Late last year, my family and I had the blessing of traveling to Boracay for a short 3-day stay to end the year and welcome 2024. It was my 1st plane ride since the pandemic first broke. It had also been awhile since I last visited Boracay; and a lot has changed. Even the airport was slightly different .
For this trip, we decided that we wanted to try some place we had never stayed in before. We wanted some place quiet and affordable, yet nice. That means we deliberately avoided the white beach areas. We were able to book and stay at the Savoy Hotel, which was located at the Newcoast beach area on the other side of the island and a mere 15-minute shuttle ride away from D’Mall and the White Beach area. The Newcoast area is adjacent to the Fairways and Bluewater resort. It also has a lot of soon-to-develop commercial establishments. (The famed Wolfgang’s Steakhouse and Restaurant just opened its Boracay branch there.) The hotel itself and its rooms were clean and nice. Food from the hotel cafe wasn’t mind blowing but it was ok.
The beach was an easy 5-8 minute walk away and had calm, clear, and warm blue waters. It was also quite private and quiet – just the way we wanted so that we could have a more relaxing time. The sand was not as powdery and white as the sands found on the White Beach area but it was clean and fine, and not rocky There was a vehicle doing periodic cleaning along the shore line, raking away trash and other whatnots. The weather was good, although it did briefly rain on our 2nd morning. Our overall stay there was quite enjoyable, as it was sunny but not overwhelmingly hot. It was quite humid as expected yet not overbearingly so. The breeze was balmy and added to the enjoyment of our experience.
Of course, no trip to Boracay would be complete without spending sometime walking along the commercial areas of D’Mall, and Stations 1 and 2. Our hotel offered free shuttle services, every 30 mins interval to and from the D’Mall area. As expected, the D’Mall area was quite crowded, and you had to make reservations at most restaurants if you wanted to eat during the peak meal times. This was especially true for our party of 7. I was happy to see that, due to the shutdown and clean up during the past administration, Stations 1 & 2 were indeed very clean. Guests were no longer allowed to eat and drink by the shores. Local tour companies , merchants, and vendors were also restricted to just along the main road and away from the shore areas. Since it was the December travel season, and all travel restrictions and tourist size restrictions were lifted, the beach was packed. We didn’t even attempt to swim there. We simply strolled, bought fruit drinks, and had dinner there.
One thing that I always look forward to in my visits to Boracay is the opportunity to witness and enjoy its sunsets. They never fail to leave me awestruck. To witness God’s majestic handiwork leaves me inspired and humbled; and I was happy to be able to take some photos of it.
Our last evening was also New Year’s Eve. Our hotel staff informed us that there would be a fireworks display by the beach along Newcoast at midnight . There were parties all over the place as well, but we opted for the free beachside fireworks. We simply bought dinner from ahead of time at the D’Mall area and had dinner at the outdoor dining area nearby. Our family was blessed to have witnessed a moon rise earlier in the evening, before we joined the many other revelers in enjoying the fireworks and welcoming the new year by the quiet Newcoast beach. What a blessing from our Lord.
Overall, I had a great time, especially since I got to spend it with my family. I look forward to visiting Boracay once more in the future, God willing.
All photos were taken with the Fuji X100V, some shots with the Fuji WCL and Nisi X100 series filters. Please click on each one for a larger view.
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Daniel's Lighthouse 