When you are stressed out and you need to relax and unwind, we Filipinos are very lucky because the natural gems of the tropics are within our country. We have beautiful waterfalls, rivers, mountains, amazing roll of hills, and of course beaches. We don’t need to spend a fortune to experience white and fine sand, pristine crystal clear water, adventures within paradise, and relaxing services. We all have it in here whether you will explore it in Luzon, Visayas, or Mindanao surely you will experience one.
One of the most famous gems that we have and we are very proud of is the Boracay Island. Boracay was recently closed for 6 months, a hiatus for it to recover and somehow clean and restore the island’s beauty. The hiatus started on April 26 and ended on October 26 of 2018.
I remember the time when we went to this beautiful paradise a year prior to its hiatus. We were there September of 2017, there were a lot of foreigners and local tourists that time despite the fact that it was an off-peak season. So far it was the first trip for me that I truly enjoyed because we were really very relaxed. Usually, my travel is more of discovering the place so we tried to compact our schedule to visit the different attractions sites or activities for that place.
But in Boracay, we did not have an itinerary, it’s a come what may thing, it’s like we have so much time to waste. We sleep as long as we want, we wander the beach, we experience activities that are not in the plan. Our only solid plan when we were there was to relax, look at the beach, walk on the shore, take a dip or swim in the powder blue sea (usually seashore’s are turquoise but Boracay is like a huge swimming pool, the sea is powder blue).
There are really instances that hotels are inviting passers-by to have a luncheon in their restaurant in exchange of little time to spend to hear their membership feature. Lucky for us we were invited, we didn’t expect it, The hotel is Astoria Current, a luxurious contemporary resort conveniently situated on the island’s Station 1. The resort has 71 sound proof and non-smoking rooms and suites provide the perfect island setting, with an inspiring tropical atmosphere ideal for romantic getaways or lively nightlife activities. Accommodations are all modern and stylishly designed with a local twist and range from 26-50 square meters that offer private balconies or terrace views. The resort offers it’s unique Tropical Free-Style Cuisine and Fresh Catch of The Day at White Cafe, it’s own al fresco restaurant and coffee shop. The resort is currently fully accredited by the Philippine Department of Tourism and enjoys a AAA rating (equivalent to 5 star category).
Though we can experience activities like parasailing and helmet diving here in Cebu, why not try it in Boracay too?
Beside from sleeping.. Eat..eat.. and eat is an activity that’s part of the “relaxing” agenda hahahaha
So far, I think we spent around Php 10,000 plus for this trip, below are the items I can remember.
- Airfare: ~3K to 4K
- Accommodation: ~1.5K each
- Ferry ticket: 75 per way
- Terminal fee: 100
- Environmental fee: 75
- Parasailing and Island Hopping: 2K
- Food: ~2K
- Van: 200 per way
It was really worth it and will surely come back, as of this writing Boracay is somewhat open but only for local or person within Philippines 1 and with the documents needed 2. You can visit the island but must have a reserved accommodation as part of the pandemic prevention policy. Hopefully by next year once this pandemic is over we can all go back to this paradise and bask again while laying in the white sand and pristine water without these protocols.
PANDEMIC POLICY GUIDELINE
1- Residents from areas in Philippines under General Community Quarantine (GCQ) or Modified General Community Quarantine (MGCQ) with a negative RT-PCR test result taken not earlier than 72 hours prior to traveling and who have secured the necessary document requirements of Boracay. The IATF has implemented a “one entrance, one exit” policy, making it easier to monitor the number of visitors currently on the island. Godofredo Ramos Airport aka Caticlan Airport is the only port of entry for tourists traveling by land, air, or sea.
2-Travelers from GCQ or MCGQ areas must secure a negative Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test result taken not earlier than 72 hours prior to travel.
Filled out the Health Declaration Form and send the requirements via email
Visitors have to register online at https://www.touristboracay.com/ to answer a health declaration form. Take a screenshot of the confirmation page and send the following requirements to touristboracay@gmail.com using the email subject OHDC-FamilyName, FirstName at least 12 hours or more before your trip
- Screenshot of the OHDC confirmation
- Proof of identification with Philippine Residency
- RT-PCR Negative Result Certificate (saliva, nasopharyngeal or oropharyngeal) with date of extraction within 72 hours to date of travel
- A copy of a confirmed booking slip/form from a Boracay accommodation. Travelers should already have pre-booked hotels or resorts to stay in Boracay. Once booked, they should register through Aklan’s mobile app. Check out the list of DOT-accredited accommodations with a Certificate of Authority to Open here.
- Roundtrip flight/travel details via Caticlan Airport only
- S-Pass Travel Coordination Permit (TCP) (can be obtained from https://s-pass.ph/)
source of the guideline: https://guidetothephilippines.ph/articles/ultimate-guides/boracay-travel-guide