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.

How this moment makes you feel is indescribable. There's nothing quite like it. 

The real party is just warming up.

 All smiles after our super delish seafood buffet dinner. 

 The rest was a blur of excitement and lasting experience of Boracay's night life.

You can always find one of the best nights of your life here. Promise.

We then had our good night's sleep at our lovely home away from home:

La Carmela De Boracay!

Be Spunky and Just Do it!

Boracay Water Sports!

[Sept.15-18, 2012]

The adventure-seekers that we are, wanted to take advantage of the best of Boracay's watersports---of course at a price that we can all afford. Thanks to Yong referral, we were able to get a great package deal of 3 activities. Since it was Amihan season were winds and waves were strong in Boracay, our guide "Faith" (by night) took us to the other side of the island were the weather was calmer. 

Since it was just near, we just walked going to the other side.

A pose with our boat behind us...

First activity in store for us was helmet diving. Though not really new for me, still, it was exciting!!!

We had to wait in line for our turn to go down as others have arrived at the jump off point earlier than us.

No worries! It gave us more time to process what we were going to, how we are going to do it, plus, we get to see others before us who find it difficult to conquer their fears of diving. Some of them took time to decide to finally go down the ladder. By the way, each helmet weights 26kg! But of course, underwater, it will probably weigh just a few kilos. Manageable. Haha!

A few minutes more and it was our turn, I was the first one to go down for our group.

I was a bit confused why they asked us to kneel when we can actually stand with our helmets on. The sand was killing my knees--and to think I had to wait for the rest to come down. Oh and we were on our knees the whole time! Anyway, it was still fun though what with all the fishes around.

We were about 5-10meters deep, so it wasn't really all that scary. It was great sharing the experience with friends. Especially when fishes began to draw near us when we were feeding them with bread.

The whole helmet diving experience lasted only for about 30 minutes and then we had to resurface.

It was some "fishy" experience!!!

Next activity for us is the Flyfish!

This is actually our first time to ride this thing. So we were all soooooo pumped up.

Oh my!!! So this is how it is! Waaaaah!You have to hang on to the handle bars for your dear life.

Without a doubt, another buwis-buhay activity for all of us.

The speedboat driver exactly knows what he was doing to us. Waaaah!

Just like the wheel of life...there are times when we were down...flat on our faces...and 

there were times when we were up. I'd say yes to another ride!

I had sooo much fun despite the fact that I fell. Haha!

Can't wait to get going for our next activity...

 Parasailing!!!

I have often dreamed of riding a parasail for so long having lived in island with lots of 5-star resorts.

That was all I could do back then--only dream. But now, I get to finally experience how it feels!!

 I was excited of course but I was also very scared!! Good thing they made us ride in pairs.

So, we decided to go first. After all the safety harnesses are in place...

 off we go....waaaaaaaaaaah!

 The winds were definitely top-notch that day. It was perfect for parasailing.

 As we were released farther and farther, the wind blew us higher and higher and suddenly the speedboat becomes smaller....and smaller. Then suddenly all we see from above is a great view of boracay island surrounded by the sparkling blue waters. It was surreal. It was a humbling experience, for me, everything else just looked beautiful from above. And though, the winds were so strong that it felt like we were going to detach from the boat, still, I enjoyed every minute up there. It was just beautiful. 

I will never get tired of saying that.

Like what they say, all good things come to an end. We were then rolled back down to the boat so our other friends can take their turn and experience it too.

Everyone should at least try parasailing, it will be a worthy experience!

Trust me on that.

Til then Boracay!