What’s New in Boracay in 2010? (Part 1 of 2)

By Anton Diaz
Topics: Boracay Island

Update: BORACAY FOOD: 10 Most Awesome Boracay Restaurants! (2018)

We will always love Boracay despite the fact that some people already dismiss it because it is overdeveloped and regarded as an ecological disaster.

We love it not only because of its night life and endless parties night after night, we love it because of the “Boracay Spirit” of living life to the fullest and communing with nature in all its glorious beauty. Everyone who visits Boracay imbibes this spirit, and those who get addicted to it decide to stay on the island.

Every year, Boracay tries to reinvent itself. Here is what’s new in the ever-changing scene in Boracay…

Related BORACAY Blog Posts:

1. The Battle for the Best Resort Experience in Boracay!


Asya Premier is the latest challenger in providing the best resort experience in Boracay. It is situated at the farthest end of Station 3. Besides having a stunning view of the sunset, it also offers P40/beer, buy-1-take-1 drinks promo during happy hour, and an option to get three tapas for the price of P450 for pulutan.

It’s creating a buzz because of its secluded location along the white beach, certified yummy food, and nice villas. Some of the locals don’t patronize it because the mountain was allegedly bulldozed to give way to the resort.


Discovery Suites continues to provide the best resort experience in Boracay. You’ll be pampered all the way — from the minute you check in to the moment you check out. The service is impressive because your room is fixed every time you go out, and it’s proactive too as attendants anticipate and provide what you need.

Most foodies agree that Discovery Suites has the best buffet on the island, maybe except for Friday’s Seafood Buffet every Friday. Its impeccable service, delicious food, and great location right along Station 1 of the white beach make it a winner.

 

I haven’t been to Shangri-La Boracay yet, but a lot of people say that the entire resort is awesome. However, I haven’t heard any raves about the food in any of the restaurants in Shangri-La. Although it has its own mini cove and beach, I’d think nothing beats going to a resort that’s already along the main beach.

Poll: For you, which provides the best resort experience in Boracay?
a. Asya Premier
b. Discovery Suites Boracay
c. Shangri-La Boracay

2. Latest Shopping Destinations


Islands Souvenirs’ latest offering is a customized Love Boracay Shirt, where you can put your name (or any name for that matter). The service is fast, and you can get your shirt within the day.


Yes, the Mango Outlet Store is now in Boracay. Apparently, this little outlet is becoming a tourist destination in itself.

3. Latest Aqua Sports and Activities in Boracay


Riding the Zorb has become a must-try activity for the people who visit Boracay. There are two kinds of Zorb Rides: the hydro ride (1-3 persons) and the harness ride (1-2 persons). The hydro ride is more fun because you jump inside a mini pool of water inside the zorb and you don’t rotate with the ball (like in the harness ride, where you are strapped down).


The coolest thing about it is you can let the Zorb roll over you. It’s not painful — it’s just like a soft, pillow-y ball running over you.

Helmet Diving, Parasailing, ATV/Buggy Ride and Sunset Paraw Sailing are the top activities to do in Boracay. The Banana Boat and Flying Fish rides are still on the list, too. Boracay now has a 320-meter zip line inside Fairways, but it still has basic service issues so I would not recommend it yet.

4. Chef Andre is taking Dos Mestizos to the Next Level


Chef Andre is leading the way in providing a youthful vibe to one of the longest-running, top restaurants in Boracay. They launched their bottled tapas so that you can enjoy and take the Dos Mestizos experience back with you to Manila. You can also see Dos Mestizos active on Facebook. Every Monday night is Rockeoke night; on other nights, you are free to jam using the instruments available in the restaurant.

   
A visit to Boracay is never complete without savoring the Dos Mestizos tapas. Among our favorites are the Homemade Chorizo, Callos con Garbanzos, Blue Cheese Croquettes, and Boquerones (Fresh Anchovies aged in Olive Oil).

 
Don’t go home without tasting their paella, which is voted as the best paella on the island. You’ll often see Chef Andre’s girlfriend, Caroline, serving the paella. They remind me of Chef Claude and Mary Ann Tayag’s tag team in Bale Dutung.

Did you know that they also serve one of the best sangrias on the island? This is why Dos Mestizos in Boracay should definitely be on the must-try list for any tourist in Boracay!

