Boracay...done...

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Sabang to Boracay took us 9 hours...and four islands on the same day. We found out in Sabang that they actually have a night boat from Batangas to Caticlan, but even that would have been a longer trip. So on to the local boat to Batangas, 2 hours drive after on the Sikat bus...short taxi ride to Manila airport....and I took the easy way...short flight to Caticlan, ten minutes walk to the local pier...30 minutes local boat to Boracay...and 10 minutes tricycle to our accommodation....you know now why we do not come to dive to the Philippines....just for the week-end!



The best accommodation in Boracay are easily the Shangrila or Discovery Shores. But both of them are in the range of the 500usd to 600usd for the cheapest room...and for that price, I would rather go to El Nido or Amanpulo...than there is the abundance of 3-4 stars digs all between 120usd to 300usd...that's not a bargain, and for something with close to no personality, it actually looks more like a rip-off. I have to admit, we are very close to Easter, and this is truly the high season here.



So this time, we went cheap....we actually pick up the place which have the reputation to be the cheapest on the island...where you can have a single bed for as low as 6usd per night. I like when people ask me if my children are not too spoiled in luxury hotels....yes they are, but they can jump as easily from a presidential suite in a top hotel...to a backpacker dig with shared cold showers...home is where we are...together!



So we stay for 5 nights at White Beach divers, at the end of White Beach. The place is on the quiet side of that crazy beach....so we had some pretty good sleep, right on the beach. I still took the best they had, the family room, which is actually two rooms in one...just for 27usd...not bad!



Everybody goes today to Boracay, it has become one of the places to go in Asia. So yes, it was crowded...they even have Mc Donalds and Subway on the beach...Mc Donalds no thanks....Subway, we did once! The beach is white....for the sand....but the few meters of water are full of algea...making the place pretty green....eat your salad! Than there are the hundred of boats all over the place. It was actually 5 fun days...but trust me, we are not coming back.



Next was the diving. As always, I dive with Leslie once in the morning...deeper...than once in the afternoon with Tiffany, who is improving everyday on her skills....well done! We are diving also with White Beach divers....it's actually a diving center...a bar...and few rooms. Diving is with Johny the Dutch DM, or Mike, the German owner. Every morning there is a nice French guy diving with us...and every afternoon, it's either only us, or with another open water....I love diving in small groups. The dive center is...well...pretty rock-n-roll, imagine, Mike going down to below 45 meters without a dive computer...here it is...I still kept it on that nice dive to 42.8 meters...so you can even go deep in Boracay.



Diving was supposed to be below average...it was actually pretty cool, that must be thanks to Mike and Johny who made sure we kept ourselves...on pretty cool and uncrowded dive sites.



The last day, we dived in Carabao Island. Mike has another little resort on this island 45 minutes by boat from Boracay. Here, 10,000 inhabitants, 4 times the size of Boracay....and only 4 small resorts....diving is wall diving, and it was even more fun that diving Boracay.



Soon it was time to leave...for another 8 hours trip...to our next island...and we will see...but supposed top diving this time.

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Comments

[Bonne Mamy]

Beau voyage... Belles vacances !
Ca fait du bien ces belles images quand on déménage.... boulot sérieux cette semaine... Je m'en vais à mes pinceaux... bonne journée à vous trois !

[denidax]

Great photo! :D