Philippine Travel Articles (courtesy of )

Homepage
LIKE PEELING off last summer's sunburnt skin, the famous island of Boracay sheds its party image and shifts to a tranquil mood. These days in the island are consid­ered the "low season" due to monsoon rains and the occa­sional strong wind, which locals call the "habagaf or the "north wind". True, the sun may not be out all the time, but so are the crowds allowing you to swim and walk barefooted on this beautiful, moist, white powdery sand with just a few like-minded souls who prefer this season's sedateness. With no distractions from party events and lesser eyestrain from fewer beautiful bare bodies to gaze at, this season, in most ways, is a perfect time to lounge around (sounds better than bumming around). It is a nice time to find a place where you can plop down and spend the whole afternoon reading a book, sipping wine or coffee, or enjoying, what a good friend of mine, described as the "art of doing nothing".
I asked a friend before my trip, who is a senior manager of a top well-known spa resort here, what are the new places and she tipped me off to a place called Bamboo Lounge which
opened only last April. Off the well-beaten tourist path, this new lounge-type restaurant and bar lies hidden in the middle of the island and can be found on the same road where the English Bakery is located. It is a two level structure built primarily with bamboo (hence, its name). You have the option to dine or drink on the middle area filled with low tables and cushions; or, you can stay by the walls that are lined with day beds and over-sized cylindri­cal pillows large enough to comfortably rest your head. To provide a bit of privacy, each day bed set-up is bordered with a thin, transparent white curtain, which you can fold if you wish to chat with your neighboring guests. Adding a final touch of character are red lights encased inside bamboo lanterns suspended from the ceil­ing. Design-wise, the owners -Jinky Gallegos Reyes, Richie Quevedo, and Bong Velasco -have pulled off a fine marriage of Japanese Zen and Filipino inge­nuity. The food quality here is not bad at all and is actually, quite good (try their roasted

 

 

 
Try out the new, spacious Waling Waling villas (ABOVE LEFT) and you may not even want to leave its compound at all. The laid-back interiors of the True Faith (ABOVE RIGHT) restaurant is typical in Boracay's establishments, which this season, have few crowds.
duck at 375 pesos and their lotus fried rice for 150 pesos). The cuisine is mostly Oriental, which is no surprise because the chef, Bong (also a part owner), was a chef in the popular Chinese North Park and Tiananmen restau­rants in Manila. If you also want to get connected with the insiders of Boracay, this is the place to go for here is where the island's resort, restaurant, bar, and shop owners and managers come to dine and unwind. The mere fact that they have made this place their un-official private club, is enough to speak for itself. This is probably the best place to go to right now in Boracay in terms of its cozy ambience, the cool crowd, and its reasonably priced, well-prepared food. By the way, adjacent to Bamboo Lounge is their small hotel called Freckles (emaihfrecklesbora-cay@yahoo.com).
While mixing with the island's insiders, I of course, asked and got more tips. One is how to find the best chili crabs on the island. As always, the great things lay hidden and in this case, it is not on the main beach but in a small resort called Escondido which is tucked near a side street of the island's only church. Owned by a couple, Greg and Chicklette Keyser, the crabs come from Roxas City, where the best crabs from the Philippines come from. Then
Chicklette, who is the chef, cooks and serves the crabs with a sauce made from a mixture of coconut milk and fat mak­ing it a rich crustacean dish to rave about. I also checked out the resort's rooms and found them to be spacious with each room playfully decorated with unique lamps includ­ing one with an old sewing machine.
By the way, Escondido (www.escondidoresort.com) is one of the resorts listed in Philippine Airlines' Boracay tour packages.
The best coffee in the island is again, from a little known place simply called Real Coffee. It is located near the Landbank branch and you can find it partly hidden in a short footpath where you come across its signage and written underneath it, Where Great Minds Meet (don't worry they won't give you an IQ test before serving you). The place is a rustic, native hut that resem­bles a typical Filipino sari-sari (variety) store owned by a trans­planted, free-spirited Californian lady named Nadine where a good espresso can be enjoyed for only 50 pesos while pastries and muffins range from 30 to 40 pesos and an omelet for 175 pesos. This being Boracay, Nadine also serves breakfast the whole day. The other more visible place that serves good coffee is Cafe del Sol and directly across is Aria, which is still popu­lar for its Italian cuisine. Near Aria

 
The best chili crab (TOP LEFT) can be found at the Escondido Resort near the
island's church while mats, day beds, warm lights, lots of pillows, good food,
and company can make you stay the whole day at Bamboo Lounge (TOP RIGHT).
The best coffee and pastries are found in a rustic, native hut called Real Coffee
(BOTTOM RIGHT); and what better way to spend sleepy, rainy days but to indulge
at the award-winning Mandala Spa (BOTTOM LEFT).
is Hey Jude, a bar that continues to draw the island's elite crowd. All three can be found at the original mall.
By the way, it has an extension simply called the "D' Mall" with good Manila retails shops making a presence like Nothing But Water (swimwear) and Heidiland Deli (a respected delicatessen chain).
At one time or the other, all of us have a longing to travel alone. And Boracay, this time of the year, is one of the best places to be by your self. Resort rates are cheaper by 20 to 30 percent. Neither do you have to wait in line for an empty table or chair in a restaurant ot a bar. If you don't wish to chat with others, they seem to understand that you wish to be left alone without making you feel strange. But if you do decide to start a conversation, you will find it easier and more relaxed to talk with other fel­low travelers. Then there's the unique sensation of walking along the beach with the light rain slowly drenching your body and the wind blowing your hair and you feel you can do anything you want—run things on your mind, debate with yourself, or simply jog in the rain without feeling weird. The popular world musical artist, Sting, sang in his song, "After The Rain Has Fallen", these lyrics: "After the rain has fallen After the tears have washed your eyes After the thunder's spoken, and After the dream is broken, there'll Still be love in the world"
HOW TO GET THERE »
PAL flies to Kalibo from Manila eleven times weekly. PAL PALakbayan Tour packages to Boracay via Kalibo are available. For more information, please call PAL Reservations Office or log on to www.philippineairlines.com_____________________
Homepage