Peoples Journal on Reef Walk
http://www.journal.com.ph/index.php?issue=2009-03-29&sec=12&aid=89253
My Boracay Reefwalk adventure is shared by Ms. Bhaby See of People’s Journal. Thanks to her for sharing about what people can try doing in Boracay. I really think people should try to get a feel of the underwater at least once. Its really pretty cool.
Literally underwater
Try this in Boracay for a really different kind of fun…
It took Five (5) Different Cebu Pacific Flight Batches from Manila to Caticlan and 1 Ceres Bus Trip from Kalibo before the entire family and close friends became complete in Boracay.
My Mom and i was on the same flight, while my sister Rich and Gracie on another, but just 30 minutes apart last Feb 14, yeah it was a Boracay Family Valentine. Then the following day, friends Karla, Pamela and Sheryl arrived at 630am in Caticlan Airport, followed by Madel, Rene, Yen and Kyle, then Kalibo Party of Tita Laurie, Feby, Ansel, Clane, Lara, Bel, Doods and Samantha came before lunch time. Lastly, Kuya Bong, Ate Jane, Jaepher and Chrysha at 3pm flight..whew!!!
My family and I took 3 Villas at Nirvana Garden Villas, Rene and Company at BNB Resort, then the rest to friends houses. We just gathered together for swimming and meals. It was really a blast… Both of our resorts are all great places for families. Spacious rooms and living areas for kids to move around.
Boracay offers a really great place for fun, relaxation, quality time for the family. It has something to offer for all ages, shapes and interests. 
Boracay Stations took care of all our bookings. We usually swim at Station one, near the Willy’s Rock, at times at Pearl of the Pacific. We like it there because the sand is finest, and kids enjoy creating castles.
Posted in Arelle, Boracay, Boracay Life, Featured, Travel, boracay food 
Tags: Boracay, cebu pacific, great vacations, kalibo, willy's 
No Comments »Boracay, is my second home and i love it. It may be the same island, but always a different adventure and experience when i go. I feel so blessed to have discovered going to this island during high school, a lot of our family vacations was spent here.
This particular stay was at Willy’s Beach Club, located at Station 1, right across the Willys’ Rock (Grotto) which they also own. Their promo rate was P 12,000 for the 3 nights/4 (SINGLE occupancy in the room, meaning just me sleeping in the room) days which included daily breakfast and 1 dinner at Willy’s or at Club Paraw. My room had a good view of he ocean from the veranda. Nice Shower area, comfortable big beds, very nice friendly staff. It also included escorted Airport- Resort Land(willy’s nice van), boat transfers and terminal fees. I was satisfied with my stay. Hmmm… maybe i should start writing Boracay Resort, and restaurant reviews.
Enjoyed the Salads and wine at Aria along the beach front in D’Mall, as well as the Mint Shake and Nicoise Salad at Lemon Cafe. Salad is about P 250.00 and fruit share about P 130.00
A must visit for Fruit Shakes is at JONAH’s at the STation 1, Luzette and I went there and saw Gilbert Remulla and Angel Aquino with some other friends, they were quite very busy on their cellphones while on vacation very hard working tv personalities. I had Avocado Shake, i usually like combining mango and chocolate or pinaapple and banana. Fruit shake is about P 80.00 for single fruit, P 110 for mixed fruit.
The beachfront transforms to a line of buffet restaurants at night, offering all kinds of food, Mongolian, a lot of grilled seafoods, steaks, international dishes to satisfy your palate. We ate at Paradise Grill, Liehevol (both at D’Mall) some other restaurants i no longer remember the name lol… In Paradise grill, its not a buffet, you have to choose and buy fish, vegetables or whatever by grams then you select how you want them to cook it for you. Shake Servings are really huge, you can get full with it. Buffet is usually P 285 per person, excluding drinks.
Richie said she feels like her tummy will already explode with all the food lol!
notice how big Tina’s chocolate shake is!
Island Hopping and Snorkeling is always fun for me, we usually go to different spots , this time it was right across the new Shangrila Boracay Resort. Island hopping boat is usually 4 hours with snorkeling, at P 1,800 for up to 5 passengers. The latest i did was the Reef Walk.
Boracay is a wonderful place we are enjoying, so if you happen to be there, and see some trash, lets try to do some help to preserve the beauty and cleanliness of the island by picking up some junk food wrap on the shore. Guys, if you happen to see any trash on the shore, please do take part, pick it up and throw it in a trash can. tnx
Look at the fish trying to swim, let’s keep the beach clean.
Btw, for a great place to stay in Station 1, where the sand is finest and usually resorts are most pricey, that will not cost you much, try Boracay Breeze, its just a minute walk to the beach front yet the price is really really friendly, you will save 50% on hotel cost yet you are at station 1.
I took this shot from the plane, Cebu Pacific Air via Caticlan last March 10, 2009. Boracay is located in Malay, Aklan in Panay. The island is about 7 kilometers long, with a very long white sand beachfront of 4 kilometers on one side alone.
