Boracay Island: Are You Ready to Dive in Again? (A Photo Essay)

Photographs and essay by: George Pontino Jr.

UPDATE: Boracay Reopens on October 26, 2018

See Travel Tips and Maps below. See also DOs  and DONTs 

In the News: Cebu Pacific resumes flights to Boracay on October 26 (click)

As Boracay opens its doors again to tourists, let me share to you some of my photography that portrays the island's vistas and development as well as the people's lifestyles before it was closed to recapture again its natural beauty.

This is some sort of a throwback gallery where one can ponder if the island and its beaches need more time to heal or are we, visitors,are ready again to experience Boracay's island lifestyle after months of its environmental rehabilitation.

Without much further ado, here's some my Boracay images captured through my crystal eyes:

Take a bite of modernity. Will we ever see again tourists in their utmost freedom without minding the Philippines' culture of modesty or let's just brush it away and consider it modernity?

The sparkling Boracay waters can make every eye glisten with glee as it is like a visual effect that provides an escape away from the city. Some of the island's inhabitants and investors, however, transformed the place into a mini city with all that high rise buildings and a mall just near the shoreline. These doesn't complement the natural surroundings at all. Thanks to bad planning, maybe?  So, are you ready to see pure nature or see visages of a busy city go away. Do you ever care or just go with the development flow?

___________________ AN UPDATE ________________________

NEW BORACAY ISLAND'S Do's and Dont's 

When Boracay opens this October, you might find yourself 

facing these new rules:

• Number of tourists/guests will be controlled (Limit is 19,000)
• Before entering the island, tourists may be asked to present their hotel                reservations as proof of entry
• Hotel rooms will be reduced from 6,000 - 9,000 from 12,000 Rooms

• Water activities like the Banana Boat Rides will be temporarily Suspended
• Diving in waters around Boracay will be temporarily suspended
• Installation of electric lights along the beachfront is a No No! 
• Fireworks display will be allowed only until 9pm
• Smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages is not allowed along the White Beach strip
• No More "Laboracay" or the Annual Labor Day Party 
• Dining or eating by the beach will be prohibited. 
• Sand castle building will be regulated
• No more souvenir shops and hawkers along the beachfront
• Fire dancing using kerosene lamps will be banned
• Casinos are not allowed to operate in the Island

• Boracay's water lines will be regulated by the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA)
• Piggeries and poultry frams are banned in the island
• Hot-coal roasting of meats will be prohibited
• Accommodations not connected to the island's sewage system  or do not have a treatment facility will not be allowed to open.

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Boracay's long white sand beach strip is strategically facing a horizon where seemingly magical sunsets happen like what I've witnessed and captured above.

Even beyond the horizon, the Boracay sunset gets too much attention. People line up along the pristine beach waiting for a "perfect" sunset spectacle. Eventually, when the beautiful sun turns to a mere spectre when clouds became atmospheric killjoys, ask yourself if: Are you ready to end your day by spending it under the stars; contemplating and relaxing so you can rejuvenate your spirit or are you ready to have post-sunset hours of binge-drinking and partying that will result to a hangover the next day? Are you ready for these options?

Now, that Boracay is rehabilitated, do we expect more positive changes and improvements to happen? It's really up to the unity and discipline of its investors and islanders plus that of the visitors' way of following rules of preserving nature and cleanliness so that good things will last. You see, it's good to relax when you know you're diving in blue untainted waters.

The mile-long white sand beach has long enamored locals and foreign tourists with its fine powdery texture. Lovers, friends and families enjoy a long walk along the pristine beach of Boracay and get to adapt with the island's freestyle lifestyle.. Somewhere in between some forget how to be a disciplined visitor, leaving trash on the shoreline and just get away with it. Are you ready to help preserve the place for others to enjoy, the way other people preserved them for you? (continued below)

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Natural and man-made vistas are spread out in the island. Just rent a boat and surprise your lenses esp when the weather is good. 

Natural scenes are abundant in many corners of the island and are just waiting for you to discover them. However, cash is needed for you to hop from the stations to port to islet and islands and it is not cheap. If you are on a budget and have less options, you need to decide if you want to see some surprises by sharing a ride with your friends and other group of people or just spend days in a static kind of lifestyle. So, are you ready to spend a part of your budget for a dynamic adventure or just spend your cash on drinks and just sit down in a bar. Your choice.

Forgot your bikini? No problem. The island has lots of stores that will answer your needs. You are always surrounded by a lot of establishment that offers souvenirs  including stuff you think you need to transform your home like a resort wannabe.

In the island, there's good food and livelihood. Do you see yourself doing business in Boracay in the near future with sincere and clean visions by becoming successful but without harming the island's resources? There are many ways to start a business in Boracay but every endeavor needs patience and a lot of sacrifices. Some start small. Tattoo shops, massage services and souvenir stores go hand in hand with island life. So, are you ready to be an investor or just a visitor?

