One of the greatest things about living in Southeast Asia is the number of great island destinations that are just a short flight away. We’ve been lucky enough to take advantage of a few, like Borneo, Okinawa and Ishigaki. There are many popular and lesser known destinations to enjoy, but Boracay in the Philippines has jumped to the top of the must-visit list for many tourists in the last few years.
Boracay, a world-class destination?
in April of 2019 we were presented with the opportunity to explore Boracay. Our company was looking at options for a good destination with wide appeal. They used their ties to local travel agencies to get us a great package deal on round trip flights and a three night hotel stay. Our end of the deal was to look for a good range of activities that could be enjoyed over a weekend trip. So we started doing our research to learn about one of the top five islands in Asia, according to Condé Nast Traveler.
Trouble in Paradise
The first thing our research revealed was that the island was closed to tourism in 2018. With just a bit of digging, we realized that the popularity of Boracay as a destination had led to some serious problems. We saw reports of massive amounts of trash on the beach, and videos showing black water draining directly into the ocean. One of the videos went viral, and that might have been the final tipping point. President Duterte called for a complete closure of the island to tourists with a dual purpose. First, to clean up the island and reverse the effects of high levels of tourism. Second, to force local businesses and local authorities to finally comply with wastewater and environmental regulations.
Unfortunately, this was a familiar theme for us. During our decade in Costa Rica, this story played out over and over again. A beautiful scenic area, rich in natural beauty but undeveloped, gets discovered by someone willing to go way off the beaten path. Then, intentionally or not, word gets out. The stream of visitors goes from a trickle to eventually a flood. Unfortunately, the flood occurs without a solid tax base, or infrastructure. Development starts small, but eventually outstrips the ability of local governments to regulate it in a sustainable way. Usually the biggest problems center on waste and wastewater. Boracay, apparently, was no different.
The new and improved Boracay
Right from the beginning of our trip, we knew we were in for an adventure. Our overnight flight arrived at the Kalibo airport in the wee hours of the morning. There, our guide was ready to collect us up and pointed out the services open at 4 am – a money exchange and a 7-11 store. We piled into a comfy van for an air-conditioned ride to the Caticlan Jetty port. Our guide really came in handy at that point. One of the new rules to the reopened Boracay is a limit on daily visitors. Before you get on the ferry, you have to prove that you have a reservation at a hotel with a valid permit. Some paperwork and waiting ensued, and then we were led to our ferry to the island. Instead of a large ferry boat, it was a pump boat, or a double-outrigger boat for about 30-40 people plus some luggage. We were on our way to a tropical island.
On the island of Boracay
It’s no wonder that the aptly named White Beach draws crowds. It’s a beautiful, long flat beach with perfectly white sand. It is the picture that most of us have in our heads when we think, tropical beach. In the past, the beach was packed with vendors. Restaurants put out tables for beach-side dining, and fire dancers would entertain for tips. All of that was gone. Some of the repeat visitors we talked to missed the old vibrant beach scene. For us, being able to walk on the beach without being asked to buy something was nice. Not having to constantly dodge performances or diners was a big plus too. Actually, the pedestrian walk parallel to the beach under the palm trees had enough of that to satisfy us.
Because we arrived too early to check-in to our hotel, the guide set up massages for us. This wasn’t our usual touristy past time, but it was a lovely way to relax while waiting for our room. The price was reasonable, especially since we were able to sleep for an hour after the massage. We enjoyed it so much, we arranged for the same thing after our check-out at the end of our trip.
Our best experiences on Boracay
Touring around the island on the little moto-taxis was fun, although a bit dusty as they were still working on road improvements. It was apparent that things were still very much under construction while we were there. But the overall effect was that they had done a great job at cleaning up the island and making the entire experience as pleasant as possible for a lot of visitors. We had great experiences with food, but our best times were the tours. Our first dive wasn’t spectacular, but it was relatively cheap and felt very safe. So we jumped at the chance to do a number of dive sites, including a plane wreck!
We also did a day tour of island hopping on one of the pump boats, a smaller version of the ferry ride to Boracay island. There are a number of wonderful small islands to explore, and it was well worth the cost. An all-day trip including snacks and a large lunch at an island restaurant was about $30 per person. It even included some really fun cliff diving.
Our overall impression
We are not big fans of crowds, or overly touristy areas, or development that obviously comes at the expense of the local culture or community. Quite possibly, Boracay still has all of these things. But that didn’t reduce the effect of what Boracay is right now. A beautiful destination that draws a lot of tourism to the Phillipines because it has something to offer all sorts of people. There is something here for the luxury traveler, and for the backpacker. For people who want to step out of the door of a mid-priced hotel and be right on the beach. Most importantly, Boracay represents a very popular destination that is doing its best to meet the demands of sustainability.