Boracay Trip - 2016 Spending

Welcome your's truly to Boracay!!! Again! This time I am with my office mates. We had a lot of fun and I will show them all on my next blog. But first here is my expenses for the trip expressed in Philippine Peso.

Day 1 – Feb. 4 (Thursday)

Danao to Mandaue via bus	Fare	35.00
Jeepney ride to Mactan Airport	Got a free taxi ride	7.00
Airfare from Cebu to Kalibo Airport	via Cebu Pacific	1,630.36
Kalibo to Pension House via Van	Shared	30.00
Accommodation in Kalibo at Center Parkway Pension House	Shared	383.00
Dinner at Andoks	Food and Beverage	90.00

Day 2 – Feb 5 (Friday)

Breakfast at Dunkin Donuts	Coffee and sweets	100.00
Groceries and Toiletries	Lotion, shampoo and water	350.00
Bus Fare – Kalibo to Caticlan	Aircon bus at Kalibo Crossing Area	107.00
Environmental Fee at Caticlan Jetty Port	Bus will drop you at the Jetty Port	75.00
Terminal Fee	Children is free same with Environmental fees	100.00
Boat Fare	They are charging 30 pesos at night	25.00
Tricycle ride from terminal to station 2	Station 1 is 30.00 per head	20.00
Accommodation for 3 nights at La Carmela de Boracay	Shared on the first two night; solo on the third night	7,108.00
Launch at the “Smoke House”	Not Recommended if you do not like Bulalo	230.00
Dinner at Mang Inasal - dMall	Food and beverage	130.00
Groceries at dMall	Water and cookies	90.00

Day 3 – Feb. 6 (Saturday)

Breakfast is free at the hotel	Not Recommended	00.00
Launch at Mc Donalds	Standard prices	90.00
Snacks – cake, cookies and milktea	Picnic at the shore	250.00
Dinner at Beachfront Restaurant	Buffet	375.00

Day 4 – February 7 (Sunday)

Breakfast at the hotel again	The main building is crowded – it is the facing the shoreline	00.00
Launch at Mac Donalds	Forget the actual price	90.00
Pasalubongs	Best to buy at any talipapa	500.00
Fare back and forth – Puka Beach	25 per head or 150 per tricycle	50.00
Fare – La Carmela to Jetty Port	100 per tricycle	30.00
Terminal Fees	No more environmental fees for outgoing tourist	100.00
Boat Fare - please travel during daytime		25.00
Bus Fare – Catiklan to Kalibo		108.00
Dinner at Catiklan – Andoks is beside the bus parking area	Not actual cost	100.00
Fare Kalibo Crossing to Airport	Orange tricycles are for public transport --- other colors will change you 150 per way to airport	10.00

I forgot the actual food costs I spent. My apology, I should have posted this blog earlier...   

Anyway please do not go to Boracay during February. The seaweeds are all over the shoreline. Station 1 is okey but the March videos shows a clear shoreline and free from these weeds. I will try to post some of my adventures in Boracay later, please do not miss it!

Food Trip in Boracay

I have been reading a lot of articles on where to dine best in Boracay. Bloggers had been recommending a lot of dining possibilities where you can experience great food with great value for your money. Since we were on a budget trip, we decided to go for "smoke house" for their famous balbacua.

Balbacua is for my father because we, the siblings, will not eat beef dishes. We inherited it from my mother who never let my father ate any beef dishes at home. She will not even let our father use any of our utensils. That is why my father ate beef with our neighbors using our neighbor's plate. I already mentioned this sentiment on my previous blog.

I've mistaken it as a grill house so the people at 'd Mall cannot figure out what we are looking for. It was hard to find it there but I was determine as I always was so in the end we find it in a hidden corner at the back of "Andok's Grill". The food there were serve while smoking hot and I find it less appealing but still we give it a try.

These dishes could have been delicious if only the meat were fresh. We were disappointed and in the end we decided to dine again and again at "Andoks". The food there was cheap and taste good enough for our liking.

We also searched Jonah's for the famous fruit shake. Bloggers wrote that they were cheap and the best in the island but it's not cheap and it taste ordinary. For 100-120 pesos per bottle, I cannot feel the great value of my money. I am a fan of "Thirsty" and it's far more better that the shake we've come to in Boracay. I find it expensive and not worth to visit.

We are choosy when it comes to food and we do not like too much spices. Others may find them great and we still respect their opinion. After all, each of us have unique taste buds.