Each time i go to Boracay, i can’t resist enjoying buffet dinners at the beachfront-fresh seafoods, tasty lamb ribs, mediterranean dishes, some red wine and hearty salads, and filling fruit shakes.
I go to Boracay monthly for few days each month since last year and i have gained a lot since lol…I am not enrolled back in gym to get my weight back down, and lessenning my rice intake. Hopefully i’d be in shape in a few months or so.
Some friends are recommending drinking warm water, about a liter, first thing in the morning at least 30 minutes before meal. She said it illimimates food residues from the previous day in the tummy. I just started yesterday. There are also weight loss pills around, but i haven’t tried any, il just stick with diet change and workouts for now.
Reef Walking, another must do in Boracay. If you are looking for an underwater adventure that does not require swimming skills, try the reef walk.
We were picked up by a speed boat at the shore then they took us a kilometer or two into the water away from the beach. There is a stationed boat or platform where you will moved from the speed boat. Then you will be shown the gear which looks like an astronaut helmet (lol) with an oxygen cord attached to it. Apparently, it weights 30 kilos but when in water it only weighs 1 kilo. We were told that we need to equalize by yawning or moving the jaw when we feel the same feeling when riding an airplane, like there is something in your ear or head. We were also briefed of sign languages to be able to communicate, pretty cool, about 5 signs, very easy to remember.
I was asked to get down the water, then when im neck deep, they put the gear on my head resting it on my shoulder, then the diver pulled me slowly and gently to the ocean floor. Oh, we had to wear a diving shoes (if you have one, then wear it when you go so you dont have to borrow there).
It felt great to be able to walk down below which was probably 25 feet underwater. They handed us a big bread, and suddendly the fish came in school and started biting…it was really really cool seeing different kinds of fish, nice colors and sizes. There were so many fish coming to me and i was holding the bread, so sometimes i could feel their mouth on my fingers, then For a while there came about 3 fish twice the size of my hands, i got a bit scared that they would bite me hard lol,..but they didn’t…good fish.
There are fixers along the beach offering it at P 2,500/pax fo 30 minutes but we got a good deal for P 1,500 only and 40minutes of underwater adventure, discount is courtesy of Richie of (BSI) Boracay Stations, you can reach them at 0922-893-2723 to get you the best deals in sports activities in boracay and also in resorts.
They can take photos of you for P 600 (24 shots) regular film and P 1,500 for digital camera photos and videos. We asked for the Digital camera shots, but their camera acted up while underwater lol..and so they went down with paperboard that says “nasira ang digital ma’am, regular camera na lang, ok lang po?” we signaled, Yes.
Wonderful time in Boracay
with my niece Lorraine and Richie
 Time flew so fast, Lorraine and Richie were just small kids running around the house when i was a teenager and now they are bigger than me lol…and we’re like “barkadas”.
I would like to thank my close friend Luzette,  who is like a sister for being with us, Tina and Belle too. And big thanks for Boracay Stations, for helping us get the best family-friendly accommodation in Garden Villas- it is equipped with a kitchen and it was very spacious with enough for the kids to run around and budget rooms at B & B Resort. We are happy with it.
If you are looking for the best place to stay in Boracay that fits your needs, contact Boracay Stations, they are experts and know the island really well. Just tell them your preferences and they will help you out. Whether you are looking for Resort in Boracay that is Luxurious, family rooms, Budget rooms, cheap backpackers style rooms, beachfront rooms, long term stay kind, Boracay STations people can be of help. Ask about the resorts offering promos on your travel dates.
There was 20 of us who took the Cebu Pacific Air in 3 different flights back and forth, all were on time. We we took MANILA-CATICLAN going there and KALIBO- MANILA on the way back. Thanks for the best airfare deals, cebu pacific rocks!!!
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We (my family and friends) have been using Cebu Pacific for several years now. It was always Philippine Airlines then. Â We switched to Cebu Pacific because of the lower pricing, its fine even if they don’t serve snacks, the price difference was very significant specially that we travel in groups. Â
My friend Julie alone had 24 flights with Cebu Pacific this year, i only had about 20 ( 1 of which was via Pal Express Air from Caticlan to Manila). Most of those flights were bound to Boracay. We have probably taken more than 100 flights (counting those of my family this year).
Our most recent flights were already FREE courtesy of Cebu Pacific Air, we enjoyed flights to Boracay, Manila and Cebu this last quarter. During the early part of this  year, the flights were always late, there was one time when they already had to serve us lunch because the plane was later for more then four (4) hours alread, but as time passed, by the end of the year as i write, our flights has been ON TIME. Â
I recommend you to sign up for their newsletter and announcements to take advantage of the latest promos.
Boracay Philippines favorite destination
My favorite destination, BORACAY, seems to be the favorite of a lot of locals too, being on Yahoo Philippines Top searches for 2008. The Top search is American idol, second is already Boracay.
I took 8 round trip flights to the island this year, 7 of which via Cebu Pacific Air and 1 via Pal Express Air, 3 days as the shortest and 30 days being the longest stay.Â
Five (5) things i like about Boracay?
