Instagram archive during our 3-day stay:

We tried almost all activities from helmet diving to flyfish to parasailing to jetski and island hopping. The difference this time is that I don't have to worry about my budget. 😁

2019: Young Adults At The New Boracay

It was late July 2019, my high school classmates flew to Cebu. We did a quick Cebu City tour and then the next day we took the direct flight from Cebu airport to Aklan. We were lucky to avail the infrequent Piso Fare promo of Philippine Airlines. We stayed on the island for three days.

I was excited for them since it was their first time on the island and I was like an experienced tourist so I prepared our group itinerary and schedule of activities. This trip was also interesting to me because it was my back to Boracay trip after four years and the six months island rehabilitation clean-up program by the government just ended. The newly rehabilitated island opened its doors to the tourists again.

_{The memorable Filipino cuisine dinner on our first night}

The following day, we enjoyed ourselves doing water and outdoor activities such as Island Hopping, Helmet Diving, Parasailing, and more. It was physically exhausting yet worth every energy and time spent. There were some epic funny moments and jokes along the way. After a whole day of adventure, we finally had some chill time along the shore and checked out local stores for souvenirs.

_{I definitely enjoyed drinking my fresh buko juice}

The next day, we walked from Station 1 to Station 3 to maximize our stay in Boracay and explore local food shops. While in the evening, we went outside our hotel and looked for a bar where we can drink, bond together, and just be merry.

On our last day, we went to explore Puka Beach early in the morning. Puka Beach will always be one of my favorite beaches in the country. It was so calming and the ocean is so refreshing. We did countless photoshoots on the beach until it was time for us to go so that we won't miss our flight back to Cebu.

_{Miss Lea Loise just enjoying the ocean vibes}

In the future, if the restrictions will be lifted and most of us are fully vaccinated I plan to go back to Boracay to have another short vacation again. Going to Boracay will never be boring since you have a lot of things to experience. I have been to Boracay a few times but I have not tried everything, there will always be something new.

Boracay will always be the vacation island that is accessible to everyone and will offer convenience and happiness. If you plan to have a memorable vacation, Boracay is one of the destinations to consider. This island is something we should be proud of. This is a gift from nature we should take care of properly through the years.

_{Walking along the shoreline of Puka Beach}

We almost missed our flight back to Cebu to the point that the airline personnel called when we were still at the gate of the airport. But we made it just in the nick of time and we were the last group of passengers who boarded the plane.

I hope the time will come when we can safely travel again without stress and anxiety. If you took the time to read my blog until the end, thank you very much. I deeply appreciate every upvote, comment, and report that I received from my previous posts.

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