Boracay Escape with Pinoy Travel Bloggers

Greetings from a rainy weekend in Boracay!
Most of the travel bloggers were invited by Microtel Hotel Boracay for a "familiarization tour" for bloggers. This so-called fam tour are just offered to travel agents or traditional media. We are so happy that travel bloggers are starting to be recognized as a key influencers online for travelers and tourist. The only thing is once bloggers are invited they will be honest and you cannot force them to just write the good things about the place. Also, the blogging community is careful about bastardizing the reputation of the bloggers and we don't want to go into the "dark side" of media.

If you are sitting in your office reading this, don't you want to just catch a plane to Boracay via Sea Air? In less than an hour, you'll be lying on the beach having a massage! Sarap... Let me share with you a photo essay of what happened on our day 1 in Bora...

Related BORACAY Blog Posts:

• Boracay 2012: CRAFTY'S ROOFTOP BORACAY - Best Indian Cuisine on the Island?
• What's New in Boracay in 2010? (Part 1 of 2)
• What's New in Boracay in 2010? (Part 2 of 2)
• Tips on Getting To and Around Boracay – 2009
• Boracay 101: A Bora First Timer's Guide To Boracay's Best Restaurants, Must Try Food and Gimmick Places
• Top5 Bora Resto! [ The Bora Life #3 ]
• My Mandala Spa Experience [ The Bora Life #2 ]
• [The Bora Life.1] Top Ten 10 Cool Things to do in Boracay!
• Boracay's Mystique...

We arrived 9.30am in Boracay via Sea Air. Fortunately, we rode the 35 seater Dornier 328 plane of Sea Air where the cabin is pressurized and the stewardess joins you in the plane :) There were a lot of stories about Sea Air's small 9 seater planes where the pilot can open the window of the plane and the flight attendant would say good bye and leave after the pre-boarding announcements.

There is a new single entry single exit policy enforced last year in Boracay where from the Caticlan port you need to dock in the Cagban port in Boracay Island. In Cagban, you need to ride a tri-cyle, multi-cab or air-conditioned vehicle going to your resort versus going down in the boat station 1, 2, or 3 along the main beach. Unfortunately for us, we rode a multi-cab and the smell of tricycle fumes greeted us. Microtel hotel is located in Diniwid Beach besides Nami resort - north of the main beach so we had to bear with the smoke and pollution throughout the ride to the resort.

After lunch, we walked along the main beach and took the opportunity to have a photo op with the famous Boracay sand castles.

Gail of Kutitots, enjoyed meeting the dogs walking along the beach.

The best asset of Microtel Hotel Resort in Boracay is their chiropractic beds where the beds are soft enough for you to bounce when you lie down but firm enough that you don't sink in. Microtel hotel's target market are families who wants to get away from the madness in the main beach, but close enough to be able to visit the different restaurants via walking along the beach or via riding a tricycle.

Norsan from Microtel hosted some fun games for the bloggers.

In the first game, each group would have to get wet sands and put it in the sack. The team who was able to get the most sand wins.

The second game is a limbo rock relay but before doing the limbo rock, you have to take one shot of vodka. Abe's team won both games.

The Microtel lobby has a Globe wi-fi so we decided to just blog last night as we hear the waves crashing the shores and the boracay winds encouraging us to blog.

I missed Aidan and I was happy to greet him Good Morning via the skype video call.

 

Related BORACAY Blog Posts:

• Boracay 2012: CRAFTY'S ROOFTOP BORACAY - Best Indian Cuisine on the Island?
• What's New in Boracay in 2010? (Part 1 of 2)
• What's New in Boracay in 2010? (Part 2 of 2)
• Tips on Getting To and Around Boracay – 2009
• Boracay 101: A Bora First Timer's Guide To Boracay's Best Restaurants, Must Try Food and Gimmick Places
• Top5 Bora Resto! [ The Bora Life #3 ]
• My Mandala Spa Experience [ The Bora Life #2 ]
• [The Bora Life.1] Top Ten 10 Cool Things to do in Boracay!
• Boracay's Mystique...

Comments

[rache]

If they want to target families, they should have invited bloggers with family to really penetrate the market, don't you think so?

[fran]

i.miss.boracay... Ü

[pilar]

Talk about timing! We're going to Boracay on Feb. 1-3. Yey!

[Ruy]

Have fun you all! I might be going there on Feb with officemates so I appreciate the timing of your Boracay trip posts and comments.
They'll be quite useful.=)

[Em Dy]

I haven't been to Boracay so your post (and that of the other bloggers) will really be interesting.

[Sidney]

Who is the female blogger putting wet sand in the sack? ;-)(picture 9)

[arlyn]

oooh i love microtel! well the microtel in Davao, that is. :) i want to bring their pillows home! we were lucky to have tried it on its soft opening when everything is still fresh and clean! add the fact that their staff continue to be accommodating whenever we go back to stay there for a night or two. :)

[emy]

i adore microtel boracay, stayed there a week ago. the staff are attentive, always ready to give you beach towels even before asking for one. unlimited coffee and free internet at the lobby. ice is available 24/7 (they have an icemaker placed near the reception) so you can just buy drinks from budget mart and enjoy it inside your room. and the adobo served during breakfast, yummy! looking forward to part 2 of your post. =)

[toni]

Ah, Boracay. I love it, I love it. Looking forward to Part 2! W00t!

