Top 10 Things You Must Do In Boracay Island, Philippines

Post #2 on the Philippines.  (more soon on time with family and other adventures)

I don't want to write a novel about my week long experience in Boracay with all the indifferent details, and I can guess you probably don't want to read that.  Instead, I really like how my friend Kira did her post to summarize so I'm going to steal her idea of "Top 10".  You can check out her blog post on our trip here!

In summary, this is how I spent my trip, but I know that there is so much more to do!  I had an amazing time.

10.  Explore the different modes of Filipino transportation

There are a few modes of transportation that are pretty unique to the Philippines.  The first is the tricycle.  The tricycles in the Philippines consist of a motorcycle with a side-car attached for passengers.  They're super cheap and so much fun for traveling short distances.  When we first arrived in Boracay, we fit 5 people into one with all of our luggage to go to our hostel!  We were pretty uncomfortable, but it's part of the experience, right?  Kira and I were really struggling in the back trying to keep our luggage in while trying to stay in ourselves.

The second unusual form of transportation is the Jeepney.  The concept isn't that weird; it's kind of like a bus.  What sets it apart is the colorful and ostentatious decorations on all of them!  They're know to be extremely crowded.  I didn't actually get to ride one while I was there, but they have become a staple of the Philippines and they are everywhere.  They date back all the way to WWII and were originally made from left over US military jeeps.

9.  Stay at Frendz Resort

I definitely think that one reason we enjoyed our trip so much was due to our accommodation.  The people at Frendz are indescribable.  It felt like home from the second we got there.  They learned all of our names and we received complementary drinks upon arrival.  Breakfast was always one of my favorite parts of the day.  Not only because the food, service, and atmosphere at the hostel was great, but it's always nice to start off the day with a good gossip sesh with the girls :)

Mine and Cass's room.

Loving life with our complementary drinks.

The rooms.

Farewell picture.

8.  Be awed by the Boracay sunset

There is really no wrong way to view the sunset.  We enjoyed it in two ways: 1) while laying on the beach 2) renting a sailboat and sailing into the horizon.  I would absolutely recommend both.  I think the pictures can speak for themselves.

Terry, Me, Julie, Cass, Kira, Tim, and Emma about to sail into the sunset.

7.  Party the night away for an average of 80 pesos a drink

One thing absolutely fantastic about the Philippines is that everything is so cheap.  Spending 80 pesos on a mixed drink is less than $2 USD!  A lot of the clubs and bars were right along the beach so we definitely brought the party outside to dance in the sand.  I'm also pretty sure I now know what it feels like to be famous.  One night we met a group of at least 40 Filipino natives who were awestricken by me and my friends.  I felt like a celebrity being asked to take literally 50+ pictures with people.  We were the center of attention.  I mean how could we not be ;)

Me and the girls on the beach

There is also a well-known bar in Boracay called Cocomangas that has a challenge known as "Still Standing After 15..."  Basically you take 15 shots "for your country".  Your country gets a point on the scoreboard; you get a free t-shirt, your name on the wall, and a crazy hangover.  I opted not to partake in the challenge because there is no way I would still be standing.

Scoreboard.  USA is in 4th! woo!

The list of 15 shots.

6.  Have dinner on the beach while enjoying live music

For me, dinner was always the most relaxing part of the day.  The combination of good food, great company, sand between your toes, the sound of waves crashing, cool breeze, and serene live music was absolute perfection.

5.  Rent a boat with friends to snorkel around the island

Aquatic life amazes me.  It was great swimming and feeding hundreds of colorful fish!  We also stopped at a deserted island for a nice beachy photo shoot.

What's a vacation to a tropical island without a stereotypical jumping on the beach picture?

4.  ATV to the highest point to catch the view

Renting 4-wheelers was a great decision.  I love to go fast :)  We took them up to the highest point in Boracay.  The view was beautiful.  We ran into some monkeys that were very friendly, a little too friendly.  I thought they were going to steal my wallet.  Tim, Cass, and I also zip-lined through the jungle near the peak!

MONKEYSSSS!!!!!

At the peak.  It was very windy up there.

3.  Get your money's worth at the shopping stalls

Shopping here was much different than shopping in Thailand.  It was nice not having the shopkeepers pester or push you to buy their items while you were looking around.  It was a much more relaxed and care-free experience, which made it so much more enjoyable.  The people were also very honest.  We never felt like we were getting ripped off.  Our fist day in Boracay, it was very rainy.  It dampened our clothes, but not our spirits!  We still went out there to hunt for the best bargains.  We were soaked after about 5 minutes.

2.  Eat mangoes every chance you get and drink the local beers

All I can say about this one is that they were amazing and I'm having withdrawls.  I probably had an average of 3 mangoes per day, including the dried mangoes I ate as well.  As for the beers, I don't even really like beer, but these were great!  There are three local beers that you can find all over the Philippines: San Miguel Light, San Miguel Pale Pilsen, and Red Horse "Extra Strong".  Plus, they were incredibly cheap (about $1 USD).  My favorite was the Pale Pilsen.

1.  Waste your day at the beach

Finally, there's nothing better to do than to strip out of your clothes and into your swim suit,  kick back in a beach chair, soak up the sun, and relaxxxxx.

That lady looks like she's chillin' on my shoulder.

Well, there you have it; 10 perfect ways to waste your time in Boracay.  I couldn't have asked for a better Spring Break.

Thanks to all my friends for taking/sharing all the pictures and for an unreal time in the Philippines.