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Philippines
Boracay Island Resort
When I came across several respected travel magazines claiming that Boracay
island resort in the Philippines
has one of the best beaches in the world, I wasted no time and made a beeline
to the island for one of my scuba diving vacations.
Where is Boracay?
Boracay is a lush tropical tourist resort island which is about 200 miles (310
km) south of Philippine's capital Manila
and is about slightly more than a mile off the northwest of Panay in the West
Visayas. Because of its much touted publicity of being home to some of the
finest beaches in the world, Boracay island resort is naturally one of the
Philippine's most popular tourist destinations.
The island is made up by the barangays of Manoc-Manoc, Balabag, and
Yapak and is under the administration of the Philippine Tourism Authority. A
barangay is also known by its former name, the barrio and is the smallest
local government unit in Philippines. The word is a Tagalog term for a village
or district.
Boracay island was originally the home of the Ati tribal people before
it became a major tourist attraction. Not surprisingly, the word Boracay is
derived from words Bora which means "bubble" and Bukay means "white sand".
However, the sand on the main island is not as white as I have expected due to
too many tourists and pollutions. Then again, if you visit some of the nearby
islands and you will be fascinated by how white the sands on the beaches can
be.
Tourism in Boracay
Boracay is part of Aklan Province and it was only in the 1970s that tourism
started to develop. The main tourism beaches on the island are the White Beach
(what else?) and the Bulabog Beach both of which are located on diametrically
opposite sides of the island's central area with the White Beach facing
towards the west and Bulabog Beach facing east. Of course, Boracay also have
several other beaches as well.
White Beach is well known for its white powdery sand and hence
its name. The beach is slightly over 4 km long (2 miles) and is awashed with
beach resorts, hotels and accommodations, restaurants, shops catering to the
needs of tourists staying in the area.
Incidentally, Borocay has more than 300 beach
resorts with over 2,000 rooms ranging from stylish five-star hotels to budget
accommodations.
For golf enthusiasts, Boracay is also home to a
world-class 18-hole par 72 golf course.
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Bulabog Beach, across the island from White, is a secondary tourism beach.
This beach is a favorite location for windsurfing and kiteboarding because of
its reasonably strong winds for these activities.
Best time to visit Boracay
When is the best time to visit Boracay? Well, you can visit Boracay anytime,
however some visitors may wish to visit the island resort for different
purposes.
Catch the spectacular world-famous Kalibo Ati-Atihan Festival in
January. This is prima facie Philippine's version of the Mardi Gras which is
celebrated on the third week of every January.
If you just want to enjoy the beaches and the sea, then visit Boracay
during the "Amihan" season. This is during northeast monsoon season in the
months of March to May when winds at their strongest and most reliable which
is very suitable for activities like sailing, big game fishing, scuba diving,
wind surfing and kite-boarding.
The months of June to September are considered off-peak season, however
budget conscious tourists and backpackers consider this as the best time to
visit Boracay as rates for everything are at its lowest and there are few
competition for that precious white sand beach turf to plonk oneself on.
October marks the beginning of another peak season. From October to
December, the weather is cool and major sports events are usually held at this
time of the year.
If you are thinking of taking a vacation holiday in the Philippines, try
having one in one of the best beaches in the world, Boracay island resort. - Boracay
Phillipines was written on12th Nov 2007
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