[Madeline]

I had been in Boracay in 2000 with my sister and friend. My sister had an OB convention. What an experience! Most doctors attend conventions annually. This one is really very unique. From where you stay, you go to the convention site riding the tricycle. Others were looking for taxis. We have to walk along the shore and ride the tricycle. It is good we were on our slippers and brought along our rubber shoes. Everybody had a funny experience. Some had bags with them too carrying their things! They dont know what attire to wear. It is the first convention we had attended wherein you wear slippers, t-shirts and even shorts.
For dinner, it was served by the beach, we sat down on " banigs" and the tables were made of bamboo. It was so relaxing! A weekend I cant forget.
We remembered closing the door of our room before we left. However, when our friend came back, it was wide open. Fortunately nothing was lost! Definitely she panicked. Our room was beachfront! If we were in Manila, our things might have been gone with the wind.
We could just remember that there is still a safe place here in the Philippines. However, time changes, I dont know if it is still the same now!
We stayed in Station 3, in Lorenzo? forgot its exact name.

[Peejay]

hi anton,

glad you enjoyed your trip to one of our hotels. although i heard it was raining.

i hope everyone enjoyed their stay.

[melissa villa]

i googled tagaytay last friday and got your blog from the search results - and i may say that i am now addicted to your site... i am still in the process of reading old posts and taking down very useful notes. okay, this is getting long and boring ... but anyway, thank you very much for sharing everything - your family and your personal experiences... i am looking for a reception venue for a small wedding and i want to treat guests for an overnight stay - i checked sonya's garden and that is way over my budget - is there a place you recommend that is just as beautiful but as not as expensive? and by the way, I want to invite you and your family :) ...

[Ruth]

Isn't Cebu Pacific also launching flights to Caticlan soon? I hope they use bigger aircrafts than those of Sea Air !

[marga]

so this is why you were neither in the UP ICTUS nor the clark marathon! are you running at subic? :)

[marga]

wait is that lauren at the limbo rock pic? she's a good friend of mine from college! hahaha

[emmanuel martinez]

cool! i wish we were there also! it looks like you guys are having so much fun!

[roy b martin]

thanking you all for the comments..hope u had fun..pls keep on writing about MICROTEL.
mabuhay kayo Pinoy Travel Bloggers!

[lawstude]

Wow. Almost all of my favorite travel bloggers in one awesome place. I have no plans of going to Boracay this year but with this post, maybe I could consider.

Have a nice day!!!

[Lakbay Pilipinas]

namis ko tuloy bora...

[jenncharina]

i've been to beaches all over the world and nothing comes close to the beauty of bora.

[Aanne Dimayuga]

Hi Anton! Nice photos! Thank you for joining us in Microtel Boracay. My invitation to you and your family is still open, only if you remember. haha! Microtel Baguio! Let me know.

[Jturnrich]

Nice resort to stay really. I still remember when this resort was still under construction I happened to visit the location and thought this could be one of the best resort to rise in the island. Hope they will take good care of their beach front ground to preserve the nature beauty of the Diniwid beach area.

Pano kaya maging part ng Pinoy Blogger community?

[jerick]

it is a very nice place

[Chessbuff]

I hate to be the skunk in your garden party, but there is trouble in paradise.
The dogs of Boracay are being slaughtered for the meat market, or eaten
by the dogcatchers themselves. They operate with impunity with the tacit
approval of the government, particularly the mayor. They impose a high
and arbitrary fine on those owners desperate to get their dog back.
It's been a money-making racket for the dogcatchers. They behave like
gods answerable to no one. They snare your dog even if it is within your
property line. They will beat to death a stray dog on the beach even if people
plead for their lives.

There is no respect for private property. All these
killings are done under the guise of a cleanliness program. But it is
animal cruelty in its most brutal form. It's a shame on Boracay. Help
us put a stop to this practice. This is urgent. Please send an appeal
to the Bureau of Animal Industry, and ask them to investigate and
stop these killings. The dogcatchers are a violation of the Philippine Animal
Welfare Act of 1998 and also the Anti-Rabies Act of 2007
(Republic Act 9482). The ciizens of Boracay are asking for
your help. Here is the information:

Bureau of Animal Industry
Visayas Avenue corner Elliptical Road, Diliman, Quezon City

Metro Manila, Philippines
Tel. No. (632) 928-1778 or (632) 928-2836
Fax No. (632) 926-6866 or (632) 928-2177

or

Phone: +632 927-0971; 926-6883
Fax: +632 928-2429

Thank you for your support. Salamat po sa tulong ninyo.

[Asia Flights]

This looks AMAZING! I hope to make it to Boroacay in 2009! It is my goal!

[Kriztin]

Its the best place for fun and adventure. For more details about boracay visit travelboracay.ph

[Kriztin]

Boracay the best place to have an adventure and vation with relaxing atmosphere.For more details about boracay visit travelboracay.com.ph

[Boracay Flights]

Hello, Love the photos. hopefully IL be able to visit the place someday.It is my dream place and i know everybody loves BORA.

[brad]

PLS BEWARE!

dang-receptionist et al(who walks along the beachside wearing white polo shirt and grey pedals and holding pen and notebook) she's the one will aproach you 1st and offer the free dinner buffet for a couple at astosria boracay then she will let you sign the 90mins commitment for a presentation but she will not disclose the product. then she will introduce ms jenny-manager for the orientation then jenny later will introduce mr roger-salesman or etc will do the long long product presentation at the end he just offer the club shares not the room accomodation package. all in all it took us about 2 hours and 20 mins that they wasted our precious time instead going around boracay. so the lesson is, there's no such as free in this world. free meal but they will steel your time unless you are really starve :-)

[Muriel]

I have lived on boracay for 15 years and loved the place so much i built cohiba. These are the Biggest and Best value for money apartments on the island period !

[Zoe Mei Resort Boracay]

Hi there! Thank you for sharing your experiences in Boracay. Very nice photos. Thank you for giving us update of Boracay's best places.