MetroVan Independent News September 2015 | Page 22

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MetroVanIndependent.com

September 2015

Travel

Boracay

Janet relaxing in Boracay.

Photo by Janet Nepales

Boracay beach in the Philippines.

Boracay rediscovered
By Janet Susan R. Nepales
It was in the early 1980s when I first fell
in love with Boracay.
During that time, Boracay was still
undiscovered by tourists both foreign and
local. Virginal, Pure. Undeveloped.
The warm, clear, blue waters seemed
unreal. I even remember having a coconut
oil massage on the beach itself. My
husband Ruben (then still my boyfriend)
and I had romantic dinners on the beach
with just lighted bamboo torches. We used
oil lamps at night to walk the powdery
white beach.
It was truly a piece of paradise on earth.
Quiet. Private. Simply beautiful.
A small island in the Philippines located
approximately 196 miles south of Manila
and two kilometers off the northwest tip of
Panay Island in the Western Visayas region,
Boracay, which is part of Aklan province, is
definitely an island for honeymooners and
those yearning to relax, enjoy some peace
and quiet, or simply as a place to escape
from the madness of city life.
When I came back in 2007, this time
for a family reunion of the Rodriguez clan
with my two then teenager daughters --Bianca and Rafaella --- in tow, the place
was brimming with hotels, restaurants and
a lot of vendors selling various wares and
food delicacies.

"It was truly a piece of paradise
on earth. Quiet. Private. Simply
beautiful."
There were lots of water activities to do
for the kids --- water skiing, scuba diving,
snorkeling, banana boat rides, jet skiing,
hang gliding or just swimming and enjoying
the warm waters and watching the colorful
tropical fishes.
At night, the whole gang of adults and
teenagers would wind up in either a beach
club where the family can dance on the
beach or on a stage with the rest of the
locals and the expats. There were more
choices of restaurants during this time as
more businesses sprouted.
There is now a place near Station 2
called D’Mall that is the commercial center
of Boracay. It is here where you find stores
selling beachwear, trinkets and souvenirs.
There are also various kinds of restaurants
from Japanese to German, even a Hobbit
place or a karaoke restaurant. Massage
salons are also abundant.
More tourists have definitely discovered
Boracay. In 2012, Boracay was awarded
as the best island in the world by the
international travel magazine, “Travel +
Leisure.”
Last August, my husband and I revisited

Janet on the beach.

Boracay again. We stayed at the newly
built The Lind Hotel in Boracay located in
Station 1. Still to have its hard opening in
October or November, we were lucky to
experience the five-star accommodations
and service of The Lind.
The sprawling hotel boasts of an infinity
pool, Jacuzzis, kids pools, four restaurants
that offer amazing views and mouth-watery
breakfast or lunch brunches, balconies
where you can watch the most beautiful
sunsets, and friendly and efficient staff
members who are dressed in no less than
Francis Libiran-designed colorful tropical
uniforms.
What is also impressive in The Lind is

Sunset in Boracay.

Photo by Rene Durian

how the rooms and facilities were designed
which will definitely compete with some of
the top hotels in the U.S. or in Europe.
You get spoiled here as the waiters
remember your favorite drinks or dishes.
You also get a special surprise, a sweet
treat at night before you call it another
beautiful day in paradise.
Lazing around by the pool or by the
bar, or just feeling the soft powdery sand
in between your toes, the nice, warm ray of
the sun on your face, or the tempting blue
waters to swim, or simply just lying down
and doing nothing --- such is life here in
this paradise called Boracay.

Photo by Rene Durian