We touched down at Kalibo International Airport around 2:00PM and wasted no time to get a SIM card and also signed a travelling package with Southwest where they send you straight to your hotel from the airport and vice versa on the day you fly off.

4 hours flight from Kuala Lumpur to Kalibo, waited in the bus after that for almost an hour before we traveled to the jetty which took almost 3 hours. The journey to Boracay island only took less than 20 minutes and once we arrived, we were quickly ushered into a van where it drops us off right at the hotel. Having such a package is convenient and I definitely recommend it because it saves your worries on transportation. For this Southwest two way trip (they pick you back to the airport on your day of departure too), we paid 1200 peso (RM103) per person for the all-in-one transportation!

Right after checking in the Hotel Henann Regency which was super convenient as it has an entrance which leads you straight to the bustling beach streets, we took a short stroll first before deciding on dining at Smoke Resto. Unfortunately, the branch of Smoke Resto, Station 2 was filled to the brim and had a long waiting queue. So the waitress suggested that we headed over to the Bulabog branch by their free tricycle taxi ride plus it wasn't too far away. We had no idea how it would be like but we just said yes and off we were!

Oh boy, weren't we glad that we chose to come over to the Bulabog branch because we had dinner by the beach! Too bad for those who insisted to wait at the Station 2 branch. We had Kao Pad, a super delicious dish that consists of chicken strips (you can opt for pork) on shrimp paste rice with egg and mango slices yumsssss! We also had the Butter Garlic Prawns and Spicy Garlic Kangkung which were amazing as well. Everything was great but I wished the both of us weren't that tired (whole day travelling 😖) so that we could chill more but we were actually looking forward to go back to the hotel to sleep, which we did exactly after dinner.

Kao Pad (140 peso) + Spicy Garlic Kangkung (140 peso) + Butter Garlic Prawns (400 peso) + Drinks (220 peso) = 900 peso (RM77.07)

The next day we got ready to Ariel's Point, one of the places that Abang wanted to go to the most because he can't wait to cliff jump. I was less enthusiastic over the idea of going there because I'm super afraid of the water and cannot swim 😢. We were fortunate to be able to join the group for the day because reviews mentioned that it was advisable to book a night before instead of registering on the day itself.

We were early for registration (woke up super early to try our luck) and managed to grab fruit smoothies while waiting for our call time to gather at the meeting point (registration is at Station 1, just mention Ariel's Point and the locals will show you where). For Ariel's Point, we paid 2500 peso (RM 215) per person which includes lunch and the other gears you need for snorkeling and kayaking as well.

Ariel's Point was really magical in some way. The sea was calm, the waters were so clear that you could easily see through it and the view was amazing. So everyone was super excited for the cliff jumping activity, aside from me, and it became the main show for the day where we kept cheering on our newly made friends as some were hesitant to jump at the end of the board.

Well, eventually I wanted to jump because there were lifeguards down there and besides, the Korean girls who can't swim jumped numerous times and even challenged the 8m jump! But another Korean guy, who could swim by the way, came up after the 5m jump and vomited potatoes and carrots.....................................so I was thinking again and decided that I wasn't going to jump at the end.

Abang was excited as usual, jumping 3834852748934 times on both the 5m and 8m board until his G-Shock watch expired halfway through (water pressure honey!). We had lunch and then Abang suggested we should kayak. I said okay because I kayaked before and I enjoyed it very much when I had the opportunity at camp. The only ugly side was falling into the water and me feeling helpless.

Anyway so, to get to the kayak station, you need to swim/float (life jacket is given) a certain distance. Well, I was terrified at the fact that I needed to do so even with a life jacket on. So Abang suggested that he swim over to the station, get on the kayak and manoeuvre it to the opening of the cave where I was waiting.

