Among the 7,100 islands of the Philippine archipelago, you’d figure there be at least 7,100 beaches to visit. And truth be told there are probably more. But what sets Boracay, once a quiet and sleepy island, apart from other beaches in the Philippines is its fine white sand beaches, lively bars, and exclusive resorts that are located around this virtual tropical paradise.

How to Get to Boracay

Boracay island is located off the coast of Aklan, accessible by 45-minute boat-ride from the port of Caticlan. Now to get to this port from Manila you’d have to catch a plane to Caticlan, then another shuttle or bus to the port. The plane ride will take less than 45 minutes and the shuttle ride about 30 to 45 minutes. If you’re not in a hurry, you can also ride a ferry from the port of Manila to Aklan, this will take about 16-18 hours, then a shuttle of about an hour to the port. The plane ride is faster but the ferry ride is more fun.

Where to Stay in Boracay

During the off peak season of about June to September, you can go to Boracay island without a reservation and choose from the myriad of places to stay at, you’ve got a 5-star hotel like the Shangri-La Boracay, the 5-star resorts like Mandala Spa or you could choose among the numerous smaller and cheaper hotels. Be sure to get off at what they call Station One, it’s got places which front the beach and are closer to the bars and party places. For the smaller hotels you can even probably try to haggle the price of your stay, so long as you plan to haunt the beaches for more than 3 days.

This all changes during the peak season which is basically the rest of the year. During the months of March to May, the island fills up with local visitors usually from Manila or Cebu who take the time off from work or school to soak up the rays and enjoy the sands. For the other months, most of the visitors are foreigners looking to escape the colder climates of their home countries. During the peak season, it would be wise to go online before hand and get a reservation from a hotel, some even offer pick up and transfer services to and from the island the airport.

What to Do in Boracay

Once you’re there, there are just too many things to do that it’s difficult to know where to start. Well, you can just sit by the white sand beach and grab a gigantic ice cold fruit shake from one of many food establishments and watch the waves and people. If you get bored, you can join an island hopping trip around the island and see the snorkeling sites.

If you’d prefer to go even deeper underwater, there are dives shops and instructors and guides whose services you can hire to show you to the dive spots around the island. The island is a nature preserve so the corals and aquatic life remain unpolluted and undisturbed except by the occasional divers. If you’re with a large group of friends or family and you’re looking for something exciting to do, you can hire a ride on the banana boats or those “flying fish” rubber rides and hold on while the operators pull you across the waters of the island.

If you get hungry, there are a number of food establishments which cater to every budget and craving, from the small grill shops where you can just point out what you want and they’ll cook it for you, these are known as turo-turo. There are restaurants which serve different local and international cuisines from Japanese sushi to thick American style steaks. Just wander around and see what captures your fancy.

If you’re looking to put some ink on your skin you can visit the many henna and permanent tattoo shops on the beach side, for a price of about 400 pesos you can get a medium sized henna (non permanent) tattoo which will last for a few days. But if you really want to keep a permanent reminder of your trip to the island, you can get a permanent tattoo from the skilled artists on the island.

When the sun goes down, Boracay island changes as the action moves from the waters to the beachside bars and bistros. Go in wearing just your swim wear and you won’t look out of place. These bars play the latest music, feature guest local and international DJs to make sure that the party lasts till dawn. The drinks are cheap, not just beer but the various other mixes and concoctions formulated to fuel the party till the sun comes up.

If you’re looking for a quiet evening, walk around the shore and walk into the pubs in the more quiet parts of the beach, just go counter the flow of people and you’ll find many of the smaller bars with acoustic and reggae bands. Just sit back and enjoy your drink while the music relaxes your tired spirit.

And that’s just for the first day, think of what else you can do for the others? You can shop for everything from clothes to souvenirs in the market, get a massage on the beach or at the more exclusive spas with a view from the top of the hills around the island or just simply walk around the find a piece of beach to call your own. I’d advise staying in the areas around station 1 and 2, as these are where the most activity is.

Boracay island is a premier destination for tourists for the primary reason that it has everything that people would want in a beach vacation. I hope I’ve helped shed some light on what to do if you decide to travel to the Philippines and visit the island paradise of Boracay.