Blueapple13: Birthday Bash in Boracay

[Aug.24-26, 2014]

Boracay Trip

August is the birthday month for both my parents. This year is my dad's graduation to the splendid world of being 60! As a treat, my sister thought it would be great to take them on a trip to Boracay. The best part of it was that I get to tag along. Woohooo!

We traveled during the monsoon season but Boracay was still packed with local and foreign tourists. It's indeed summer all year round in this captivating paradise. To get the birthday party started, we first made "the walk" from station 1-2-3. I mean, hey! it's a 'must' for first-timers.

The weather was very forgiving and it even gave us the coolest sea breeze to enjoy the afternoon stroll.

My folks did not complain but enjoyed every single minute of it.

To reward their tired feet and hungry tummies, we got ourselves some fresh fruit shakes from the best in the island: Jonah's Fruit Shakes. Oh how we loved it here! My avocado shake was perfect!

After our scrumptious snacks, we headed to Willy's Rock and waited for our turn to climb up..

the grotto. Good thing it was low tide and we were able to manage our way through the rock without much difficulty what with our full tummies.

My folks were also facinated by the hotel designs and did not miss a photo op.

Here's the Mandarin tree.

We also found the 'ambassador' of Paradise resort.

And of course..who wouldn't want to take this photo of the famous sandcastles in Boracay. Apart from 'the walk' one's visit to this magical getaway would not be complete without the watersports and other adventures. So my parents also tried helmet diving:

We're hopping on a speedboat to get to the drop off.

The Bulabog side of the island is a beauty as well.

Oh and there they are! The almost 30kgs-weighing helmets.

Very attentive during briefing. Good job!

Looks real fun down there! This is a must try for everybody heading out to Boracay. And just a tip, it's a tad cheaper here. I'm so happy they enjoyed this one so much! A memorable experience to share with the grand kids and friends their age. Next adventure:

The climb to Mt. Luho

Tougher & steeper than it looks. We had at least two breaks before reaching..

the view deck--breathtaking!

I believe that is the Shangrila

This one's the other side of the island, somewhere near Puka beach I think. So amazingly gorgeous! We stayed here for several minutes and simply appreciated the incredible view. The last adventure I asked my parents to try was Paraw Sailing. But that deserves a separate post. Read it here.

We didn't get to have pictures while we were swimming because we didn't have the waterproof cam but nonetheless, my parents loved swimming so much. They kept saying it's very different here--in a very beautiful way. During the late afternoons of our 3-day stay, we always make it a priory to get the lounge chairs at the beachfront so we can have the best seats to witness the best sunset in the world.

Right about this time, all of a sudden the crowd thickens and the shores become more alive as everyone awaits for the sun's farewell. At the same time, restaurants also bring out their long tables for their dinner buffet and cocktails.