Boracay Island, Philippines: Island Hopping
John and I were really looking forward to our vacation in Boracay! Sitting in traffic Manila, we could almost feel the ocean breeze on our face and white sand in our toes. We arrived at Kalibo airport and booked our transfer to Boracay island through the Southwest Tour counter. It was only $22 for a round-trip transfer that included the hour bus ride, boat transfer from Caticlan port to the Boracay Jetty, and a car transfer from the jetty right to our hotel. Quite the trek right? But trust me, it was worth it.
We were staying at Azzurro di Boracay which is a beach front hotel in Station 2, but right on the border of Station 3. Station 2 is the touristy, party, area of the Boracay strip, whereas Station 1 and 3 are much quieter. Being on the border of Station 3, we had a perfect balance of a quieter beach front while also being close to bars and restaurants.
The only plan for our Boracay vacation, was to have no plan! Just swim, tan, read, relax, and repeat. Or if you’re John, it’s paddle board, paddle board, paddle board and repeat. However, on our third day we decided we wanted to see the other islands surrounding Boracay. We booked an island-hopping tour through our hotel which was a 7-hour day trip to five different islands. At 10 AM the next morning, John and I loaded on a speed boat with 12 other travelers and were off:
1. 1stst stop Snorkeling: The boat stopped right at the edge of coral reef and we all hopped off with our snorkels. John and I swam around and pointed out all the amazingly beautiful fish surrounding us. The water in Boracay is crystal clear so you could see every little detail underwater.
2. Puka Beach: Our second stop on the tour was to this beautiful empty beach. (Hence the photo). It was SO incredible to look out and just see nothing but white sand, blue water and an endless ocean. And no other people to photobomb your pictures! It was a nice change of scene to the often busy beaches on the Boracay strip. On the island, John and I met a father and son from Detroit and joined their beach volleyball game. We played until our boat driver whistled for us to leave.
3. Magic Island: The allure of this island was the famous cliff jumping. But in reality, it was really more of very high wooden diving board. Regardless, it was pretty high (for me). The jumps ranged from 8, 10, 20 and 30 feet. John handed me his bag and before I could even set them down he was jumping off the 30-foot jump and splashing into the water.
With me being scared of heights, I was super hesitant. Yet somehow, John persuaded me to do the 24-foot jump and it was terrifying!! Turns out, you don’t die and it was actually really exhilarating. (Yes, there’s video footage to prove it.)
4. Lunch - I honestly have no idea what island we were on, all I know is that the boat driver dropped us off and said “lunch”! That was enough for me and John to high tail it to the cabana area where there was a full buffet spread of food. I definitely worked up an appetite after all the excitement so far. We feasted on shrimp, fish, grilled veggies, and lots of meats on sticks for John. We sat a table with our new friends: Fran, Kyla and Laura from London.
5. Crystal Cove – This beautiful island wasn’t like the white sandy beaches we were used to, and instead was a rocky and jungle like terrain.
We walked through paths that led to different underground caves and watched in awe as the waves crashed into the coves.
Crystal Cove island had high peaks that gave you a high view of the island and other surrounding islands. John and I walked across the edge of the island amazed at the beauty of the other surrounding islands and looking at the beauty at the main island of Boracay.
We arrived back at our hotel at 5:00 and were exhausted! It was a full day of sun, fun and non-stop-hopping. It was such an exciting day exploring the other islands and not knowing where you were going next. It was an adventurous day filled with new friends, beautiful views and unforgettable memories.