Boracay, for the First Timer

I should have posted this last month. I just thought Boracay is an overused topic; hence, I was not excited to blog about it. And then I realized, why not write about Boracay from a first timers perspective?

Last August, my friend, Joi, bought plane tickets for us without my knowledge. It was her birthday gift to me (sweet!). I didn’t know we were Boracay-bound at least two weeks before our flight. The weather was not good when we arrived. It was actually raining the next day when we woke up, but we enjoyed our stay nonetheless. Here are some of the things that I will remember about Boracay:

1. Boracay is the name. B-O-R-A-C-A-Y. Don’t you dare remove the last three letters. It doesn’t sound right unless you’re talking about Bora Bora, a world-famous island beach somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. Note that for some foreigners, Bora Bora is better than Boracay so stop promoting what’s not ours by saying “Borahhh” with a fake accept. Not cool!

2. White sand beach, indeed. No questions asked.

3. Crytal clear waters; I enjoyed it the most. I thought it’s gonna change when it rains. It doesn’t.

4. Some bars are closed as early as 1AM. Boracay was unusually crowded last August, but I was surprised that the bars were getting emptied by 3AM. I would have been seen dancing until sunrise. Perhaps the scene is different during peak seasons.

I highly recommend Paraw and Epic!

5. People in Puerto Galera are friendlier.

6. If you’ve got the money, get a hotel room at Station 1. For the budget-conscious, go to Station 3. To be safe, stay in Station 2, it’s where everything happens anyway.

7. No sleeping on the beach. And strictly no sex on the beach!

8. It’s cliché to climb up that grotto on the rock and take pictures.

Boracay is a paradise - that is true 20 years ago. Over the years, it has become heavily commercialized and sadly, it looks like there's no stopping them politicians from destroying its beauty. So expect Boracay to self-destruct in 10 years. By then, the world's attention will be on our neighbors whose natural tourist's attractions are well-preserved - Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia. Which means, the best time to go to Boracay is now, while it is still considered beautiful.