The Stokedtraveler and a few friends hastily booked a flight to Boracay via Zest Air. It wasn’t really that rushed because it was planned atleast a month ahead. The plan was to go for a 4-day trip. By Zest Air’s doing (they cancelled both flights 2-days prior to D-day!) the group had to cram to call Zest Air’s hotline to reschedule the flights. Least to say, the process was appalling enough to swear that this will be the first and last Zest Air flight the stokedtraveler will be taking (until they fix their act). When the rescheduled flights were released, the 4-day stay had to be extended one more day. The dilemma? What to do in Boracay for 5 days and 4 nights with a limited travel budget.
Here’s the multi-part blog series on things to do and watch out for when self-exiled in Boracay for a week!
Tourist traps and disappointing things in Boracay today
Everywhere you travel there will always be something to watch out for. Here are some things the stokedtraveler recommends you be wary of or braced yourself for when in Boracay.
1. There are lots of locals offering packaged activities in Boracay. Some might take advantage when you are being too generous with what they are offering. Remember to haggle the best deals before closing any of them. Most of the locals earn their living through commissions from tour operators; it wouldn’t be too bad to share a little to them if you can. If you are on a tight budget, you can always go straight to the local tour operators like Red Coral and Diamond.
2. Keep an eye out for real bargains when souvenir shopping. Visit more than one shop before deciding on your purchase. You might think you already got a good deal only to find that you find the same exact item at a lower price from another shop.
3. When partying be wary of hanging out with strangers. It is after all a general rule. Always let someone know where you’re at and who you are with and where you are going. Boracay attracts too many people and not everyone might have good intentions.
4. Expect less of the famed sand castles. Back in the days, people coming from Boracay would come home with photos of them with large sand castles as their backdrop. Today, a mayor’s permit is required to put up large sand castles (maybe another way to get more income). They claim that putting up sand castles alters the natural terrain and that it blocks pathways. It doesn’t really make sense as an argument but it’s been passed as an ordinance so sadly the sand castles which used to exhibit local artistry is no longer that much of a common sight on the beach.
5. This one’s not really a tourist trap but is something to watch out for anyway. One of the great things in Boracay is the ambience and being comfortable with the people. No disrespect meant to our homophile readers but there’s been a surge of “dolled up boys” (cross dressers) in Boracay. How one person wants to present himself/herself is his choice but literally chasing/stalking male tourists is just rude (same goes for any gender). It is one thing to dress up the way you want but acting like a hooker is another.
How do you enjoy Boracay for 5-days without feeling like a tramp? Here are some tips from the stokedtraveler’s recent Boracay experience
1. Get the best value for your accommodations. Many will argue that coming prepared is always best. This means most people book their rooms even before going to Boracay. If you are planning on doing this, atleast make sure you are getting the best deals. Compare the published rates with that offered in the stokedtraveler’s agoda.com rates and see which deal is better. But if you are more on the adventurous side, you can also try room-hunting on the spot. Boracay Island is lined up with rooms, inns and hotels all the way from Station 3 to Station 1. If you have the luxury of time to do this, you might just bag the best deals on your accommodations.
2. Never do your souvenir shopping in a rush. This will cause you more dough than it should. Find time to do your shopping. There are a lot of things you can buy by skipping the more expensive stuff. If you are a seasoned Boracay traveler then you might be fed up with the usual trickets, go ahead splurge on the more unusual Boracay finds!
 |
| The Boni High Street of D'Mall Boracay |
3. Shop and dine early. You might find this one unusual –so did the stokedtraveler. For some reason, most shops and restaurants were already closed past 10 PM. This was really disappointing to see. The only ones open were the bars and a few handpicked restaurants. Doing these activities earlier in the day will give you better options to fit your budget. You might even get to catch free entertain (i.e. firedancing, live music etc)
4. Pick out the activities you like the most. Read blogs. Take advices from those that have already been there. There are too many activities to choose from but there’s a shorter list of activities that will make your trip to Boracay more memorable. Make your time and money count when choosing your activities
5. When all else fails, stick to beach bumming. It’s free and it’s going to be the best time you’ll ever spend in Boracay. You might even get to catch some Boracay events and even have a chance to be a contender in one of them.
 |
| With Magic 89.9's DJ Noelle :) |
It's also a great idea to look for the a beach resort in Boracay on the spot, BUT it's a little too risky specially if you are in Boracay during peak seasons.
ReplyDeleteYes it is. I actually want to try doing that sometime. Last time we went there (peak season), there were a few tourists going from one inn to another without any luck of getting a room. Surely there were rooms available but definitely not those near the beach.
Delete