1. The Beach – since i first set foot in Boracay in 1989, i immediately fell in love with the place and kept coming each time i could during summertime, and eventually it became an annual family destination. Water is crystal clear blue, i could see my feet and some fish even im standing on water up to my neck high. And when i swim at night, and i waggle my hands on the water, it seems to glitter. And the sand doesn’t get hot even on broad day light, playing anytime of the day on sand is alright. Until today, the beach continous to allure me, and many from Korea, Taiwan, Europe and the United States.
2. The Food – seafoods are really fresh, i remember my cousins waking early to wait for fishermen coming in their boats with baskets of catch. Now that fishermens no longer dock on the beach front, you have to go to the market already. Now, there is already a really wide variety of international cuisines on the four kilometer stretch beach. There is Filipino (of course), Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Morrocan, Indian, American, Mexican, Italian, Norwegian Cuisines and more.Â
3. WaterSports – back then, it was only boating and speed boating, now? there are a lot of water sports to enjoy, like Banana Boat Ride, Jetski, Diving, Parasailing, Speed Boating, Wake Boarding, Kite Boarding and so much more.
4. Night Life – There is no nightlife like Boracay as some foreigners would say. Bars line up the beach front walk way, with techno, disco, reggae, live bands, folk singers and more while you enjoy some rhythm and hues. Our favorite is Summer Place in station2 .
5. Resorts – The kind of resort you stay at depends on your needs. There are budget resorts, luxury, backpackers, family room resorts and more to choose from. I have stayed in more than a couple dozen resorts already.  Almost each time i go, we stay in a different resort, in different stations (Boracay has there major stations, which are stations 1, 2 and 3). My family
Station 3 - is located on the left side of the Island which is mostly part of Manoc Manoc. Resorts here are mostly on the lower priced rooms. My family stayed in La Isla Bonita a number of times, and we get about 4 – 5 rooms here.
Stations 2 – is located on the middle, mostly part of Brgy. Balabag , a lot of new resorts are here, price are also very reasonably priced, this is where D Mall can also be found, D Mall is where the mini marts, restaurants, souvenir stores are.  This area is the most dense at any given time. I stayed in Giulius Resort in this area, near the Tourist Center
Station 1 – located on the left side of the island, this is where the sand is really finest, like powder. Most of the resorts here are quite pricey (but not all). This is where i like to stay the most. I stayed one month at Boracay Breeze Resort, the castle like resort near the Willy’s Rock.Â
To go to Boracay, you can go by boat of by plane. By boat its a 13 hours or so ride from the Pier in Manila, or yuo can take the RORO (bus to Batangas, then Boat from Batangas to Caticlan).
By plane its about 45 minutes via Cebu Pacific Air, Pal Express Air, Seair and Zest Air. Airfare is about P 3,500 and up round trip.
Resort Accomodation is about P 1,000 and up at Station 3. P 2,000 and up at Station 2 and P 3000 and up at Station 1. There are hotel rooms as much as $300-500 per night.
Condominium hotels are also an excellent investment in the Island. There is Alta Vista De Boracay, Crown Regency, The Pearl Residences and The Shambala among others.
Come and enjoy Boracay…
Posted in Arelle, Boracay, Boracay Life, boracay food Tags: alta vista, Boracay, boracay stations, Crown Regency, station 1, station 2, station 3 No Comments »Because of the the very popular Banana Diet on the internet, Truthaboutabs.com health and fitness experts comments about it. Here goes his email… ( Btw, i got a metabolic rate calculator and a Card game workout, whichis pretty cool. thanks for it Mike).
“Here we go again with another ridiculous fad diet!
I was reading Mens Health today and they were talking about a new diet fad called the “morning banana diet” that is becoming so popular in Japan that Dole imports to the country have increased 25% in the last 4 months (according to Mens Health).
Supposedly the diet consists of eating as many bananas as you want for breakfast, eating anything for lunch and dinner, a snack at 3pm, no desserts at all, and get to sleep by midnight at the latest.
MH makes a great point that there are major flaws with this as calorie consumption is not necessarily controlled, so the person could seriously overeat on calories throughout the day without any regard for that.
Also, why did they choose bananas? Â After all, if you were going to follow some stupid fad diet, why not choose a fruit with a higher fiber/total carb ratio and less calories and sugar overall? Â Some type of berries would be a much better option for fat loss.
Although I think bananas have many healthful properties, they are one of the most calorie dense fruits available, and I usually limit my bananas to only post-workout meals, since that’s when your body will utilize the high GI carbs more readily for replenishing your muscle glycogen.
The bottom line… This is just yet another stupid diet fad that isn’t going to help anyone with long term weight maintenance and fat loss.
As I’ve always said, what we really need is adopting a true fitness lifestyle, so that you can understand how to eat a nutritious diet that promotes fat loss and weight maintenance for life.”
- Mike Geary
So there you go, its a fad, a diet that can not be sustained on a long term basis… but i still enjoy bananas, no matter what, just had it with a low fat ice cream
I’m currently doing Taebo Advance by Billy Blanks, and eating cereals in the morning and mostly fruits and veggies. I’m hitting Boracay on November 3-11…got to be in shape, or at least a lighter than i am now.
