The Island Explorer

A fellow travel blogger caught my attention with this article on Boracay. Here she explained why Boracay is PROBABLY the WORST island in the world. Do you agree?  Well, I couldn't help but put up a lengthy response to her article. Here is what I said: *** Hi Anna! First of, I am a fan of your blog. So being a Filipino travel blogger, this article caught my attention quick. It got me startled.  Whenever I write something bad in my blog, it’s usually out of huge frustration. I actually try not to rant on my blog, unless it is called for. So, being a blogger, I sense that urge for you to release all your frustrations about Boracay, and the Philippines maybe. I am so sorry that you had a lousy time here.  I agree to your points, but I think, the use of the WORST in the title is what got me off. You see, I have been to almost all popular Asian beaches and islands from Sri Lanka to Sihanoukville to Bali. After all my years of traveling, one beach has claimed my B...

Villas or vacation rentals are still a lesser known accommodation type in the Philippines. Most Filipinos would gravitate towards resorts and hotels. Since I discovered vacation rentals way back during my South African trip, I have not stopped looking for houses that can be rented for a day or two. Well, this post is about a beach house I rented recently in the most popular island in the country. I couldn't stop raving about it ever since. Welcome to Villa Kaloo.

Being in Boracay almost every month, I have become familiar with most accommodations on the island, from Station 1 all the way to the very end of Station 3, from Diniwind to Bulabog, from backpacker guesthouses to private villas. But there is one resort that got me surprised, since, I wouldn't have expected it to be like what it is. This resort was the Crown Regency Resort and Convention Center.

Everybody loves White Beach, so most prefer to stay on this side of Boracay. However, just as I learned recently, there is more to White Beach in Boracay. It started actually when I fell in love with Shangri-La, that piece of heaven that made me forget all together that I was in Boracay. And that's a big feat. Then, I got to savor sleeping in Bulabog which was a treat as well. Now, I got to stay in one of the biggest resort developments in the island, and also one of the first massive developments as well. This is Fairways and Bluewater.

Let's take a step back for a while and fly back to one of the best beaches in the world that is found here in our country. I've spent a reasonable amount of time in Boracay this year, and what follows are the accommodations that I've stayed in for almost a period of a month. Let's start off with the lesser known side of Boracay, Bulabog beach.

When we were walking back to our room, we took a wrong turn and ended up in the garden villas near the poolside. We were able to catch a glimpse of these villas, so we curiously approached the front desk and asked how much the villas were.

It is often said that the "flaw" of Shangri-la Boracay is the beach. Well, if one compares the sand quality of the resort's private beach to White Beach, then it is really inferior. 

We took too long in our lovely room so we pushed ourselves to explore the all-inclusive resort. We wore our swim suits and headed straight for the beach area. As soon as we left the room, we were greeted by their friendly personnel who was fixing the other room. I asked for the fastest way to get to the beach.

Last June, a close friend of mine got married in Boracay. I actually recommended him to Asya Premier Suites, so that was where the wedding was held. I was with my daughter who lives in the US, so we decided to splurge for our first night in Shangri-la Boracay. This begins my journey back to Boracay, now older and not really after getting drunk every night (though this still did happen). 

So what resort will give you this view in Boracay? It is located at the edge of Station 3, far away from the maddening crowd, but still accessible via White Beach. The resort is expansive, has just recently opened and is, for me, the best resort in Boracay. Friends, welcome to Asya Premeir Suites. From Astoria Boracay, we were picked up in a Toyota Innova by one of the staff members of Asya. We traveled 15 minutes into several baranggays, into seemingly nowhere. Then, suddenly, I had opened my eyes to a grand driveway, with a zen fountain in the middle. We were welcomed by the receptionists, who invited us for some refreshing pandan drinks, while we signed our registration cards. Arriving in a reception lobby that looked like those I see in high end resorts in Bali excited me to the bone. I knew I was in for something I never expected. We were then brought to rooms via a golf cart. Funny how these luxury resorts use golf carts to bring their guests to their rooms, even if it wa...

I was surprised at the changes I saw in Boracay, but I kind of expected it. Boracay's backstreets now looked like Bali, less the high end shops and great restaurants. I think Boracay should develop these areas as well, and not just focus tourism on the beachfront. From Astoria, we headed to Bulabog Beach, to see what's happening there. Unfortunately, Bulabog was calmer this season, while White Beach had more of the waves perfect for kite boarding. So we just strolled along the tranquil shores, and looked at the resorts. We wanted to see 7 Stones, as it was a Fuego Hotel development, but we were denied entry. It didn't look that nice anyway. So, we went back to White Beach for lunch. And there we saw the kiteboarders, who gracefully rode the waves using a kite. Kiteboarding looked very difficult, especially after my failed attempts in wakeboarding. We opted to dine in Station 1 since we wanted to try out this Moroccan restaurant that we heard from a friend. We didn't kno...

So this begins my return to Boracay after 2 years. And that's a pretty long time. I used to go to Boracay twice a year every year since I got out of College. But the past two years have isolated me from one of my favorite islands in the Philippines. And yes, no matter what they say, Boracay is still Boracay. Since I live in Astoria Plaza in Ortigas, I've been seeing the new Astoria Boracay poster in the lobby. It said, "making waves in Station 1". The picture looked nice, so we tried to book for a room for 3 nights there. When we inquired about the room rates, I was surprised that they were significantly higher than if you booked online via Agoda. So that's what we did. Booked the last room in Astoria Boracay in the Agoda website. Astoria Boracay was actually at the end of Station 2, and not really part of Station 1. That was a disappointment for me, since the beach front is small, compared to those in Station 1, that has the widest and finest Boracay sand. There ...