There are various activities you can do at Boracay Island, such as kite surfing, stand up paddling or snorkeling.
The main attraction at Boracay Newcoast is the large rock formation that looks like a dragon sipping the water.
The five-star Astoria Hotel, where many Filipino celebrities such as Albie Casino, Aubrey Miles and Michelle Vito stayed during their vacation at Boracay Island.
Lugutan Mangrove Park is a project of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Local Government Unit of Malay, Aklan and the Tan Yan Kee Foundation to protect the mangroves of Boracay Island.
A souvenir of the Holy Family made from the stones of Boracay.
Willy’s Rock is a volcanic rock formation with a statue of the Virgin Mary on top of the steps.
Hayahay Restaurant in New Washington, Aklan, at night.
Jocelyn Avangalio and Maria Tamdoon, leaders of the Boracay Ati Tribal Organization.
Taho vendor Tatay Reynaldo Indolos at White Beach.
Hayahay Seafoods Grill sells mainly Filipino cuisines, such as shrimp and kare-kare.
Once travelers arrive at the Caticlan or Kalibo Airport, they need to ride a boat from Tabon Port to reach Boracay Island.
Willy’s Rock is a volcanic rock formation with a statue of the Virgin Mary on top of the steps.
Children in the Ati Tribe Village in the Boracay Island region welcome tourists with a series of heartwarming performances.
Editor’s Note: PDN’s Ron Rocky Coloma traveled back to his mother’s roots and spent time at Boracay Island, Aklan and its surrounding towns last summer. Here are some highlights from his adventure. His interviews with the Ati Tribe and the Chief Agrarian Reform Program Officer of Aklan have been translated from Tagalog to English.
Known for its immaculate beaches, crystal azure water, powdery white sands and diverse marine life, Boracay Island in Aklan is only an hour flight from Manila.
Called the “Jewel of the Philippines,” this world-class tourist attraction in the western Visayas region is home to many thrilling activities to pursue and sights to see.
Guam residents may know of the Aklan Association of Guam and its Ati-Atihan drummers, who perform during Guam Liberation Day, village fiestas and the Santo Niño Fiesta on Guam.
Although I wasn’t in Aklan during the annual Ati-Atihan Festival, I was thrilled to be in the place where the festive occasion is often held.
Follow my journey as I return to my mother’s roots in Aklan and spend a day at Boracay Island and its neighboring towns.
First thing in the morning, I woke up at Marzon Hotel in Kalibo, Aklan and ate a chocolate marble waffle at the hotel’s Latte Coffee Cafe.
Afterward, I took a taxi to Caticlan, which took around an hour and 20 minutes. Most tourists would fly through the Caticlan Airport to save time, but since I was also visiting relatives in Aklan, Kalibo was the most convenient place for me.
Once travelers arrive at the Caticlan or Kalibo Airport, they need to ride a boat from Tabon Port to reach Boracay Island.
Once you arrive at Tabon Port, tourists will pay 250 pesos to ride the boat going to Boracay Island. During my last visit in 2019, I rode a bangka, outrigger boat.
This trip, I took a ferry from the new jetty ports, seeing Magic Island where you can do cliff diving and Crocodile Island, which looks like a crocodile from the distance. The boat trip lasted around 10-15 minutes.
Once I reached the shore, I hopped on an e-trike — similar to the Philippines’ tricycles found in major cities — to start my land tour. It costs 500 pesos per hour, and my driver Ryan Muñoz explained the history of the landmarks we visited and the current issues that are prevalent on Boracay Island.
The first stop is the Lugutan Mangrove Park, a project of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Local Government Unit of Malay, Aklan and the Tan Yan Kee Foundation to protect the mangroves of Boracay Island. This creates awareness in the conservation of the flora and fauna of Boracay .
Lugutan Mangrove Park is a project of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Local Government Unit of Malay, Aklan and the Tan Yan Kee Foundation to protect the mangroves of Boracay Island.
The 8,362 square meter mangrove park has a wooden pathway, which provides marvelous views of the water. A fish sanctuary was also established to promote more species of fishes in Boracay Island.
As I observed the surroundings from the view, I saw a couple of people getting seashells by the river. Muñoz said they are part of the Ati tribe, the indigenous people of Panay Island belonging to the Negritos of the Philippines.
At the nearby Ati Tribe Village, I visited the Boracay Ati Community Development Complex, where the kids welcomed me with a series of heartwarming performances.
I also explored their heritage building, tribal hall and beautiful chapel, where they have a stunning grotto of Mother Mary and sell souvenirs.
The land was granted in 2011 by a Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title given by the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples.
Jocelyn Avangalio and Maria Tamdoon, leaders of the Boracay Ati Tribal Organization.
The Ati and Tumandok are Boracay Island’s first settlers, but were relocated in the 2000s to a 5-acre walled settlement as the island was transformed into a tourist destination.
“There are some tourists who come inside here and some who don’t,” said Jocelyn Avangalio a leader in The Boracay Ati Tribal Organization.
“Our community is in the back, so they cannot see us,” the 41-year-old added. “For me, it’s OK because they are a huge help to us when they come to our community.
“We save their donations, so when there’s an emergency, we use them to buy salt, rice and groceries and give them to our community,” Avangalio said.
Maria Tamdoon, who manages the finances of the group, said she was “happy that they finally started to see us and consider us a part of Boracay Island.”
