Beautiful Boracay was an unknown island of farmers and fishermen until it was "discovered" in the mid-70's. At first its existence was a closely guarded secret, whispered from friend to priviledged friend. Now it's a major destination for visitors to the Philippines and has been voted as one of the best beaches in the world by several surveys.

In a mere 10 years, Boracay changed from a traveler's hangout with inexpensive, lantern-lit bungalows and a nearly deserted stretch of the most spectacular beach in Asia to an upscale beach destination known around the world.

Once an isolated island known only to back packers and world travelers, Boracay today is deservedly the most popular beach resort in the Philippines. The reasons are obvious; sand as fine and white as talcum powder, dazzling aquamarine waters, soaring coconut trees that hang over the baeches like in a scene from South Pacific, lonely coves, epic sunsets, plus some of the finest accommodations in the country.

Boracay now has everything an upscale tourist could hope for, and the fabulous White Beach is lined with fancy, a/c bungalows, nightly buffets of fresh seafoodm guitar music, and massage. Boracay has also become a mecca for job-seeking Filipinos who work in restaurants, the shops and the strip of discos and bars that lines the beach.

Boracay is still relatively inexpensive; the bungalows for backpackers are located behind the beachfront at White Beach, but it's no longer a traveler's hide-out. Everyone has discovered Boracay, and its not unusual to pass a hundred foreigners a day on the beach.

Boracay (10 square km) is seven km. long and only one km across at its narrowest point. It has three main villages - Yapak, Balabag, and Manoc-Manoc - and numerous small sitios, all connected by a maze of paths. The spectacular 3-5 km White Beach stretches from Sitio Diniwid to Sitio Angol on the west side, and resorts are strung out along almost its entire length.

ACTIVITIES

The most popular activity on Boracay is simply lazing on the beach and taking an occasional dip in the turquoise water. It's a hard life in the tropics!

There is some windsurfing offered on Boracay, but it is limited to some of the more upscale resorts. Fees are high for all activities on the island, but bargaining is common.

Snorkelling is a popular activity, masks can be rented at various places. Snorkeling is better at the south end of White Beach near Angol, but in spite of the clear water, the coral and fishlife are quite mediocre by Philippine standards. Boracay's best snorkeling is off the eastern shore, especially near Lapus Lapus and Sugod, but riptides and currents can be a hazard.

Puka Beach

One of the more unusual beaches on the island is dazzling Puka Shell Beach beyond Yapak at the island's north end. There's a fine view of Carabao Island from the beach and a forest of staghorn coral lies immediately offshore, but be wary of the strong currents that sweep between the islands. Before the advent of tourism, a major source of income for islanders was digging here for puka and heishi shells. Puka shells-small round, white (sometimes dotted with brown) - are found in only a few other places, i.g, Bali and Hawaii. Boracay's now rare puka shells are said to be the world's finest for luster and whiteness.

RESTAURANTS

Restaurants are within easy reach of all cottages. The cluster between Mangayad and Angol is particularly good, and the more upscale restaurants are at Balabag.

Many of the bungalows built behind White Beach also have their own small restaurants serving good meals at reasonable prices.

ENTERTAINMENT

Nightlife here tends to begin slowly, as everyone hangs around the beachfront restaurants watching the sunset. With a more upmarket crowd invading Boracay, the party atmosphere has become subdued as many foreigners retire early.

SERVICES AND INFORMATION

Boracay is a well-developed resort island with all possible facilities.

Money: Cash and traveler's checks can be changed at the Boracay Tourist Center in the middle of White Beach. It has international phone services, both incoming and outgoing faxes, a postal office, a booking agency for all airlines, hotel reservations throughout the Philippines, safety deposit boxes, drugstore, one-hour photo service, and a bulletin board with some very interesting ads postered by local expats (stuff for sale, upcoming events, etc).

The Boracay Tourist Center wil also help with money transfer and will give Visa and Mastercard cash advances with a seven percent service charge.

Cash and traveler's checks can also be exchanged at the three Allied Bank branches scattered around White Sand Beach.

Telephone: International and domestic phone calls can be made from most resort and from the Boracay Tourist Center, Pantelco Business Center in Balabag, and Bayan Tel at the south end of the beach.

Post Office: A small post office is in Balabag just behind the basketball court.

Visa Extensions: Visa extensions are handled by Swagman Travel with several ofices along the main beach.

Hospital: Emergency medical care is best at the Tirol Hospital on the main road near Green Hill Cottages. Serious problems will require evacuation to Kalibo or Manila.

Information above are taken from " Philippines Handbook" by Carl Parkes, third edition.