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Boracay Island

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Infinity Pool overlooking Banyugan beach

Themed-Beach-Dinner

This small 10 square kilometre island is in receipt of ‘Travel + Leisure’s” Best Island In The World award of 2010. As well as this, Boracay Island has won numerous awards from travel magazines and agencies for its reputation as a tropical leisure destination. It is not an island to be missed.

Boracay lies about 315 kilometres south of Manila and 2 kilometres off the northwest tip of Panay Island in the Visayas region of the Philippines. I arrived at this lovely island after a 15 minute ferry ride from Catican on Panay Island.

Gently caressing sea breezes over the lap of crystal clear ocean greeted me on to the long stretch of Boracay’s world famous White Beach. Although this was my second visit here I found the visual tranquillity just as overwhelming as my first introduction to the island.

For some, this is the ultimate island destination for pampered relaxation with all the benefits of modern hospitality in alluring tropical surrounds. For others the island offers a range of more active leisure pastimes but the keyword for everyone is enjoyment.

I was booked into the Shangri-La’s Boracay Resort and Spa situated on a hillside at the northern tip of the Island. Here the resort features 219 spacious guest rooms, villas and the resort’s Tree House Villas. Each is characterised by a blend of local and contemporary design. The Boracay Resort was carefully sited to sit well with its natural surrounds as well as providing guests with the very best of ocean and island views. Room and villa balconies are spacious and equipped with day beds. The villas have their own private pools while the unique Tree House Villas come with an outdoor Jacuzzi. Here at the resort a butler service is provided for the villas and Seaview suite. Boracay Resort and Spa boasts 2 bars and four restaurants along with 24-hour room service.

For those interested in daytime activities the resort can arrange snorkelling, scuba diving, nature trail hiking, jogging and golf. Rather just sun worship? Boracay Resort and Spa has all the facilities one could want for a lazy day by the infinity pool or on the cotton white sands of the beach while enjoying full bar and meal services. For an evening drink, the cliff top bar offers the classic vantage point for sunsets and panoramic island views.

White Beach has been recognised internationally as one of the finest beaches in the world with its pristine white sand backed by island features and fronted by the sparkle of a blue sea. This beach stretches along the narrow central part of the island for some 3.5 kilometres. White Beach with its shallow water and ideal swimming conditions is the primary draw for many of the island’s visitors. Water sports off this beach include windsurfing and kite boarding, as conditions off the beach are ideal for these activities.

Overall my second visit to Boracay Island was rather like that second gin and tonic – just as good as the first but with the satisfying sense of anticipation confirmed.

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