AMAZING BORACAY ISLAND…SPECTACULAR SHANGRI-LA
AMAZING BORACAY ISLAND…
SPECTACULAR SHANGRI-LA
by Daniel Y. Go
Boracay is a small island in the Philippines located approximately 315 km south of Manila and 2 km off the northwest tip of Panay Island in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines. (Credit to Wikipedia)
It is probably one of the top tourist destination here in the Philippines and is the defacto beach destination for people who want their beach experience to be more lively than nature tripping. It’s often called the island paradise with sand so smooth and white that the word powdery can do justice to it. Aside from the sea and sand, there are plenty of activities available for those who want water sports – sailing, banana boat ride, Para-gliding, sea floor walking, kayaking, etc… For those who simply want to food trip and soak up the atmosphere, there are many establishments along the beach front from hotels and accommodations to fit all budgets, to many restaurants catering to different cuisines and budgets and of course, the different drinking places and bars with live entertainments for those who want to party the night away… The main commercial strip there is called D’Mall where all sorts of commercial establishments can be found there. It is also the main gate way to the main 3.5km long White beach front of the island. It is divided into Stations 1, 2, 3.
- STATION 1 – Boracay’s 3.5 kilometer-long White Beach is divided into 3 parts, Boat Stations 1, 2 & 3. Station 1 has the best and finest stretch of white sand in the entire island, and also where most luxury resorts are found. It is also a quieter area compared to Station 2.
- STATION 2 – a convenient, busy area with lots of people and where you can find ‘D’mall’, an assortment of shops and restaurants. During the peak season this place can get really crowded.
- STATION 3 – a less crowded area compared to Station 2 and where you can find cheaper resorts.
- Other areas in Boracay Island – Diniwid Beach, Mt. Luho, Yapak. Notable resorts include Fairways & Bluewater in Baranggay Balabag and Shangri-La Boracay in Baranggay Yapak. (Credit: http://www.ilink.ph/boracay-resorts)
I personally prefer the quiet to the party, I want my beach experience to be relaxing and chill. That is why I prefer to stay at Shangri-la Boracay Resort and Spa (http://www.shangri-la.com/boracay/boracayresort/) . The moment you arrive at the Godofredo P. Ramos Boracay Airport at Caticlan, you are immediately met by a hotel staff that is ready to assist you with your luggage and transfer to the hotel’s private pier. The travel from the airport to the pier is about 15 minutes and once at the pier, you are offered cold fruit juice drinks and fresh wet towels to freshen you up. From the pier, you then travel via a 20 minute speedboat ride to the resort which is located on the quiet side of the island.
The resort has luxurious accommodations, great restaurants, a wonderful swimming pool and two private beaches with clear, clean and pristine waters. Aside from deluxe hotel rooms and suites, the resort offers villas for those who want to have more privacy. My family and I took advantage of the room sale that Shangri-la Boracay held last year and was able to book a 2 night stay at one of their villas at a heavily discounted price. Even so, the price was steep and definitely something that took us a couple of years to save up for. There are different types of villas available from tree top villas, garden villas and pool villas with different room configurations. We booked ourselves into a 2 bedroom pool villa which has a private pool, 2 rooms, a living room and easy access to the beach. The resort also provides an hourly shuttle to and back from D’mall. I definitely felt that the 3 days, 2 nights we spent there was too short. We were pampered and truly enjoyed our stay at the resort. I guess it will serve as an extra motivation for us to save more so when we return (God willing), we can stay longer.