Back to Boracay

Three years is a long time. That’s how long it takes for kids to start talking in complete sentences and for relationships to go past the honeymoon stage. And that’s how long it’s been since I’ve been to Boracay. I recently went back with my entire family in tow and discovered that, really, a lot can change in three years.

High tide or low tide?

I stayed at The Tides hotel in Boracay (www.tidesboracay.com), a chic boutique hotel that is right smack in the middle of D’Mall. It was recently cited in The New York Times 44 Places to Go to in 2009 as a must-visit location in Boracay and stepping into the lobby, I knew why. When you stay at The Tides, you feel like you’re part of the “in” crowd. Everything’s sleek, smooth and suave. The rooms are quirky and modern with dark wood, raised tubs, and surprise sticky notes pasted on the bed frame (ours read: “sheep sheep sheep sheep sheep sleep sleep sleep”). The sleek cabanas at the Solstice bar on the top floor makes you feel like you’ve been invited to a chi-chi event. And don’t even get me started on their roofdeck pool. My kids loved, loved, loved the pool so much that their skin tone started to blend into the dark wood of our room on our second day on the island. The feel is like having your own apartment in Boracay — it’s airy, it’s spacious and it’s friendly. There’s a courtyard in the middle that lets the cheery sunlight in and gives everyone a view of what’s happening in all the areas of the hotel. Right outside the hotel, you have your selection of all the shops, groceries, and restos of D’Mall, and a couple of minutes away, the famous sand and shores of Boracay. So whether it’s the sun’s rays or some sunblock that you need, everything is literally a few steps away. 

A star is born

You know it’s not a little island anymore when you see a familiar logo light up right by the sandy shores. Starbucks has invaded the island! I was surprised to see a couple of people toting the trademark paper cups. I don’t know what to make of it though, should I be happy that everyone can have their caffeine routine seamlessly blend into island life, or should I be saddened by the clichéd commercialization of the island? The debate can last through several grande cups — but I couldn’t help but feel like there’s a little bit of lost innocence going on. The shores are starting to look a lot like our malls.

Value meals

Maybe five or seven years ago, the resto selection in Boracay was limited between the talipapa and higher-priced specialty restaurants. There was a place for Indian food, a bar for bohemian free spirits, a Portugese resto with the owner’s pug as mascot, and other yummy fare. Now, you have Mang Inasal, Cindy’s, Andok’s and several other affordable and mainstream food joints that offer a convenient middle ground from the extremes that existed before. This is good news for tourists as you can have good food for much less. We had two chicken pecho meals, spaghetti and halo-halo and the total bill was just P240.

Skim reading

Not a brand new concept but now very popular on the island is skim boarding. Given that Boracay waves are barely two feet high and water depth stays pretty shallow, skimming the shores with small boards looks easy and fun to learn. The sport seems safe enough for kids and squeal-happy tweens. They can rent boards on the island while their parents watch over them, sipping shakes at the shore.

The Al Gore effect

I don’t know if it was just me, but it really looked like the shore was getting narrower, there seemed to be less beachfront and more chairs. I remember seeing an expanse of white sand right up to the grotto in station 1. Now it seems the water level has risen, or the establishments have moved forward. This is even more evident at night when all the bars spread out their beanbags and candlelit tables near the edge of the shore. You literally have to avoid stepping on the couples cuddled up on the pillows. The ocean was two meters away from the steps of Jonah’s shakes! Did they expand or have too many people been bottling up the island’s fine sand as a souvenir?

Island love

There have definitely been several changes on the island. It’s still our democratic getaway where movie stars walk on the same sand as their fans, and everyone can plop down on any area of the beach that they want. The sunsets still take your breath away. This is where giggling conservative girls from the city feel brave and comfortable enough to wear a bikini right along with the more daring foreign tourists because everyone is beautiful in Boracay — I just hope Boracay can also stay beautiful for everyone.