A Snapshot of Boracay

Written by Mindy

Photographs by Mindy

     There are certain expectations when going on beach holidays - blue skies, clear waters, and a bonus when getting tanned in the right parts.

     During the four days spent in Boracay, the White Beach had promising weather as forecasted. If my feet could taste, burying them in the fine sands was like taking mouthfuls of powdered icing.

     Peak season begins in November until May, with Korean tourists distinctively at the top of the list. Between September and November last year, an average of 18,000 Korean tourists visited Boracay per month. Malaysians averaged at 600 tourists per month. The rest of the year is non-peak season due to the strong winds and less ideal weather. Activities on the island are abundant, including kite- and wind-surfing, mountain-biking, snorkeling and island-hopping. Activity prices range from PHP 400 to PHP 2000, where larger groups get you better bargains.

     Along the White Beach is a long stretch of restaurants and bars, as well as souvenir and food vendors with tempting offers. Being Chinese, we are known for our love to bargain. As I put my skills to the test, one of the jewelry sellers optimized this as a selling point and commented: “Russian buy PHP 600, I give you Filipino price!”

     One of the landmarks you will not miss is the National Geographic diving center which provides a 3-4 day open water course for beginners at PHP 26,000, excluding accommodation. I was greeted by a friendly worker who I later found out was from Johor. She had been working at the center since November last year and was glad to meet a fellow Malaysian like myself. I sensed her homesickness when I asked her to recommend places with good food and she told me a good place that served curry. Before I left, she tipped that she will be going to Perhentian in March for cheaper diving courses back home.

     Starting from 5pm to 10pm you will see grills and canopies set up for BBQ dinner buffets by the beach. I got to know that the restaurants are only allowed to utilize the space during those limited hours and it is the responsibility of the restaurant owner to ensure the area is kept clean and tidy. Buffet prices range from PHP 295 to PHP 600 and above. For a change of taste, you can opt to pick your own seafood at the wet market and bring it to the restaurants to cook for you at a minimal charge.

     Another landmark not to miss is the Tourist Center at White Beach. You will realize that fruits and vegetables are scarce so I found it particularly useful to stock up on bananas from there. The Tourist Center also made staying connected with friends and family easy by providing mail services for sending local and overseas packages or postcards, and even phone booths to make international calls.

    To mark a memorable end to the trip, I decided to braid my hair on the final day before checking out. I walked slightly further down the beach hoping for less crowds and hence less waiting time. Nevertheless, the lady owner expressed her apologies for attending to the customer first as she had just closed her first deal with a couple of American tourists who bought PHP 1600 worth of jewelry. Shop vendors always give the first customer a good bargain as tradition for good luck for the day.

    Braiding was only a side business for her and she pointed to the neighbouring vendors indicating they were her cousins, nieces and nephews. She seemed a little concerned about an upcoming jewelry council meeting to be held in March with regards to banning of vendors by the White Beach. I paid PHP 150 for side braids for medium short hair with coloured wool inserts at PHP 50 per braid. Then she threw in a PHP 50 discount which I didn’t have to bargain for.

All in all, I got what I went to Boracay for – and a little more.

Blogger profile
Mindy - Hello, I’m Mindy! I graduated in 2008 and Iloilo will be my third study trip with Dr Yeoh. The first one was to Baguio and Sagada in 2007, and then to Siem Reap in 2008. I enjoyed both very much.

Some would say I have an accent but can’t quite pin down what it is. This is quintessentially a part of my hybrid composition, some of it accidental but mostly picked up from the likes. I enjoy tapping into the unknown, whether it is a new language, new sounds and sights or tingles in the taste buds.

My idea of a good time varies. It’s always great to be with nature or to complete a challenging work out. I also love to sit back in the evenings and spend some quality time with family and friends. Current trend is being ninja aka Skyping with the boyfriend. Good weather is definitely a bonus on all occasions, including the latter.

It’s a delight to be a part of the trip as Monash alumni. My friends and I have been talking about going on a holiday since the day we graduated. Coordinating group holidays require a lot of time and effort, especially once we started pursuing our careers. So finally our dreams came true! *Tear jerk* and cheers to many more study trips to come!