MUST-TRY WATER ACTIVITIES IN BORACAY

mike de guzman | filipino travelog

If people are asked what is their best beach destination. They would always reply it's Boracay Island. And in no doubt, the island is just beyond perfection due to its pristine water and powdery quality of white sand along its coastline. I'm sure, you will enjoy your stay on this must-see destination in the Philippines,  if you will try those exciting activities await you on the shore. Here are a few things I wanna share while we stayed on this spectacular place on Earth.

Parasailing

When my friend asked me what activity I'm gonna try in Boracay, without any hesitations, parasailing was the number one on my list. I was not able to experience this once-in-a-lifetime adventure due to budget constraint when I was in Bali, Indonesia in 2011, so I said to myself that I would never miss this chance one more.

We were not permitted to have an early check-in at Crown Regency Prince that morning, so we just left our baggage at the reception area. 

While strolling around D'Mall to the coastline of Stations 1 and 2, we met a lot of tour coordinators along the way. Until we got to know Mr. Manuel nearby Willis Rock, showing the photos of activities he was offering. After searching for a reasonable price for this specific activity, we decided to accept his deal. 

Contact Information:

Mr. Manuel

Cellphone #: 0932-760-9970 / 0949-687-3284

Price of Parasailing - P1000 per head for 20 minutes (inclusive of speed boat transfer)

Initially, we would be doing this activity on our second day. Thank god that I had listened to my travel buddy because the weather the next day was overcast. 

Without wasting any minute in the island, we called Mr. Manuel to meet us in front of Budget Mart, located at the other end of D'Mall. 

Then he brought us to the registration area and assisted us to take the speed boat.

After 5 minutes, we transferred to another speed boat but bigger this time. 

You cannot really avoid doing this activity without other people on the boat and you have to queue and wait for 15 to minutes for your turn.

Usually the parachute can carry 2 persons at a time, but others can lift up to a maximum of 3.

Before they'll strap you from the harness, the guide will tell you about some safety precautions during the ride. 

Helmet Diving

You'll come across with many tour coordinators holding photos of their activities everywhere you go in Boracay; however, only a few could offer affordable prices of those famous beach and water activities. Until we met Ms. Janeth Monteza who has been in the business for nearly a month. The price she offered was reasonable especially for those who were on a tight budget like us. For other tour coordinators, the price of helmet diving ranges from 400 to 500 pesos per person, but hers was only 300 pesos. Besides, Ms. Janeth never left us until we docked at the shore and assisted us in taking photos during the entire activity. 

Contact Information:

Boracay Seasport & Activities

Janeth Monteza

Cellphone #: 0905-612-0822

Facebook: Janeth Monteza

Once you agreed with the price, you will have to go the registration area and pay for your chosen activity.

Wait for the speed boat which will transfer you to the helmet diving site, a few meters away from the shore. This ride takes for a few minutes.

At the helmet diving site, one of the coordinators will orient you the do's and dont's of this adventure.

This helmet weighs 6 to 7 kg. 

After putting the helmet on, a diver will assist to submerge you up to sea floor. The depth is usually from 15 to 17 feet.

I know how to swim and dive but this new experience almost freaked me out due to mild claustrophobia (fear of enclosed space) and pain in my ear. We were told that there would come a time that the pain is felt when going down the water but once you reached the sea floor, it would be lesser. Generally speaking, the pain often disappears once you do the equalizing technique. I just made myself adapted to pressure and could settle at the bottom. Thank God! I was able to plunge in the last year's number one beach in the world and had a breath-taking experience to feed those colorful fish up close and personal.

Tips: 

- You will be given a small fraction of food for the fish, so don't release all. You may miss the captured moment with these colorful fish.

- If you think you cannot stand the pain on your ears due to the pressure, signal your guide (diver) to put you back onto the surface. Perhaps, you body is not adapted well with this sudden change on your part.

- Check you helmets if there are some cracks or leaks on the tube to avoid unexpected trouble while you're under the water.

- Aqua shoes are very helpful on this particular activity. That may lessen some instances of your feet being lacerated by sharp tiny corals or pebbles on the site.

- Enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime experience, being able to enjoy and submerge yourself without using any scuba diving equipments which we all know way expensive than this.

Price list of other activities (according to Ms.Janeth)

     Parasailing - P 1000 / head for 20-30 minutes

     Island hopping- P 1500 for 3 hours

     ATV- P 300 / head for 1 hour

     Zorb - P 250 / head

     Flying fish - P 450 / head for 15 to 20 minutes

_________________________________________________________________________________

Blogger's Note

Please be informed that details are subject to change at any time, particularly the price, location, and contact numbers. I, therefore advise that you visit their website or email ahead for confirmation when making your itinerary. The blogger cannot be held responsible for the experiences of the readers while travelling.