Boracay 2023 DIY and Budget Travel and Activities To Do

When you think of an amazing beach and one of the best islands in the Philippines for a perfect summer getaway, automatically the answer will be Boracay.

Boracay is an island located in the province of Aklan. It features amazing, powdery sand beaches, a lot of water activities, and restaurants that any tourist around the world will truly enjoy. I no longer need to expound more about this island as it is one of the most famous islands in the country.

We were supposed to be at Boracay on the 3rd day of our adventure however due to bad weather conditions in Antique, we went right away to Boracay on the 2nd day.

Travelling to Boracay

From Tibiao, Antique, we hopped onto a bus to Caticlan which took more than 2 hours. It was morning when we traveled and usually, I get sleepy whenever I ride a bus, but this time I was mostly awake. I don't know why but maybe I just can't contain my excitement. Or I was just feeling every song from Carrie Underwood and Spotify's Country Energy Booster playlist? HAHAHA! We then arrived at Jetty Port at Caticlan late morning.

Luckily, the bus station and the terminal to Boracay are just next to each other. So we directly went to the terminal and there we were shocked... shocked by the price. HAHAHA! In order for you to go to Boracay, you need to pay a Terminal Fee of P150 per person, then another P150 for Environmental Fee, and another P50 for Boat Fee for a total of P350 per person. I'm like OMG we were just at the terminal and we have spent this much already, how much more on the island? Hahaha! Since we opt for budget-friendly travel, we were just doing DIY so we ignored and declined all travel agents who were inviting for a tour package at the terminal.

After all processes and payments in the terminal, we headed to the boat that will bring us to Boracay. It takes around 10-15 minutes to get there depending on the waves. Upon arrival, you will be welcomed by a lot of locals trying to get you for tours or for transportation. Again, we opted for the DIY one so we took an e-bike going to D'mall which is near our accommodation for the night.

Apparently, the e-trike we hailed was not a regular one so it's more like a pakyaw one costing us P200. HAHAHA! Why don't they have a regular trips from the terminal area Waahh!

Since our first night in Boracay is unplanned, we were able to book via Booking.com our accommodation at the last minute (while we were at Calawag). We stayed at Boracay Backpackers at Station 2. I might be writing separate posts for "Where to stay in Boracay" so stay tuned for that!

DIY Activities in Boracay

As I repeatedly indicate in this post, we are on a budget and on DIY. Hence, these are the activities we did during our stay in Boracay.

Getting Sun-kissed at Boracay Beach Walk Tour

Boracay is worldly known for its magnificent beaches. The main beach stretches a 5-kilometer walk of powdery white sand beaches from Station 1 to Station 3. We went for a stroll at the beach from Station 2 to 1 while taking a lot of photos around.

Unfortunately, we went there in March which is Algae season hence the sea has turned green.

Crystal Kayak

One of the newest and trendiest activities to do in Boracay is the Crystal Kayak. This was featured a lot in social media and in national television. As someone who went to Boracay last 2019 when this activity didn't exist yet made sure I took it this time. It costs P250 per person but we were able to haggle for P200 per person just for picture taking.

This activity is so fun and one for the books. It looks like the Kuya who handles the Kayak is trained for photoshoots. HAHAHA! He instructs clearly the poses and takes great photos while making sure we are still safe on the Kayak. Actually every time he tells me the pose, I get scared because the Kayak may tumble over HAHA! But he rests assured me that everything is fine and safe.

We spent about 20 minutes just taking a lot of photos. My gallery is full of them! HAHAHA!

Sunset Watching

Undeniably, Boracay has one of the best sunsets in the Philippines. I don't know why but the view of the sun slowly setting on the horizon while the silhouettes of the paraw sails crossing the horizon are amazing. A lot of people went out on the beach just to watch the sunset and enjoy the moment!

Strolling at Puka Beach

The following day, we went to the other side of Boracay island which features Puka beach. It is another beach with pebble-ish sand but with a lesser crowd. Unlike the main beach of Boracay, the waves in Puka is much bigger which I enjoy more. We spent some time strolling and taking photos. We also took a dip in the sea and enjoyed it a lot!

Oh, I almost forgot. We took an e-trike from Station 2 to Puka Beach in case you want to know. 😆

Escaping at the Secluded Beach Station 3

At the end of Station 3 comes with a secluded and pristine beach front. It features an amazing view of the sand and a rock formation. It is so far from the center so only few people are staying there. You can ride an e-trike from D'mall to Station 3 and walk for few kilometers, or you can simply walk by the beach.

Food Trip at Boracay

Boracay has a lot of great restaurants around the island. From budget-friendly restaurants to luxurious ones. Since we were on a budget, we ate at Jasper's Eatery which is one of the cheapest restaurants on the island. It costs around P120-P150 per meal here.

We also had an ice cream at Halo Mango which costs P180 for the smallest cup. Then we had a buffet at Paradise Garden Resort which has a wide variety of international cuisine which costs P850 per pax.

Oh, they recently opened a Tiger Sugar Milktea shop in Boracay located at Station 2 which we didn't miss. Who would have not wanted a cold milk tea in this hot weather???

For sure there are many more options for a food trip on the island but it all depends on your budget.

Travel Hack in Boracay

OMG this is funny HAHAHAHA

If you want a FREE lunch buffet at one of the beautiful resorts in Boracay, I would suggest you pass by Astoria before or during lunchtime. HAHAHAHA!

We passed by Astoria around 11 AM while we were strolling and someone from Astoria approached us and offered a Free lunch buffet in exchange for our time. The time they ask is for them to present and market their membership offer which we made sure that there will be no promises of signing up. So after some conversation, we said yes and we had a Free lunch buffet HAHAHA! Naka-libre ang mga skwaa HAHAHA!

After our lunch, we were endorsed to their Marketing Staff and proceeded with a presentation of their amenities, and benefits of being a Member of Astoria. The presentation turned out to be a fun and casual conversation. Maybe they're trying to get us comfortable so we will sign up for their membership (but uhm no. LOL). So after almost 2 hours of discussion, dun dun dun dun... here comes the membership fee. OMG it's like you are trying to invest in a condo property but you can only stay for a week per year. HAHAHA! They tried to haggle for the price but we still said no because firstly, it's an unplanned expense, secondly, the cost is like investing in real property, and thirdly, we are broke. HAHAHA! I guess they picked the wrong audience but I think they just want to share their membership and their amenities after all, so it's a win-win situation I guess. Basta naka-free lunch mi NYAHAHAHA!

I guess that's it for our blog for today. Hope you can visit Boracay (except March to May LOL) and enjoy the island! See you on my next blog!