The Philippines - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 649

Boracay is a thrill-seekers' paradise,
with horseriding, kiteboarding, beach
volleyball, mountain biking,
motorcycling, kayaking and diving all on
offer. here are 24 o cial dive sites in
and around the island, and because of the
calm waters near the shore outside the
rainy season it's a good place to learn.
hat said, probably the most popular
activity here is simply sitting on the
beach at dusk with a cocktail watching
the sun drift towards the horizon,
or having a massage by the sea (P350
per hour).

on the beach path). To the north of
White Beach, accessible via a path carved
out of the cliffs, sits the little village of
Diniwid with its tranquil, snorkeller-
friendly seashore. At the end of a steep
path over the next hill is tiny Balinghai
Beach , enclosed by walls of rock, while
on the north coast, quiet Puka Beach , the
second longest on the island, gives an
idea of what White Beach must have
been like back in the day. A tricycle here
will cost P150. On the northeast side of
the island, Ilig-Iligan Beach has caves
and coves to explore, as well as jungle
full of fruit bats. From here, a path leads
a short way up the hill to Bat Cave , a
fantastic place to be at dusk when the
indigenous flying foxes emerge in
immense flocks.
Mount Luho in the north of the island is
an easy ascent (P60 entry fee), and the
reward is terrific: 360-degree views of the
island and neighbouring Romblon. One
of the nicest stretches of island to cycle is
from Punta Bunga to Tambisaan Beach ,
where the shoreline is dotted with
installation art, including the famous
Boracay Sandcastle.
Nearby Carabao Island , part of the
Romblon group, makes a nice side trip
from Boracay, with wonderful beaches,
affordable seafront accommodation at
Inobahan on the island's east coast
(where the bangkas arrive), and a few
simple restaurants.

White Beach
he jewel in the crown of the Philippine
Tourist Board, White Beach, on the
island's western shore, is 4km of the
kind of powder-white sand that you
thought only existed in Martini ads. It
really does merit the hype. he word
Boracay is said to have come from the
local word borac , meaning cotton, a
reference to the sand's colour and
texture. Main Road runs the western
length of Boracay, from Yapak in the
north, through White Beach and down
to Angol on its southern tip. Not
surprisingly, most of the development
on the island is here, and for the
majority of visitors, White Beach is
Boracay. Before the present ferry system
came into place, bangkas from Caticlan
used to dock directly onto the beach, in
three “stations”, still used to indicate the
south (3), middle (2) and north (1) of
the beach. he northern end, beyond
the old boat station 1, is the quietest
area and home to the more expensive
resorts. D'Talipapa Market is just north
of the tourist centre, while D'Mall is a
little south of station 1. As a general
rule, accommodation at the southern
end is cheapest, increasing in price as
you move north.

8

ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
By plane The two closest airports to Boracay are Kalibo
and Caticlan. Kalibo is an easy 90min drive (P200), while
Caticlan is only an expensive 5min tricycle ride (P50) from
the pier; flights to Caticlan are usually more expensive
than those to Kalibo.
Destinations (from Caticlan) Cebu (3 daily; 1hr); Manila
(30 plus daily; 1hr).
By bus Ceres Liner buses and a/c vans travel between
Caticlan and Iloilo's Tagbac terminal to Caticlan (5-7hr).
There are regular Ceres buses plying the Manila-Caticlan
route (12hr) using RoRo. From Puerto Galera you can take
a bus to Calapan, then change for Roxas from where you
can get a boat to Caticlan (10hr).
By ferry It's a 20min boat journey to Boracay from the
ferry terminal at Caticlan (every 10min 5.30am-6pm,
limited service 6-10pm). Tickets are P25 in the day, or P30
at night, plus a P100 terminal fee, and another P75

The rest of the island
A good way to get around the island is to
hire a bangka from local boatmen on
White Beach (subject to sea conditons);
you should pay around P1500 for half
a day per group. An underused
alternative is to rent a bike (ask around