Boracay Island, Aklan | Self-Exiled in Boracay: Top 5 Boracay Activities You Shouldn't Miss

There’s so many one can dream of doing in Boracay. One trip to Boracay is never going to be enough. It is very rare to find someone claiming that he/she is tired of going to Boracay. True that a lot has changed over the years but Boracay will continue to please for as long as people will continue to care for its beauty.  A lot of new stuff have come to Boracay since it began attracting hordes of foreign/local tourists.

Here’s 5 things that the stokedtraveler liked best during his 5 day stay on the island.


1. FlyFish. From afar, it doesn’t really look very exciting. An oversized banana boat pulled by a speedboat going around just like how a banana boat is supposed to be. But seeing it and being on it are far different from each other. The ride flyfish gave was really exhilarating! It was like holding on to a banana boat but with a mix of paragliding (because it really does “fly” –thus the name “FlyFish”). 



They will try to squeeze in 6 people on one ride but it just feels better with less people. The rubber boat can hardly lift off the water with 6 people. If you look closely, it does seem that the operators are using the boat in the wrong way nowadays. They let people ride on it as if it was a banana boat. In other countries, people ride in between and not on top of the bulges. 



Not sure which one is better though. Still, the FlyFish is experience is fun enough to merit another try.

Be good to the driver of the speedboat. If you give him a tip, he might just let you experience driving the speedboat going back to Station 1.

2. Cliff Jumping @Ariel’s Point. Hands down the best water activity in Boracay during this trip. Make sure to reserve your slot a day or two ahead because there are limited slots available per day. The boats going to Ariel’s Point leave at 11:30 AM and travel for about 40 minutes going to Ariel’s Point. There were three boats that time. The stokedtraveler was lucky to be wearing the yellow baller band which meant he gets to ride on the big two level wooden boat. The other boats were just ordinary ones. Unlimited drinks (i.e. soda, beer, water) are served while on the boat. 



Guests can immediately start jumping off the designated platforms as soon as they arrive on the island. They have 3m, 5m, 8m and 15m high jump off points! Take advantage of this time to make most of the jumps. 

Lunch is prepared for about an hour as soon as everyone arrives. Meanwhile, they still serve unlimited drinks and some fish crackers. Cliff jumping stops during lunch time. There are no lifeguards to watch you during meal time and as always cliff jumping is at one’s own risk. On the menu is mostly grilled food served in buffet style. It also comes with lots of fruits in season. Naturally, people will dig in during this meal. The downside is that they get too full to jump afterwards. For those who want to burn calories after eating, they can use the kayaks that are provided by Ariel’s point. There is a good number of kayaks available but it is not possible to accommodate everyone. So make sure to finish your lunch early and reserve your kayak as soon as you can. Otherwise, just wait for your stomach to adequately digest the food by walking the vicinity and appreciating how Ariel’s point came about as a top tourist destination. 

The boat going back to Boracay leaves somewhere around 3:30pm (perhaps depending on the tides). The waves were a little stronger and it was harder to traverse the floating wooden planks by the time the group was called out to board the boats.

Note:
No one is allowed to wear life vests while jumping. There are two life guards stationed on the water (they should really add more). If you are not comfortable to jump without a vest, signal the life guard to watch out for you and toss you a life vest when you hit the water. The natural buoyancy of salty water will let you float right back up after being underwater for just a few seconds. It is ok for non-swimmers to take the jump. Just remember to always signal the lifeguard (you’ll have to call their attention because they can be unmindful at times.) and never panic. This can’t be recommended for those with medical conditions or irrational fear of water and heights. Always think safety first!

3. Epic Party. Party like it’s the end of the world. The stokedtraveler and a few of his friends were regulars in Epic during the 4 night stay in Boracay. 



Friday and Saturday parties were “epic”! The rest of the days were just fine. 



Epic has a great playlist and an even better party crowd. 

The group also tried partying in Guilly’s Island. The playlist was also great but the crowd was not. One brave soul was wearing glow-in-the-dark neon colored sunglasses and he/she also wore equally glowing vest-like clothes (or maybe it was a bag). One girl was dancing wearing long casual jeans and a polo-shirt doing some really awkward robotic dance moves! 



