So, where am I today? I am in Boracay, celebrating US Thanksgiving day and my Bbeyb’s annual birthday trip.
There she is [photo below] enjoying the fresh salty breeze of the blue Boracay sea and the powdery white Boracay sand at Shangri-La Boracay’s Punta Bunga Beach.
As I have been mentioning in my last few travel write ups, I have less activities on my trips and I have been focusing more on spending hours in a laid back setting, lying down the beach, having a cup of coffee in the balcony, browsing the net, capturing instagrammable spots, watching the sunset, counting the cricket sounds and bird chirps, gazing at the moon and the stars and checking if some of the bluish white stars and constellation taught during grade school still exist.
If you are on your third or fourth decade of life and you want to do the same here in Boracay, I have a dozen tips here for you:
1. Book a flight to MPH.
Though there are two airports in Aklan, I prefer to skip the van transfer from Kalibo to Caticlan Jetty Port. If you want to go for a more convenient trip, check out helicopter services that will bring you straight to your hotel from NAIA.
2. Choose a hotel that offers shuttle transfers.
Rubbing elbows with other commuters would be not be a good idea if your goal is to relax and unwind.
3. Settle for a beachfront room at Station 1.
You will never go wrong with Station 1’s sand quality. If your goal is to relax and escape from the busy crowd and still enjoy the powdery white sand of Boracay, Station 1 is the place to be. If the room has a loft and a balcony, that’s a plus.
3. Select a hotel that is accessible to Station 2. Station 2 is where the night life is. Dinner over some cocktails or few bottles of beer would be better with a live band or a dancing crowd.
It’s also fun to walk or jog from Station 1 to 2 in the morning.
4. Stay for a night or two away from white beach. Boracay is not all about the stretch of white sand. For a more secluded get away, try the other side of Boracay. Below is photo taken at Shangri-La Boracay’s Banyugan Beach.
5. Capture the sunset. Boracay has a very distinctive sunset. Whether you are at your hotel’s balcony or at the beach, as long as you are facing west, you can hardly miss this beautiful experience.
[Photo below at Shangri-La Boracay’s Deluxe Room with sea view]
[Photo below at Station 1 across Villa Kaloo]
6. Get a hotel with a pool. At some point when you feel like your body needs to let go of the salty feeling, a cold dip is a must. When you get an infinity pool, with a view of the beach, with very minimal or no photobombers, then you’re lucky. [Photos below were taken from Shangri-La’s infinity pool.]
7. Enjoy fresh catch of crabs, lobsters and prawns at the D’Talipapa area. It’s Dampa-style of dining. [Photo below was taken at Sugba in Station 3.]
8. Do not skip your hotel’s buffet breakfast.
If you are having too much seafood diet, this will serve as your neutralizer. Shangri La serves the best selection of gastronomic dishes, including goat cheese with ashes.
9. Check the locations of your favorite fruit shake, frappe or ice blended drink in advance. A trip to the beach won’t be complete without your favorite cold drink.
10. Plan your trip to the ocean. An overcrowded body of water isn’t the best place to swim on.
11. Have a massage. Aromatherapy swedish massage at Chi Spa has the most number of positive reviews.
12. Lastly, be with your favorite travel buddy. At the end of the day, it’s who you travel with that makes the trip worthwhile.
We all have our favorite holidays, and the best holidays are those spent with the people you love, at your favorite season of the year.
Happy Thanksgiving to all of our US friends and colleagues, and Happy birthday to my bbeyb in advance. 😘
Until our next trip. 😎
