Sand another thing...

There’s nothing boring about Boracay – once you get over a few technical difficulties.

Prior to our trip, I had the most frustrating time organising our last minute accommodation for Boracay Island.

The hotel rates had skyrocketed over the past two years, and anything under AU$300 per night was looking pretty mediocre. Hard headed by nature, I refused to pay anything over AU$150 per night for what I saw was a beach holiday. Having negotiated, and ready to pay for, a brilliant package with Waling-Waling, a moderately priced hotel that was well situated with decent food, the booking agent came back to me at the eleventh hour to
say that Waling-Waling were undergoing renovations.

“I’m sorry, Ma’am, but I forgot to mention it to you the other day,” the booking agent lamely added.
AAARGH! Why was I persisting? There are so many gorgeous destinations in the Philippines like Palawan, Bohol and Batanes. Why was I hell bent on going to Boracay Island for the third time?

Boracay derives its name, according to one version, from the old local word borac, meaning cotton, in reference to the white, cotton-like colour of Boracay’s sand, which is an accurate comparison. My husband Peter and I fell head-over-heels in love with this island paradise and its pristine white sands in 2007, when we decided to rent a three-bedroom house for one week with our grown kids. I can only describe our time there as idyllic.

Is it the white sands that I love so much, so fine that one need never wear shoes when walking along Boracay’s shores, even at midday?

Or is it the turquoise waters, so calm, warm and crystal clear, that never fail to soothe, heal and recharge one’s mind, body and soul?

Could it perhaps be the seaside massages under the shade of the coconut trees (bliss!) or the fabulous shopping at D’Mall? Just a short walk along the shoreline, this shopping enclave is jam-packed with craft, souvenir, home and fashion shops with a variety of merchandise that could fill Aladdin’s cave.

Restaurants and bars? A plethora of them for every taste line the shores of this glorious beach and, from dusk until dawn, island life turns into one big party.

But it’s you who decides how busy, or how quiet and secluded, you want your Boracay holiday to be. The island code is undeniably chilled-out, barefoot and casual. It’s the one place in the world where one can stay happily marooned for a very long time.

So where exactly is this tropical playground? Boracay is an island of the Philippines, located approximately 315 km south of Manila and two kilometres off the northwest tip of the island of Panay, in the Western Visayas region. In a nutshell, it’s under an hour’s flight from Manila.
In 1990, Boracay Island was voted by the BMW Tropical Beach Handbook as one of the best beaches in the world, and again in 1996 by British publication TV Quick as the world’s number one tropical beach.

I’m thrilled to say, after returning to Boracay Island for the third time, it’s just as glorious as when we saw it last. I strongly recommend that you make Boracay Island your next holiday destination, before the rest of the world catches on. For now, it can remain our little secret!
Victoria Ugarte

www.postcardsfrommillie.com