White sands of Boracay

By: Brett Debritz
http://www.news.com.au/

WHEN Australians dream of an island paradise, their thoughts probably turn east to Fiji, Tahiti or Hawaii. But Asia has its fair share of beach holiday options, offering as much or as little excitement as any tourist could want.

The Philippines may not come to mind as readily as, say, Bali or Phuket, but it does offer some fabulous affordable getaways.

Prominent among the nation’s 7107 islands is Boracay, about 40 minutes flying time south of the main island of Luzon.

This popular spot offers a wealth of attractions – hotel and resort complexes suitable for any budget, a golf course and the 4km long White Beach that has been ranked among the best in the world.

The island is accessible by air, road and boat from the national capital of Manila, via the airports at Kalibo or Caticlan on Panay Island. If you’ve pre-booked your accommodation – highly recommended in the busy summer period and during local public holidays– your hotel or resort will provide complimentary transfer by motorised outrigger.

The public ferry service costs about 50 cents (Australian), but there’s a further 50-cent terminal fee and a $1.20 environmental fee – well worth it to ensure this little slice of paradise is preserved.

The boats used to take passengers directly to White Beach, but that is now banned so you’ll get off on the other side of the island and travel by bus or tricycle (a modified motorbike that can seat three or four people).

It can be a hairy ride along the narrow, windy road that leads to the beach, but it’s a good way to get a feel for the island, and an appreciation of the way the locals live and work.

But it was disturbing to see roadside stalls where children sell petrol for tricycles from plastic soft-drink bottles. If nothing else, the drive to White Beach makes you feel privileged to live where and how you do.

Small tracks off the main coastal road lead to hidden hotels and resorts, little or large oases including the spectacular Discovery Shores complex, which offers everything the well-heeled traveller could want, to the superior Boracay Regency, where I stayed in a very comfortable pool-side suite.

Boutique hotels abound, including the modern and stylish Asya Resort and Boracay Tropics, where the honeymoon cabanas are a delight direct from Gilligan’s Island. There’s also a clean and cheerful branch of the US Microtel group at the less hectic northern end of the island, not far from the beautifully tended Fairways and Bluewater Golf Course.

Wherever you stay, the attraction is the White Beach, complete with huge sandcastles that are rebuilt daily – don’t forget to pay if you take pictures – and persistent hawkers.

I was offered the chance to buy sunglasses about every 45 seconds, to the point where I was tempted to give in just to stop being hassled.

While the shopping isn’t as upmarket as you might find in Manila and Cebu, you’ll find souvenirs and tourists’ necessities at bargain prices in the maze that is D’Mall, just a short stroll off the beachfront.

Here an open-to-the-street pathology clinic offers a range of services, including circumcision. No kidding.

As far as offshore pleasures go, the energetic can go sailing, parasailing and banana-boating for a relatively modest price.

I enjoyed the more sedate pastime of island-hopping on a small outrigger, sailing parallel to White Beach and stopping off at Crystal Cove, another island resort where the attractions are man-made kitsch – including an anatomically correct statue of a male gorilla – and stunning natural sea caves.

There’s an opportunity for snorkeling off nearby Crocodile Island, so named for its saurian shape, but I didn’t take the plunge into the clear ocean. I did accept the offer of a coconut drink from a trader who paddled out to greet us on a converted surfboard. It was worth the few dollars for the drink to watch him expertly slash the tops off the green coconuts to create nature’s perfect drinking vessel.

If massage and other treatments are your thing, don’t go past the Mandala Spa and Villas, in a tranquil forest setting away from the main resort area.

Whatever they do on this tiny Philippine island, they do very well. That’s why Boracay is such a popular choice with budget travellers – a couple can dine, drink and stay in style for less than $200 a day,

Whether it’s watching the stars come and go, or looking at the starry skies at night, Boracay is a near-perfect holiday

Brett Debritz travelled courtesy of the Philippines Department of Tourism (www.tourism.gov.ph).