Every now and then, you have to do something outside of your comfort zone. Push yourself. Challenge yourself. Be a little crazy – and that’s exactly what we did for our last adventure in the Philippines – we flew over the ocean and went tandem parasailing in Boracay!
The sun was shining, the sky was blue and the weather incredible for our last day of adventures on the island of Boracay. We took a short stroll to Bulabog Beach, the departure point for all water activities on the island. Here we met our guide Marlon, before jumping on a little speedboat out to a floating pontoon about a kilometre off the coast.
There is an incredible choice of water-based activities in Boracay. Helmet diving, banana boat’s, flyfish, island hopping, cliff jumping, paraw sailing, stand-up paddle boarding, jetski’s, kiteboarding and more – it’s an adrenalin junkies dream! We chose to try out the parasailing – one of the most popular activities on the island and something neither of us had ever done before!
After arriving on the pontoon, we jumped aboard a larger boat, owned and run by Diamond Watersports to head further out to sea for our parasailing adventure. We were so impressed with the beautiful boat and the quality and how comfortable it was – Mike decided then and there that he’d like to buy the same boat one day himself!
Once we’d signed our lives away on a disclosure statement (after being assured by Marlon that no one had ever had an accident parasailing in Boracay!), we were strapped into our harnesses which clipped under our legs and across our chest and over our shoulders – designed to sit in whilst being suspended from the sail. We climbed up to the back of the boat where we were then clipped into the parasail, the winch rope then attached to the sail.
With Marlon on the boat with the DSLR armed to take some happy snaps, GoPro in arm and iPhone in a waterproof case around my neck for some Snapchat action we were ready to go! The staff began to wind the the winch and our Superman parasail caught flight immediately – and we were away!
It’s a hard feeling to describe – we were both screaming out in joy/fear, laughing and freaking out all at once as we were slowly let our further and further, higher and higher – the boat becoming a small speck in the distance! It took a minute or so to get to the full height – the rope length was 150 metres in total, and we were flying well over 100 metres high.
We really had no idea what to expect parasailing – I think we were expecting this stomach churning, fast flight behind the back of a boat – but instead, it’s incredibly peaceful. We sat in our harnesses, legs dangling feeling as though we were floating through the air. It was so quiet, and the views were magnificent. Boracay is only a small island, and at 7 kilometres in total length we could see the entire stretch of it from the sky. Flying late in the afternoon was particular scenic as the sun was low in the sky, casting an incredible glow over the island and the ocean.
Whilst floating above the speedboat below, we spoke to each other about our present feelings – Mike was a little fearful and explained that even though he’d done way scarier things in the past (having been a member of our State Emergency Service back in Australia), parasailing was unnerving him a little – he felt that it was the lack of control in our current situation that was the likely reason for the fear – we were completely at the mercy of the equipment and the staff below us. Despite the fear though, we both knew we were completely safe and decided to enjoy the view and peacefulness that surrounded us.
After a flight of about 15 minutes, we slowly began to be winched back towards the boat. We were given the option to be ‘dunked’ in the water but we decided we’d rather stay dry, and landed back aboard the boat instead. What a crazy experience! Even though I’d not been scared or fearful during the flight, the second I got up to sit back on the boat my legs were total jelly – I could barely walk!
It was after we were taken back to the pontoon by speedboat and sat down to wait for our ride back to the beach that the whole experience caught up with me – holy motion sickness! I think it was the combination of a very late lunch that I shovelled down before taking off, the multiple boat rides, the stomach churning feeling of being up in the air that upset me so much. I spent the twenty minutes waiting for our ride hanging off the side of the pontoon feeding the fish my lunch – travel is most definitely NOT glamorous, especially when you’re travelling with me!
Despite the queasy end, we absolutely LOVED parasailing in Boracay – it’s a beautiful place to do it, is run nearly every day of the year and the equipment and service is top notch! It’s a great way to face your fears, do something exciting, and being able to share the experience with a special someone is the cherry on top!
FAST FACTS
- Who can I organise to go on parasailing in Boracay with?
We booked our parasailing in Boracay 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 – they organised everything from the speed boat to the pontoon, the parasailing providers, took some epic photos for us and looked after us until we arrived safely back on dry land!
- How much does it cost?
Parasailing in Boracay costs 2000 PHP / $54.26 AUD per person (minimum of two), and is inclusive of transport from the beach to the departure point, the activity and the return trip.
- 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.
7 comments for “Up, Up and Away! Our First Time Parasailing in Boracay”