Related BORACAY Blog Posts:

Live an Awesome Life,

Anton 
Founder, www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Call or Text Me: +63917 5683-627 (LOVE-OAP)
Follow Me FacebookTwitterFlickrYout

 

33 thoughts on “What’s New in Boracay in 2010? (Part 1 of 2)”

  2. Is that you flat on the grass in the Zorb picture? Very funny Anton! Haha!
    I’ve yet to come back to Boracay (was there 4 years ago). It seems that it really does reinvent itself and keeps on offering something new even for repeat visitors!

    Reply

  3. it’s discovery shores boracay and asya premier suites. asya has nice architecture and that 40peso beer would be a steal!

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  5. What up bro?
    We had a nice time in Boracay this year, and been trying to go every year. I love Boracay because it also have the locals unlike Cancun or other exclusive resorts in the Caribbean.
    Seafood buffet for $6, decent pizza places, though I’m craving pancit lucban type food while we were there hehehehe.
    So how was you trip to Pahiyas this year? We were hoping to bump into you guys, but oh well.. too many people this year.

    Reply

  7. Wow! Thanks for this new post on Boracay. I’ll be going back soon and this a handy guide. Btw, I’m in Cebu right now for a vacation and I also saw these personalized I love Cebu shirt. Nice of Islands Souvenir to do that. 🙂

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  8. it’s last october 2009 when we enjoyed boracay.
    i’m officially missing everything about the island now. =)
    anyway, how much does it cost to do helmet diving/reef walking?

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  9. oh you’re just asking for it by saying Discovery Shores has the best buffet. Far from it, far from it. Discovery Shores may look nice but the service is not the best, and the place is a bit tacky. The BEST is Shangri-la, and the best restaurant is Rima, the most romantic, and the best fine dining. Shangri-la also has the best Buffet for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Discovery was nice while it lasted, it didnt last long….
    Please go try Shangri-La first before ranking the best resorts on the island 🙂 It is not possible to be disappointed. I’d rather go to Shangri-la than Aman Pulo based on food alone.
    BTW whats with the Bora Not Boracay campaign of people going around the internet and correcting people who are just complementing the island. doesnt make sense to me. They could spend all that time promoting the island instead…

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  10. Wants me to go back with my wife and son, thanks Anton for sharing! My family’s visit last year to Boracay(we stayed at Milflores) was probably the vacation closest to me having my “Perfect day”.
    The picture with the zorb running over you(am I right Anton?) also made me laugh!

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  11. Anton,
    I would like to share my opinion.
    By promoting those resorts, their great amenities and promos on “happy hour” drinks, various shopping destinations on the island (which can be found in pretty much any commercial city in the country), I don’t understand how visitors can actually be “communing with nature” and living the Boracay Spirit that you speak of. I would rather believe the Boracay locals who you said opposed such development, because these factors lead to degradation of the Island.
    It is already an accepted fact that Boracay is not doing very well from an ecological standpoint, and both the local and national government are already implementing countermeasures to avert more problems. However, I think it would be far more prudent to write about new developments that help preserve what is left of Island, its Natural Beauty that put it on the map in the first place, and not reinventions of itself that really pull away the true spirit that the island used to have.

    Reply

  12. I haven’t been to Boracay in a long time. I didn’t realize that there are so many big resorts there now and it’s such a little island.
    I miss my fan-room Boracay days!

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  15. Asya Premier IS stunning! the rooms are humongous; the bathrooms even more so! i think in terms of luxury, not even Discovery or the Shangri-la can come close.. I AM NOT KIDDING!! and that view of the pool from the promontory – THE biggest pool on the island – which extends through to the sea beyond takes one’s breath away.. don’t stand up there stoned while taking a sweeping view of the pool and sea below.. the thought might cross your mind to spread your wings and fly… to kingdom come, haha!

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  16. Hi Anton!
    When I saw my email alert for this post, it immediately made me smile. It re-affirmed the very reasons why Cy and I are getting married in Bora 🙂 Hehe

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  17. I’d love for a place in Boracay to be like Evason resorts, those guys make a difference and care about the world, not just the profit.

