Back in Boracay!

After 5 years, I'm back in Boracay! I won a 3 day/ 2 night package including airfare  for 2 at a Rider sandals photocontest which brought me  and Papa back to the party island.



First stop was Kalibo, Aklan which was a 2 hour bus ride from Boracay.

 Lovely view from the bus. Aklan looks very clean!

I wasn't expecting much since I'd been there before and after El Nido, I thought all other beaches would pale in comparison. But I must admit I was wrong! Boracay in the off season is less crowded and yes, lumot-free!  I was so happy to see clear water and white sand but none of the icky algae I saw before. Maybe it's seasonal or has Boracay fixed its sewage?

But the really big factor that made us enjoy the island was Patio Pacific resort. It was one of the resorts I considered the first time but it wasn't beach front property so I passed. Little did I know that this was voted the best Triple A resort in the area. Not only were their accommodations first-class, their staff really cared about their guests. We felt so special I gave them high ratings in their feedback sheet.

Patio Pacific's pool and gym (but we didn't use them--the beach was just too beautiful)

Our deluxe room with mini ref, LCD tv , electronic safety deposit box and electric kettle.

Even more impressive was their effort to be earth-friendly. The key to our room had a small device you would insert in a slot on the wall which would turn on the power in the room. So when we went to the beach and take it out, the power would also turn off except for the refrigerator. Impressive!

Their breakfast buffet was also very good! They had rice, pancit, pancakes, jam and bread, beef tapa and you could pick out the ingredients to your omelette! How I wish the rest of my family was here. They would have loved that! We missed you guys!!!

There are lots of Koreans in Boracay. Even the resort handbook was in English and Korean! And they seem to be enjoying island life. They even like our pancit and beef tapa!

For this trip, I didn't plan any island-hopping or sailboat-riding. It was all about relaxing!

Doing nothing but...Swimming...



...Cloud-gazing: Doesn't that look like a dragon?

 



Sun bathing...



I did have to take a photo of this: Friday's resort, one of the first and more expensive resorts on the island. We thought it was on a separate beach so Twinx and I didn't get to set foot on it. They say it has the finest sand...nope,  It's the same sand!





One tourist-y thing I did do was to get a massage on the beach. Very relaxing.

...especially with the sunset as your view....


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Food is rather pricey in Boracay. But since most of the trip was free, it was ok to splurge a little...

Merienda at Mañana's : Taco platter P385 (3 tacos with 3 dips)

Manana's still yummy! We loved the tacos before and we love them now. But the beef is a little salty. Maybe that's why they had refried beans, rice and corn on the side?
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Dinner at Aria: roasted chicken and potato salad (P430)



Prawns in garlic and rosemary (P570)

 We were supposed to eat at Aria before but were told they didn't open till 11am and I swore I'd go back to find out why it's so popular. My verdict: Does not live up to the hype. I prefer Italianni's and even Amici for value for my money. Maybe we should have oredered the pizza or pasta...
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 Eat all you can Mongolian buffet at Sun Village(P250 per person) This was a fun food trip. You choose the stuff you want to mix in your rice bowl (squid, pork, chicken and beef) add some veggies and seasoning and keep coming back for more. Very tasty but I've reached the conclusion that we are not buffet people. By the second round, we were already full.

Delicious! Wish I had two stomachs!

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Hobbit house is a famous bar in Manila whose owner loved Tolkien's Lord of the Rings novels and decided to put up a bar/resto where only small people are waiters/hobbits. We ordered the sinigang na tanigue and the prawns in garlic and butter (around P400 each). We loved them more than our food in Aria! Too bad the prawns were a tad overcooked and the service rather slow as there were only 2 waiters.
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I love Boracay again! Thanks to Rider sandals for the prize!

The sandals we bought with our Rider gift certificates

Where have my sandals gone? Boracay, baby!

Boracay is still beautiful. I hope it stays that way!

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Meanwhile, back in the city, the Pa's fruits are tempting many neighbors

Apple mangoes hang low just outside our gate.