april-2012

Catch the sunrise
Get a front-row seat on Bulabog Beach,
the eastern side of the island, and
watch the sun come up with such a
stunning palette of colors you’d think it
was showing off. You can either sit on
the beach or hope that your timing is
perfect and there’s a sunrise ceremony
happening at Levantine Boracay (tel:
+63 999 507 4611, levantinboracay@
yahoo.com). The Romanian bar, which
derives its name from the French word
“levant” meaning “where the sun
rises,” is an ideal sunrise-viewing spot:
there are hammocks tied to palm trees,
low lounge chairs facing east, and
music in the background. Their sunrise
anthem, “Bolero” by Maurice Ravel,
leads a playlist of sun-inspired songs.
Go from brunch
to lunch
Island life is slow and easy, so it’s no
surprise that meals unfold over at least
a couple of hours. Dine Boracay-style
in chef Julia Lervik’s spot of sunshine
called Lemoni Café (tel: +63 36 288
6781/6782, lemonicafe@yahoo.com.
ph) at D’Mall Plaza by the Ferris wheel.
Awash in citrus colors, the restaurant
serves a comfort-food menu of
all-day breakfast and other healthy
dishes, from granola to salads with
fresh seafood.
In a less prominent spot is an
enduring old favorite, Real Coffee
and Tea Café (tel: +63 36 288 5340,
realcoffeeboracay@gmail.com). At
Boradise Compound, it’s squeezed
in a little alley between Free Willy
Dive Shop and the Havaianas shop
in Station 1. Coffees are hand-ground
and prepared stovetop; they also use
Philippine blends for the brews and
imported blends for the espressos
served the Italian way. A must-try:
the island-famous calamansi muffi n.
Sail aboard a paraw
To borrow from Zen wisdom, “be the
water.” A great way to explore Boracay
is from the ocean, and the most
environment-friendly way to explore
Park yourself
on a hammock and
watch the sun come up
Boracay’s coastline and nearby islands
is to sail on a paraw or native outrigger.
The fi rst time I ever experienced paraw
sailing was with Captain Joey Gelito
of Red Pirates Sailing Tours (tel: +63
921 782 1494, redpiratesboracay@
hotmail.com), who has been sailing
the waters of Boracay for 20 years.
Aside from knowing all of the island’s
best-kept secrets, he and his friendly
crew of pirates can cook a mean
beach barbecue feast, native-style.
Longtime Boracay residents and native
Boracaynons, Captain Joey and his
group are defi nitely the coolest bunch
ever to set sail, with amazing stories
and tales to match their interesting
characters. They even move to the
slogan, “Live slow, sail fast!”
The boat has a capacity of 10
passengers and is equipped with an
icebox onboard for beers and soft
{ 50 }
drinks, which come in handy for day
trips, island-hopping tours and sunset
cruises. Popular trips are to Puka Beach
and Crocodile Island.
Get a massage
There’s nothing like a soulful massage
to rejuvenate the mind, body and soul:
it lets you take a break from all the
stresses of life and feel fully aligned.
You can either book a massage with
your hotel’s concierge (if they don’t
have their own spa service, they
usually call the local co-op), or head
to Mandala Spa along the main road
in Manoc-Manoc towards the end of
Station 3 (tel: + 63 36 288 5858,
www.mandalaspa.com). We highly
recommend the Watsu or water
shiatsu, a treatment in a special heated
pool designed to take you to a state of
deep relaxation.