The DJ was playing really nice music but the crowd just massacred the vibe. From Guilly’s they moved to the next nearby pub, Club Paraw. It was jam-packed which seemed to be a good sign. 



Unfortunately, it was another case of good music wrong crowd pub. It was so packed that it was hard to move (and breathe). Eyes seem to follow you around and it was just really not the ideal Boracay party for the group. 



If you’re one to party with lady boys then the crowd at Club Paraw that night is perfect for you. The stokedtraveler and his friends ended up partying back in Epic. They noticed that the group of foreigners who came from Guilly’s also ended up going to Epic. Even the lady DJ in Guilly’s partied in epic!



If you're the type for a party marathon, you can try the "pub crawl". You go with a group and hop from one pub to the next. They'll make sure you'll go "crawling" back home by the time it is over!

4. Food trip galore! Boracay is also a food lover’s paradise. Several hotels/resorts open their buffet meals to non-guests. There are also a few restaurants/shops selling various specialties from Lobsters, Crabs, Oysters, other seafood, Mexican food, Italian pizza, streetfood (i.e. Choriburger) and many more to desserts like Gelato, Lemon cupcakes, Cheese cakes and refreshments like milk fruit shakes. 

Chori-burger

Almost everything and anything that comes to mind when thinking of a good meal/snack can be found in Boracay. You can even buy your own seafood and have it cooked at a nearby restaurant. For those with the casual choice in food, there is also Mcdonald’s, Shakey’s, Yellow Cab Pizza and Starbucks.

Jonah's Avocado-Banana Fruit Shake and Super-sized Mango pancake!

For those who wish to try dining at D’Talipapa “paluto-style”, make sure to have an advance party reserve a seat for you. The restaurants there can be cramped during lunch and dinner time so be prepared to battle off for your seat.

An Assortment of seafood ready to be bought and cooked

For very late diners, there’s always Smoke (D’Mall) and Andok’s open 24/7 to attend to your hunger.

Tilapia N’ Chips is another of those dining places you wouldn’t know existed. It is in the far corner of D’Mall (station 2) almost near the main road. They have a decent meal for those with discerning taste for food at a fair price. A friend told the stokedtraveler that the chef used to be a chef in Friday’s Boracay before deciding to open his own shop. That could explain why the food served is much much better than what one would’ve expected for shops in that area.

More on food in Boracay: Ang Pinaka’s Yummy Restaurants in Boracay

5. Beach bumming. When people go to Boracay they get too excited about planning their day-to-day activities. What they forget is that Boracay is well-known for its powdery white sand and clear water. Parties and other recreational activities only come second. 



Why not take a day or two or even more to just appreciate this beauty. It is quite invigorating to be sipping your favorite fruit shake (preferably Jonah’s) while relaxing by the beach. Station 1 still has that best preserved world-renowned boracay white sand. It is a long walk from Stations 2-3 but it is definitely time well spent. You also get to have a better view of the Boracay sunset from Station 1. 



Station 2 has good powdery sand and water as well (but not as good as in Station 1). The stokedtraveler found it unusual that the waves were quite strong in Station 2 at the time of their visit. It was almost like an off-season La Union wave. Puka Beach is also another option for those looking for warmer waters and a more peaceful surrounding. Going there will cost you a boat ride but it may just be the peace and quiet you need. The sand is coarse and made up of crushed puka shells but the stokedtraveler enjoyed swimming there more than in Station 2. The best thing about beach bumming? It’s free! A little more budget to spare? Try having a soothing massage by the beach or maybe have a henna tattoo as souvenir.

Needless to mention, souvenir shopping is definitely a must-do. It gives you a chance to walk around the stretch of the area without being pressured for time. Other activities which may be nice to try would be parasailing, paragliding, paraw sailing, sunset cruise, and riding a jetski. Unless you are sponsored or you have really prepared for it, these activities can really tear a hole on your wallet. The rest of the activities not mentioned here are either on the “Things to not do again in Boracay” list or things that didn’t occur to the stokedtraveler.

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