Boracay, Philippines

I just happened to be browsing the internet one evening last year when I came across an unbelievably cheap air deal from Dubai to Manila, in the Philippines. My heart leapt as images of Boracay’s beautiful beaches danced in my head and, after a swift discussion with my husband, we decided that this would be our summer destination.

Boracay is an island south of Manila, famous for its idyllic, palm tree–lined beaches and perfect sea. I’ve seen it featuring on many bucket lists, and it was always in the back of my mind as a possible holiday destination so I was really excited that the dream was soon to become reality…

We drove from Qatar to Dubai (a journey which takes about 8 hours) and spent a few days at my sister’s house, before boarding our plane to Manila. Our tickets were with Cebu Pacific, an airline which I hadn’t heard of before, which always makes me nervous, but I was pleasantly surprised. The staff were very helpful, the plane was clean and everything was straightforward. Being a low-cost carrier, it was a no frills affair…no entertainment screens or meals were included with the ticket price (although you could purchase snacks on board), but we were fully prepared for this and loaded ourselves up with ipads, books and food. It was an overnight flight, so after a couple of hours flying, we settled down to sleep and it wasn’t long before we found ourselves in Manila!

The first thing that struck us was how friendly everyone was. There are lots of Filipinos working here in Qatar, and they have a reputation for being good-natured and reliable. So it was little wonder that everyone seemed so welcoming and kind.

Driving through the city to our hotel, the first thing that struck me were the jeepneys; delightful, colourful old buses with shiny accessories. They give the streets so much character!

The traffic was busy, but we soon pulled up at our hotel, the Sofitel, which is conveniently located near the Mall of Asia. We chose it because we’d had good experiences with the level of service and amenities at Sofitel resorts elsewhere in the world, plus it was on the beach and relatively close to the airport. Mainly, though, we wanted a hotel with a waterslide for the kids, so they could start their holiday with lots of fun. So we were all very enthusiastic about our stay.

Unfortunately, however, our expectations soon came crashing down with a sobering thud. The waterslide was dangerous and my youngest children weren’t even allowed on it, the level of security and the processes that we were made to go through to simply access the pool made it seem more like a correctional facility than a five star resort, and the rooms were shockingly dirty. Everything was stained and my children were writing in the dust with their fingers. We were so disappointed. You can read my full review of the hotel here.

So we cut our stay short and ended up at the Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria. What a relief! The staff were really welcoming and helpful, our suite was meticulously clean and the hotel offered direct access to Robinsons Mall, which was really handy. We took pleasant walks around the neighbourhood, which seemed clean and safe, and the children enjoyed using the roof top pool. To us, it was great value for money and we’d really recommend it as a perfect city-stop before heading out to the islands. You can read my full review of this hotel here.

After recharging our batteries, we were ready to fly to Boracay. Our flight was delayed by a few hours, which apparently isn’t unusual for domestic flights with Cebu Pacififc, but it was very manageable. Again, the journey was straightforward and we all felt that we were in capable hands.

Nothing quite beats the feeling of flying into a tropical destination and seeing the turquoise water and white sand beaches sparkling from above. So, after just one hour in the air, we were thrilled to touch down in Caticlan. From there, we were met by a hotel representative, who drove us from the airport to the harbor. Our bags were loaded onto a very basic outrigger boat and we climbed on board with lots of other passengers. In my mind, I’d expected something a bit more robust looking and I have to say it did make me feel a little anxious, but we made sure we were all safely fitted with lifejackets and went with the flow.

In Boracay, our bags were loaded onto another bus and we finally wound our way to our hotel, where the sun was setting on a beautiful stretch of beach. We took a huge sigh of relief: The journey was over, we’d arrived!

Boracay is famous for the breathtakingly beautiful White Beach, which is divided into three stretches: Stations 1, 2 and 3.

