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ASEAN Hot Spots, Boracay

Luxury Villa, snorkelling, white sandy beaches and sitting back to enjoy the sunset at the seaside, Boracay Island in the Philippines is the perfect getaway from the hussle and bustle of the city.
Even famous Hollywood celebrities have holiday homes on this island. Boracay is scenic and boasts luxury condominiums and homes like the Monaco Suites De Boracay for the rich and famous.
Boracay is located in the Western Visayas portion of the Philippines, about an hour by air from Manila.
The island is seve
n kilometres long and has three main villages — Balabag, Yapak and Manoc-Manoc.
The north and the south of the island are hilly with areas rising up to 100m above sea level. These areas are suitable for hikers. There are numerous inter-twining paths and trails, some leading through tropical jungles.
The best part of the island is White Beach, which stretches four kilometres; the locals call it Long Beach. It is on the western side of the island, facing the Sulu Sea. The water is shallow, making it perfect for swimmers.
To ensure these beaches are not polluted, the Philippine government bars vehicles from driving along the beach.
When it comes to water activities, you can do practically everything here, from snorkelling to scuba diving.
Sun worshippers can just lie back and enjoy the tranquil breeze blowing through the palm trees rising high above the island.
There are also daytime pleasures like kiteboarding, banana boat rides, skimboarding, beach volleyball, all terrain vehicle (ATV) adventure, surfing, diving and even golfing.
Boracay’s Fairways and Bluewater 18-hole golf course is sure to stun you with breathtaking views of the Sulu Seas. The course offers a great walk even if you are not playing.
After a long day basking in the sun going through the many activities like snorkelling and water sports, you can pamper yourself at the numerous massage centres throughout Boracay island. A full body massage for an hour could cost between RM60 and RM100.
There are about 220 beach resorts offering accommodations of different types and prices. Not to mention the restaurants and shopping stands along the beach which offer food and souvenirs at reasonable prices.
Lunch offers an adventurous variety of Middle Eastern, Thai, Portuguese, German and Mexican food while dinner is mainly a selection of Filipino, American, Chinese, Japanese and French cuisine.
Dinner can be enjoyed at over 200 restaurants and snack bars with names like Andok’s Chicken, Blue Mango, Aria, Bamboo Lounge, Cafe’ Del Mar, Chez De Paris, Club Paraw, Ole Tapas Bar Y Restaurant, Paradiso Grill, Prana Restaurant, Regency Food Plaza, Steakhouse, The Cafe Mediterranean, Sands Restaurant, Rima and Kingfisher’s Farm.
Besides dinner, you should also experience the night life at the karaokes, discos and bars — many of them facing the beach.
The more popular hangouts for tourists are Cocomanga’s Shooter Bar, Coco Bar, Bom Bom Bar, Coco Loco, Jony’s Bar and Restaurant, Danzka Bar, Samba Bar and Restaurant and Sports Bar.
Once nearly deserted, Boracay soon transformed within a period of 10 years from a traveller’s retreat with inexpensive, lantern-lit bungalows to one of the most highly developed tourist destinations in the Philippines.
Everywhere you go, you find visitors from all corners of the globe.
Of course, there are the native Boracayans who display utmost warmth and hospitality and – typical of the Filipino demeanour – are more than willing to share the island’s abundant pleasures with tourists.
To get to Boracay, you can fly with Cebu Pacific airlines that flies from Kuala Lumpur to Manila every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. The flights leave Kuala Lumpur at 1.10am and arrive in Manila at 5am.
CEB has daily flights to Cebu departing from the domestic airport, which is a 10-minute bus ride from the international terminal.
To get to Boracay, fly AirAsia to Clark (Diosdado Macapagal International Airport). From there, fly SEA Air to Caticlan. Then take a bus from the Caticlan airport to the boat pier.
A 15-minute ride in a banca outrigger boat will take you to Boracay. Resorts can arrange the transfer, or just buy the tickets at the pier.
And when you are in the Philippines, Cebu is another island paradise for those wanting to swim in crystal clear blue waters and walk on white sandy beaches.
Cebu boasts world-class snorkelling and scuba diving, and golf courses. You can also shop for ceramics, rattan furniture and bamboo craft. There’s even a guitar factory where you can buy a beautiful instrument made of cedar and mahogany and inlaid with mother of pearl at a rock-bottom price.
Getting around is easy. Whether you’re in Manila or Cebu, the best way is to hop onto a jeepney – a wonderful vehicle built from surplus jeeps with an extended rear section fitted with bench seats on both sides.
There are more than 30,000 jeepneys running around all over the country.
For just a few cents, you can ride one clear across town. Jump into one that’s going in your direction and ask where they are going. You will get an answer with a smile and everyone on board will try to help you find your way – almost everyone speaks English.
But no matter how you decide to spend your time in the Philippines, the one thing you will always have in your memory is the wonderful smiling faces you meet.