Pia’s guidebook

Pack lightly is the first tip! The vibe in Boracay is very informal. You don’t need to bring anything dressed up and thongs/flip flops are the only footwear you will need. What to bring: - lightweight dresses, shorts and T-shirts a few swimmers - your favourite thongs/flip flops, the only footwear you will need in Boracay - exercise clothes and runners if you want to get active. You can also run barefoot on the beach. If you do bring runners suggest you wear on the plane. - if you have your favourite goggles or snorkelling gear then you might want to bring as well - your favourite toiletries (we provide shower gel, shampoo and conditioner) - any medication you are taking - hat & sunnies (it’s very glary in the water so the ones you don’t mind getting wet would be good) - a sarong is versatile and handy to have (we provide beach towels, beach mat and beach bag) - if you have a Kindle bring it along, load it up with the books you want to read before you get here - If you want music and have a small portable speaker then bring it along. We usually travel with a Bose portable speaker, highly recommend - for overseas guests, an adaptor so you can plug in your devices. Laundry service in Boracay is cheap and generally available the next day.

If you’re not on roaming, I suggest getting Globe when you arrive at the airport. (there are 2 main providers, Globe and Smart. We use Globe.) They generally have a booth where you can get a prepaid SIM (they give the SIM for free and you purchase a load). Just hand your phone over and tell them what you want and get them to do it for you. I suggest buying a 500 peso load for each phone. Then ask them to enrol you to this promo - GOSAKTO140. This will give you local calls to Globe users, text to any network and 2GB of data for 7 days. Cost 140 pesos. (if you are here for more than 7 days you just enrol again) It’s handy to have extra credit on your phone in case you need to call a landline or someone on the Smart network as this cost extra. If you will be calling overseas, then also ask them to enrol you to this promo – GOCALLIDD99. Cost 100 pesos. This gives you 100 pesos worth of consumable international calls. Calls to Australia for example cost 2.50 pesos per min so you have about 40 mins to use up. This is valid for 30 days. Texting internationally will chew up your prepaid load, use WhatsApp or Messenger instead. Turn off auto upload to the cloud, photo syncing, auto updates for apps. These use up a lot of data. Also DON’T go for any of the promos they advertise at the airport. It’s VERY expensive. There’s a million ‘promos’ that is available with prepaid and it can get very confusing. It took us months and a lot of money down the drain to work all this out!

A lot of the smaller shops and restaurants are cash only so will need to carry cash around. Big hotels and restaurants take credit card. Suggest withdrawing money at the airport. ATMs generally charge 250 pesos for each withdrawal using an international card and in most cases 10,000 pesos is the max you can withdraw each transaction. You can do multiple transactions but each one will cost 250 pesos. There are ATMs on the island but the nearest one to us is about 30 min walk or tricycle ride away.

- Whist we provide WIFI we’ve found internet access on the island generally slow and frustrating. So download your movies and anything you need from the cloud before you get here.

We can pre-stock the apartment for you with food, drinks and general supplies. If you are interested in this optional service we can send you a shopping list, just return to us a few days before arrival. We will charge 500 pesos to cover transportation as we usually have to go to multiple locations, plus 25% service fee on top of the actual cost (we provide receipts). You will find this convenient and cost effective as we go to where we usually shop - including local supermarkets, specialty deli’s, bakery and wine shop. If you would like to stock up yourself once you get here we are happy to point you in the right direction.

The Boracay sunset is a spectacular site to see and what better way than cruising on the ocean with an icy cold beverage! Tour along White Beach and take in all the tropical sights and sounds while you enjoy the spectacular arrays of color of the Boracay sunset. Stop off for a swim, stand up paddle and snorkel or chill out in a hammock over the water or on the roof deck. Don’t forget your bathing suit and towel. Bottled water, paddle boards, snorkeling masks, kayak and hammock available on board with no additional fees. Bring extra spending money for beers. They even play cool music to match the sunset viewing! Nath, Tom and I went on this cruise recently and we thought it was lots of fun, very well run and good value. Perfect for: Solo Travelers, Couples and small families who want to join a group PRICE: 800 Php per person Meet at 3:30 PM for loading. Boat leaves at 4:00 PM sharp. Let us know if you are interested and we can book this in for you.

Private cooking class with Monique Yrezabal Escalona, Head Chef at Dos Mestizo (3-4 hours) Chef Monique trained in Spain and lived there for over 10 years. She recently came home to the Philippines and has taken over the kitchen at Dos Mestizo’s, a Boracay institution founded by her Dad many years ago. Dos Mestizos is well known to people with an appreciation for good food cooked with meticulous care, with only the best ingredients and condiments used to ensure quality of taste. This experience is tailor made for guests of Boracay on the Beach. We will start at 10:30am with coffee at the restaurant. Chef Monique will then open up her kitchen and show you how to make some of her signature dishes. Get hands on then enjoy the fruits of your labour over a leisurely lunch. Cooking class followed by lunch. Price upon request, menu will be customised for you. Min of 2 people, maximum of 6. Booking subject to availability

You’ve got the best apartment on the island so why go out? Enjoy dinner at home cooked by our friend Leo. He’s been hosting guests in Boracay for a long time and is passionate about ensuring you have the best experience. Seafood and simple filipino dishes are Leo’s forte. Tell us what you feel like and Leo will go to the market and cook at the apartment. You are also welcome to go to the market with him and decide on what you’re having for dinner based on what you see. Price: Cooking fee of PHP 1,000. Plus cost of buying all the ingredients.

Pampering without leaving the apartment! Price: PHP 800 for a 1 hour massage. For this price you can book a message everyday :)

Walking It is very easy to walk along White Beach Path from Station 3 to Station 1. It is safe and well lit. The path will from time to time have vendors selling island hopping or adventure activities. The journey changes over the week and time of day as the island rhythms change. Tricycles / E-Trikes On the island, the most common modes of transport are tricycles or e-trikes along the main road. On a tricycle, each station is approximately 10-20 pesos per person in a shared or public journey. This is where you pay ‘individual’. Otherwise you can hire it for a ‘private’ ride and you generally negotiate a fee depending on where you are going. As a guide, D’Mall to Angol Plaza (the closest a vehicle can come to the apartment) would be around 150 pesos. Angol Plaza to Cagban Port is around 200 pesos. Pedicabs (peddled manually) are also available along some sections of White Beach Path, around 150-200 pesos. Motorbikes Motorbikes are a common type of transport, for one or two people. They can be flagged on the main road and are generally 20 pesos per person per station. If I’m travelling a fair distance and they are particularly nice I often give 50 pesos.