Boracay White Beach, photo by Elmar
Have I told you that we almost got to the Philippines in the beginning of 2005? We had booked the flight and all, staying away for 2 whole months. But we never got here!
We have friends at Fårö – our summer island outside Swedens east coast – that goes to the Philippines a couple of months during the winter every year and speaks very well about it. What a paradise it is, how much there is to explore, the excellent snorkel and diving waters, how very friendly the Filipino people are and all the fun they have had over there.
They use to be a whole bunch of people going there to meet up. Even the farmer we rent from, has been going there for ages. For him it’s pure survival, since he is getting older and need the warmth instead of the cold damp at Fårö in the winter time. We had heard them speaking so much that we decided to join them, we planned and booked a trip there in the beginning of 2005.
First we would stay 2 weeks in Malaysia, first one night in Swiss Garden Kuala Lumpur and the rest at Swiss Garden Golf & Spa Resort Hotel to relax. Mr Lifecruiser would play golf a lot there and I would just get spoiled in the Spa with all kind of treats!!! The meaning was to get plenty of rest and relax, to be able to enjoy the rest of the trip better.
After that we would go to The Philippines. First stop Manila for a couple of days and then to the islands Mindoro and Boracay to stay there for 1,5 months living island life. *dreaming*
So how did it go? Two severe things happened that stopped our plans. First thing hitting us were that both of us got Pneumonia – what’s the odds of that happening? *giggles*
The emergency claimed that it was a lite version of Pneumonia, but we’ve never been so sick in our entire lives. I thought that I was going to burn up from the inside and the coughing would turn my lungs inside out, the fever was real bad. We got exhausted from all the coughing and even delayed onset muscle soreness from it.
It was the first time we’ve not slept in the same bed (our 35 inches bed!), it was impossible with all that sweating and turning before the antibiotics kicked in.
The most serious that happened was the big Tsunami. It did hit the coast line in Malaysia too. Maybe not as serious as in the rest of the Tsunami area, but never the less it did hit. That didn’t sound exactly relaxing in our minds. Then we have the fact that after flooding, there usually also comes diseases. I have a bad habit of catching illness, as much as I very often get bad weather on our trips. Remember my bad weather curse? *giggles*
There was no chance that we could have enjoyed this trip, with all the pictures of the tsunami victims in our minds. We simply had to cancel. Besides that it took us half a year to recover from the pneumonia, so this really was the right decision we made.
We were really planning to make the longest trip there, spending a lot of money. Not that it’s expensive over there – it really isn’t!
I read some where that this should be the top 3 least expensive countries to be a tourist in:
- Egypt
- Philippines
- Paraguay
I have no idea if it still is the same. Best time to go to the Philippines is January – May, so we went to South America after we had recovered, in the autumn instead and I really can confirm for sure that Paraguay really was inexpensive to the max!!!
Since then it have been happening so much things over here, so we haven’t had the chance to think about making a second try to go there.
Have you noticed a new visitor here lately? Damaguete Guy (who lives there) and I got to speak a little about the Philippines, so it’s actually him we have to thank for this post 
Maybe we’ll make it some day…
I asked him for some tips and he gave me this links below, where a couple of the sites has Boracay sections…
- Netguard – his oldest site
- Philippines Insider – big blog with a new post every day
- Davao City Hotel – smaller Davao blog
- Palawan Info – new site – work in progress. Right now this site is just aging and getting ready for a total launch. He has have another 50+ articles ready for this site already
Guy also said:
Actually the best beach for me in Puerto Galera is not White Beach, but Paradise beach. Totally secluded, many times you will be the only ones there. Nice big grained sand and corals just a few meters out. This beach is right before White Beach when you come from the Sabang side
Boracay – I usually stay in the quiet end of the island, which is the part closest to Caticlan where the airport is located. This area is not as expensive as the main drag and it is much more quiet
When you wanna party it is just a 20 min. walk down to the bars and discos…
Links to other sites to explore:
- Malaysia
- Philippines Government site
- The Philippines
- Wow Philippines
- The island Boracay
- Boracay Island Trip
Captain ♥ Lifecruiser
I ADORE SPAS! Do YOU THINK Mr. Lifecruiser would take me with you and he? I need a break Captain!
