Boracay Revisited 2020: Day 1

Boracay Revisited 2020: Day 1

Epilogue

The first time I visited Boracay Island was in 2012. During that visit, my wife was still pregnant with our daughter. Fast forward 2020, several weeks before the Philippine government issued a nationwide lockdown, my wife, daughter, and I managed to squeeze in one last out-of-town trip to Boracay Island to celebrate my daughter's birthday.  

Ella's Boracay b-day trip

Boarding time

Won a Cebu Pac giveaway! Yey!

I spy Boracay Island!

We made this trip possible as it was requested by my daughter for her 7th birthday. Aside from my daughter's birthday, we were also looking forward to revisiting Boracay Island due to the fact that it was recently rehabilitated by the Duterte Administration and photos of how clean the beach was circulating online creating tourism hype which of course we wanted to see for ourselves.

Day 1: February 1, 2020

My brother drove us an early trip to Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 for our 8:30AM flight.  We boarded flight number 5J895 bound for Caticlan Airport. We landed at around 9:15AM. After picking up our luggage, we headed to the tricycle terminal outside the airport and rode a tricycle going to Caticlan Jetty Port Terminal (Tricycle Fare: 35 pesos per person). Inside the Caticlan Jetty Port Terminal, we paid the environmental fee (75 pesos per person) and the boat fare (25 pesos per person).

Just landed at Caticlan Airport

Off to the tricycle terminal

Come ride this tricycle with us to the Jetty Port

Registered first at Caticlan Jetty Port Terminal

Paid the 75 pesos per person environmental fee

Boarding a jetty to Boracay Island

The boat ride from Caticlan Jetty Port Terminal to the boat terminal in Boracay Island took around 10-15 minutes. From Boracay Terminal, we rode another tricycle to Diamond Water Edge Resort (tricycle fare 40 pesos per person). As usual, my wife managed to book a promo to Diamond Water Edge Resort. We only paid 15200+ pesos for 4 people for our Feb 1 - 4 stay.  

Welcome to Boracay Ella

Hopped on to the tourist transport that will bring us to our hotel.


Checked in - Diamond Water Edge Resort

Diamond Water Edge Resort Boracay Island

Waiting for Tatay in the resort's lobby

Welcome to Boracay Island Tatay!

4 day? Yup, my father-in-law arrived from Butuan City at around 4:15PM to join us for our 4-day Boracay celebration. After settling in Room 132, Ella got to swim for a bit before we went for a stroll around Station 2 of Boracay's famed White Beach. 

Check out Willy's Rock.

The beachfront of Diamond Water Edge Resort

Ella enjoying the clean beach 

Swimming time!

Boracay Island's Station 2

Strolling around Boracay's Station 2

That afternoon, we headed to d*mall Plaza and ate dinner at Mang Inasal. Although there were still plenty of tourists, it was evident that there was a fear of the then relatively unknown COVID 19. According to the hotel staff that I talked to, there were already numerous cancellations and the hotel only had 30% guests most of which are Filipinos. The same can be observed in Station 2 and d*mall Plaza. 

Check out those souvenir stores in d*mall plaza

Let's have an early dinner here at Boracay's Mang Inasal

Nothing beats Boracay's Mang Inasal

Time to watch the sunset before heading back to the hotel

Good night everyone! See you again tomorrow!

That night, we decided to sleep early to prepare for tomorrow's activities. Until then dear reader, see you in the next article. 

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Location: Boracay, Malay, Philippines

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