It was Christmas Eve. I was casually hanging out with my friends and family. We were all talking, sitting outside the garden, feeling the cold December air. They were also excited that I won 30,000 Pesos from our family's weight loss competition. I already knew what to do with the extra money. It was going to be my dear partner's birthday in a couple of months and I wanted it to be a bit more special than usual.
"Why don't we go to Tagaytay tonight!" My younger sister enthusiastically says as she clings to her fiance's arm.
It was already late but we still wanted to hang out and do something spontaneous. But a sudden trip to Tagaytay was not spontaneous enough since we'd done it before. Also, I was a bit hesitant since my partner was not with me.
Pondering whether we'll go or not, everyone was making hmmm noises. When my best friend said, "How about we... go to Boracay?"
The look of excitement can be seen on their faces. It was the pandemic still, but cases then were starting to die down. It has been a while since everyone went on a trip farther than Tagaytay, so everyone was all aboard this plan.
As an introvert, I am used to being dragged around by my extroverted friend. Like it was the law of the universe that an extrovert always has that introverted friend that they drag around whether they want to or not. Of course, I agreed to go to Boracay. Since everyone was in mutual agreement, the next question would be - when?
We were all aware that we still should be careful of COVID-19. December? Nope. People have money to spend and according to some articles, Bora has a lot of visitors this month despite the pandemic. January? Still, no. People still had money to spend. February? Probably the best option. People were probably recovering from their holiday expenses. It was also the birth month of my partner. I told everyone my idea and they agreed to go in February.
Just like that, it was decided and plane tickets were bought the next day. My inner introvert is trembling from fear but also cannot help but feel excited. I am not a fan of flying. I am horrified by flying. Still, I want my partner to be happy. I want to heal her birthday anxieties. I want her to feel that it's okay to be happy on her birthday. I want her to always remember that I will be part of more birthdays to come.
Well, enough about me being a romantic. I forgot that I had a job, haha. I still needed to file a leave for 5 days. It wasn't difficult since it was approved immediately, though. However, my boss unintentionally gave me a difficult task to complete after I got back from vacation. I know what a bummer right? It was frustrating since I had that thought in the back of my head throughout the vacation but let's talk about it some other time.
My younger sister Paris loved planning vacations. She made the computations and itinerary for our Boracay trip. A 5-day, 4-night trip costs us PHP 20,000 per head. That includes roundtrip plane tickets, RT-PCR testing, hotel accommodations, food, and watersports activities. Every detail was laid out on her spreadsheet. Such transparency, right? And the trip was fairly cheap considering the things we did there. I don't know how my sister managed to squeeze everything into 20,000 Pesos.
During the pandemic, frequently visited tourist areas were strict with their protocols so we had to produce some requirements like a negative RT-PCR test, confirmed hotel booking in a DOT-accredited establishment, 2 valid government-issued IDs, Aklan tourist code, and a health declaration card.
Now all of that is in order and we have everything we need. Let's go a year back when Boracay was less crowded when it's the nightlife died down.
DAY 1 - Crimson Hotel
Our itinerary for Day 1
For our first day, Paris decided to check in at Crimson Hotel. This is one of the hotels that I will never forget. Though a bit more expensive, it was all worth it. The place looks amazing and the staff was very nice and accommodating. They also had their private beach where you can just relax or play activities at. You can rent out some toys like a volleyball or play tools for making a sand castle, and if you're feeling more adventurous, you can try out kayaking or paddle boarding.
We got rooms facing the sea!
Tired from the trip. Just enjoying the weather, the view, and this drink.
The breakfast we had was fantastic! I love their bread ~
Day 2 - Watersports (Part 1) and Birthday Celebration
Our Itinerary for Day 2
We moved to a cheaper hotel for Day 2 since we were going to be out the whole day doing watersports. We also enjoyed the stay at Aloha Resort because the lobby attendant was very friendly and accommodating.
We booked most of our activities through Klook. We were able to ask 1 local at the beach for prices and his rates were more expensive compared to the ones we got. We highly recommend the Banana Boat (VERY INTENSE if you have weak upper body strength. Good luck, friend), UFO, Parasailing, and Helmet Diving. From what we have heard, Island hopping is not worth it at Boracay and you can just enjoy the speed boat going to and from the activity areas.
