Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE BORACAY
Travelling to and from Boracay has never been easier and long-distance
ferries
have largely been superseded by countless
flights
. Unless you're coming from Carabao Island in the Romblon group, all visitors must pass through the hectic little
town of
Caticlan
, from where frequent bangkas shuttle visitors across to
Cagban pier
in the south of Boracay. Boats cost
P25 during the day and P30 at night, plus P75 environmental fee and a P100 boat terminal fee. From Cagban it's just a short
tricycle journey to White Beach (P100). If you're flying in and have booked to stay at a resort, you might be met at the
airstrip by their representative.
6
By plane
Cebu Pacific and PAL flights connect Caticlan with
Manila and Cebu. The same destinations are also served from
Kalibo, which also has a handful of flights to other Asian
countries (see p.336). Caticlan airstrip is a three-minute
tricycle ride (P25/person) from the ferry terminal. As well as
at the airport ticket o
ces, flights can be booked through
Filipino Travel Centre inside the Boracay Tourist Centre.
Destinations
Cebu (3 daily; 1hr), Manila (30 plus daily; 1hr).
By boat
From
Mindoro there are regular Montenegro
Shipping Lines (
T
036 288 7373,
W
montenegrolines.com
.ph) and Starlite (
T
036 288 7495) ferries from Roxas to
Caticlan (around 4hr; from P300). For Romblon there are
bangkas from Caticlan to Looc on Tablas, plus a weekly
car ferry to Odiongan (Sun; 3hr). Alternatively you can
negotiate with a boat captain on White Beach to take you
to Carabao, and then travel onwards to the main island
group by bangka or pumpboat.
Destinations
Carabao (2 daily; 1hr); Looc (on Tablas;
2 daily; 3hr); Roxas (on Mindoro; 6 daily; 4hr).
By bus and van
Buses drop you on the main road through
Caticlan, about 1km from the pier and airport, from where
there are tricycles to take you the rest of the way. Many
vans from Kalibo (particularly from the airport) will take
you all the way to the ferry pier.
Destinations
Iloilo (hourly until 4pm; 6hr): Kalibo
(frequent; 2hr); San José (6 daily; 3hr).
GETTING AROUND
By tricycle
Fares should be no more than P150 for a trip
along the length of the island's main road - make sure you
agree a fare before you climb on board as some drivers have a
habit of adding “extras” at the end of the journey. Electronic
tricycles (“e-trikes”), which charge similar rates, have recently
been introduced to the island, with the ambitious plan of
gradually phasing out their petrol-driven predecessors.
By bangka
You can hire 4-6-person bangkas or
paraw
for
around P700/hr.
By bike
Mountain bikes can be rented from several places
along the beach. Try Arvin (
T
0920 384 3430), next to
A Rock
apartments at Boat Station 3.
INFORMATION
Tourist information
The Department of Tourism has a
small, ineffectual tourist o
ce (
T
036 288 3689) in D'Mall,
on the right-hand side as you enter. A few minutes' walk to
the south, the Boracay Tourist Center
(daily 9am-10pm,
shop open until 11.30pm;
T
036 288 3704,
W
touristcenter
.com.ph) is far more useful; as well as sending mail,
exchanging cash and selling maps, it also holds a branch of
Filipino Travel Center (daily 9am-6pm; see box, p.339).
Listings
The
Boracay Sun
(
W
boracaysun.com) and expat
newspapers, plus
My Boracay
mini-guide are all distributed
free and have the latest details of what's new and
happening in Boracay.
ACCOMMODATION
There are about three hundred
resorts
on Boracay which means that except at peak times (Christmas, Easter and Chinese
New Year, when prices can rise by as much as fifty percent) you should be able to find a place to stay simply by taking a
stroll down White Beach. Prices have risen sharply in recent years, with the best rooms in high-end places going for
upwards of US$500 a night, but there are still cheapies out there. Broadly speaking, the beach is divided into three sections:
Boat Station 1 and north
is high end,
Boat Station 2 and around
is generally mid-range, while the lanes behind
the beach
south of
Boat Station 3
hold a selection of budget backpacker options, plus a smattering of mid-range and
high-end places. Generally speaking the further back from the beach you're prepared to stay the cheaper the rooms you can
find. It's always worth negotiating for a discount, especially if you plan to stay a while.
Boracay's price spectrum,
Discovery Shores
features bright,
spacious and ultramodern rooms stretching back up the
hill behind the beach. As you'd expect there's a pool and
a decent restaurant, and all rooms are comfortable and
contain an impressive array of amenities, which include
WHITE BEACH
BOAT STATION 1 AND POINTS NORTH
Discovery Shores
At the northern end of White Beach,
beyond Boat Station 1
T
036 288 4500,
W
discovery
shoresboracay.com; map p.338.
At the upper end of
FROM TOP
MASSKARA FESTIVAL, BACOLOD
P.307
, WHITE BEACH, BORACAY
P.338
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