Hi! We're here to share with you our family's L.I.F.E. thoughts, tips, and stories about raising boys and girls (and that includes me and my husband.) May what you find here be a blessing to you today.
Love,
Carmen Gutierrez 💜
15 tips & kwentos from our Boracay family trip
Sharing with you our 15+ tips and experiences from our Boracay trip last Feb 23-27, 2022, for your next tour there in one of the best islands in the world!
Most of our tips are for small to big families or friends with small children traveling as a group.
1. Check the latest requirements
-
Check the LATEST, full local government requirements, airline requirements and accommodation requirements. You would most probably get a full list from the airline and accommodation you'd book. Here's the list we got AS OF FEB 2022:
REQUIREMENTS TO ENTER BORACAY
For fully vaccinated:
• Vaccination Certificate generated from https://vaxcert.doh.gov.ph/
- Or vaccination card with verifiable QR code.
- Or vaccination card with vaccination certificate issued from vaccination center with contact details.
- Or World Health Organization International certificates of vaccination/vaccination card or vaccination certificate issued abroad.
• Prebooked accommodation at a DOT accredited establishment.
• Registration of Health Declaration form in Malay Municipal Tourism Office website at http://touristboracay.com for the issuance of QR code individually.
For partially-vaccinated and non-vaccinated:
• Negative RT-PCR test taken within 72 hours prior to date of flight.
• Prebooked accommodation at a DOT accredited establishment.
• Registration of Health Declaration form in Malay Municipal Tourism Office website at http://touristboracay.com for the issuance of QR code individually.
Note:
• 0-11 years old are exempted from negative RT-PCR test.
• 12-17 years old required negative RT-PCR test unless fully vaccinated.
-
As for us, na-denied boarding kami! 😭 You may watch our booboo story here on our #GutsharezLive FB vlog: https://fb.watch/bBYdeRXfTf/
-
We lacked the QR code for the kids because I thought the Certificate of Undertaking Traveling With Minors is what I needed to have, not understanding that the QR code is still needed for each child--using the Cert of Undertaking. We experienced a very bad accommodation with Cebu Pacific wherein they denied us boarding for not having this code which can be processed in a few minutes. Grabeng traumatic stress and heartbreak.
-
Check https://touristboracay.com/ for these requirements.
2. Hue Hotel Boracay
-
Try Hue Hotel! Ang ganda! 🤎
-
We wanted a beachfront hotel sana kaso since biglaan yung pag push through ng trip namin, we only booked a week before our trip. So we got a few choices left available that fitted our budget. We were initially thinking na baka ang layo sa beach but google maps said it’s near naman and true enough, a short walk lang the street right beside this hotel and you’ll get to the beach front na.
-
The pool is sooo cozy! I say the whole hotel vibe is very homy. Puro day beds beside the pool and the restaurant is just beside it so you can easily lipat lipat from eating to lounging to dipping in the pool.
-
Food in Laud restaurant was good! we loved! Though yung buffet, ang konti lang ng choices during our stay, far from what I've read from other blogs.
-
Room colors bring excitement and energy because of the vibrance and playful contrasts. We liked it.
-
I really appreciated that the shower area is also separated from the toilet. Great set up for those with kids, so that when the other parent or sibling is using either of the two, the other one would be available.
-
Another great thing, yung key card nila, instead of the usual card, they'd hand you a BALLER na water-proof! (see photo below of the orange baller e-key) No worries of swimming and going to the beach with having to secure your key card from getting lost. Ayan isusuot mo na lang! Ang galing nun, ang cool pa!
-
Our favorite thoughtful provisions in the room are the SUSTAINABLE, ECO-FRIENDLY items in the room such as the refillable 1 liter glass water bottle instead of disposable single-use drinking water bottles. Ang sakit sa heart namin yung mga ganung trash kaya we were so happy to see the glass bottle. Also, instead of using disposable bottles of toiletries, the shower has a large refillable bottles for shampoo, body soap and conditioner.
