10 Reasons To Make Boracay Island Your Next Vacation Destination
Welcome to paradise. Boracay is a tiny tropical island where people from all over the world come to enjoy beach life, watersport activities, and a vibrant nightlife. It’s located in the mid-west of the Philippines – a one hour flight away from the country’s capital (Manila).
Boracay's attraction isn't limited to just a few things. It's the combination of many things that makes this island unique...
In the words of travel blogger Sabrina Iovino from JustOneWayTicket.com:
Boracay is the kind of island you will never want to leave. I've traveled to more than 50 countries and there are not many places where I've returned 5 times. Boracay is one of them.
Sabrina Iovino
Travel Blogger & Photographer
So without further talk, take a look over my shoulder as I show you Boracay...
Its Stunning White Beach
White Beach is the main beach of Boracay. It's 4 kilometers long and has resorts, restaurants and nightlife venues along it.
The main reasons why people love this beach are...
Beautiful shallow and still turquoise water - great for swimming
Powdery white sand that never gets hot
Amazing views while you eat & drink right in front of the beach
A beautiful sandy beach path, with shade
For a more detailed tour of White Beach you can read my guide: What White Beach is Like & Where To Stay.
8 More Beautiful Beaches
Boracay Island has not 1, 2 or 3 beautiful beaches but 9, and all within close proximity of each other, since the island is very small (7 by 1.5 kilometers).
Each beach also has its own attractiveness. Some are amazingly beautiful, some are good for snorkeling, some have privacy, and some have a mix of those and other things.
I've created this Beach Guide to help you locate the best beaches that the island has to offer.
The Friendly Local People
Picture by Sabrina Iovino
When you arrive in Boracay one of the first things you'll notice is the friendliness and openness of the local people. That’s not where it stops though...
Filipinos also speak English as their second language, so there is no language barrier (unlike as in so many other South East Asian countries). Because of this you can easily connect and make friends with locals as well as with other tourists.
Brazilian travel bloggers Natalie & Rob from LoveAndRoad.com say it best:
The first lesson we learned about Boracay, Philippines is that the beauty of this country is not only the nature, but the people who live there and the smile they give to us all the time.
Natalie DeduckTravel Blogger
Expats rank the Philippines as the friendliest country in Asia, a HSBC survey shows
Over 63% of Filipinos can speak English. It's one of the country's official languages
Gallup's Positive Experience Index ranks the Philippines as the 5th happiest country in the world
The Vibrant Nightlife
Meeting new people or just having a fun night out with your friends is easy with many nightlife venues to choose from. Plus alcohol is cheap so if you like to drink you're in the right place 😉
John O'Nolan says it best:
Boracay is pretty much the Ibiza of Asia, in every way. The nightlife is absolutely fantastic. There is something for everyone – from live music, to clubs, to chilled out open-mic nights or flame-breathing belly-dancers. It’s got it all.
John O'Nolan
Kitesurfer & Internet Entrepreneur
The average beer price in bars is P60 / $1.3
Over 35 nightlife venues to choose from. There's something for everyone
Have a look at my Nightlife Guide to get a detailed impression of what the nightlife is like.
Mouthwatering Fresh Seafood
The seafood market, named D'Talipapa, has 23 different kinds of seafood. You can bring that seafood to one of the nearby restaurants, who will then prepare it for you...
These restaurants are specialized in cooking seafood, so you can choose from many different preparations. For example: in the above picture the prawns on the left are prepared in mango sauce and the ones on the right are grilled.
23 different seafoods to choose from at the local seafood market "D'Talipapa"
The nearby restaurants specialize in cooking your seafood. They offer many different preparations for an affordable price
To learn more about where to eat, have a look at my Food Guide which lists the 15 best budget restaurants on the island.
World-Class Sunsets
White beach or Puka beach for that matter are perfect places to watch the sunset. Colors vary from fiery red to orange to pink and everything in between. It all depends on the mood of the island in the current moment.