After the food trip, we stayed at the beach and enjoyed the beauty of the island. People from different races were everywhere and we were happy to be just there watching them from afar. My sisters will be bringing home more stories about this famous island.

Discovering Boracay's 'D Mall

On our second day we decided to explore 'D Mall. From Station 3 you can ride a tricycle for twenty pesos per head or you can walk to the main road and from there you will only have to pay ten pesos per head. We had no idea where to go and we just told the driver that we were heading to 'D Mall and the good man dropped us in this place. He pointed to us the blue sign board and upon seeing it we happily went for it.

We were expecting to see a large building with various restaurants and shopping centers inside but then we were wrong. What we saw were lines of shops and restaurants on each side of a street called 'D Mall avenue. This set up reminded me of Singapore (the set-up of shops along the street) but this one ended on the beach.

We roamed around trying to look for some restaurants that I read from the blogs. There were lot of corners along the 'D Mall avenue that was why I ended up asking people around. The mall was clean and energy friendly since no air-conditioner were needed. This could be the cheapest mall when it comes to maintenance and should be the easiest to maintain too. But we may not enjoy shopping here on rainy days.

This stall below caught my attention. What a funny name for a food shop. If only I was a fan of burgers then I would be buying one and took a selfie with my biggest bite right in front of this shop. I would be the proud hungry monkey on the mood for exotic food trip. Haha, so business names should be this creative to attract more customers. Well done!!

Another shop that triggered my curiosity was the "yellow submarine". I wander what was inside. The store was still close when we passed it. It opens at 10 am just in case you are interested to try. Hopefully they will not let you eat while wearing that yellow suit.

Along the street was a restroom. I took a photo because this is important to all visitors.

I also took a photo of what was inside.

There were waiting areas in between the street, where shoppers can rest and kill time.

There were also playground where children can play. But it seemed that they were more interested in the beach rather than stay here. I cannot blame them because I, too, would prefer the beach. We will just have to wander a little bit to satisfy our curiosity. 

Finally, we saw Thor in the corner. He is in Boracay too and we were lucky to have a photo taken with him.

Boracay's Famous Talipapa

We arrived in the afternoon around 2 PM. We decided to take a rest first at the hotel before we will start to roam around the island. After that, we will search the famous talipapa and tried the paluto dining experience.

We decided to start looking at the beach. And we were happy to see this corner. We followed the crowd and move inside but then all we've seen were souvenir items. We realized that we were lost so we asked one of the vendors. Most vendors here were Muslims. The kind lady told us that this talipapa had a big letter D and we should find the talipapa with small letter "d". She patiently instructed us the direction on where to go to find the 'd Talipapa where we can dine.

The information we had earlier was not enough for we passed this passage way (photo below) until we asked a security guard in one of the beach front hotel. We head back again until we finally find this corner. The opening was small and can be easily miss. We even hesitated at the entrance but then we were lost already so it will not matter if we will lost it again. We can always asked questions and so far the people around were very helpful.

But this time we were at the right place and what a relief! After a long walk we finally find our way!! 

There were plenty of sea foods for us to choose from. Giant lobsters, crabs and different species of big fishes, shrimps, squids, etc. were all over the place. Our group was health conscious so we go for fishes. All around the talipapa were dining places where you can request your food to be cooked for fee. The charges were per kilo depending on how you wanted it to be cooked which ranges from P 150.00 (simple dishes) to P 250.00.

While we find some space on this busy restaurant, my sisters shop on the talipapa. Buy the way talipapa is a local term which means market. The fishes here are fresh and have excellent quality. It was pricey but as the blog says they are far cheaper compared to those served at beach front restaurant. 

There are also plenty of fruits and vegetables around. The mangoes here are from Guimaras and they are so sweet and tasty. They are the best mangoes in the country and I super love the taste even if mango is not my favorite fruit. After tasting the famous Guimaras mangoes, it is now at the top of my list of favorite fruits.

Finally, here comes our soup. I apologize for this is the only food photo I have here. We had been on the road from 6AM to 2PM. Plus the smell of the food makes us hungrier than ever so we forget the perfect photo moment. Fresh fishes taste sweet,ultra delicious and greatest ever. You should try this place if you have longed for it and eagerly want the experience again.

