How To Ensure a Great Boracay Vacation

Sometimes, our long awaited vacations can go awry because of poor planning, budgeting or being careless. Here's a guide on how to ensure a worry free vacation to Boracay Island.


The island of Boracay Hotels is a prime tourist destination and has been hailed as having one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Thousands of local and foreign tourists regularly flock to the island of Boracay to enjoy its natural beauty. Their influx to this beautiful island has encouraged the growth of hotels from the lowest priced, very basic accommodations to the most luxurious and expensive ones complete with all the amenities and facilities to make one’s vacation pleasant and enjoyable. 

Boracay offers a wide array of hotels and activities depending on one’s budget and requirements. So the essential things you must consider in planning your dream vacation would be your purpose, your budget, and your preferences. 

To ensure a great Boracay vacation, you may consider the following:

Itinerary of Activities

Determine what you want to do while in Boracay. Is it snorkeling, parasailing, swimming in the ocean or the pool or just lazing around and getting that nice bronze tan? Consider booking in hotels that can provide the fun activities that you want to do to avoid the hassle of looking for one and haggling with the local people. For example, if you want to diving or snorkeling, it would be best to stay in a hotel that has scheduled dives during your stay and has the necessary facilities ( a decompression chamber would be good) and dive gear for rental. They would also have a dive boat that can take you to the good dive spots in the area. 

If exploring the island or walking around is part of your activity, you may consider a hotel that is accessible to transportation that can take you around the island. It is also advisable to stay in a hotel that is easily accessible, well-lighted and safe at night for walking.

Bar hopping is also one of the things to do at night in Boracay. The Boracay shoreline is dotted with bars complete with live bands that are open till the wee hours of the morning. If bar hopping is your trip, might as well choose a hotel that has its own bar so you do not have to go out. Or if you have to explore other bars, choose a hotel that is only a walk away from the array of bars lining the beach. Just in case you get drunk and has to go back to the hotel, it will be easier and more convenient.

Budget

Whatever your budget is, you’ll be sure to find the right activities and accommodation. It is often better to shop around for accommodations over the Internet - who knows, you might get a great deal on a tour package to Boracay (God knows there are thousands of tour packages out there), and almost all hotels and inns on the island already have their own websites, from the budget-friendly cottages near the middle of the island, to the ultra-sophisticated hotels on the shore of White Beach itself. It all comes down to your budget and how you would allot your money and expenses. 

Make a list of your projected expenses when you get to Boracay - how much you would need for your plane fare, how many days you are staying, and how much money you would be spending per day. If you’re not so picky with location when it comes to meals, you can eat at some great restaurants near the market for breakfast or lunch, but then you can also splurge on a nice dinner at some other high-end restaurant. Of course, drinking is another consideration. Boracay is really a haven for bars and nightclubs, so if you are planning to party the night away, consider the expenses as well.

Make sure you bring enough money for the whole duration of your stay. There are ATMs on the island, but sometimes they don’t work. You don’t want to end up begging the hotel manager for an IOU slip, or not being able to get a taxicab or pay your car’s day parking near the airport once you get back to Manila, or the real world. 

Essentials 

Deciding what to bring is always a good consideration. It also depends on your type of plane ticket. If you were able to get a discount on a budget airline, chances are, this includes only a carry-on bag or backpack, and not check-in luggage. If you do have check-in luggage, (like 20 kilos of it), be prepared to pay a bit more. 

On deciding what to pack, again, consider how many days you will stay, what clothes you need for each day, (most of the time it’s just a t-shirt and shorts or a swimsuit, so you can definitely do away with the heavy jeans), and bring your sunblock, sunglasses, mosquito repellent, essential toiletries if you don’t want to use the hotel’s toiletries, flip-flops or sandals, medicine for headaches, fever, or colds (you never know), and a sarong or mini-towel. Most hotels provide towels anyway, but it’s better to be prepared. 

Before you embark on that dream vacation to Boracay, make a detailed list of what you need and what you want to do, and do some research on the Boracay hotels available. Bad planning can ruin your vacation but good planning will make sure that your dream vacation comes true.