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That’s strange although I love so much travelling but these countries don’t attract me I love to read about them and everything but not go there. I don’t know even why. It’s the same with the South American countries. Maybe later you never know in life. My dream is to make a cruise (a real one) to the Northpole that must be wonderful. Since 2 days I upload pictures, phheeww, Blogger is soooo slow ! But now I have finished and only have to write the text for the cruise to Egypt. So saturday will be the Excursion from Hurghada to Luxor, Sunday Karnak, Monday the Valley of the Kings and Tuesday Hatchepsut. I publish everything on my Country and City blog so it will stay there. OK ?
It seems I have found that I truly love cruising. I have cruised twice, to Alaska and to Panama Canal, and now I am hooked. We’re talking about Peru and also Asia.
There are so many places still to visit, and still the list gets longer! One thing I would like to do would be to visit as many of the World Heritage Sites as possible. That appeals to me more than a beach.
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This is a great example of how lovely it is to be a part of your Cyber Cruise. Whether you’ve been there or not, it gives a lovely background and information of interesting destinations. Thanks for sharing this – I wish I can go there with my wife one day too.
But as you know I’ve been to Brussels with my wife, so now we are looking forward to less travel and more family life and to find the Christmas spirit
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Oh your post made me a bit homesick. I come from the Philippines and haven’t been there for 2.5 years. The problem is I work with kids so when it’s summer here that’s a terrible time to go there – rainy/storm season!
There are so many islands to explore there but my favorite is Bohol. I hope you will get the chance to take your trip some day. If you want to see a short documentary on the Philippines, check out my blog at the archives, it was done by lonely planet. I posted a a video there. just paste the link on your browser or go to archives June 2007,About the Philippines http://gluehwurm.blogspot.com/search?q=globetrekker.
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Oh Dear U 2,
No persons but you deserve an around the globe voyage.
DO YOU HEAR ME ALL FRIENDS OF MRS LIFECRUISER: PLEASE ACCOMODATE this wonderful couple. I guarantee you will not regret, you will regret if you do not meet them.
PS: Rest is for Cybercruisers only
Back to real life:
When visiting Ingelin in SOBE.
- Papa, you know what you have to do next summer?
- Oh yeah – well, if not before, thinking about the paperworks concerning our Summerhouse
- Papa, listen, I said next Summer
- Oh yeah
- You know you had to visit Mats and Lory (My son and DIL in Michigan)
- Yezz – we have planned for that – even family on the west coast.
- Papa, where I’m supposed to be next summer?
- Singapore, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok or ..?
- At least I will be in SE Asia. When will you vist me then, when you must visit Mats, my brother?
- Well, we have to ….
- Papa, think ahead
- Allways done
- No, You should plan a world around–
- what?
- yes, think twice – how many days do you have the chance to visit me, my brother and also your best blogfriends?
- Hmmm, but then what about our summerhouse, the cats, the garden –
– Papa, you fix as allways
So dear P and B, we are all the 4 of us challenged.
We would love to meet you at place no one of would have dreamed about.
I’ll post my last one before Argentina – within 30 hrs – from SOBE.
hugs
Anna Y Tor
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Pneumonia and a tsunami oy vey ! I have never been to the Phillipines but knew people who were missionarys there
Have a great weekend, it is already Friday for me YEAH !!
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oh well, you didn’t miss much
still, it’s unfortunate that you missed it. travel safe! xoxo
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Great post
Let me know when you make it down here to the Philippines, I moved out of Dumaguete and is now in Pampanga, by no means the nature paradise Dumaguete was, but we rely too much on electric and Internet to stay on the beach where both are out of order half the time…
PS: I also post as The Dane on Dumaguete Info…
Guy
wow…this is my first time here.
This blog has a nice theme..nice post nice pics..
Me from Malaysia…
Hi everyone !!
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philippines is still one of the cheap destinations, and the government has somewhat been aggressively advertising that it is aggressive in it’s tourism building.
with regards to beaches, there are plenty of beaches that you would cry for. hehehe… i’m a beach bummer and i can’t get enough of our rich islands laden with those white, powdery sandy beaches and turquoise colored waters.
thanks for dropping by too! really appreciate it
Boracay is now overcrowded. Anywhere you turn your head new hotels are going up. The local infrastructure has not followed even with the upgrade of the electrical grid there are still many days with brownouts and noisy generators going. The main beach is slowly disappearing. If you go there remind people to be eco-friendly and push the local government units to do the right thing.