Dianne's Nook

I thought I already saw the entire Boracay when we circled the whole Boracay Island through our island-hopping activity. But I never expected I'll be seeing it from the top. The view was spectacular and worth every penny.

Parasailing is one of the most expensive activity in Boracay. It involves 2-3 people attached to a parachute, hoisted up in the air by a speedboat. We availed the parasailing activity for 1200 pesos per person. We were 8 so we got a discounted price. Still quite expensive but seeing one of the most beautiful beaches in the world from above is definitely an experience to try in Boracay.

A speedboat picked us up at the White Beach around 11am during our 3rd day in Boracay. They brought us first on a floating hut - the station for parasailing as well as other activities. Only 8 out of 11 availed parasailing. The other 3 stayed in the hut to swim while waiting for us.

We were transferred to another speedboat in which the parachute was attached. We boarded the speedboat and went at the middle of the beach where parasailing will take place. We were divided into 3 groups. 3-3-2. My sister and I together with my friend Gelo went second.

While waiting, we were asked to wear our harnesses which will be attached to the parachute. After the first batch came our turn. We went at the back of the speedboat to have our harness fastened on the parachute. We sat on the speedboat and a few seconds after, we were hoisted up in the air... flying like a kite!

Manila - Boracay

Expenses	Cost in pesos	Cost per person in pesos
NAIA Terminal Fee		200
Tricycle fare from Airport to Caticlan port	50 (divided into 3 passengers)	17
Caticlan port terminal fee		50
Environmental fee		75
Boat fare to Cagban jetty		20
Tricycle fare to Station 1 Hotel	50 (divided into 3 passengers)	17
Total		379

Boracay to Manila

Expenses	Cost in pesos	Cost per person in pesos
Tricycle fare to Cagban jetty	50 (divided into 3 passengers)	17
Boat + Van to Kalibo airport (package)		200
Kalibo Airport Terminal Fee		40
Total		257

Varying Expenses

Expenses	Total Cost in pesos	Cost per person in pesos
4 days/3 nights accommodation at Casa Fiesta	10,500 (2 rooms for 7 pax)	1,500
Contribution for Groceries (breakfast, water etc.)		200
Day 1Lunch at Big Mama's		95
Day 1 Dinner at a Restaurant Beside E.S. Pascual Store		75
Day 2 Lunch at Big Mouth (D'Mall)		~170
Day 2 Dinner Buffet along Station 2		250
Day 3 Lunch at Shakey's (Monster Meal)	18++ (inc. extra rice)	170
Day 3 Dinner at Mang Inasal		99
Day 4 Breakfast at Big Mama's		95
Total		2654

Grand Total: P3290 (excluding airfare and activities)



Boracay Island Hopping
Helmet Diving | Reef Walking
Flyfish
ATV
Parasailing (soon to be published)

Among all the activities we did in Boracay, I can say that this is the most easy to arrange. Boats are everywhere. Hindi ka talaga mauubusan. Boatmen will also approach you all the time to ask if you have already gone island hopping.

Our negotiation for the island hopping tour happened really fast. Bianca and I were seating on the chair along the beach when a boat man approached us. Same question as everybody: 'Nag-island hopping na kayo, mam?' We don't show much interest and said, 'Hindi pa po.' It was just supposed to be just a short conversation until Bianca asked Manong, 'Magkano po?' Kuya told us that the small banca can be rented at P1300. It can accommodate, I guess, around 5-7 people. We were 11 so definitely, we won't fit. We rented a bigger one which we got at P1700. It already included the snorkeling gears we used.

Our friends were still sleeping so we told Manong to wait for us at around 8 am so we can all prepare. And since our friends were quite tired, 8 am became 10 am. Manong came at 8 am but since we're not ready yet, he waited for us outside.

We rode the boat at around 10 am and headed to Bulabog beach. After around 30 minutes of boat ride, we reached the snorkeling site. There are other people already snorkeling so we became excited. Actually, at first, we have no plans on snorkeling but when we saw the fishes, we were amazed. Philippines is really well-endowed with marine life.

