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You ever been to Boracay? After you've read this, you'll want to!

As a South African used to being outdoors a lot, having barbecues on the 'stoep' and never really feeling the need to take out that warm jacket from the back of the closet, the past winter teaching English in South Korea has been quite the challenge, with temperatures dropping to below zero and freezing winds that chills you to the bone.



Naturally, for our winter vacation over New Years (8 days), me and my two friends wanted to go defrost at the most tropical place possible, where palm trees and sandy white beaches await us. We heard from friends and fellow teachers about a gem hidden in the Philippine islands, a small island called Boracay. It has won many awards from travel publications and agencies, among others being named as the 'best island in the world' by the international travel magazine, Travel and Leisure. Apparently it had great beaches, water sports a teeming night life and was very cheap. We were convinced. (And not quite cured from the student mentality, especially swayed by that last part I might add).

We flew with Cebu Pacific Air, an international budget Philippines airline. The first leg was from Busan to Manila, where we had a layover until early the next morning. We decided to take the cue from fellow travellers and just camp out in the airport, sleeping like bums on the floor. Quite ironically, the next morning when we woke up all ruffled and tuffled and looking attractive, we realised we were in the wrong terminal, an hour before departure. Getting outside, we got into the first taxi to take us to the airport. Halfway there, we realised that in the rush we misunderstood the fee he charged us and that it was per person, not for the whole trip. We had to learn our first two lessons. Don't be late and don't be suckers!



A little poorer and a little mad at ourselves for being such rookie travelers so early on, we got on the domestic flight to Kalibo. The view over the beautiful landscape quickly dissolved our moods and the excitement started to build up.


Stepping off the airplane into the warm island air was incredible, I could already feel my skin thanking me. We took a shuttle to the ferry port, from where we would jump on the ferry to Boracay. Just two days before we arrived, there was a big typhoon, so the town and surrounding villages were covered in a brown mass of water. It was like riding through a river, with tuk-tuks (rickshaws) and the occasional cyclist passing by, no car in sight. It was quite the contrast from Korea, where the the average income and living conditions of the middle class is fairly high; we were in poor country now. It felt a little bit like home.


The ferry ride to Boracay was surprisingly quick. At this point we couldn't contain our excitement anymore. When we stepped off into the port and walked up the bridge to the mainland, we looked down to see of the water was as clear as we imagined. It was. We took a tuk-tuk to our guest house and arrived shortly after. The guest house is part of a little village of guest houses, all built in the same fashion and made from bamboo and other natural materials, fittingly island style. Our room was on the fourth floor with a balcony that overlooks some of the island greenery and the sea.


The island is only 7km long and dogbone shaped, consisting of four 'stations', the first three on the main part containing the swimming beaches and entertainment areas, the fourth one on the more windy side of the island, the beach most popular for windsurfing. We stayed at station 3, but it didn't actually matter where you stay, as everything is just a short walk away.




On our first morning we met up with friends also teaching in Korea and went cliff diving, a popular day activity on the island and one of the highlights of our trip. We decided to get our own boat, instead of waiting for the main one, as there are tons of people waiting on the beach to take you. We haggled a bit for a good price, which is seen as an acceptable practice, and then hopped on. Having taken our own boat, we got there before anyone else arrived yet, so we had time to explore. The spot for the cliff diving was really beautiful with different heights you can jump from, ranging from 8 - 20m. We decided to take the plunge and just go jump from the highest one first. It was a great adrenaline rush! Soon the main boat arrived and things got a little crazy, we were drinking and jumping more and faster and not at all being very responsible. After a day of fun and being terribly sunburned, we happily passed out on the beach back in Boracay.


The rest of the trip was the perfect mix of fun and relaxation, exactly what we were looking for. We went parasailing, snorkeling, diving and spent the rest of our days swimming and relaxing, drinking a copious amount of fruity drinks, getting manicures and massages from the ladies on the beach constantly calling out "Massage Maaam". I couldn't resist getting my hair braided, even though it was too short to really last and looked a little ridiculous. I bought a sarong and basically spent the holiday in my bikini, with my camera as my only accessory (and maybe a bag of fresh mangoes). We couldn't get enough sunset, sailing boat and palm tree pictures, which of course decorated our desktop backgrounds and Facebook profiles for the weeks to follow. Everyhing on the island was cheap: you could buy sunglasses, a shirt, hat and flip flops and still have money left for a decent all-you-can-eat buffet.

At night we had dinner on the beach, most restaurants offering a buffet deal with an assortment of dishes, local and international cuisine. As full-blooded South-Africans, we mostly opted for the meat-lover's options, where theres an abundance of beef, pork and chicken (in Korea we have enough seafood). Our favourite place had low-seated tables with pillows you can sit on in the sand. Add the smoke of a hookah pipe that drifts around in the air, local music and the sound of waves crashing only a few metres away and you have the perfect summer night. We felt very lucky.

We made some interesting Morrocan friends from Casablanca, currently studying in Paris, who shared some of their traveling experiences, tips and insights. We had New Years eve dinner at their hotel and then joined everyone for a party on the beach and a midnight swim. There's an energy in warm, island water at night. You feel like you belong, like you're safe, like you can transform into a sea creature and live here forever.

Though we didn't jampack our days with activities, the time flew, and when we stepped on the ferry and later the plane to head back, for a brief moment it felt like it was a dream or something that happened in the movies. Especially after arriving in a snow-covered Korea, everything seemed a little surreal. But it was an incredible breakaway and unique island experience I'll never forget.

Written by Inari Prinsloo

Views expressed here aren't necessarily those of SouthAfrica.TO's.

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