Today is my last full day in Boracay, before trading in the beach for the city of Manila. This has been a great start to my trip. Being able to unwind and relax before some more hectic travel elements is very welcome! With nothing on the schedule, the plan for today is simple: eat well, wander a bit, and soak up as much of the island as I can!
Breakfast at Seaworthy, Round Three
In my previous post, I spend two relaxing days in Boracay, and this morning starts the same wonderful way at Seaworthy Boracay. I pull back the curtains to palm trees and that bright blue water, then head down for breakfast with a view. This time I order the Adobo Bowl. It’s very good and probably my second favourite dish after the Percy Prawn Toast! Interestingly today, I noticed a man climbing the palm tree outside. He shimmies up the trunk and starts chopping a few branches down. It’s my first time seeing it and thought it was pretty cool!
Late Boracay Morning
With no real plans and a focus on relaxation, I seek out another spa for another massage. While there is nothing wrong with my first massage, after doing a bit of research I find another spa that is highly rated and costs less called Malipay Spa. So after breakfast, I decide to head out there and try for another relaxing massage. They unfortunately have a little bit of a wait so I have a little time to kill.
Nearby there is a McDonald’s Restaurant and since I’m always curious to see what foreign McDonald’s have on their menu I pop in to check it out. I go with a piece of fried chicken and spaghetti, which is a very popular combo here. It’s tasty but I can see why Jollibee is the undisputed winner in this country.
Bulabog Beach
From McDonalds I wander to the other side of the island to Bulabog Beach. While White Beach on the west side is where most visitors spend their time, Bulabog on the east side is the windier side of the island and is popular with kitesurfers. It’s a much quieter beach, with palm trees lining the sand and boats bobbing out in the water. It feels like a completely different vibe and depending on what you’re looking for in Boracay may be preferable.
Barkada Boracay
Along the beach I stop at Barkada Boracay, a beach bar and restaurant right on the sand at Bulabog. I grab a seat in the shade facing the water and order a tasty beverage and their version of halo halo. Being able to get out of the midday sun and have a cold drink and cold dessert is a refreshing way to kill time and enjoy my surroundings.
After this brief stop, I make my way back to Malipay spa for my massage. No photos, but I can safely say it’s a very comfortable, relaxing way to spend my afternoon!
Jony’s
After my massage I decide to leisurely stroll back to my hotel on White Beach. On the way, I stop in at another spot on my list: Jony’s Fruitshakes. Jony’s calls itself Boracay’s original fruit shake, serving them since 1982. I order a banana fruit shake and some prawns, and enjoy them with a view of the water. It’s rare that places have just a banana milkshake, and just for that alone I’d give it high marks. But it is genuinely tasty so I can see why it’s a popular staple in the Boracay food scene.
Merienda and Sunset at Seaworthy
From Jony’s it’s a short walk back to Seaworthy, just in time for the afternoon merienda. Today’s tea is pandan, and today’s merienda is turon, which is saba banana wrapped in rice paper and then fried with sugar. I pick up my portion of the Merienda and head back to my room to enjoy it from the privacy of my own balcony.
Sunset from the Balcony
For my last Boracay sunset, I don’t have to go anywhere at all. I settle in on my balcony with the Merienda and watch the sun go down over the beach and Willy’s Rock, the rock formation just off Station 1 with a small grotto on top. The beach below fills up with people out to catch the sunset too. The sunsets for the past two days were more overcast, however tonight’s sunset is pretty spectacular and I’m glad to get to enjoy a proper sunset before leaving the island.
Percy Seafood
For dinner I don’t go far either. Percy Seafood is Seaworthy’s in-house restaurant, but also a popular seafood restaurant on the island. I order the seafood bouillabaisse, along with a watermelon slush. I hadn’t had too many opportunities to enjoy a lot of seafood so far, so having a specific seafood dedicated dish is something I’m glad to make my last meal here and it’s delicious! The clams are massive, the prawns and fish are tender. It’s a very enjoyable meal and I also like that many of the servers have become familiar to me during my time here. So being able to spend my final evening on the Island here is nice!
Coco Mama
And finally, it’s time for the Coco Mama trial! Coco Mama has an outpost right inside Seaworthy. Their signature dessert is coconut ice cream served in a coconut bowl with ripe mango, black sticky rice and pinipig (crunchy toasted young rice). One of the perks of staying at Seaworthy is a complimentary Coco Mama dessert! So it’s very convenient to have it after my seafood dinner! Having now tried all three, I’ll probably say that the Ube Mama one is my favourite. It’s surprising because ube has never been my favourite flavour, but the mix of textures in their dessert is very interesting. However, I probably need to go back and try them all again…. For Science! After dessert, I head back to my room to start the unfortunate task of packing as I’ll be leaving Boracay tomorrow.
Checking Out of Seaworthy
On my last morning, I take one more look at the view before breakfast. For my final Seaworthy breakfast I order the Chorizo and Eggs which is excellent. With a little time before checkout, I take it slow, taking in as much of this view as I can during breakfast and lounging in my room for a bit before saying good bye.
Cagban Jetty Port
After checking out, IslandStar Express picks me up and takes me to Cagban Jetty Port for the return portion of my pre-booked transfers. Cagban is the main jetty for leaving Boracay, and from here it’s a short boat ride across the water to Caticlan on the mainland. The water is just as clear and blue here as it is on the beaches!
Caticlan Airport
From the Caticlan jetty, it’s a quick trip to Caticlan Airport, the closest airport to Boracay. It’s a small airport so there isn’t a lot to see. Thankfully Islandstar is very good at getting me to the airport on time but not so early that I have to wait too long. When it’s time to board, we first need to board a bus which drives us to the plane, before taking air stairs onto the plane.
Boarding my AirAsia flight from the apron means getting a good up-close look at the A320 taking us to Manila. Soon we’re taxiing out past the green hills, and it’s goodbye Boracay! The flight is a short one hour flight to Manila and before long we’re touching down. From the airport I order a Grab Car that takes me to my AirBnb for the next few days.
The Suite at BGC
For my stay in Manila I’ve booked an Airbnb, The Suite at BGC. It’s in BGC (Bonifacio Global City) in Taguig, a modern business and shopping district of Metro Manila. In talking to many of my Filipino friends, many recommended this part of the city to stay. So after doing a bit of research I decide on doing an Airbnb for the creature comforts of home and to be able to do some laundry!
Bonifacio High Street
After settling in, I head out for an evening stroll to Bonifacio High Street, an open-air shopping street lined with shops and restaurants, with lawns, fountains and art installations running down the middle. With the skyscrapers of BGC all around, it’s quite the change of scenery from the beach!
Manam
For dinner I stop at Manam Comfort Filipino on Bonifacio High Street, which serves Filipino comfort food in both classic versions and with new twists. I order the House Crispy Sisig and the Gising Gising, along with their ube & sago shake. All the dishes are ones that are recomended either by people I’ve talked to or online and they didn’t steer me wrong. Everything is exceptionally tasty! I didn’t know if I would enjoy some of these dishes but I made sure nothing was left on the plates by the time it was all said and done.
With a full belly, I leisurely head back to the apartment to turn in after a day in transit. Boracay has been the perfect place to unwind, and now it’s time to explore the city! I look forward to discovering more of Manila over the next couple of days.