The stunning island of Boracay continues to be a magnet for International and domestic toursists and the arrival of new hotels and resorts shows that it’s popularity is increasing.
The beautiful beaches, blue seas, clean air and of course vibrant nightlife all combine to provide a great holiday experience. On Boracay you can do as much or as little as you please each day. For sun worshippers the soft sands of White Beach, and the near deserted coves around the rest of the island are the principle destination. There are also a number of Spas on the island, where you can revive your mind and body after long weeks at work.
For the more active you can play golf at the 18 hole Championship Course set in the middle of the island with stunning views across to Panay, Carabao and other Visayan Islands. Windsurfers and Kite-boarders take advantage of the winds to fly over the blue seas at Bulabog beach on the East side of the island and you can also take in horse-riding, snorkelling, and jet-skiing during the daytime.
At night the island switches to party mode and the dozens of restaurants and bars open their doors until late for eating, drinking and dancing under the stars.
It’s sometimes easy to forget as you watch the parade of beautiful fun loving people that one of the original attractions of Boracay just a few years ago was the quality of the scuba diving. Regular visitors to the island will know that all along the White Beach path are dotted a number of dive shops and centres offering a huge range of diving opportunities. Our partner’s, Calypso Diving, are one of the most established Dive Centre’s on the island and their PADI 5 Star IDC facility is recognised as one of the best in the Philippines
In fact the diving around Boracay is very under-rated and there is some superb diving just a few minutes away by boat. In front of the beach there are several dive sites which are perfect for novice divers here the chance to see perfect corals and amazingly coloured reef fish is a wonderful experience. Crocodile Island (there are no crocodiles – it’s named after the shape of the rock) at the south end of the island is popular with snorkelers but deeper down the divers have some of the best corals in the Visayas to themselves. The corals around Laurel are just as impressive.
At Fridays Rock you watch huge amounts of reef life move around you in the gentle currents and at Balinghai look for rays and frog fish.
Boracay has two world class dive sites for experienced divers called Yapak 1 and Yapak 2. Actually these are two deep walls on the north side of the island facing Yapak beach. Here the deep waters and sometimes strong currents bring in the bigger fish and sightings of sharks, rays and tuna are common.
Slightly further afield there are a great dives along the walls on the coast of Panay just 30 minutes to 1 hour from White Beach and the waters of adjacent Carabao have some spectacular underwater caves and coral gardens. Calypso Diving also organise overnight trips to Panagatan and Maniguin where the reefs are in pristine condition.
If you or members of your family have not dived before then consider taking a Discover Scuba Diving course with Calypso Diving. This is an introduction to the undersea world, usually takes about half a day and gives you a taste of how easy and enjoyable diving really is. The first thing you will do during the course is to spend time watching a video which gives an overview of what you will be doing in the water. Aferwards you change into a wetsuit and make your way to the swimming pool . Here a trained Instructor will help you on with your equipment and explain how everything works. You will also practise breathing underwater and a few basic skills to ensure that you have a safe and enjoyable time. Once both you and the Instructor are happy and confident that you are comfortable you will take the next step in the course – a real dive in the open water!
You will jump on to a dive boat at White Beach and under the close supervision and support of your Instructor prepare for the dive. The Instructor, with the help of support staff, will assist you into the water and then accompany you on the experience of a lifetime. The course is not a training and certification course so that means you will not have to perform any exercises under the water – simply stay with your Instructor, they will look after you all the time, and watch the exotic underwater life. At first it seems very strange to actually breathe underwater and it takes a few minutes to get used to it. Within a short time though it will seem like the most natural thing and you will want to go diving again and again.
For many people the Discover Scuba Diving course leads straight on to the Open Water Course and here you really begin to understand diving and develop your skills. The blue waters and sandy beaches of Boracay are the perfect place to learn to dive.
Next time you go to Boracay don’t miss the opportunity to appreciate some of the natural beauty of the underwater world – in it’s own natural way it easily matches that above the surface.
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