When it comes to beach destinations, most would consider Maldives for a luxurious and decadent getaway ie expensive or Bali and Phuket for something affordable and accessible ie touristy. Well, for somewhere that has the best of both worlds, I recommend Boracay, Philippines.

Boracay is about 6 hours away from Singapore (inclusive of flight and land-boat transfer to hotel) which makes it doable for a short getaway. That said, I'd recommend at least a full 4 days for a relaxing trip. The problem with me and beach holidays is that i get bored easily. Thankfully, the accessibility to a host of activities kept us sufficiently occupied. Other than lying on the beach and chilling out, here are some things you could do in Boracay.

Island hopping 

While it may sound like a tourist trap, I quite enjoyed my morning out at sea. We did a private island hopping tour which only costs a wee bit more than the group package. The privacy was certainly worth it as we scooted around in our personal boat plus guide for a good 4-5 hours or so. This would cost about 1600PHP/US$36 per pax.

Do not give Crystal Cove a miss when you are in Boracay. There are caves and coves to be explored and turquoise waters to be admired. I didn't think i'd see such blue in the SEA region (the last time was Croatia!)

Tip: Make sure you get those waterproofed pouches for your camera and phone. We were pretty much soaked just getting to the caves. And here's S before the waves came crashing in and up towards him.

Snorkeling was included as well and the gears were provided for. I find that it's not necessary to dive because you can see the fishes so clearly from the top. Plus snorkeling is way more convenient than diving. That said, diving is pretty affordable in Boracay is about 1600PHP/US$36 per dive.

Whatever you do, DO NOT go Helmet Diving (1500PHP, 30mins). It's kinda lame but included in our itinerary anyway. It was this or banana boat and I rather be bored than be thrown at high speed into the waters. Though the thought of our oxygen supply being cut while underwater. Anyway it was a lame 15mins of our lives feeding fishes and being photographed/videographed while at it. Do not waste your money on this.

Another lame activity (part of the island hopping tour) was fishing. It involved a primitive way of baiting fishes using a 'fishing rod' made out of a string and a plastic bottle. We felt like we were being forced to catch some fishes just to kill time. Thankfully that was just a short filler. 

After swimming with the fishes, we had a seafood lunch by the beach. Nothing fanciful- some satay, soy meat, stewed vegetables etc. The highlight was the steamed/boiled crab.

We didn't expect too much from this sad looking crab. Well I've been too pampered by the flavorful and fancifully cooked crabs in Singapore so this didn't look too appealing to me. That was until we were showed how to eat this crab. Little wooden blocks were provided for the purpose of bludgeoning the crab to pieces Flintstones way. The red amours were cracked, sweet and briny juices spilled, and finally succulent white flesh devoured. Yums!

Kite Surfing. Boracay has really good winds and calm waters at Bulabog Beach and the conditions are ideal for kite surfing. We woke up to pretty kites every morning when we were staying at 7 Stones Boracay Resort. There are many kite surfing schools for your picking and the prices are cheap in the region.

Other water sports such as Stand up Paddling and Kayaking are available too. 

Sunset Sailing is certainly recommended. You can do it on a Paraw, which is a traditional long  sail boat with two outriggers and sails (1000PHP for 2pax, 1h). We lay on the nets right above the waters with our feet just skimming the surface and enjoyed the view of the burning sun. Parasailing is a good option if you're not afraid of heights (2200PHP/pax, 15mins).

Dining and Shopping at White Beach, D'Mall. White Beach is the life of Boracay. Most of the hotels are on the White Beach and there are many dining options ranging from budget meals and fast food to specialty restaurants. 2 restaurants that i'd recommend are CYMA Greek restaurant and Dos Mestizos for some really good Spanish Tapas. Quench your thirst with some yummy fruit shakes at Jonah's Fruit Shake & Snack Bar. Their Mango Shake is must. 

You could also shop for some local produce such as dried mangoes (do not forget them!) and other dried goods.

Scoot around in tuk-tuks to explore parts other than the White Beach. I'd recommend heading over to Shangri-La for an awesome view of Boracay. Go for a spa session, do dinner and drinks after. Better yet, book yourself into one of their fabulous villas. ;) We also had a great 4h session at Mandala Spa Boracay.

Of course, if you're not interested in any of the above, it's perfectly fine to just hang by the beach, or your private pool, get a tan, read a book, do whatever. 

So what would you do on a beach holiday? Share with us!

XOXO

Travelerintransit