The whole family went to Boracay, Philippines last December, 2024.
Well, for so long in operation, and we now have the option of selecting Caticlan airport, one that is closer to the beach stations, than many years back and you only have Aklan airport and would need to rravel by bus, then by boat. That would take some hours of bus travel.
So, we did all before the flight. Meaning, we booked our shuttle ride when we booked our flight. And our hotel, Feliz, helped a lot in settling our shuttle bus (or van) rides. Very well organized. Only that on the day we arrived at Caticlan, it was raining. It was raining the weeks before and it was lightly raining when we touched down, then while waiting for our ride, it poured! You can see the sea waves getting higher and higher. That made some of our fellow passengers get to thinking, "Are we going through that?" And thank goodness, no!
So the stalls for the shuttle rides were on the other side of the road, so had to get wet. Once over at the other side, we just mentioned our hotel and name, and the number of people. Like a secret code said out loud for the 5 people inside the stall to hear it, and well, that settle it. We were given our stickers, and were told to put it on a conspicuous spot so we put them below our shoulders. And had to inform the guy wearing the orange shirt - he's our booker.
Our ride came, it was a shared ride, or it would have been more expensive, but the ride is still spacious, of course, as we had to put in all our luggage, and the other party's luggage, too.
Like all hotels, once we arrived, they wouldn't let us carry anything. Well, not used to that, so we picked up the smaller bags and backpacks, where our valuables are kept. Waited for a while at the lobby, then got our rooms.
Feliz Hotel, the Spanish-inspired design, the front doors are gigantic! I estimated the height to be like 3 floors. And the plants were tall. I was joking that our daughters were like elves or dwarfs when they jokingly stood under the tall plants! Well, you know.
Feliz Hotel is in Station 2, and you can go to Station 1 or to Station 3 very quickly. But don't, Enjoy the beach and the people, locals or tourists, and look around, maybe something will catch your attention and decide to buy a souvenir, or something to munch on while taking that stroll.
Very skilled craftsmen, you will find, then you go for the wood keychains where your name, or the name of someone you want to give it to. Less than a minute, the guy said 10 seconds, and did it at that time actually.
Try the food and you will like them. Take your pick. The shirts, or bags, or anything that you like. manicure, pedicure, whatever you see, if you want it, go for it.
Here's the thing. We bought a couple of thousand Philippine pesos but still ran out of cash. No worries! There are many money changers in the island, near the beach, or further out to the roads. And right outside Feliz Hotel is a pair of EuroNet ATMs, where we were able to withdraw more Philippine pesos against our dollar accounts.
Cash settled, we were able to go around more and try more food stalls and restaurants. And I'm not sure, but there seems to be some promotions running during our short vacation in Boracay, like Chow King but this and you get that, buy more and you get more. We like the halu-halo a lot! And then we went to Jollibee, a local food icon all over the Philippines, and is now having 6 branches here in Singapore, our country of residence. Expanding and expanding, spreading the jolly chicken goodness!
We did not get to try banana boat or paragliding, but we enjoyed the sunset cruise. Not spectacular, yet in its simplicity, I will say it is superb! We're not more on sights, but on experience. When we stopped at the place where we can do water activities, we wasted no time to dive, snorkel, kayak. And take alot of photos. BoracayGuide folks also were very helpful, they took a lot of photos, but only posted a few. Well, to their discretion. And, the sunset is mesmeriizing. Out at sea, looking at the setting sun, that's one unforgettable memory.
Would be be coming back to Boracay? You bet! Would be still stay at Feliz Hotel? Definitely! We found out that they have their own firedance show. We got to pick our seat at the front when we learned that in 15 minutes, the firedancers will be starting. You see, we thought only one resturant is having the firedance show, and that's what we watched our first night. But then, like not hearing it right the first time, checked again with one of the hotel personnel, and once we had it confirmed, pick a spot, took our seat! Their performances are different, as well as the number of performers. You gotta be there to see it and enjoy it! Sorry, no videos.
Many more things to say, but let's leave a lot to the imagination, or, your own experience. It was raining on our way to the island and back, and small waves were there during our boar rides. Going in, we were with a couple of fellow tourists, some elderly and some small kids. Everyone was quiet when the boat, picking up speed, was going up and down at first, then higher and higher at it went out to deeper waters and the waves are bigger and more frequent. Our girls suddenly shouted in excitement when a big wave sent the boat unusually high and the sudden drop caused the seawater splashing. That broke the silence! Well, it was actually noisy, but passengers were gripping tight and getting edgy, and with that big wave up and down drop and splash broke the tension.
Then I learned that these boat rides don't stop. I was imagining if it was pitch black and you are out in the same sea. What will it be like to be a passenger? Those who take the Aklan airport, I learned, are those who usually cross the sea around 12 midnight, or the wee hours of the morning, when it is pitch black and you don't see anything but lights at the shore and from other boats. That would be a different experience altogehter.
I'd stop here. Go and have a great time in Boracay. Who knows what or who you will find there.
Till then!