In the words of Lois Yasay from WeAreSoleSisters.com:
Boracay's sunset is a beautiful surprise every single day. I stayed there for 6 days and every day the colors were in different vibrant shades. It was as if the sunset goddesses were trying to outdo with each other with the sky's palette.
Lois Yasay
Travel Blogger & Surfer
You can watch the sunrise at Bulabog Beach (a 10 minute walk away from White Beach).
The Soul-Soothing Underwater World
I found Nemo!
Boracay has over 15 dive sites that are accessible via a short boat ride. Most of them are easy so it's a perfect place for beginners to learn. If you are a more experienced diver then there are some challenging dive sites as well, like Yapak.
As for snorkeling: my favorite place for that is Tambisaan Beach. Or you can go island hopping and visit several good snorkeling spots by boat.
Dive site difficulty ranges from beginner to advanced
15+ dive sites to explore
Learn Wind or Kitesurfing
If you're up for some extreme adventure you can take up wind or kitesurfing at Bulabog Beach. Bulabog Beach has excellent conditions for beginning surfers as well as freestylers.
The water is shallow and flat which lets you learn and progress quickly. And the average wind speed during windy season is 12 to 15 knots (up to 30+ knots).
Shallow and flat water lets you learn and progress quickly
The average wind speed during windy season is 12 to 15 knots (up to 30+ knots)
Accommodation for Every Budget
Boracay is often seen as expensive by people who have not been there. This is a misunderstanding. You can spend a lot if you want of course, but the island also accommodates the budget traveler...
You can book a budget bed for as little as P200 / $4.5 per night or a luxurious private villa for P51.000 / $1031 - and everything in between. You choose.
To find the best place for your stay check out my recommended hotels here. In that guide I list the best accommodation in each location, from luxury to budget.
A Comfortable Breezy Climate
The breezy wind makes it comfortable to move around and be active
The yearly temperature averages out to 29°C / 84°F
Boracay Awards & Recognition
I can give you many reasons why it's a great place to visit, but don’t just take it from to me. Have a look at what some others have said…
No. 1, World's Best Island (2012)
No. 2 of Top 25 Beaches in the World (2012)
No. 1 of Top 25 Beaches in Asia (2014)
No. 1 in Top Destinations for Relaxation (2013)
No. 1 of Top 5 Romantic Destinations (2013)
No. 3 in Top Destinations for Nightlife (2013)
No. 9 of Top 10 Proposal Destinations (2013)
Sources & Attribution
Thanks to Sabrina Iovino for letting me use a quote and picture of hers, both from her article: Boracay On A Budget: A World-Class Island In The Philippines On $23 A Day.
Thanks to Natalie Deduck for letting me use a quote from her article: Boracay, Philippines – Rediscovering Paradise.
Thanks to Lois Yasay for letting me use a quote from her article: Battle Of The Islands: Boracay Vs Panglao.
Is Boracay Really That Perfect?
Don't get me wrong, I love the place, but I want to be completely honest with you...
So here are 7 things that could be better in Boracay and their solutions - so that you can have an great stay in spite of them:
1. The Spotty Mobile Internet
It varies from area to area, but in general receiving internet via a smart phone or USB dongle is unreliable.
Instead I recommend you bring or get a mobile wireless router from Smart or Globe (or a universal one). Using those I've I received strong internet signals with little interruption.
2. Garbage in Local Areas
Along White Beach everything is kept spotlessly clean. But if you venture into local areas you can occasionally encounter plastic garbage scattered on the ground.
It looks like some people don't care to keep their area clean. I'm a nature lover myself so this can be a sore to my eyes.
3. Power Interruptions
This has actually improved a lot over the years, but we still have the occasional brownout.
In most hotels this is no problem since they have generators. But if you stay in a low budget hotel or an apartment you might be without power when a brownout occurs.
4. Crowded White Beach During Sunset
White Beach and its sunsets are beautiful. But sunset time is often a bit crowded. The sunset is still beautiful of course. You just don't have that feeling of having the beach to yourself.
