WELCOME TO BORACAY !!!
When people hear of the island of Boracay, they visualize unbelievably clear waters that often reflect the blinding lights of the sun. People begin to anticipate the soft and fine white sand being dug by their toes as they bathe in sea and sunlight. People look forward to romantic strolls at the beach where the night sky is lit by an unusually large moon. And people are intrigued to the much-talked-about frenzied disco nights where the rules are simply dancing, singing, and having fun.
Practically everything in Boracay is civilized and tame against the backdrop of a gentle and nurturing nature. But there is a side of the Boracay where few people are aware of and few people dare to explore. This side of the Boracay is ominously dark, uncomfortably dank, and perhaps, purposely hidden from too many human eyes. This side of Boracay refers to the Yapak forest.
The Yapak Forest is thick and jungle-like. It is an extreme challenge even for the most seasoned jungle explorer. This forest is the habitat of many tropical animals, such as the monkeys, the snakes, and the giant “flying foxes�. These flying foxes are alarmingly large bats but they only feed on fruits and not on flesh and blood. During the night, the giant fruit bats scour the Yapak Forest to find their food, and then, as daylight invades, they return to their trees and restfully hang upside down.
Beside the home-trees of the Flying Foxes, one will find three distinct caves, the Crystal Cave, the Buslugan Cave, and the Bat Cave. The last one, the Bat Cave, shelters the cave bats. Bats, like humans, are mammals. That is, their young is born alive and nourished by the mother. But unlike people, bats, particularly cave bats, hated the light and the noise. This is why they are also nocturnal, that is, they are awake at night and are asleep during the day. When a tourist explores the Bat Cave, he must be extremely cautious and must avoid making noise that will disturb the bats. When disturbed, bats are known to fly about in a frenzy.
The Boracay island can be reached via 45-minute local plane flights from Manila to Kalibo, Aklan. From Kalibo, buses ply towards Caticlan Jetty, where the tourist must take a 90-minute boat ride towards the Boracay island. If the tourist will be hailing from Cebu, there will also be plane flights towards Kalibo, but these are just twice a week. Once in Boracay island, the caves can be reached either by walking or by riding a bicycle. Walking is best if one is staying at the Ilig-Iligan Beach. There are many local guides who will lead the first-time explorer towards the bat caves.
Boracay is a small tropical island located in the Philippines. Famous for its beautiful white sand beaches, Boracay first showed up on the tourist map as a backpackers destination decades ago. Since then Boracay has grown so much in popularity that the original backpackers would probably not recognize it. This is not a terrible thing, however!
Boracay now has some of the finest hotels and resorts in the Philippines. It has also become home to amazing restaurants serving up authentic flavors from around the world. Boracay’s nightlife scene has also developed quite nicely. Bars and discos can be found up and down Boracay’s white beach, keeping the crowds partying till the early hours. In peak season Boracay hosts a wide range of international DJs playing to packed parties.
Boracay has also developed with respect to activities. Now each and every day can be packed with fun adventure. Scuba diving, parasailing, golfing, horseback riding, kiteboarding, and jet skiing are just a few of the many activities on Boracay.
Boracay hotels are varied to say the least. From huts on the beach to 5-star resorts, everything is available. With so many choices some find it hard to choose the right Boracay hotel. Fear not. My Boracay Guide is here to help.
One of the most important things to consider when choosing a Boracay hotel is location. White beach is 4kilometers long and there are hotels all up and down its length. The beach is broken up into three “boat stations” which comes from years ago when the boats would drop off tourists directly on the beach.
Many of the most luxurious Boracay hotels are located on station 1. This is because the beach is at its widest here and the sand is at its finest. Station 1 is also nice and quiet, the perfect place for relaxation. There are also many Boracay hotels in Station 2. Station 2 is at the heart of it all. This is the shopping and dining center of Boracay Island. Staying in a Boracay hotel in station 2 affords one the maximum in convenience. Station 3 is the sleepiest part of the beach and is the perfect place to go if you want to avoid the crowds. The Boracay hotels here are mostly on the budget end but a few of the newer hotels are targeting the high-end market.
We hope that this information helps you to select the perfect Boracay hotel. Please enjoy the wealth of Boracay information that our site provides. If you have any specific questions feel free to contact one of our Boracay experts.
Map of Boracay Island
Boracay Island is located about 200 miles south of Manila and 2 kilometers off the northwest tip of Panay in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines. Boracay is under the Municipality of Malayand is comprised of three barangays(similar to village) called the Manoc-Manoc, theBalabag, and the barangay of Yapak and is under the administrative control of the Department of Tourism (DOT) in coordination with the Provincial Government of Aklan.
Boracay island is only about seven kilometers long and 1083 hectares. The center of the Island, where the population of about 16,000 people(as of 2006), is concentrated, is flat and narrow. Both the Southern and northern ends of the island are wider and hilly, with the highest point, Mount Luho which is about 100 meters high is located in the northeast.
This Map of Boracay Island includes the dive sites, boat stations, beautiful beaches and other attractions in boracay. For guide and detailed information about the beaches and dive sites, see the links below:
