Boracay Part 2: Blow or Bow

• Review
• Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Here’s a creative list of To Dos in Bora. To make it interesting, I thought of providing the option of blowing your money big time or a bowing down to your budget.  

1.    Arrive   

i.     Blow- Fly into the island via a private helicopter. Just drop a cool $200 for a            truly memorable entrance.

ii.    Bow- Taking the $3 ferry like everyone else isn’t that bad. In fact, it’ll give         you a good idea of the kind of people you’ll be  mingling with on the island.

2.    Lounge

i.    Blow- Stay at the soon to open Shangri-La Boracay and just drown yourself in         the luxury. It has its own community with a private cove and tree top villas         to get totally in tune with nature. Discover a new kind of Boracay for an             average $1000 a night.

ii.     Bow- Find the dingiest hotel, somewhere along the back roads, far away             from the beach. $25 a night isn’t bad for just a place to crash. Who can stay         in when the outside is so glorious?

3.    Sunset

i.    Blow- Ride a parasail for a sunset experience that’s above everyone else’s.           $50 dollars isn’t bad when you feel that you can almost touch the orange           red horizon.

ii.    Bow- Go sailing on a paraw and savor the sea breeze and
        choppy waters under your feet for only $5 a head. Besides, a sunset is the         same whether you see it from the sky or from the water.

4.    Massage

i.    Blow- Troop over to the multi-awarded Mandala Spa for an out of this world         spa day. Those who’ve tried it keep coming back. Expect to shell out at             least $60.

ii.    Bow- Try out the traditional Filipino hilot massage by the walking masseuses         on the island. It’s still totally relaxing at a cost of just $7.

5.    Shop

i.    Blow- D’ Mall, located almost in the middle of the strip, is an easily                     accessible place to buy supplies, swimwear, and souvenirs.

ii.    Bow- D’ Talipapa though a tricycle ride away is much cheaper and good for             buying bulk. You can even buy meats and have it cooked for a full-blown             fiesta for half the price!

6.    Party

i.    Blow- Party at the exclusive Tides Boracay Hotel, the chicest party hotel on         the strip. This hotspot was conceived by the owners of Embassy Super Club,         one of the most happening clubs in Manila.

ii.    Bow- Bar hop all night and to make sure you get the most of your money by         alternating between chi-chi bars and the more moderately priced ones.             Also, start drinking at happy hour (as early as 5 pm) when drinks are buy             one take one.