Boracay 2015 - Day 1, The journey there

Date: 14/12/2015

We wanted a ladies' trip.

We 3 good friends decided to have a break on our own, going to somewhere we do not plan to bring our kids to. Few options were discussed and then....Boracay it shall be.

Bookings for tickets were made 11 months ahead and hotels were booked 9 months ahead. Meals planned and reviews read.

We boarded the plane and I sat beside a nice Filipino lady who was returning home for a holiday after working in Malaysia. We chatted and she warned me not to easily trust people in Boracay. She told me how her mother lost her money when her mother kept her bag in a locker while working on the island.

And after a while she told me.... Typhoon is coming!

What???

The typhoon will be going near Boracay by tonight and it's there in the region all throughout my stay!
And I'm leaving on the 18th. Kind of worried about turbulence as it's not far from our flight path.

This is South West's Booth at the airport. It's quite chaotic. 

After we landed, my friend went to get us our land transfer. We boarded a van, luggage in the van and off we went on our 1 hour journey to the jetty.

The price at the jetty isn't any cheaper if you book your land transfer via Air Asia. The transporter is the same, South West. But the hassle..... just isn't worth it.

The van we went in

When we arrived at the jetty, the sky was still bright. We were guided to the proper path by all the local staff. We were given guide books and it's actually quite thorough!

Skies were turning darker and darker....... Sea was getting choppier. Still it's not time to board our ferry.

Seriously.... at that moment, all 3 of us totally were glad we didn't bring our kids. The boat was shaky and we had to carry our own luggage, balance and walk the plank. If my kids were there, I'll totally freak out. So, don't wear heels or anything not suitable for walking.

Keep your sticker on. Jetty staff will depend on your sticker to direct you to the right place.

The jetty will be closed after our boat left and sea transfer services will be suspended until further notice. Yikes.... typhoon... why are you here?

The ferry ride was very quick... just 5 minutes. And for all the trouble of squeezing and cramming into the vessel for a 5 minute ride. The ride was uncomfortable, 3 person sat on 2 seaters, with luggage and windows closed due to strong winds and some drizzle. Hot and suffocating. I was glad it was quick.

Pump boat on the left, South West's ferry on the right.

When we arrived at the jetty... land transfer was efficient. Straight away we were assigned to our respective vans and off we went to our hotel. Along the way, we saw some of South West staff bringing guests and their luggage to hotels that are not located beside the road. They do employ a lot of people.

We arrived at our hotel at around 7pm and it was totally dark. Checked in and the room was exactly as it is on Agoda. The room was clean, but obviously dated. It's ok. It's one of the cheapest rooms right on Station 1.

1 single bed with 1 queen bed. Bed is quite comfortable, not on the hard side. But the bathroom cum toilet has drainage issues. That's just a small matter.

We were really hungry and off we went out for dinner. Everywhere has got their wind shields out...

Pamana Restaurant (Station 1)

We went to the restaurant by walking on the beach.... boy it was far! Our hotel was at a quiet end of Station 1. One of Residencia's staff walked with us and showed us the way to Pamana, a family run Pinoy cuisine restaurant. It's in Station 1, but it's at the end of Station 1, towards Station 2.

At first we got a table on the beach.. it was so nice! Dining with sand under our feet and coconut trees above us and the sea breeze.... but pitter patter came and off we scurried into the indoor section. Luckily there was enough space to accommodate all guests. Indoors was hot, but we had no choice.

We ordered these to share.....

Nilagang Bulalo, Laing, Adobong Pusit and Banana Lumpia (forgettable)

The food was quite delicious, but we three felt the food was oversalted. We couldn't finish the soup and ate up everything else.

My friends liked the Laing but I found it sweet, and I liked the squid (calamari), especially the crispy tentacles. The beef on the bone was tender, but it was just too salty to be taken on its own.

We strolled along the beach and tried to get a feel of the environment.
The beach front area and the road area... is like two worlds apart.

We got back to the hotel....bathed and called it a day

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My Boracay 2015 Series

Day 1: The Journey
Day 2: Station 1 and it's a bad day
Day 3: The move, Station 1 to Station 3
Day 4: Fun, Cakes and Yum!
Day 5: Last day and a wrap!