Helmet diving. The fish were so cute. The guides gave us bread to feed the fish.
During the night, it was time to celebrate my partner's birthday. We prepared a small surprise for her at EPIC. The place is by the beach near D’Mall so it is not that hard to look for. Cocktails are cheap (as low as Php 150) and the service was great.
Happy Birthday to my Baby Megane!
Birthday shots! The only thing she reacted was "putek" haha
Day 3 - Watersports (Part 2) and Henann Palm
Our itinerary for Day 3
Last night was fun we got a bit drunk. So for the 3rd day, we checked in at Henann Palm since we wanted to stay beachfront at Station 2. We got a direct pool access room and it was great. The staff was nice and very helpful. The hotel was beautiful as well. Breakfast was fine.
Nothing much planned for this day. Chilling at our hotel, gazing at the beach, and lounging at the pool. Aside from that our only planned activities today were UFO and Parasailing.
UFO. I would like to thank my upper body strength for keeping me from falling :")
Parasailing is a nope for me. I'd probably pass out due to my fear of heights.
Hennan Palm path to beachfront.
Enjoying a cup of Swiss Miss on our room's balcony.
Day 4 - Paddle Boarding and Aquafresh
Our itinerary for Day 4
We are almost reaching the end of our Boracay trip. We just really planned on relaxing by the beach or swimming in the ocean but Megane wanted to try out paddle boarding. We had so much fun so even if we were a bit tired from yesterday we still went on it for 3 hrs. We watched the sunset while floating on the ocean, such bliss.
This is us paddle boarding like noobs.
We were able to go paddle boarding (1 board for Php 500/hour) at Boracay through a local guy there and his name is Kuya Sun Onaler on Facebook. We were lucky that we brought our Decathlon snorkeling gear to Boracay and he showed us where the coral reefs were without paying extra (we just paid for the boards). Kuya was very friendly and he even lent us a frisbee to play with when swimming at the beach was not allowed anymore. We had a great time with him.
Kuya Sun told us to dip our heads for a photo haha
During lunch, we also went back to Aquafresh, a restaurant we went to on the second day but I decided not to mention it earlier since we went back to eat there again on the 4th day. The seafood was fresh and the kusinero's cooking was delicious and homey.
Baked scallops, baked oysters, grilled prawns, chili crab, butter garlic prawns.
The beach during the afternoon. Peaceful and quiet. Just a few people swimming.
Day 5 - Going Home
Our itinerary for Day 5
It's kinda funny how we still have an itinerary for the last day. We woke up early for breakfast so that we can say our proper goodbyes to the beach. We sat down by the beach and just took it all in. Feeling the sand on my feet, breathing in slowly, closing my eyes, and focusing on the sound of the waves crashing. Everything feels like a dream. It went by so fast but I tried to savor each moment. Make sure that these memories are engraved in my mind.
Clear waters. Fine white sand.
We said our goodbyes and went back to Manila.
I didn't show the other places we went to. I wanted to highlight the events that left an impression on me. You might think that everything was pretty but in actuality, the majority of the stores were closed. Imagine, even a popular cafe like Starbucks closed down. It was like a ghost town. Though peaceful, it wasn't lively. The people there were nice but you can tell that they have been struggling to make a living since the number of tourists went down. That's why we generously gave tips to the sellers, attendants, and guides whenever we had the chance. We were kinda shocked when we computed the total amount of tips we gave haha, but it was fine. At least, we were able to help temporarily.
As I said in the title, this will be my first and last visit to Boracay. I want to remember it as a place of tranquility. A place where I was able to make happy memories with my loved ones. Now, that the restrictions are slowly being lifted. The Boracay I knew will be no more. It will be busy again. Full of foreigners, and bars will be active again. But hey, at least the businesses will be back, the place will be less of a ghost town, people there will get more jobs and guides will now be able to feed their families. I am happy for Boracay getting back on its feet, going back to its previous booming state is fine by me but it's not a place that I would go to again. Maybe next time I'll visit another place as beautiful as this one.
-the end-