Boracay: Basking in natural beauty

Waves rolled across the pristine beach, unfurling a gorgeous carpet of bright blue water fringed in foamy white. I was standing in a bed of fine sand in Boracay, the Philippines, one evening last month, thinking to myself how it was one of the cleanest beaches I had ever seen. Then, an apologetic voice remarked: "Sorry, the beach is a little messy right now."

It was my tour guide, Mr Juanito Flores, standing next to me, gesturing at some bits of seaweed left behind by the tide on the otherwise spotless sand.

I stared incredulously at the 41-year-old, who works for the Malay Tour Guide Association and took care of me during my five- day visit. To me, Boracay's beaches are better than any I had come across, especially back home, where cigarette butts and other debris often litter the coast. No wonder it has been named one of the top beach destinations in Asia by international media such as American television networks CNN and NBC.

Located 315km south of the Philippine capital Manila, it is about 10 sq km and about 7km from the north to the south end.

The island is located in the Philippine municipality of Malay in the province of Aklan. It has a population of about 16,000 people.

According to Mr Flores, this island shaped like a dog bone is popular with tourists from South Korea, China and Russia. Backpackers began heading there in the 1970s and it has since grown into a hot spot for families, honeymooners and adventure seekers because of its beaches and reputation as a one-stop destination for water sports.

The best time of the year to visit is during the dry months from November to May.

Unfortunately, in recent decades, there has been an outcry against the environmental problems caused by tourism, such as pollution and the destruction of natural habitats.

As a result, all visitors are required to pay an environmental fee of 75 Philippine pesos (S$2) a person, which helps manage the effects of tourism on the island. Payment is usually collected at the Caticlan Jetty Port where tourists board boats to get to Boracay. A total of 13 beaches can be found along Boracay's coast and the busiest one is White Beach which lines the west of the island.

It is packed with tourists of all shapes and sizes, from pudgy sunbathers to youths frolicking in the shallow waters to children hard at work building sandcastles.

Peddlers wander around hawking hats and sunglasses. Aggressive water-sports vendors also tout activities, from leisurely half-day island-hopping tours (1,500 to 1,800 Philippine pesos a person with lunch included) to 30-minute rides on a typical Philippine sailboat called a paraw (1,500 to 1,800 Philippine pesos a boat for up to seven people).

By evening, most of the daytime crowd of tourists have disappeared into the comfort of their beachfront hotels, leaving behind sandcastles and markings in the sand - many couples like to scrawl their initials, contained within giant hearts.

One of the evenings when I took a stroll on the beach, I spotted a sight that harked back to Boracay's fishing village roots, before the advent of tourism in the 1970s. A group of fishermen strode determinedly out to sea, carrying spear guns. They disappeared quickly from view as they dived into the water to catch fish. This is normally done at night because the coast is too crowded with activities in the day.

One of the landmarks along the coast is a volcanic rock formation called Willy's Rock.

About three years ago, locals placed a 1m-tall statue of the Virgin Mary on top of it, to replace an old statue of her that had been damaged. (About 80 per cent of the Philippine population is Roman Catholic).

A winding staircase leads up the 4m-high cluster of rocks and tourists gather there for pictures.

But it is mainly the beautiful beaches and activities such as diving that lure tourists to Boracay.

There are numerous dive sites to choose from, some of which are located as near as a 15-minute boat ride from Boracay for beginner to advanced divers.

For those not certified to dive, like myself, there are many other activities, such as island-hopping, jet-skiing and ziplining. My guide, Mr Flores, booked these activities for me from tour company Allan Fun Tours (tel: +63-0918-2333-631).

There are many other water-sports companies to choose from, each offering a wide range of activities ranging from scuba diving (3,000 to 3,500 Philippine pesos) to parasailing (1,500 Philippine pesos).

Five of Boracay's 13 beaches are also located near the north, north-eastern and north-western part of the island, including Puka Shell Beach, which is scattered with coral stones and shells, and Ilig-Iligan Beach, which has bat caves that can be explored with a guide.

Accompanied by Mr Flores, I went on a private half-day island-hopping trip around the island's beaches.

We also visited the nearby Crocodile Island - so named because of its shape - and Crystal Cove Island (entrance fee is 300 Philippine pesos), which has many sheltered pavilions for picnickers and two natural coves. I also went helmet diving (800 to 1,000 Phillippine pesos for a 30-minute underwater session) for a glimpse of some coral reefs.

This involved putting on a 37kg helmet that is connected to an oxygen supply above sea level on a floating platform. Once I was in the water, I barely felt the weight of the helmet.

Wearing the contraption, which reminded me of an astronaut's head gear, I descended about 3m to the seabed accompanied by one of the activity's coordinators.

As I stood there in the clear water, curious fish peered at me. A forlorn-looking starfish lay close by. As I ambled around, schools of fish wandered close by and zipped away quickly. It was my first time walking around on a seabed and, even underwater, the view seemed perfect.

cherylw@sph.com.sg

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