Philippine Tourist Destination - Boracay Island

Boracay Island in the Philippines is a very popular destination for local and foreign tourist alike because of its fine-grained white sandy beaches coupled with crystal-clear blue waters and coral reefs that are perfect for snorkeling and scuba diving.

Boracay Island is located about 350 kilometers south of Manila, the Philippines' capital. It is a small island north of Panay Island in the Visayas group of islands (Visayas Islands, one of the three island groups in the Philippines).

The island is a world-class vacation destination where you can find many modern hotels, resorts and restaurants. Travel + Leisure named Boracay the Best Island in the World in 2012.

Panay Island is one of the big islands in western Visayas, one of the three island groups in the Philippines. Panay island is divided into four (4) provinces: Aklan, Antique, Capiz, and Iloilo. Aklan Province whose capital is Kalibo, is also a popular tourist destination famous for its Ati-atihan festival, an annual festival of tribal dance and costumes held in January to honor the Infant Jesus (Santo Nino).

Boracay Island is situated north of Panay Island separated by a two-kilometer wide strait. One has to go to Caticlan Wharf in Aklan to go to Boracay Island. From the Caticlan Wharf you take a motorized banca to take you to Cagban Beach in Boracay.

There are several ways of transportation available from Manila City. You can take a plane from the Manila International Airport, a ferry from Manila's North Harbor, or a Philtranco Bus from its Manila terminals. You have to get to Caticlan Wharf in Caticlan, Aklan where you can take a motorized boat to Boracay Island.

Aklan has two airports, the Godofredo P. Ramos Airport, formerly the Caticlan Airport and the Kalibo International Airport. You can take a plane in Manila from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), formerly Manila International Airport (MIA), destined to either airport. Godofredo P. Ramos Airport is already in Caticlan and so its near the Caticlan Wharf. All you need to take is a ten-minute tricycle ride to get to the Caticlan Wharf. The alternative destination Kalibo International Airport is in Kalibo which about one and half travel by bus or a minivan to Caticlan Wharf. The travel by plane from Manila takes one hour.

If you prefer traveling by land to get to Caticlan, you may take a bus in Manila headed for Roxas City in the Province Mindoro. From there, you take a short ferry to Caticlan Wharf. From the Caticlan Wharf you ride a banca Boracay Island.

It is also possible to travel by sea exclusively from Manila to Boracay Island. You take a ferry boat from the North Harbor of the Port of Manila in Tondo. The trip lasts for a whole day. You dock either at Dumaguit port or New Washington port near the Caticlan Wharf. From there, you take the banca to Boracay Island.

There are many beaches in the island but the two most popular are the White Beach on the western side of the island and Bulabog Beach on the eastern side.

The White Beach is the main tourism beach and is lined up with resorts, hotels, cottages, restaurants, and bars. It's bustling with nightlife at night with live bands and performances.

The Bulabog Beach is the beach more popular with windsurfers and kiteboarders because of its shallow waters and onshore winds. Kiteboarding and windsurfing events are regularly held here.