After about 30 minutes of seeing the wonders of the sea, we decided to proceed with the island hopping. We were asked if we want to go to Crystal Cave, but since there's an entrance fee of 200 pesos each, we declined. Yes, we're kuripot!

We reached Puka Beach after 20-30 minutes. This beach is different from the others since it has puka shells rather than white sand. It was really difficult walking on these. But it's worth the pain since the place is really serene. When we came, there are quite a few tourists so we were able to enjoy it. The water is clear. We spent another hour or so here taking pictures and swimming. There are also restaurants in the area but we didn't tried eating there. There were also ice cream vendors walking around. The price is way steep at P50 each popsicle. But we bought, anyway. Who can't resist ice cream? Hehe!

Manong called us saying that it's time to go. It was already past 1 pm but we didn't feel hungry because the place is really amazing. We got back to Casa Fiesta after 30 minutes. While on our way, we were able to see a few other attractions such as the alleged Manny Pacquiao Resort, Shangri-la Boracay as well as other luxurious resorts in Station 1.

Puka Beach

Shangri-la Boracay

Manny Pacquiao's alleged resort in Boracay

We availed the helmet diving or reef walking activity from Mang Manuel. Actually, there are a lot of locals offering this activity together with other activities in one package. But we chose to choose only the activities we're interested in. Anyway, we paid 300 pesos each for this activity.

The speedboat picked us up at around 11 am. Kuya Manuel brought us to a floating hut at the middle of the beach. This is were we'll be doing our helmet diving. First, a diving instructor, gave us some briefing on some important notes we need to remember as we go down. According to him, the depth of the water is around 12 feet - not really that deep. We will be carrying a 25-kilo helmet attached to an oxygen tank so we can breath normally underwater. The helmet will weigh around 3 kilos underwater. We also need to wear diving shoes to protect our feet from stepping into something sharp. He also taught us some hand signals since we won't be able to hear each other there. I believe, the most important thing to do down there would be to equalize so our ears won't hurt much from the pressure. Honestly, I don't feel really scared about this activity since we will be assisted by other divers.

After the briefing, we immediately prepared ourselves to go down the ladder. Once we stepped at the ladder, the helmet was placed on our heads but it wasn't released yet. That would be too heavy for us to take. Someone will help us go down. It took a minute for me to get the hang of it. Sometimes, water enters the helmet but it was eventually removed. The only problem that we had is that there aren't much to see. We even joked that maybe, the fishes were already full. There are actually more fishes during our snorkeling activity. But definitely, we were happy since we get to have our pictures taken underwater as well as videos. Overall, the activity is fun. It's just that it's much better if there are fishes because that's what we were there for. I hope next time, if we go back, we'll be able to have our photos with the marine animals.

ATVs Ready to Go!

Riding the all terrain vehicle (ATV) is one of our activities in Boracay. I thought it was the easiest since it does not involve water. But I was wrong. It was quite challenging.

After our helmet diving activity that same day, we decided to proceed to the ATV activity. We were excited because it was something different. We rode the service vehicle going to the ATV terminal. There were quite a number of people there so we need to wait for our turn. We were given some instructions on what to expect during the activity. We also signed a waiver.

After around 10 minutes of waiting, the first batch of people came. However, the ATVs are not enough to accommodate us. So some of us chose to ride the buggy instead of waiting because we need to catch the view of the sunrise up the ocean view deck.

Choosing the buggy is not a good choice for me. Besides the fact that it's bigger, the steering wheel is hard to maneuver. The gas and break is also heavy. So I asked kuya in the picture to join me and help me out. I was sort of surprised to know that we'll be driving on a busy road where normal vehicles pass by. So there are a lot of times when I really wanted to give up. Though last, I was able to reach the foot of the ocean view deck. The scenery's great but the sun has set and it's already dark.

