Boracay: How to be a beach bum for a week   Boracay resort island in the Philippines in known for its white sand beaches, nature hikes, water sports and nightlife. One more than once featured in venues like Condé Nast Traveller, Time, Sun Herald, Harpers & Queens Magazine, Destination and the Pilots Guide TV program, Boracay is often labeled "the best beach destination in the world." Located amongst the Bisayan islands in the Central Philippines, Boracay is a small isle located within padding distance of Panay. White sand beaches Crystal clear water, colorful coral and white sand like baby powder make Boracay an irresistable magnet to beach lovers all over the world. Sheltered from the trade winds, the waters off the main beach are usually as calm as that found in a lake. Only on the western side of the island is there a regular surf. One can take a half day boat ride around the island enjoying excellent views especially of the caves on the north side, and also enjoy some decent snorkeling. However, most visitors spend the majority of the day cooling off in the water on the main strip. One favorite past-time is to hang off the outriggers of canoes tied up at the beach. Sometimes they may have problems with seaweed floating into some parts of the beach, but this can always be solved by usually no more than a short stroll to another location. Diving and snorkeling Although Boracay does not rate as a world-class diving location like nearby sites in the Philippines, the diving still pretty good compared to most places. PADI diving training is available for neophytes, and dive boat tours venture out to superior locations for the experienced divers. For shorter day trips one takes a local outrigger boat to areas with excellent visibility. There are some interesting underwater caves to explore both on Boracay and adjacent small islands. The local large starfish is one of the main diving attractions. Dining, nightlife and other activities The choice of cuisine at Boracay is truly international. As this has long been a choice destination for international tourists, local establishments cater to just about every taste. The regular visitors to the island besided Philippine citizens include those who come from Australia, Europe, Israel, Japan and Korea. Some restaraunts focus exclusively on visitors from a particular region. For example, you might find an Austrian bakery targeted at the sun-lovers from Austria. As might be expected, seafood here if plentiful and delicious. The local chefs are experts at cooking up both gourmet dishes and fast tasty barbecues. Highly-recomended are the refreshing freeze drinks made with local or imported fruits and other goodies which really help beat Boracay's tropical heat. Hiking completely around the island is easy and enjoyable. You can stop at Puka Beach and view the puka shell industry in action. Giant but harmless fruit bats can be seen at twilight near the Bat Caves or sometimes anywhere on the island. You can also visit "Dead Forest" supposedly haunted which was once flooded with salt water after a dam failure. Whitewater rafting is available on the short but wild Tibiao River. Other activities include sailing, parasailing, wind surfing, water skiing, banana-boat riding and golfing on Boracay's 18-hole golf course. A wide range of discos, clubs and bars and friendly tourists and locals alike make for an active nightlife on this tropical paradise island. Hotels Hotel accomodations range from first-class hotel type resorts like the Boracay Regency Beach Resort to affordable backpacker cottages. Luxurious villas and hotels are usually located so close to the beach you can hear the fish swimming. Cheaper but still decent cottages can be found a short stroll from the beach usually along enjoyable trails. Air conditioning though is rather rare and most rooms are cooled with ventilation designed to exploit the cool ocean breezes and electric fans. The currency used here is the Philippine Peso and power supply is 220 volts/60 cycles. No direct international flights are available to Panay so your ticket to Boracay will be routed usually either through Manila or Cebu. Visit our Features Archive Share article: