The beautiful island of Boracay in the Philippines was recently named the number one island destination in the world. When you step foot on it’s famous White Beach, it’s easy to see why it was awarded such a title.
To really see the beauty of Boracay though, you need to step away from White Beach – whilst beautiful, it can get quite crowded in the busy season. It’s most magical when it’s seen from the water – and an island hopping tour in Boracay is the best way to experience this!
At only 7 kilometres long and 500 meters wide at the most narrow point, an island hopping tour around Boracay can be easily done in a half day. We met with our guide, Marlon, on a beautiful blue sunny day on White Beach. We hopped aboard a bangka – a traditional Filipino boat moored directly on the shore and took off to explore the island.
Completely awestruck by the crystal clear waters, Marlon told us that there were many procedures in place to maintain the pristine waters of Boracay. Every year a coastal clean up is conducted to clean the ocean of any rubbish that might be around. Large fines are in place for practices such as smoking or urinating on any of the beaches.
Our first stop on our Island Hopping tour was the magnificent Puka Beach. Puka Beach is famous for the Puka shells found on the shore – you know those shells with the tiny holes that were used to make jewellery that all the hippies used to wear back in the 70’s? They’re found on this beach, and there are several vendors selling handmade Puka shell accessories and home decor pieces just off the main road.
Now, we’re from Australia – home to some of the best beaches in the world. We’ve seen some pretty beautiful beaches in our Australian travels and elsewhere in Asia. I’m not kidding though when I say that Puka Beach TOPS THEM ALL. Seriously – Puka Beach is beyond magical. The water is so, so crystal clear, pristine, the most stunning turquoise colour and the perfect temperature. It was magical – we didn’t want our stop here to end!
Back on the boat, we made our way slowly around the northern end of Boracay and down the Eastern side, passing more magnificent beaches, stunning coastlines and jagged rocks and picture-perfect resorts. Our next stop on our Island Hopping tour was a snorkelling spot adjacent to Crocodile Island.
Something you may not know about me is that I am actually petrified of the ocean. I nearly drowned as a child and that fear has stayed with me my whole life – I can barely swim, not enough to save myself should I ever need to. Because of this, I tend to avoid most water activities – I never swim in the ocean unless it’s dead flat, I only go out as far as I can touch the bottom, and I never ever put my head under water. Ever.
Leaning over the boat and being able to actually see the marine life at Crocodile Island was magical – before I knew it, I had donned a lifejacket, jumped into the water and was putting on a snorkel mask. I have never snorkelled in my life – mostly because every time the opportunity came up, the ocean was too murky, too rough and the equipment sub-par. Marlon gave me a brand new snorkel mask – it fit well, sealed perfectly, and without a moments hesitation I put my head under and began snorkelling.
The 45 minute snorkelling stop on our Island Hopping tour might just be one of my most memorable moments travelling through Asia this last year. It’s almost as though all my other attempts at snorkelling never worked out before so that the perfect set of conditions would arise here in Boracay for me to give it a go for the very first time. It was just magical – I couldn’t believe what I’d been missing out this entire time! The coral, the reefs, the fish! Oh my goodness the amount of fish I saw was unbelievable – every type and colour under the sun, including the famous clownfish – I found Nemo!
Climbing back onto the boat, grinning from ear to ear, we headed towards our next stop – Crystal Cove. Mike and I marvelled at the fact that despite the number of boats constantly moaring on the islands, the water was never anything but crystal clear. Crystal Cove Island is home to restaurants, eating spots, photo opportunities, little huts and a small museum – a great stop for a respite if you’re out and about on the water all day. We thought it would be the perfect place to play Pirates…. arrrghhhh me hearties!
We decided to skip the next spot – Magic Island – in favour of a longer lunch. Magic Island is famous for cliff jumping – it has cliff jumps at 3 metres, 7 metres and 10 metres in height! I decided that I had been brave enough already that day – but perhaps next time?!
Our Island Hopping tour came to an end with a delicious spread at a local restaurant on Bulabog Beach – if you love seafood, you’re in for a real treat in Boracay – everything is so fresh and vibrant in colour!
Our Island Hopping Tour in Boracay was an absolute highlight of our visit to the beautiful paradise island. We were blessed with incredible weather, swam at the most beautiful beach we’ve ever seen, and saw an abundance of marine life in the most spectacular snorkelling spot. Boracay is beautiful, but to really get an idea of how magical it is – you need to get out onto the water and experience it on an island hopping tour!
FAST FACTS
- Which Island Hopping Tour in Boracay should I take?
We went on a half day Island Hopping tour with Boracay Adventures Inc. Boracay Adventures Inc. are an activity and travel provider on the island of Boracay and are accredited by the Philippine Department of Tourism. We wouldn’t recommend anyone else – their service was spectacular, our guide Marlon was incredibly knowledgeable (even though he was only brand new to the tour guide industry!) and all their facilities and equipment were top notch.
- How much does it cost?
A half day island hopping tour with Boracay Adventures Inc. from 9.30AM to approx 1.30PM is 2500 PHP / $67.90 AUD per person.
- How do I book?
You can contact Boracay Adventures Inc. via their website, by email, Facebook and more – they’re very social media savvy!
Disclosure: Thank you to Boracay Adventures Inc. for supporting us on our visit to Boracay. As always, all opinions are our own.
Loved this article? We’d LOVE for you to share it, or hover over the image below to save it to Pinterest for later!
12 comments for “The Island Hopping Tour in Boracay You Can’t Miss!”