-
We also loved it that they had provisions for kiddie vests at the pool area. The kids played in the pool with more courage knowing they'd be safer with those vests on. It gave us a nice idea of having our own too for the kids. They don't know how to swim yet kasi. Hence, they enjoyed so much. Our son did his floating practice right in the middle of the pool!
-
Also, the Miguelito's Avocado Locco ice cream located in front of Hue Hotel is a must-try! We loved their Avocado Locco & Avocado Oreo 😍🥑
3. Visit Station X
-
Yup, there's a Station X! You can read more about it HERE and book a Dip & Dine deal. Or you can just go in, whether you're a Hue Hotel guest or not. The experience is open for all, for free! Amazing!
-
This is also one of the reasons we picked Hue Hotel--so that we could go to Station X frequently and so conveniently... sa baba lang ng room eh. Nasulit namin!
4. Book Multiple Accommodation Types
-
For big groups na may tighter budget, try booking iba't ibang hotels. We were 3 small families in one big family who went to Boracay together and some of our relatives who were adult men didn't mind staying in a bunkbeds-style dorm. Tipid!
-
But Rouie & I who had small kids and a baby, we preferred one with a pool. So we all booked in 3 different accommodations from mura to medyo mahal. We just prioritized making sure one of the 3 would a have a nice pool for all of us to enjoy gathering there.
-
All 3 accommodations are just a short e-tricycle away from each other so we didn't mind just meeting daily after kanya kanyang breakfast. Here are the ones we picked for our trip, sharing it as a sample for you. Click each one for their link:
5. Do D.I.Y. Transfers instead of getting the hotel service
-
We were supposed to do DIY TRANSFERS--meaning sakay ng tricycle to Jetty Port for Ferry Boat ride then ride to the island then tricycle ulit to the hotel--since my husband and I, with our 3 kids, were traveling with our relatives naman. So madaming tutulong magbuhat ng gamit 😄
-
But we had flight changes so we ended up na kami na lang on our own, just us 5 ulit. Meaning si husband ang bubuhat ng 4 bags namin 'cos I was carrying our baby and guiding the 2 kids, with our personal bags.
-
We then opted to get the transfers service of the hotel which cost P850/adult and P450 for ages 6-12. Smaller kids were free of charge. We hired the same service nung pauwi na kami from Boracay, thinking the hotel shuttle service and staff assistance would be way more convenient.
-
But then after seeing many porters in the area whom you could also hire to do the assistance, we realized D.I.Y is the much cheaper way. And e-tricycle ride was also more comfortable than how we initially imagined. Malaki matitipid!
6. Check the Weather Forecast
-
We were supposed to go out early for Island Hopping but it was raining heavily the night before. Weather forecast said it'll be sunny the next day so I wanted us to proceed as planned, but our relatives were hesitant, understandable, so we planned on not yet going. We didn't book our planned Island Hopping package by KLOOK. Rain-check muna. The next day--tadaaaa--ANG TAAS NG ARAW. 🤪 The forecast was correct. Tumuloy pa din kami but we hired the ones along the station 3 beach area na lang who were offering their services since the one on klook has a fixed schedule and we already missed it.
-
We noticed during our 5-day stay that one minute it's raining, the next minute Mr. Sun is high and mighty! 😄 So I'm promoting that it helps to google the weather forecast for the week so you could plan your activities better. Not 100% sure but it could give a better gauge than just looking at the sky as you make your itinerary.
7. Plan where & what to eat
-
Okay naman yung random na lang wherever you find a place that seems good. But for a big group, especially with kids, walking and walking and walking along the beach stretch across Stations 1 all the way to Station 3 or vice versa, in search for a place to eat that serves good food and suits your budget, and the place can fit you all, with the more important factor na nagkasundo ba kayong lahat, hehe-- AY KAPAGOD YAN. Remember, the hungrier, the grumpier! 😅
-
So we suggest you book any of the restaurants recommended on blogs/vlogs days ahead or at least a day before, so you'd know where & what, to save you seats and better if you could order ahead too. Would save a lot of time and simangots! 😊 Yung mga kinainan namin so-so lang kaya di ko na i-recommend hehe.
