Since 2002 until May of 2013, I lived and spent my life in
Metro Manila, the busiest place here in the Philippines. Life in the city is tiring because of its
heavy traffic and its air pollution is a little bit toxic; costly and
undeniably fast. Travel time to work is quite long since I don’t normally ride
a cab or taxi. Aside from it is expensive; also because I’m afraid to be alone
with the driver, but when I do, my family and friends would normally receive a
text message from me indicating the plate number. I seldom ride an MRT too because
I hate bumping with insensitive passengers trying to make their way vigorously
inside the train. I normally ride an FX or a van going straight to my
workplace, I believe it’s safe, because I don’t have to be alone and I can
steal a minute to sleep or to read while traveling. My favorite spot in the
city is the mall of course, not because I love to shop but because of the
theater and bookstore. City life is never boring because you are always on the
move. But there are times that I want to step back and enjoy a slow-pace life; maybe
because I was born and raised in a province where everyone should be at home at
6pm, to pray the rosary and to eat together, and by 8 or 9pm, all lights should
be turned off. That was the house rule and everyone should abide. So I would say
I’m a province girl and I’m proud of it. May of 2013, I decided to transfer
here in the famous Island of Boracay. And I must say, it is one of the best decisions
I made in my life.
Living in a small yet busy island like Boracay is quite
amusing and fun. It will make you go back to basic of doing stuff all by
yourself and meeting ordinary yet extra-ordinary people every single day. Flow
of traffic is so smooth (compare to Manila, yes.) You’ll get to appreciate
things that you don’t normally experience in the city. You will appreciate all
aspects of music and its rhythm, especially the music instruments. You will love and thank Mother Nature more
than anything else. Here in Boracay, you’ll experience fresh yet liberated island life, where lots of people
are alive and awake during the night, partying, drinking and clubbing like
there’s no tomorrow. You’ll meet different races from all over the world. Some
will become your friends while some will just pass by. And most especially,
Boracay made me love my skin color more after seeing foreigners at the beach
trying to burn their skin in the sun just to acquire the color that I
have..
Anyway, below are my teeny bitsy observations of how things
are being done here in the island. I hope you’ll find it helpful.
FUN FACTS ABOUT OUR
BEAUTIFUL LITTLE ISLAND:
·
Boracay is dominated by tourists from Asian
countries, like Korea, HongKong, Singapore and China all throughout the year,
while tourists from Western country normally arrive around September to June.
·
There are two seasons that they follow here:
1.
High Season (November to May) – all places are
jam-packed by tourists.
2.
Low season(June to October) – tourists are fewer
, resorts normally do their renovations
·
Prices changes depending on the season. Resorts
owner take advantage of the high season fever which means rooms and hotels are higher
than the usual during these days.
·
Plane ticket is kind of expensive during high
season, so if you have plans of visiting Boracay during these days, you better
have it plan and book as early as you can. You can always check promo fare of
airlines to save more. THE ALL TIME FAVORITE..PISO
FARE!
·
Please be very mindful of the RED FLAG floating in the water, it is there to remind
you that the water current is too strong and it’s not safe to go swimming alone
and to go deeper.
·
There are three boat stations available here:
1.
Boat Station 1 – Furthest north of the White
Beach, where you can find three and four star hotels and resorts. Luxury at its
best.
2.
Station 2 – Compare to boat station 1, station 2
is a little bit cheaper and consumer friendly, but you can still find luxury
hotels and villas here. This is where you can find D’Mall and D’Talipapa. The
busiest part of Boracay.
3.
Station 3 – it is located at the Southern part
of the Island, less tourist, quiet place,where you can find the Boracay Tourist
Center, Police Station and most of all, Seigo’s
Place, where you can find a clean purified water, laundry service and
coffee on the go powered by Illy products, a
famous Italian based coffee manufacturer.
MEANS OF
TRANSPORTATIONS
There
are three :
Ø
Tricycle - it can accommodate 6 to 7 persons.
Ø
Motorcycle – famously known as “SINGLE” – good
for two only, but if you’re in a hurry, you might want to try it.(If you have a
license, you can rent one for a day)
Ø
Walk-cycle – Walking is still the best way when
you’re here in the Island. Why? You’ll see more of Boracay in a slow motion,
plus you can save more when it comes to transportation fee. ..plus it’s good
for your health. That’s a good thing, isn’t it?
WEATHER
Well, as we all know, Philippines
are quite the storm favorite. Name it from A to Z. But there are specific month
when weather is really nice, and you will definitely enjoy the Island.
Ø
January
to June – weather is a little bit friendly, you will get to wander and
explore the island, rain-free.(P.S. Not
the whole month, there are still days when rain will make you decides whether
to stay indoors or not.)
Ø
July –
September – weather is definitely a snob. Big waves and non-stop rain will
ruin your day. Red Flag is floating in the water most of the time, to let you
know that IT IS NOT SAFE to swim.
Ø
October
to December – weather is partly good and bad. Hot in the morning, rain in
the afternoon, so it’s your time to not mind at all and just enjoy!
Tidbits–
If you are a surfer, October to November is the best month to come and visit
Boracay.
RULES AND REGULATIONS
There are law
ordinances here, implemented not to hurt the tourists, but to protect the
Island, for the benefit of everybody. Please adhere.
Ø
Do not throw your cigarette butt anywhere. There
are a lot of trash bins where you can put it. Or you will be penalized.
Remember this “BORACAY is not an ashtray.”
Ø
No one is allowed to smoke at the shore. Do not
pollute the air.
Ø
No taking out of SAND, it belongs to BORACAY
Island only.
Ø
If you have a pet and you want to take it with
you while walking at the beach, make sure to bring your own “pooping and peeing
materials”. Poop and pee is not allowed at the beach. :)
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