2017 started for us in kind of a big way, albeit unintentionally.
We haven’t really been to a lot of trips since the twins were born, which only goes to show just how afraid (or just really stingy?) we’ve been to get out of our comfort zone these past 4 years. Needless to say, booking the first flight out on the first day of the year is very uncharacteristic of us. But when we found out that David’s cousin was getting married in Boracay, we were happy to have a valid excuse.
The last time we were at Boracay, it was just David and me. We’re excited to bring the girls, but as any parent would know, the whole thing—from planning to packing to flying to settling down to packing again to flying back—it was quite the major production ha!
Booking plane tickets was actually the easiest part. Finding hotel accommodations on a budget during peak season, and thinking of activities to do with 4 year olds were the real challenge. And don’t even let me begin on the amount of toys and stuff we had to carry around. In the words of millenials, I kenat!
On the first morning of the new year, we dragged our luggages to a 5am Caticlan-bound flight, caught the first sunset of the year on top of the clouds (not bad at all!), sleepless from New Year’s Eve celebrations.
Still, we knew everything was worth it at the sight of this:
Boracay, Boracay, I keep coming back to Boracay.
There’s a thousand and one things to do in Boracay but we decided to keep it close to the White Beach. The girls were super excited to have some time on the beach, and we made sure they get enough dose of vitamin sea to last them the whole year, LOL.
We stayed at Station 2. I would have preferred the more quieter Station 1 or Station 3 to be honest, but some relatives were staying at Station 2 so we narrowed down our choices to the center. (But really, anywhere close to the beach front will do.)
We found Indila Boracay* as we were scouring the pages of Agoda* for affordable Boracay hotels.
By the way, how awesome is Agoda? The app has improved so much through the years and I love how easy it is to find accommondations anywhere in the world you wish to go. Not only does Agoda offer the best prices, the app also helps in the decision-making process with its price comparison features and customer reviews.
*Disclosure: Some of these links are affiliate links, which means, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
Although getting to Indila Boracay was quite a challenge at the time (some construction was going on in the area), we’re happy to find out that all the rooms were brand new, the beds were huge and ahhhh, divine!!, and the owner and staff were all very kind and generous.
Thank you Indila! We’ll forever treasure the photos we took in your very Instagram-worthy rooms.
We spent the first half of our week mostly just chillin and being lazy in the beach front between Stations 1 and 2. We did consider island hopping but nahhh, we’re a lazy bunch y’all. Besides, all the girls ever needed were some space to run, salt water, and sand. :D
We used our room mostly to take baths, sleep, and change. And then the second half of the week was spent with family (who were also in Boracay for the wedding).
And this is the part where I dump photos, because you can never have enough photos taken at Boracay.
Looking at these captures, I can’t help but think is this it? Probably the last time we’ll ever be in Boracay with young Dawn & Rain?
They’re growing way too fast, and they’re probably never going to enjoy Boracay the way they did at this age. Maybe we’ll come back when they’re a bit older, maybe when they’re teens, maybe we’ll go to a different beach.. but for sure the experience will be totally different.
I’ve been having a lot of these moments lately, watching the girls thinking we will never experience the same things the way we’re experiencing them now. They’ve been outgrowing toys and cartoons like warp speed, I could hardly catch up!
Which reminds me to capture as many photographs as I can, whenever I can! I feel like they will only remember Boracay based from these photos, and I want them to always remember how much fun we all had. 🙂
Visiting Boracay with young kids on a budget?
I say, book a hotel along the beach front! You can easily get around Boracay by feet (walking is the Boracay way of life!), but young kids may not be as patient. So if you don’t want em cranky, keep the walking to a minimum. 😉
If you have more budget to spare, Station 1 has a number of luxury hotels and resorts that have exclusive beach fronts, swimming pools, and play areas for kids. Also, Jonah’s fruit shake. Nuf said.
Station 2 is the busiest section but has a lot of fast foods that are familiar to kids. (Ehem, thank you Starbucks, McDonalds, and D-Mall.)
Station 3, although quiet, is the least expensive and has the most amount of greenery, but may not be best for kids because the beach drops steeper and therefore become deeper easily on that side. I personally wouldn’t take the risk.
Agoda* has huge listings that you can sort based on preference, budget, location, activities. Ehem, not really an expert at Boracay, but these are just some of the things I thoroughly researched while planning our own trip. Hope these help!
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