This place may not looked like a fine dining experience but it was. We were super "busog" (full tummy) and satisfied with the food. We were grateful that we were given the opportunity to dine here together as a family. Our family bonding experience continues in Boracay and I will be sharing more of it in my upcoming blogs.

                                       

The Sunset of Boracay Island

One of my wishes finally came true. A sunset beyond the seas! I failed to see it in Camotes because I never knew that it will. Before going to Boracay, I checked and confirmed it in the blogs that I read. Can you imagine how happy, inspired and excited I was? That is why I am making sure that I will not miss the opportunity by making it part of our itinerary. All my life, I am looking forward for it. Thanks God! This is it!!

On our first day, we were busy looking for the d' Talipapa for our very first family dinner on the island so we were not able to see it yet. It rained on the second day so the thought of missing it again started to torture me again. I prayed for a good weather during the third day since it was our last afternoon in the island. Prayers heard and at exactly five o'clock in the afternoon we started walking on the beach together with the other visitors who were also waiting for the sun to set.

During this time, the sun's rays were not painful anymore but it could still irritates our eyes. Since the sun was facing the beach, there were no shades from the trees were we can retreat. But we found refuge on the shadows from the sailboats used in paraw sailing parked on the beach. For a moment, we were happy with our new found shield but then the paraw boats get hired and left us exposed to the sunlight again.

The beach was splendid. There was no need for us to adjust our cameras to make our pictures beautiful. But I still wish that I am good on photography. Someday I should try to study and improve my photos to make my blogs more presentable.

My father too sits on the sand for a souvenir photo. Coco palms along the white beach was a perfect background. Now there are two places that he wanted to visit all over again. Before he only mentioned Baguio City. The beauty of Boracay Island is beyond comparison so loving this island is beyond control.

Every minute, the sunlight weakens and the color changed. The sun started to set and we were sitting down there celebrating the blissful afternoon. Seeing and admiring it with my loved ones, was my wishes and it came true that day. I was more delighted because it made them happy too.

This natural phenomenon happens everyday and it's beauty differ depending on where you are. I love it when the sun sets over those mountains crowned with bamboo trees. I love seeing it too beyond the endless rice fields and hills. Sunset is very special event to me but I am not seeing it everyday anymore.

The sailboats were blocking our line of sights. But the combination was still grand, splendid and glorious to look at. There were so many tourists on the beach. Most of us were taking photos and enjoying this sunset at the same time. This is a proof that God loves us so much because at the end of each day He shows us the sunset to make us smile, to remove our stress and to make us hope for a brighter tomorrow.

That small clouds just above the blue water spiced up the sight. The drama was witnessing the sunset twice on that day. Firstly, it completely covers the sun and then slowly the sun shows up again. Secondly, was when the sun fully sinks yonder the horizon.

After the sunset, the people started leaving the beach and walk towards the bars and restaurant for dinner and partying. Some remained with us to play with the sand and enjoy the little sunlight left.

I was beyond happy. This is joy! I will be back again. I will enjoy this sunset again.

Exploring the Beach of Boracay Island

What are we waiting for? It is time to explore the white beach. Ready, get set, go!

The beach is not that busy in this area. You seldom find the beach quite. There are so many people since Chinese New Year is in the air.

Look at the sand. This is just wonderful and the fact that you can walk over them under the noon time heat of the sun is a mystery. Yes, the sand is cool even if the day is so hot. 

While most of the tourist prefer to expose their bodies under the sun, we are staying under the shades of the trees. There are plenty of coconut trees that can protect us from the piercing sun and besides we are the only one needing it. Haha!!

The beach here is super busy with adventurous activities that most tourist really loved. We can only afford the swimming part so we have to walk further where we can enjoy the sea to ourselves. 

And here comes the four sisters, roaming around to find the perfect place to swim. Enjoying the sand with your barefoot is another wonderful experience we had on this bountiful island. I will never forget it and someday I will be walking there again and again even in my dreams.

This place is amazing. The island is a paradise. The water is so cool and refreshing even at noon. We started giving theories and hypothesis on why the water is so cold even if the sun was smiling hot over it. We came to a conclusion that a river is flowing into the sea. This can be the reason why the middle part of sea between giant Panay and islet Boracay is rough even on a fine weather. That should be because the river is flowing on that area. The water is not that salty compared to other seas that we swam and it should be because the sea water is mixed with fresh water. We all agreed into this. What do you think?

We are really sisters. We were actually five but she is with her children and she is the one taking this photo.