8. In-room dining option
-
If pagod na, lalo na yung kids (even if they say they're not tired lols) and you guys just want to dine in the room but room service is not available in your accommodation, try BORACAY DELIVERY. It's like their local version of FoodPanda. This is what we used for ordering our food. But you just have to pay P75 for delivery fee. Me, I'm kuripot for such fees hehe but Day 1 evening we were so tired I didn't mind anymore. 😅 4th night, husband walked from hotel to the nearest Andoks to buy dinner and we happily ate in the room. ♥️
9. Island Hopping Muna
We liked it that this is the first group activity we did 'cos it gave us a good overview of the places to see and things to do. After watching some vlogs, I initially wanted to try many activities before we got there in Bora. But after doing the Island Hopping, we already enjoyed the beaches and scenery, and some of the activities we had in mind like snorkeling, nagawa na namin during the break, and the Paraw Sailing, we weren't so up for it na kasi enjoy na sa sailing in the Island Hopping joiners' boat. Maybe next visit, Paraw Sailing naman and Parasailing. So madami kami natipid kasi "sulit na 'tong 4-5 hour activity for us as a starter.
10. Try the UFO water activity!
A RIDE ON A UFO-SHAPED INFLATABLE na walang seat belts, you'll be pulled by a speedboat till all the saltwater hits your face and gets into your mouth as you endlessly scream 😂 or hanggang sa tumilapon ka sa dagat and be teased by your fam & friends forever. May life vest naman so you'd be fine and rescued. 😊 Our kids watched us from the floating dock with their lolo instead of just staying on the beach. We chose this over banana boat since this isn't as common as that. SULIT!
11. Enjoy looking around before buying
Station 1 to 3 is a pretty long stretch. Enjoy checking out the stores 'cos you'd see similar items from one store to another. You'd be able to compare prices if you're conscious at that . My sister bought a necklace for 350 then saw something similar at 150. 🤪 We were offered a snake-bone bracelet at P750 in Puka Beach and found a P200 one somewhere in station 3. Another tip, don't buy buko at Puka beach! It's a shocking P250/piece. Kalerkey. 😅
12. Ride one-way to Puka instead of hiring for balikan
Puka Beach is about 15-20 mins far on e-tricycle ride from our hotel. The driver promoted that we hire them (2 tricycles to fit us all) for an hour because it'll be difficult to book a ride coming from there. But when we arrived there, meron naman mga tricycle. I mean, not impossible to book a ride back unlike what we're told. Another option is to call your hotel asnd ask for assistance to send over an e-tricycle to fetch you. The per-hour for hire rate is expensive. One-way is cheaper, hawak nyo pa oras nyo sa beach.
It's nice to go all the way there to go swimming! And it's much nicer to go #twinning! 😊
13. Bring card games/board games for downtimes.
We got Frisbee, Uno Flip and Organ Attack card games. Useful for when they had to wait for their turn during Paddle Boarding activity, and while waiting for the food to be ready at mealtimes.
14. My top mommy bring-me items in bag daily
-
Baby carrier
-
Sunblock
-
Tumblersss -- fill up in the hotel before leaving for the beach each day
-
Sarong/Scarf -- for body covering pag sobrang init & pang tambay sa sand
-
Baon snacks from hotel buffet 😄
15. Buy pasalubong at least a day before the last day
Para hopefully not rushed, well thought of, and maipack ng maayos together with your things, hindi inisqueeze in. Ours is the opposite of this kaya we suggest the better way to you. 😊
There you go! I hope this turns out to be a blessing to hUe! 😉
If so, kindly share to your friends. 💜
Questions? Suggestions? Reactions? Kindly comment or chat me. 😊
“The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace."
Numbers 6:24-26