There are various activities you can do at Boracay Island, such as kite surfing, stand up paddling or snorkeling.
Established in 2000, the Boracay Ati Tribal Organization’s mission is to help the Ati people preserve their culture, especially their dialect, from kindergarten to high school.
“We just want our kids to be able to learn,” said Tamdoon, 47. “As the leader of the community, I become happy if I see the kids studying and working hard to finish.”
After being educated about the history of Boracay Island, Muñoz brought me to White Beach for some recreation and sightseeing.
With 3 miles of powdery white sand, the gorgeous beach was often crowded due to the growing number of hotels and restaurants next to it. I recommend walking to the far end to avoid the crowd for activities like kite surfing, stand-up paddling or snorkeling.
But before that, I went to the most iconic backdrop for most tourist photos at Boracay Island: Willy’s Rock, a volcanic rock formation with a statue of the Virgin Mary at the top of the steps.
Taho vendor Tatay Reynaldo Indolos at White Beach.
To my surprise, I also met the viral Filipino taho vendor, Tatay Reynaldo Indolos, in the same area. He is famous for the quote ““Kapag walang cash I G-cash mo! (“If you do not have cash, use G-cash,” a form of contactless payment similar to Venmo in the mainland U.S.)
I ordered his taho, a sweet Filipino snack composed of tapioca pearls, soft tofu and caramelized sugar syrup, which I hadn’t eaten for two years since I haven’t been back in the Philippines due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The five-star Astoria Hotel, where many Filipino celebrities such as Albie Casino, Aubrey Miles and Michelle Vito stayed during their vacation at Boracay Island.
After laying on the beach for a bit, I ate at a lunch buffet for 700 pesos at White Cafe, located at the five-star Astoria Hotel where many Filipino celebrities such as Albie Casino, Aubrey Miles and Michelle Vito stayed.
The buffet had a mix of both local and international cuisines, such as roast potato with herb, pan-seared fish fillet with mango and corn salsa, roasted chicken with thyme au jus, and my favorite dessert crinkles.
In the afternoon, I traveled north from the city center and passed by Boracay Newcoast, which consists of exclusive hotels, luxury resorts and residences.
The main attraction at Boracay Newcoast is the large rock formation that looks like a dragon sipping the water.
The main attraction, however, is the large rock formation that looks like a dragon sipping the water. This can be found at the northeastern area of the island on Barangay Yapak south of the Newcoast property. It is next to a docking pier that takes ferry travelers from Caticlan to nearby areas.
Many tourists take their wedding photos here because the keyhole complements the turquoise waters and the azure skies.
Near Boracay Newcoast is Puka Beach, known for the puka shells that can be found in the white sand. Locals make a living by turning these shells into necklaces and souvenir items. They also sell freshwater pearls and souvenirs made from the stones of Boracay at the beachfront and walkways.
I bought a few bracelets made of puka shells, while my mom bought some freshwater pearl earrings. My family also purchased a stone souvenir of the Holy Family for our living room.
A souvenir of the Holy Family made from the stones of Boracay.
The vibe in Puka Beach is way different from White Beach. The former is more tranquil while the latter is very busy.
However, I do not recommend swimming at Puka Beach because of its deep waters and rough waves. Also, the soft white sand is replaced by shells that are very painful to step on. The sunset, however, is magnificently beautiful, which makes up for it.
After a long day at Boracay Island, I took a two-hour taxi ride to New Washington to eat at Hayahay Seafoods Grill.
There is something magical about having dinner at the side of the Lagatik River at a restaurant built of bamboo. The cool breeze felt better after a long sunny escapade at Boracay.
Hayahay Restaurant in New Washington, Aklan, at night.
Hayahay Seafoods Grill offers authentic and traditional Filipino food, which is cooked in an open kitchen. Some of my favorites included the sisig, lumpia, kare-kare and steamed clams.
The highlight of the menu, however, are the fresh oysters. New Washington is known for the seafood locally known as “hale-hale” — a notable aphrodisiac.
“In this place, the salty and unsalted water meet, so that’s why the seashells taste good compared to other provinces,” said Joselito Inguin, the chief agrarian reform program officer of Aklan.
Hayahay Seafoods Grill sells mainly Filipino cuisines, such as shrimp and kare-kare.
“I only sometimes go to this restaurant when we have visitors from Manila or from other countries as well as if there’s a special occasion,” said the 63-year-old from Madalag, Aklan. “Tonight, we are here because my daughter got engaged.”
I was very happy for them, but I was even happier as I devoured a feast with family and friends.
I was also in love with the two singers who sang the entire night because of their two contrasting yet complementing voices.
You can also send song requests to them to sing. It was great to hear some of my favorite Filipino tracks, such as Ben&Ben’s “Make It With You” and December Avenue’s “Kung ‘Di Rin Lang.”
As I took the last sip of the mango milkshake, I knew a day was not enough to explore the natural beauty of Boracay Island.
I have not yet been to an island-hopping tour to Crocodile Island and Crystal Cove Island nor have I tried getting out of my comfort zone by doing activities like scuba diving or parasailing. I cannot wait to return to my mother’s hometown soon!
Ron Rocky Coloma covers entertainment, lifestyle and artist features. Reach him at rcoloma@guampdn.com.
Ron Rocky Coloma covers entertainment, lifestyle and artist features. Reach him at rcoloma@guampdn.com.
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