Sadly, the party boat was in the way and I still had to swim/float a small distance to the kayak. By this time Abang was clearly frustrated that I wasn't taking the initiative to even try BUT I WAS SO SCARED. Eventually after almost what seems like forever and Abang losing his patience, I just turn my back and asked the Singaporean girl to bring me to the kayak. She laughed at me of course because I was having a life jacket on but there were tears in my eyes so she knew I was serious about this phobia. She got into lifesaver mode, swam with one hand while the other was holding on to me. Her boyfriend, tagging behind and laughing at me most probably, couldn't control his laughter even after I got up the kayak 😩

After some 30 mins of kayaking, Abang decided that it was time for snorkeling AKA time-to-face-your-fears. We started at the cave entrance where Abang told me to stand properly and put my face into the water first to get a glimpse of what it is like underwater. However, my body wasn't cooperating, I kept getting jelly legs, making me imbalance and falling into the water while dragging Abang into it. I think he spent another 30 mins coercing me to just chill and look into the water.

Eventually I started to relax when I saw starfishes and small, cute fishes swimming about in this other world that I only get to see on telly. At first, I was scared to look because I thought there were weird sea animals down there but actually it was quite fun!

Though snorkeling is really nothing to many but for me I can't believe I did it! Was very proud of myself that day and so was Abang. I'm still afraid of the sea but at least I can snorkel now! When we were on our way back to the main island, we saw a school of flying fishes and it was so damn amazing! I felt really happy and it was as though the flying fishes were encouraging me to love the ocean more. Like, "Hey, don't be afraid of the sea or the creatures that lie within it. There are some cute ones like us!". 

Okay bye.

On a side note, Ariel's Point takes up half of the day and to be honest, you will be tired as heck. Abang, who still felt like he was floating even after we exited the boat, suggested that we go for Jonah's Fruitshake and Restaurant for something to eat. We ordered two fruitshakes and a pizza. Sadly we were so worn out we didn't even bother to take any photos there. Also after one slice of pizza, Abang K.O. and slept on the table so I knew he wasn't feeling too good already. Got the remaining pizzas and back we went to the hotel. 

Abang went to slumberland right after showering and I of course, had pizza on my own while watching Project Runway HAHAHAHAHAHA

Island hopping trip on Day 3 yassss! 2800 peso (RM 240) includes lunch, Puka Beach, entrance fee for Crystal Cove and Magic Island and snorkeling gears. Just for your info, the basic payment for the island hopping expedition is only 700 pesos and the rests are add-ons if you want to snorkel or visit the island. Meaning, you only pay if you want to participate, other than that you can just chill on the boat!

First stop was Puka Beach and there really wasn't much to do there but the ocean is crystal clear meaning you can go float around or chase fishes. The fishies were easily available near the shore at the shallow parts so that you can actually be near them without needing to snorkel!

Second stop was in the middle of the ocean where Abang didn't miss this chance to snorkel again. I forego this time around and made friends on the boat instead. Abang was extremely excited to have experienced and recorded a school of cutie pies swimming towards him as though he was some fish magnet which I have in all its glory GIF-ed the moment below:

The next stop after snorkeling was Magic Island where you get to cliff jump again. The only difference this time is that the waters were really rough and it was a scary sight actually. We were at the entrance when our boat left us. They thought we wanted to enter but we didn't want to actually. We thought we had to alight the boat at all locations. So most of us were stranded there for around 45 minutes while the boat brought the rest to a further distance to snorkel again.

Last stop for the day was Crystal Cove! By the way we had lunch earlier and the pork satay was soooooooo good because the sauce used was HEAVEN. Anyway, back to Crystal Cove, it's a mini park where we can actually go visit the coves below this island which were really interesting. And I must say every where in Boracay is filled with clear blue sea and it's beautiful!

Island hopping ended around 4:00PM so the both of us decided to pay a visit to Jonah's Fruitshake and Restaurant, again. On our way, we bought two corn on the cob which were really, really well seasoned with salt and butter. We took away fruitshakes from Jonah's and headed back to the hotel. Freshen up and off we were to D'Talipapa market for dinner!

