3 perfect days in Boracay island(page 1/2)

BORACAY, voted as one of the best beaches in the world many times over is just one of a thousand and one reasons why its residents and habitués do not to lose their zest for this diminutive Eden on earth.

As a non-stop business and leisure headliner here and abroad, Boracay attests to its gorgeous appeal as the top pick anytime for intimate family outings or big time corporate incentive bids.

Recently, Boracay served as a red carpet venue for a three-day holiday at its newest resort, Boracay Tropics.

Teody Espallardo, reelected president of the Manila Japanese Travel Agents and Hoteliers Association (MJTAHA) and PAGCOR director, led a group to the resort.

Boracay can be reached in a 35-minute plane ride via South East Airlines (SEAIR) Dornier 328 or an hour via SEAIR’s LET 410, from Manila to Caticlan, then about 15 minutes boat ride from Caticlan port to the island. Tricycles are the usual mode of transport on the island.

A part of Panay Island in the Visayas, Boracay rose to fame three decades ago, with only a few rooms for sleepovers and less than a handful of eateries when it started. Interestingly, the island’s few early-dwelling expats were the ones who started the business there until travel and tourism boomed. Now Boracay continues to bag plums as a world-class destination, and we found out why, on a third, after-a-long-while de ja vu.

Not happy with a random nip-andtuck, a sweeping property makeover seemed to be the in-thing on this island paradise. To accommodate the yearround influx of visitors from all over, it’s either most properties are into the upgrade mode or some investors find it highly viable to put up a new one.

Such is the Boracay Tropics Resort Hotel. Very accessible and in the middle of it all, it’s in Bo. Manggayad, near Boat Station 2 and a good walk away from the ever-popular White Beach as well as the multi-ethnic D’Mall shopping strip.

One of our hosts Onelle Pacheco, hotel director of sales, was always on hand to make us feel at home. The seven-months old Triple A resort hotel sits on a 2,900 sq. m. site and takes pride in its five-star amenities catering to both corporate and leisure groups.

The Sarabia family-owned resort hotel has two-wing, three-storey structures with 50 digs made up of superior, deluxe, family rooms and dorms depending on the number of staying guests. The cabanas – junior suites and premier suites – are the best alternative for better privacy.

What we liked most about the dominantly Asian but Mediterranean-infused property is that each room has its own gallery with garden view facing the kidney-shaped pool that’s perfect for al-fresco meals and in the case of my roommate Ollie, it was a convenient spot to have a few puffs and some private, reflective moments.

Its TROPICafé restaurant dishes out oriental and international favorites; the Bar, fine wines, light spirits and cocktails; the Nail Salon, pampering; the Nature Spa, for some therapeutic treatments; KTV and Gameroom, indoor activities. The business center staff handles corporate and personal affairs for up to 150 guests and can efficiently set up function rooms for any events.

While in Boracay, we visited different properties like Le Soleil de Boracay Resort, Red Coconut Resort and Seawind Resort Boracay. Actually, the island is crammed with so many properties showing off diverse come-ons and hard-to-resist good-for-grabs packages for mixed markets – big groups or individuals – and choices can be overwhelming.

For instance the chic beachfront Le Soleil de Boracay. The stylish Mediterranean-inspired 22-room hotel has five standard rooms, 13 deluxe rooms, four suites with Jacuzzi plus butler service and seven apartment-style lodging. All rooms have the amenities of a five-star city hotel. General manager Jimmy Coscoluella beamed that business is doing well that the hotel has to spruce up to keep fit and maintain its slot among the leading pack of properties in the year-round busy sun-blessed island. For lodging, the oasis-like sanctum in the island offers room rates from 8 (about R5,940) on a twin-sharing basis.

We met Connie Helgen, president of the very island-styled Red Coconut Beach Resort. Our group was treated to a lavish al fresco beachfront lunch of local faves with live entertainment to boot.

The French-Filipino managed resort is a sister-company of Interisland Resort and Services Inc., an air transport firm that can be chartered on a 24-hour service catering to executive flights, islandhopping tours and other air-support services with back-up aircraft.

The 22-yearold property has 20 trendy rooms made up of 16 executive quarters, three fan-cooled rooms and a family cottage. Of course, it offers the same five-star hotel amenities, a variety of water-sports and other engaging activities for guests. Room rates start from .00 (about R4,675) per room on a twin-sharing basis.

After lunch, we visited D’ Mall, happy to hit upon a Deli selling everything that makes for a very filling sandwich, just like Metro Manila’s Santi’s where all kinds of gourmet foods are there – like cold cuts, pasta and bottled sauces, breads, cheeses, assorted greens (lettuce, alfalfa and broccoli sprouts, etc.) and other hard-to-find items sometimes not offered even by the best supermarkets in town.

Combing the beachfront, we tried Real Coffee and Tea Café owned by a gracious expat Lee Vintorino Rosaia married to a Filipino. The very homey 10-year-old nipa hut-styled coffee shop with a table and bench and stools on the bar serves really good American-sized American breakfast like Jack’s omelette made up of three scrambled eggs, tomatoes, tuna with toast on the side. She said it’s a favorite of gym trainers. Also on the menu are old-fashioned flapjacks, Tuna Melt, Chicken Melt sandwiches (a favorite of fitness hunk and celebrity Marc Nelson who is also SEAIR’s endorser), the hefty Super Duper Manoc Manoc sandwich and a lot more. Her bestsellers? Though it depends on one’s taste buds but her yogurt and Calamansi cake are the Zobel family’s favorites.

A superb luau at the Seawind Boracay Island Resort capped our last night in the island paradise. Torches lit up the resort’s shoreline that made our under-the-stars buffet dreamy. The vibrant Latin and reggae sounds set the mood for our indulgence. They served mostly grilled fares of the choicest seafood, chicken, pork and beef slices paired with fresh mixed greens and other local palate-ticklers.

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