BORACAY – An Island Paradise

Boracay is one of the most popular tourist spots here in the Philippines with over more than 600,000 foreign visitors a year and increasing. It is an island located at approximately 315 km (200 miles) south of Manila and 2 km off the northwest tip of Panay Island in the Western Visayas region of the country. The island is about 7 km long, dog-bone shaped with the narrowest spot being less than 1 km wide, with a total land area of 10.32 km2.

This alluring beauty was voted by the BMW Tropical Beach Handbook as one of the best beaches in the world in 1990. And then again in 1996 by a British publication TV Quick as the world’s number one tropical beach.
Boracay Island is a part of Aklan province and was originally the home of the Ati tribe. On 1970s, it was developed by the Philippine tourism. Then, in 1980s, the island became popular with backpackers.

There are many stories telling how this island is discovered. Some say that it was accidentally discovered by a foreign movie crew. While others maintain that it was a German traveler, from Jen Peters’ book, that also includes rave reviews of Boracay and how its fame spread widely all over the world. Whichever story is true, one thing remains clear; Boracay is now one of the major tourist with beijing escorts destinations in the Philippines!

The Beaches

Beaches in Boracay have clear waters embracing the powdery white sand. It is a competitor of the best beaches in Caribbean, South Pacific, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. It has 2 primary tourism beaches, the White beach and the Bulabog Beach, which are located on the opposite sides of the island‘s narrow central area. The White beach faces westward and Bulabog Beach faces eastward although, there are still several beaches to visit all over the island.

This White Beach is actually the main tourism beach in the island. It is around 4 km long and is lined with resorts, hotels, lodging houses, restaurants, and other tourism-related businesses. The Beachfront Path, found in the central portion, is a foot path separating the beach from the establishments. It connects to several roads and paths with Boracay’s Main Road, a vehicular road that runs the length of the island.

Across the island from the White Beach, is the Bulabog, a secondary tourism beach and Boracay’s main surfing and kite boarding area.

Although, the island is mushroomed by hotels and other establishments, Boracay is divided for land use and conservation purposes. There are about 400 hectares of preserved forestland and 628.96 hectares of agricultural land.

Climate

The island’s weather is actually the same as of the whole country. It also experienced the two seasonal weather patterns known locally as the Amihan and Habagat seasons. Amihan, means a cool northeast wind. It is characterized by moderate temperatures, little or no rainfall and a prevailing wind from the east. Habagat means west, southwest wind or southwest monsoon. It is characterized by hot and humid weather, frequent heavy rainfall, and a prevailing wind from the west.
Mostly, tourist visit Boracay during the Amihan season from sometime in September or October to sometime in May or June. The remaining months is in the Habagat weather pattern and is usually marked by storms. But, the weather in a tropical country varies in individual years. So, weather pattern may change each year.

Festivals and Events

The island is not just visited because of the parties, for sunbathing, and dipping one’s toes in the beaches. Mostly, foreigners come to witness and enjoy some of the most colorful festivals in the Philippines. Below are just some of the festivals and events in the island that you might want to get involved with:

• Ati-Atihan Festival
• Boracay Food Festival
• Boracay International Funboard Cup
• Beach Reggae Festival
• Boracay Dive Olympics
• Boracay International Beach Festival
• Sand Lantern Contest
• Nestea Beach Volleyball
• International Paraw Cup Challenge
• Fil-American Friendship Golf Cup

Another attraction during these events is the food. Restaurants in the island offer their own unique style of cooking and the most hospitable type of service. The island unique cuisines reveal the rich culture of the island.

Leisure activities

There are many leisure activities in Boracay to fill in your vacation schedules. These include scuba diving, snorkeling, windsurfing, kite boarding, skim boarding, parasailing, horseback riding and guangzhou massage/spa relaxation.
Most golf tournaments, local and international, are held in the island of Boracay. They have this world-class 18-hole par 72 golf course designed by Graham Marsh. As of 2010, Boracay already has 350 beach resorts offering more than 2,000 rooms ranging in quality from five-star budget accommodation. Surely, tourists will find what they are looking for.
Since 2003, usually during summer, an ultimate Frisbee event–“Boracay Open Asian Beach Ultimate Tournament” has been held annually.

Transportation

Boracay’s main entry and exit point during most of the year is the Cagban jetty port. But when wind and sea condition turns rough, the Tambisaan Beach serves as an alternative entry and exit point.
The island can be reached by air or by sea. Since it is separated from Panay Island by a narrow strait, transportation is provided by boats operating from Caticlan jetty port.

Boracay is also served by two airports in Aklan province namely Kalibo International Airport in Kalibo and Godofredo P. Ramos Airport (Caticlan Airport) in Caticlan.

As you arrive on the island, you’ll encounter two modes of transportation which is also common in the country. These are the motor-tricycles along the main road and pedicabs which are available for transport along the Beachfront Path. Other transportations used are mountain bikes, quadbikes, scooters and motorbikes, which can all be rented too. Bancas (motorized outrigger) and paraws (sailboats) are also available for rent if you want to explore around the island and discover the beauty of this island paradise.