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  18. thanks for the tip on Dos Mestizos! this looks really great and definitely worth trying out! what station is the resto located at? 🙂

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  19. Hi Anton! It’s my first time to comment on your blog. Anyway, my two cents:
    * I have never been to Asya Premier. However, my family stayed at Asya Boracay last December and had a very negative experience with Asya Premier’s management. I don’t want to say more, but let’s just say it really turned us off and we will not be setting foot in (the original) Asya or Asya Premier.
    * Just came from a weekend trip in Shangri-La Boracay. PROS: the place is REALLY nice. The pool is amazing, the food is great. However, CONS:
    – the sand at the private beach is neither white nor fine. It’s a bit rocky. If you’re looking for the fine white sand experience, go somewhere else
    – broken plumbing at the room we stayed at. We only had SCALDING HOT water at the shower. My mom was already panicking because they had a wedding to attend to and she couldn’t get ready. If she hadn’t demanded to be taken to any room where she could take a bath, the staff would’ve just let her wait. They “said” they finally fixed it but…
    – later that night the problem came back again. Took them around 45 minutes to fix. I was stuck in a bathroom during that time because it happened in the middle of shampooing! Hassle! They weren’t full that time (we asked.) The correct thing to do would have been to transfer us to another room with no plumbing problems!
    – beauty salon sucked. The people there are nice but they don’t really know what they’re doing. Paid P350 for eyebrow threading but the girl didn’t shape my eyebrows, it looked like I just plucked my eyebrows myself. I need to have it fixed here in Manila. My mom had her hair blowdried and she was telling the guy there how to blowdry. What the…
    – the place is VERY VERY FAR. They have limited shuttle service to the island. If you want to commission a van to take you to Boracay, it’s P150 per person, each way, for Station 1. So if you’re planning to do a lot of partying, forget it
    – related to the previous point… my parents called the van to have themselves picked up. They waited around 45 minutes even though Shangri-La is only 10 minutes away. The staff at Discovery Shores (where they were) were more concerned that the ride still hadn’t arrived! They even had the gall to lie that the driver had been there for 10 minutes already, but when my parents asked the driver, he said he’d just arrived. Tsk tsk. Unreliable van service.
    Pretty horrible experience. Not what we expected from Shangri-La. They were nice enough to not charge us for some things, but when you pay that much you expect great service and a hassle-free vacation. Not a weekend full of FAILs and then they try to make it up after. Tsk tsk.
    * never been to Discovery Shores, but during this weekend my parents were saying how they would recommend Discovery Shores to their friends. The service is so much better than Shangri-La PLUS you have the white beach with fine sand. They said the pool at Shangri-La is better, but who goes to Boracay for the swimming pools? 😛

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  20. Boracay Regency will do…10k for 3 days/2N all in buffet..food is great and location is quite where it should be..

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  21. My family and I spent the weekend at Shangri-La. While the food (especially the buffet!) was fantastic, the service was really horrible. Disappointed? Very. Wouldn’t expect that kind of shoddy service from any resort, much less Shangri-La. My review is in a comment further down.

    Reply

  25. hi anton! well as for the poll for best resort experience, i think Discovery Shores got the edge in terms of overall experience. that is considering the service, the hotel location, the hotel amenities and the food.
    i just recently went to Boracay and stayed in Two Seasons Resort arranged by http://www.iluvboracay.com and the resort was quite nice and not as expensive as the ones included in your poll.
    Last year, we tried Discovery Shores during low season and it was quite a nice experience also to go there during low season. it was a good mix of sun and shower throughout the day.
    i still love going to Boracay (inspite of overdevelopment) and i plan to do it once a year at least.
    more power to your site!

    Reply

  26. You hit the nail on the head, Chris. I totally agree with you. We use the once-pristine beach as a backdrop for drunken nights and gorging on ridiculously over priced food..
    During my vacation there last year, I spent a lot of time picking thrash along the shoreline in front of our resort while peddlers kept bugging me about massages and crappy souvenirs.
    What makes Boracay go great now? A huge plastic ball? An expensive buffet? A P450 pulutan? *sigh*

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  27. Hi Anton,
    My family and I are leaving for Boracay tomorrow. I really hope you find time to post part 2 of 2 before we leave for the airport tomorrow at 9am. It would surely help bring an enriching experience. Are there particularly cool things to do/visit in the island for an 18-month old boy? Thanks!=)
    Smiles,
    Tammy

    Reply

  30. hi Anton, where in Boracay is the Mango Outlet located? We’ll be there next week..Thanks! (btw, i love your blog, very informative i usually check it when i look for places to go and places to eat! keep it up!)

    Reply

  33. Wow! Thanks for sharing this new post on Boracay. You can only experience the best accommodations by visiting Boracay and enjoying it’s white sand beach. You’ll surely enjoy the white sand beach, delicious dishes and a lot of beautiful stuffs perfect for your travel collection.

    Reply

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