Comments on: Happy places, happy faces

By: Sheree Talley

Sheree Talley — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 00:33:30 +0000

This was my second trip to Boracay. While much has changed since my first visit it’s still one of my favorite beaches on earth. First off you have to go between the months of SEP and FEB if you want the pristine white beach and blue water. Starting around mid FED till mid AUG the beach gets covered with algae. Unfortunately we went in march and while the algae was not too bad and the water was still swimmable, really took away from the pristine water views I remembered. The vendors on the beach walk way are still the most aggressive I’ve ever encountered. Just smile and say no thank you (without looking at them) and keep walking. Whatever you do, don’t look at the wares or fliers in their hand or look them in their eyes. That will cause them to engage you and they will literally follow you for a block or two even if you say no.We stayed at the Boracay Regency which is still nice if you know what to expect. Check out my Boracay Regency review if you are considering it. The location is ideal right in the middle of station 2 and white beach. Everything was just a short 15 min walk away.Island hopping is a must. Crystal Cove and Puka Beach are nice. Snorkeling on Crocodile Island is nice but not the best snorkeling. There is plenty of water sports available. The sunset boat ride is exhilarating (not relaxing) and expect to get wet. There’s a Starbucks on the beach on the way to Willy’s rock.There’s plenty of shopping and palenke stalls to buy souvenirs.The nightlife is loud with clubs and reminds me of Bangla Rd Thailand. A bit too bustling for my taste.Overall its still very unique and beautiful but lost a lot of its quaintness that it used to have. If you want to see what boracay used to be like I would recommend Panglao which is smaller and quieter and less shops.

By: upperrrrrrrrrrr

upperrrrrrrrrrr — Sun, 02 Jun 2013 02:05:13 +0000

🙂 🙂 🙂

By: Nina

Nina — Sat, 01 Jun 2013 15:21:00 +0000

In reply to B Chai.

There’s a lot more resorts and hotel here, and they’re not just by the beach. That means more people coming in, not just tourists, but also people working there. Unfortunately, the infrastructure hasn’t really improved since my first visit in 2005. The main road is still 2-lanes wide (one for each direction), and unlike before when the majority of the transport are either tricycles or golf carts, there are now more vans that shuttles guests to and from the hotel. And there’s still that sewage problem…

By: BoracayStories

BoracayStories — Fri, 31 May 2013 18:13:53 +0000

Very interesting read, Nina! Boracay is, indeed, changing every year!

By: B Chai

B Chai — Fri, 31 May 2013 17:02:32 +0000

I’ll travel with you anyday, Nina…as long as you’re not opposed to someone who’s going to make you stop at every street food stall to try something! LOL. Wow, 10 visits to Boracay? From what I’ve seen from your posts about the place, it leans heavily towards the good side. 😉 As long as the food is good and the drinks keep coming, I’m game…

Just curious though—what are some of the biggest changes you’ve seen there?