The Other Side of Boracay

So far, all my travel posts have been about my trips outside the country. This time, I am sharing with you one of my (if not every Filipino’s) favorite local vacation spots : Boracay. There is no doubt that this island is one of the most beautiful in the country. In fact, Boracay just ranked NUMBER ONE in the top international magazine Travel + Leisure’s top 10 island destinations in 2012! (The more popular Bali of Indonesia came in only at a close second, while the Great Barrier Reef of Australia came in at no.4) This is definitely an achievement that we Filipinos should be proud of!

 The Spoiled Mummy’s favorite resort in Boracay is Shangri-la’s Boracay Resort and Spa. We’ve stayed in this place for three times now, the most memorable of which was last New Year’s Eve. This explains the long post as the photos you will see here are a compilation from our past three visits…

There are many reasons why this resort has become our family’s top choice. It is one of the newest, the biggest and the most private amongst all the resorts in the island. It is, in fact, the first and only international deluxe hotel and resort in Boracay.

Being one of the newest has its advantages.  The most important of which is that its facilities and amenities – inside your room or villa and the resort in general – are all new. Meanwhile, being the biggest gives you the luxury of space, something that we all crave for when we are on holiday. Bigger rooms, bigger restaurants, bigger activity areas. There is always something to do – without the rest of the guests overcrowding you. It is also the most private resort in the island because the hotel is situated in a totally different area of Boracay – away from the busy and maddening crowd of the White (Main) Beach. So for people who value their privacy and quiet time, this is the place to go.

Of course, a beach trip is always a treat for the kids! And with today’s hi-tech toys and modern entertainment, it is only important that we make our children realize the wonderful gift of nature that surrounds them.

Shangri-la Boracay provides its own speedboat for the exclusive use of its guests. The boat picks you up from its private jetty port in Caticlan (a 4 minute car ride from the airport) and brings you directly to its docking station right in front of the resort.

The staff eagerly await every guest’s arrival.

 As we docked, our luggages were immediately carried by the welcoming staff.

 Shangri-la Boracay Resort & Spa has a total of 183 hotel rooms, 36 villas and 7 restaurant outlets.  As we entered the resort, we were driven in a golf cart to get to our 2-bedroom beach villa.

 Amazing view surrounded us…the resort is beautifully landscaped!

Lots of trees and greenery here. Definitely, a breath of fresh air!

The mere sight of all these hammocks instantly relaxed us and removed all the stress from our tired and busy bodies!

Each villa in the resort has its own private butler. As we approached our villa, we were met by a warm, gracious smile from Alex, the butler assigned to us for the duration of our stay.

He was accompanied by a reception staff who took care of our checking-in, which was privately done in the comforts of the villa. Right from the very beginning, we felt so spoiled, with the butler carrying even my own handbag as we went upstairs! 🙂

Our home away from home for the weekend.

Entrance to the villa.

As we entered, we were instantly greeted by such gorgeous view!

 We had our own private pool which provided a perfect, unobstructed view of the sea. This villa is the only one amongst the 36 villas in the whole resort that has private access to the beach, which also makes this the hardest one to book! The common pool area for the rest of the resort’s guests is a bit of a walk, so having one inside our own villa is just perfect for those times when we just want to take a dip or relax while still having a private time with the family.

 The pool is literally on the beach!

 Perfect, unobstructed view of the sea!

This place is perfect for big families with kids!

The master’s bedroom. Wide open, spacious, with a wonderful view of the pool and the sea.

The other room where the kids stayed. It has 2 double beds with the view as well.

The pool and the sea view taken from inside the living room.

 A small garden with lots of open space and lounge chairs surrounded the villa’s outdoor deck or lanai.

Gorgeous trees.

Main entrance to the lobby.

 And the majestic view from the lobby.

Breakfast spread…Who can say no to buffet?

Freshly made pancakes!

 Molten Chocolate Lava Cake with their signature homemade Vanilla Ice Cream…who says you cant have Chocolate Cake for breakfast? 🙂

This is what my kids love most about this resort…their huge indoor playground! This is a perfect place for kids to hang around in before heading to the pool or beach, especially when the sun is scorching hot outside.

The resort also has a lot of other indoor fun and games plus hourly activities for kids (like fish feeding, arts and crafts etc).

It’s hard to resist taking photos of the many beautiful areas within the resort!

Shangrila Boracay’s beach side.

Crystal clear and a perfect combination of blue and green that just take your breath away.

The resort’s famous Chi Spa.

Inside the Spa, you have your own private pool and deck for more quiet time and relaxation.

Being on the other side of the island, we managed to squeeze in an afternoon visit to the famous White Beach. This is what Boracay is really known for : super fine, powdery white sand surrounded by crystal clear blue water.

Around this beach are many other mini hotels and resorts. This area is perfect for those who come to Boracay with a big group of friends or who enjoy the party scene or the beach night life. They say this is the Philippines’ answer to Spain’s Ibiza 🙂

Sailing with the family during sunset. A great bonding activity with the kids.

Boracay is widely known for its sunset.

 Since our villa had its own gazebo, we decided to just hire one of their chefs for a private barbecue dinner on New Year’s Eve.

The waiters and chef arrived as early as 5pm to set up our place.

 Barbecued meats and grilled seafood + the sea breeze + dining under the stars = perfect recipe to end the year!

The gazebo and pool beautifully lit up at night.

Getting ready to pop the Champagne as the New Year’s countdown begins!

The beach itself had a beautiful set up for cocktails and drinks. The countdown was marked with some amazing fireworks display! And afterwards, everyone just kicked off their shoes, loosened up and danced by the shore, under the moon light! It was a New Year’s celebration the whole family will never forget!

 Every time I visit Boracay and watch its glorious sunset, I can’t help but feel blessed and grateful.  And now as another year comes to a close, I thank the One up there for all the wonderful experiences I’ve had thus far : this personal diary that has turned into a blog that opened a lot of opportunities for me, the new friendships I’ve made, the lessons I’ve learned and most importantly, the wisdom I’ve gained through it all. I am now looking forward to an even better, sweeter and more spoiled New Year ahead… for me, my family and everyone around me!