Boracay
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Boracay is a small bone-shaped tropical island located approximately 200Km south of Manila and 2Km off the northwest tip of the mainland island of Panay in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines.
Measuring just 7.5km long and 2km wide, Boracay is possibly one of the last best-kept secrets for international travellers and vacationers. It has consistently been on numerous top ten best beaches lists for decades but, with the Philippines being far from the usual Asian vacation hubs, many tourists balk at the further travel needed to reach Boracay. For this reason Boracay has largely avoided the "tourist trap" feel that plagues many other Asian tourist destinations.
It has been said that Boracay is that mythical deserted island that people day-dream of running off to while at work or sitting in traffic. The best beach on the island is called White Beach, a 4km stretch of beautiful white sand on the western side of the island. This is one of the few naturally produced white sand beaches in the world. Other Boracay beaches going clock-wise around the island from White Beach are Diniwid, Balinghai, Punta Bunga, Puka Shell, Ilig-iligan, Bulabog, Tulhaban, Tambisaan, Manoc-manoc, and Cagban. Each of Boracay's beaches has its own distinctive character and history.
As recently as 1990, Boracay vacationers had to bring in their own drinking water and camp on the beach with only fire for light. Now, Boracay has electricity and piped water and has grown into an international tourist hub with 20 dive sites, scores of bars and restaurants, native tattoo parlors, banks, a fire department, and a police station.
Located in Aklan province, home to the famous Ati-Atihan festival, Boracay is accessible by pump boat from the port of Caticlan. Several airlines offer flights directly from Manila or Cebu to the small Caticlan airport, but many visitors fly to the larger airport at Kalibo and then travel by bus or taxi from there to Caticlan.
Boracay tourists are cautioned not to take bottles or jars of the white sand as souvenirs, as numerous marine biology and aquatic studies have shown this is actually depleting the white sand which has taken nature some 40,000 years to produce.
A common sight round the Island is the sailing Paraw, a narrow hulled boat with outriggers either side and with passengers sometimes seated on a webbing platform between the outrigger supports. These are extremely fast off the wind, but are rather unwieldy. Going about is a rather complicated maneuver, requiring the foresail to be backed. They can be hired for trips round the island, a wonderful experience if you don't mind getting wet. There are three classes of paraw with size limits on each. Regular races are staged each year with a handsome prize offered to the winning boat.de:Boracay