The island attracts many talents from different performance artists. There are different factors that make them showcase their skills to tourists but one thing is common..the island creates opportunities for them to earn and the drive to survive.

At night, the restaurants  cater to  a barrage of hungry tummies. As competition is stiff , restos have their own ways to attract potential costumers. So they sign in people to add magic in the air: acoustic musicians,performance artists doing stunts, fire dancers, DJs, or some crazy antiques. Some  restos have antics with hidden agenda though: the invite people to an event disguised as free dinner but end up to be a "seminar" for a property investment where you are forced to sign or write details on paper for future calls by annoying agents. So, are you ready to face some commercialism or just enjoy the time free from these man-made distractions. You have freedom to choose what you believe is best for your personal enjoyment.  

The island is truly a haven to many foreigners and locals who like a laid-back life in an island but with occasional wet and wild parties, live band concerts and sports activities. However, some foreigners hated a crowded beach full of festive antics that they spend less on the island. What they do next is find another place that is something peaceful where they can rest and enjoy nature more. 

The island, for years, has been turned into an international community and there's a symbiotic relationship among different nationalities. You can see Chinese and Korean signs set up in almost every nook and cranny. Some foreigners even already call Boracay their home; talking the talk and walking the walk as if they want to stay there for the rest of their lives. Other marry locals to stamp their love for the place. Usually, most of them fell in love with the island's lifestyle that they trade their former city lives and tend to exchange their country to this tiny island. With them, they bring their culture and cuisines to Boracay and with these they attract customers, their fellow men, from the country left behind.  So, are you open to foreigners doing business and competing with locals or  are you open for a fair trade for both? (continued below)

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WHERE TO STAY IN BORACAY?

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Adventure takes in many forms in Boracay but it comes with a high price. The rent price for a boat for sightseeing or for an extreme activity is enough for you to say no in an instant. But the secret here is about the seasonal way they practice business in the island. During the peak season, expect the price to be pegged to a dollar.

When you are in Boracay, expect activities that cater to the adventurous. Banana boats, paragliding and scuba diving are just few of the popular activities that tourists can avail. However, the risk is higher in these kind of stuff and I heard a lot of horror stories involving foreign tourists who suffered tragic fates because of accidents that could have been prevented. So, when risk is higher, the practice of safety precautions is a must. Don't dive on a stormy weather. Use life jackets. Follow rules by scuba diving instructors. Be careful with your selfies. Some selfies are deadly. Remember there are more to check out first before you embark into a perilous journey of activities. So, Are you ready to take the risk in the name of adventure? 

Silhouettes of adventures are signals at the end of the day and when evening comes crazy lights of fun attracts all people from all walks of life for another different adventure--the island becomes a festive place where everyone seems to be merry and just wanted to enjoy the night away with food, drinks and music. 

This lifestyle becomes a loop all year long.

Can nature and development go together? Will we ever learn from the past on how to bring long-term sustainable solutions to possible environmental woes and future man-made disasters? After all has been corrected and rehabilitated, hopefully, business owners and investors have been disciplined and is prepared to take care what feeds them. The island needs a ecological and developmental balance. And as a visitor, you have also our own fair share to maintain its beauty and cleanliness. So, are you ready? FIN

How to Get to Boracay?

FROM CEBU
A total of 17 hours: 12 hours on the ferry from Cebu to Iloilo, 5 hours on the bus from Iloilo to Caticlan. A 224.8 km roadtrip but with stops.
The fastest way to go is definitely flying from Cebu directly to Caticlan Jetty Port, then taking the boat ride to Boracay. That will cut your travel time to only over an hour. 

FROM BACOLOD
A total of 7 hours: 1 hour on a Fast Craft from Bacolod to Cebu, 5 hours on the bus from Iloilo. If you ride a roro with your own car, a Roro will take up to 2 hours until you reach Iloilo port where you have to embark for a 224.8 km roadtrip to Caticlan via  via Iloilo East Coast - Capiz Roadd, PC Barracks Rd and Aklan West Road/Western Nautical Highway
You may also fly to Cebu and take a flight to Boracay there.

FROM MANILA
There are no direct flights to Boracay. All visitors must fly either to Caticlan (the closer airport) or to Kalibo (a more distant airport 60 kilometres favoured for its cheaper flights), take a vehicle to Caticlan Jetty Port, and then take a boat from Caticlan Jetty Port that will take you to the island, 

BOAT TO BORACAYFROM CATICLAN JETTY PORT
It will take 10-20 minute boat ride to Boracay island

Boracay Island and Caticlan Airport MAP