Going back to the terminal is a bit problematic since it was already dark. A few vehicles have headlights which serve as guide to the ATVs. I wasn't confident driving with this condition so I decided to ask my friend to drive for me. Good thing, he wanted to try the buggy so he joined me. He told me that the wheel is kind of heavy. So it's not just me. It kinda relieved me from the feeling of being the weakest of them all. We reached the terminal safely, thank God. We headed back to our guesthouse, Casa Fiesta, to have dinner.

I admit that I am a souvenir person. I will never leave a place without taking home pasalubong for my family and myself also. My friends know that, at least the ones I've been with in my travels. I usually buy souvenirs when during the last night or the day before we leave a certain place.

My last travel as of this writing is Boracay. Obviously, like any other trips out of town, I never wasted the opportunity to buy souvenirs. Even when I'm too sleepy or tired from the activities, I will still go to the souvenir shops to buy. Even when I'm broke. Good thing, during our Boracay trip last month, I was with my younger sister so I was able to get some help shopping.

You can either buy souvenirs from the D' Talipapa, D'Mall or the stalls along the beach. From my experience, I would say that you need to really canvas first before settling on the price of one store. My friend once bought a sundress for her daughter on D'Mall for P250, only to find out that the exact same dress is being sold in one store in the beach for less than P200. She was really disappointed to find that out.

You can buy 2 white souvenir shirts for P180. That was the price when we went there last month. However, the fabric is not that good. You can find good quality shirts for P150 and up each. Black shirts are sold at a slightly higher price.

If you're looking for ref magnets, you can definitely find it here. You can get 7 to 8 magnets for a hundred bucks. There are also nice-looking magnets that are slightly more expensive. You can get 3 to 4 of them for P100. You can also buy keychains, particularly the sand bottle key chains, for P20.

Bracelets, anklets, earrings, necklaces, pearls as well as other accessories are also sold here. You can get them as low as P10 and as high as P200. 

Hats are also everywhere in Boracay. My sister and I got a pretty hat for P130. Just don't forget the power of haggling.

I hope this helps you budget your money for souvenirs and pasalubong in Boracay.

 To this date, I still can't believe I did flyfish when I was in Boracay. My friend, Gelo, already warned us that this is really a tiring activity. Before I went to Boracay, I had no clear idea on how this activity is done. But he assured us that it was exciting.

The sight of other tourists trying out flyfish freaked me out. I am not sure if I can do it. A speedboat throwing an inflatable craft out the sea isn't a good sight especially if it's me on the flyfish craft. I could be exciting, yes, but can I survive it? I've heard a story that someone already died from it. I don't want to be the next casualty.

Casa Fiesta, Station 1 Boracay

 We booked Casa Fiesta for our 4 days 3 nights vacation in Boracay. It was a beachfront accommodation located in Station 1, Boracay Island. The guesthouse can be found near Astoria Boracay, Yellowcab and Havaianas. For our 4 days 3 nights stay in the guesthouse, we paid P10,500 for 2 rooms. Since we are 7, we only paid P1,500 each. Cheap enough compared to other posh hotels in the area. Besides, we would be staying outside most of the time so the rooms will only be used for sleeping and taking a bath.

After the typhoons and storms that came in October, it was very fortunate of us that the day we scheduled our trip to Boracay Island is filled with sun and perfect weather. The trip started on a Wednesday and ended on a Saturday. This is a perfect timing for students enjoying their Semestral Breaks and for my those who have flexible working schedule just like me.

My friends from high school decided to take our reunions and meet ups to a higher level so we decided to this time, conquer Boracay. I've never been to Boracay so I was very excited to see the famous spot for beach bumming, adventure activities as well as nature-tripping.

We booked our flight months ago so we were able to avail of discounted airline tickets. Some of us were able to avail of Cebu Pacific's Piso Sale. We only paid P281 pesos for one-way fare. That's a steal already!