During morning and noon times the beach is usually quiet. I prefer to go to the beach around 3 pm. During that time the sun is less hot, but you still have a few hours to enjoy the beach before everybody comes out to admire the sunset.
5. Overpriced Motercycle Rental
As a tourist you probably like to explore. What better way to do that then on a motorcycle? Unfortunately, motorcycle rental is very overpriced.
For that reason you don't see many tourists driving around on motorcycles.
Tricycle and motorcycle drivers are reasonable priced though. It's the main mode of transportation for tourists. But of course it's not as good as having your own motorcycle to explore with.
6. Inexperienced Doctors
As an expat living on the island I have visited most of the different doctor clinics there. My experience is that the knowledge of the doctors in these clinics is very limited.
More often then not you will get a young doctor that is still studying. Experienced doctors are few and far between.
If I had to recommend one clinic though I would recommend Metropolitan Doctors Clinic in Station 3. They have relatively good facilities and some more experienced doctors.
7. Risk of Diarrhea
I rarely experience an upset stomach in my home country. In Boracay though this usually happens to me a few times a year. This is mostly because of the tropical climate, since it makes food deteriorate a lot faster.
An excellent medicine I've found to quickly stop any upset in my stomach is Diatab. Diatab is available in all pharmacies on the island and has stopped diarrhea in its tracks for me several times.
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Hi Paul, my sister and I have long wanted to go to Boracay to snorkel. Are the reefs and fish still healthy after some of the Cyclones of recent years? It looks fabulous!
Hi Kay, yes as far I have seen the health of the reefs has not been degraded by the Typhoons that hit during the last couple of years.
Every time I read an article about Boracay my heart beats faster… Love that place and I need to come back soon…
Great Article!
😀
Nat
Thanks Nat, glad you like it! 😀
Hi Paul,
Can you please tell me how to go to Tambisaan beach from White Beach?
Hi Den, the best way is to just hop in a tricycle and then tell the driver to bring you there. All drivers know where it is. It’s about a 15-20 minute ride depending where you leave from and how much traffic there is.
Hi Paul, my name is Shahn. I am going to Boracay from April 6/7 and stay here 3/4 days. which is the most beautiful station? station 1, station 2, or station 3. can you recommend a good budget hotel?
Hi Shan, each of the 3 stations have their own unique attractiveness. To figure out which station you’ll personally like best please read my White Beach guide. That guide describes each station in detail and compares them against each other.
As for budget hotels, a few good options are Frendz Resort in Station 1 and Orchids Resort in Station 3.
Thanks Paul,
I will come next month (3rd apr) boracay island, I will stay here 4 day, then gone to malaysia (Malaka)
Hi Paul..thank you for sharing your experiences and reviews..awesome website!! helps me a lot =) Looking forward for my trip end of this month..
You’re welcome Marina and great to hear it’s so helpful to you. Have fun 🙂
Hi Paul! love your site. Very informative! What is the weather like in July? I was wondering if it is still worth visiting Boracay in July since I hear it’s when the rainy season begins in the Philippines. Thanks for your help!
Hi Karen, great! 🙂 In rainy season it usually rains about 1-2 hours per day and it’s mostly cloudy. Also the wind comes from the west during that time, onto White Beach.
Overall the weather feels a lot more rugged and wild in rainy season. To me that has it’s own charm, and I personally like both dry and rainy season, but for you that may differ. Another thing that I like about rainy season is that there are a lot less tourists. The downside of that on the other hand is that the nightlife is a lot more quiet.
Here is a good post about visiting in July. It includes pictures so you can get a good impression of what it is like: http://travel-lush.com/the-truth-about-traveling-to-boracay-low-season/
Thank you!
It looks fabulous
Hi Paul! love your site. Very informative! What’s the weather like in January and February? I was wondering if it is still worth visiting Boracay during that time. Thanks for your help.
Hi Angel, glad you like it. The weather is great during that time. Sunny with a breeze, and almost no rainfall.