Boracay

 Last March I traveled to Boracay (one of the many islands in the Philippines) to watch two beautiful friends take their vows in perhaps one of the most beautiful places on earth. I had no idea it was such a tourist destination but when I arrived on the island I understood why more than a million people flocked to experience it's white sand, clear waters and friendly hosts last year.

There is so much to see and do and you can do as little or as much as your budget, interests and energy allows you. We ate copious amounts of delicious food and soaked up as much sun as we could handle. We participated in pub crawls, had late night sisha sessions, witnessed fire dancing and went water skiing. The other interested parties got tattoos (henna and permanent), body massages. Some bartered with the locals while others went snorkeling, helmet diving, island hopping and quad biking and hiking. The list goes on and on.

The most surprising thing was how affordable everything was. Most Australians flock to Bali or Thailand, but I have to be honest and say that I have never had a keen interest to visit those places. Not because these countries are not worthy of a visit. I guess so many people have been there it's almost as if they are another state of Australia and I guess I just want to be different. I would recommend you check out Boracay if you are thinking about booking a fairly inexpensive holiday. Total return flights to Manila and Caticlan to Melbourne were $1300. Accommodation including breakfast and transfers for 7 days in a family room at The Regency worked out to be about $70 per night per person with 4 of us sharing a room big enough for 6 people. Our dollar buys more than $200 pesos and you can buy meals around that price.

Tipping is not expected but I chose to tip with nearly everything I received service for. The workers are polite and efficient and the in grand scheme of things they work so hard and are paid so little. What may seem like a few pesos to you could make a real difference to them and their families.

I have quite a few shots on my phone so I will upload soon.




Big Love,

Falala Mele