We stayed at Microtel Inn and Suites by Wyndham. It’s set on Diniwid Beach, which is a short walk from Station 1 via a stunning beach path. Overall, we were happy with our choice, it was good value for money and, although there were quite a few shortcomings, we were willing to accept them because we were mindful that we’d chosen a budget friendly option. You can read my full review of this hotel here.

Most days, we’d take a walk to White Beach, sunbathe and swim, have lunch at one of the many wonderful restaurants at D’Mall (the main shopping and dining precinct along White Beach, in Station 2), spend more time relaxing, then take a leisurely walk back as the sun was setting to get ready to go out for dinner. We were able to use the sun loungers at any hotel providing that we purchased some drinks and/or food.

The range of food options was wonderful…we were spoilt with choice and one of our hardest daily decisions was where to go for dinner…Italian? Greek? Mexican? Thai? As a family of vegetarians and vegans, we had no problem finding suitable food. There's one dedicated vegetarian and vegan restaurant called Prana which is located in Mandala Spa and Villa. Unfortunately it was closed during our stay so we didn't have chance to sample their delights. Nevertheless, we enjoyed some marvelous meals, made even better by the restaurant staff who were consistently friendly and always made a big fuss of the children. Our evening strolls took us past many fire-dancing displays and other entertainment and there was always a brilliant, laid-back holiday vibe.

Thankfully, the hotel offered free shuttle bus rides throughout the day to and fom D’Mall, so we’d often utilize this service to go to and from dinner.

The two holiday highlights were ziplining at Zipline Boracay, which the children absolutely loved, and taking a boat trip to a few nearby islands, where we jumped from high bamboo diving boards into the clear water below and enjoyed lunch on a pristine, empty stretch of beach. After making a few enquiries about the best deal, we privately chartered an outrigger which picked us up directly from the beach outside our hotel and dropped us back there again afterwards.

We often ventured to other beaches, like Bulabog Beach and Puka Shell Beach, because it’s very easy to get around the island in tuk tuks and everywhere feels very safe. While these beaches were undoubtedly very pretty, none of them matched White Beach in terms of sheer beauty.

Luckily, our hotel was situated next door to two establishments which quickly became our favourite haunts: Spider House offered delicious food in a restaurant with a bamboo terrace over the sea. We would finish our meal, relax, then jump straight off the terrace into the turquoise water and swim back to the beach! It was so blissful and gave us memories that we’ll always treasure. You can read my review here. Wahine Beach Bar was on the other side, where we dined on the beach front, lounging on colourful bean bags beneath beautiful sun umbrellas. It was the perfect place to chill out at the end of the day, and I strongly recommend a visit, wherever you might be staying on the island. You can read more about it in my review here.

When we visited Boracay most other tourists seemed to be from Asian countries like China and Japan, but apparently this is seasonal and other times of the year attract more Americans and Europeans. Our children started to feel like little celebrities around town, as Chinese tourists and Filipinos regularly stopped to ask if they could have their photo taken with them. They were very sweet and I felt really endeared towards their genuine warmth.

The children were sad when we eventually had to say goodbye, but after two weeks of chilling on Boracay I felt satisfied that we’d made the most of the island and done everything that we’d wanted to do.

When we flew back to Manila we stayed at Microtel Inn and Suites at the Mall of Asia. It was close to the airport and within walking distance of the mall, so offered everything we needed for a one night stay before our flight back to Dubai. You can find my full review here.

All in all, we had a magical family holiday in the Philippines. It’s such a jaw-droppingly beautiful country and I’m sure that, in time, it will rival countries like Thailand in terms of popularity with Western tourists. One of the stand-out features is the people; they’re just so kind-hearted and amiable. I don’t think we’ll venture to Boracay again, but we’ll definitely consider visiting other islands that aren’t yet as saturated with tourism. We’ve heard lots of good things about the Palawan Islands…they look like Koh Phi Phi must have looked before the crowds descended and, by all accounts, it’s a much cheaper place to spend a couple of weeks than Boracay!

Let me know if you have any questions and please don’t miss our Boracay family holiday video…you can watch it here!