So it was my first time visiting a market with sea creatures still alive, waiting for you to pick them as your dinner. It was really interesting especially when you get to see different kinds of seafood that you've never seen before.

With the help of the friendly Plato D'Boracay Resto's staff, we got to buy a fresh lobster, 4 oysters (he gave us extra 6 more), and 4 tiger prawns. Remember to haggle the prices because they can go so much lower, especially if you buy more from the same store!

The waitress at Plato D'Boracay Resto then weighed the seafood for us and suggested cooking styles for each dish. Their staffs are super friendly so feel free to ask them to suggest the best ways to cook your seafood!

1 live lobster + 4 oysters + 4 big prawns = 3500 peso (RM 302) 

Plato D'Restaurant cooking service = 780 peso (RM 67)

Grand Total: 4280 peso (RM 369)

Dinner for the night was SUPERB. The sauces were on point and the seafood were absolutely fresh! I wish I had the stomach to eat more and more. Halfway through I even suggested that we should get more seafood which of course Abang had to stop me but at that point of time I really wished I had booked to stay in Boracay for a week so that I can eat seafood every evening......yumsss

After our delicious dinner, we took a stroll on the beach listening to live bands before chilling out at Cha Cha's. It was our last night in Boracay and we spent it with mosquitoes trying to murder us as we scratch our bodies to death at Cha Cha's. Thankfully we got the trusty mosquito repellent that instantly saved the bloody situation.

Morning came and we were up and not so ready to go back home! I will be missing the food here and the clear sea. I will also miss the starfishes and fishes that I encountered with during my first-ever snorkeling session at Ariel's Point. As travelling to and fro the island can be quite tiring, it's best to stay for a full 3 days in this amazing island to fully experience Boracay (so that would be 5D4N, 2 days for travelling to and from the island).

By the way, a new friend that I met during my island hopping activity suggested that I should visit Cebu where we can take photos with the whale sharks! Well, I love these sea creatures and though tame, you never know when they will go cuckoo plus you need to be underwater to have your photo taken, how am I suppose to accomplish that?! Anyway, I really hope that my next travel destination won't be the beach again. Not too soon, maybe the next two years(?) Not that I don't like it but I think it's time I go to somewhere historical like the pyramids or Greece...well, I shall travel in my dreams first then!

Flight tix + Stay = RM 1291/pax

[2 pax = RM 2582]

Southwest Transportion (Round Trip) = 1200 peso/pax 

[2 pax = 2400 peso / RM 207]

Day 1 Dinner @ Smoke Resto 

[900 peso / RM 77]

Ariel's Point = 2500 peso / Pax

[2 pax = 5000 peso / RM 432]

Day 1 & 2 Jonah's Fruitshake (total of 4 fruitshakes, 1 pizza) 

[2 pax = 790 peso / RM 68]

Island Hopping = 700 peso/pax 

- crystal cove = 200 peso/pax

- snorkeling kit = 40 peso/pax

- magic island = 150/ pax (we didn't pay for this because we didn't participate)

[2 pax = 1880 peso / RM 162.50]

D'Talipapa Market (1 live lobster + 4 oysters + 4 big prawns)
[3500 peso / RM 302]

Plato D'Boracay Resto Cooking Service
[780 peso / RM 67]

Cha Cha's (1 cocktail + 1 fruitshake]

[532 peso / RM 46]

Airport Fees - 1000 peso/pax

[2 pax = 2000 peso / RM172]

= 17,782 peso || RM 1537 + RM 2582 (flight and hotel) = RM 4119 for TWO person.

To save cost, you can opt to stay away from the beach if you don't mind a little bit of walking. Also, you can go survey for the cheapest island hopping packages if you have the time too! And at the D'Talipapa market, try to haggle as best as you can because the prices can definitely go lower than what we purchased. We weren't good in haggling, too bad!

If you are planning to go to Boracay, make sure you have fun and if you can't swim like me or have water phobia, don't be afraid because what's beneath the clear blue ocean will definitely amaze you and you won't want to miss it!
😀💕🌴

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