Taking it Slow in Boracay - Hakuna Matata

10 months ago I was in Boracay and couldn't believe that will be coming back this soon. We scored a roundtrip airfare ticket for 1,100 pesos each at Caticlan airport. Our flight was delayed for an hour - rather a normal thing nowadays. Last time, I found a cheap accommodation at Station 3.5  of the White Beach. I loved the seclusion and the crowd at the station 3.5.  It has its own charm that is so appealing to me. The downside of which is that you need to burn a hundred or so calories by cardio workout (read:walking). Good thing is that we both love walking so that wouldn't be much of a problem. 

Station 3 crowd

After searching the net for some hotels and resorts on Station 3, I found the Casa Pilar Beach Resort (check rates) and immediately sent them an email. The reservations officer, Ms.Cheryl, was very helpful in answering all my queries about the resort. After a few exchanges of emails and after getting the best deal I can get Ms.Cheryl sent me a copy of the resort voucher. I needed to deposit 50% of the full amount which I did and sent a copy to Ms.Cheryl which she acknowledged right away. That was two weeks before our trip.

On the day of our trip, our flight was delayed for an hour (rather a very normal thing nowadays) but we still managed to arrive at the resort a little early for check-in. It was 10:00 a.m. and I handed the front desk lady our voucher.  I then asked her if we could probably check-in earlier the allowed time. She checked if the room was ready and then she ushered us to our room. 

Much to our surprise, we were upgraded to a Deluxe air-con room from our original fan room (probably because the fan rooms were being renovated that time). We were ecstatic! We checked out our room first. There were two beds (single and queen), a TV set (with cable), and a bathroom (with hot shower). We also have our own terrace. What was missing was the free Wi-Fi connection. We were told that you need to pay to get connected. Not a good thing for those who needs to be connected all the time. 

What I love most about Casa Pilar Resort (book online), aside from it being in a beach front location, is that you feel in tune with nature. We didn't mind to walk a few meters just to get to our room because of the lush vegetation inside the resort. A swimming pool was not seen which is a relief for it will kill the serenity of the place (*updated 2014: they already have a pool).  We rested for a while and then went out to look for a place to eat. 

native huts - Fan room

row of Deluxe rooms

the view right outside the resort

We had some grilled stuff for lunch and went straight to Jonah's located on Station 1 for some shakes. It's one of the reasons why I want to go back to Boracay, to get hold of my favorite - the Mango Rhum and Mango Banana shakes (both for 110 pesos each).

Mango Rhum yum - 110 pesos

At around 2:00 p.m. we were terribly tired (from eating and lack of sleep). We tried to sleep on the benches on the beach provided by the resort but we needed a place to really "rest". We then went to our room for a quick nap and guess what? We woke up at around 11:00 p.m - same day. Yes, you read it right, 11:00 in the evening. 9 hours of pure sleep. Imagine that, we spent our first day by sleeping. Blame it on the comfortable bed or the early booze but we just did the unthinkable. Moving on, I can go back to sleep after a hot shower but then Jay asked me if I would like to check out the scene outside. I agreed.

Instead of heading to the crowded bars and pubs at Station 2 we opted to go to the further side of the Station 3.5. We actually didn't know what we were looking for at that time - food, booze. And then we saw this quaint grille named Hakuna Matata that serves meals and snacks 24/7. We were enticed by the dining set-up on the shore. We were greeted by a server named Badz. We ordered Pansit Guisado for 50 pesos and Nilagang Baka with steamed rice for 85 pesos plus 1.5 liters of coke for 70 pesos. 

They have a free wi-fi connection so it didn't bore us to wait plus the view was just amazing. Midnight dining on the shore. The verdict? I love the Nilagang Baka. The perfect blend of the soup, the meat and the veggies on a cold night. I finished everything and even asked for a refill of the soup (for free). Jay, on the other hand, didn't enjoy his pansit. 

And then I asked the server if they serve some booze. He said no but pointed us on a store nearby and suggested that we could stay at their place while having some. I bought few cans of  my favorite strong beer for 45 pesos each. It was just perfect. I really wanted to catch the sunrise the next morning. An option was to not sleep but that would entail a cycle of sleeping-at-day and staying-up-at-night. At around 2:00 a.m. we called it a day and went back to the resort to nap sleep for about 4 hours. Hakuna Matata!

it means no worries, for the rest of the day

my favorite meal for this trip
Nilagang Baka - 85 pesos

I woke up at around 5:30 a.m. Did I tell you that all of the room accommodations include a complimentary breakfast? The restaurant accepts guests as early as 6:00 a.m. We were made to choose from a wide array of breakfast sets. There's Continental, American and Filipino breakfast. There's also a breakfast set for the kids. You can choose from coffee (instant) or tea for your drinks and a choice of a fruit or a fruit shake for dessert. What I enjoyed the most was dining with a view of the early morning Boracay White beach. Lovely.

American breakfast

Filipino breakfast

We spent the rest of the morning doing a cardio and endurance workout on the way to the Puka beach (which deserves a separate post). After the grueling workout, we headed to Hakuna Matata (again) for a very late lunch. We had Sizzling Grilled Liempo for 160 pesos and  Sizzling Longsilog for 120 pesos and a 1.5 liters coke for 70 pesos. Again, we were more than satisfied to have dined there. Their very reliable wi-fi connection is absolutely a plus. 

doble patong liempo! - 160 pesos

Sizzling LongSiLog - 120 pesos

We again took a rest and this time we promised to catch the sunset in Boracay. I've decided to catch the sunset in style - by Paraw Sailing. We scouted for the most reasonable rate offered around the White Beach. With my haggling skills, we got to book the said activity for 500 pesos only - for the both of us. And I must say that Paraw Sailing is one of the best activities for couples and group of friends alike. The sunset view was just lovely. The ride was just perfect. Serenity. 

After that activity, we went straight to Jonah's and got some shakes again. And then we went for a foodtrip. Street food that is. We had some isaw for 10 pesos each and the lovely chori burger for 50 pesos. And then we headed to my favorite place to get some booze. I have known of this place on my first trip to the island. I still don't know the name of this quaint place but it is located at the farthest side of Station 3.5. Very near the Treehouse lodging place. I just loved the vibe of the place. No loud music. No drunkards bumping into each other. Just us, our booze, the beach, the moon shining so bright and the bean bags on the shore. I had a couple of rhum-coke for 50 pesos. We even took a night dip 'coz the calmness of the sea was just so tempting. This is what "night life" means for me. 

On our last day, we again had our complimentary breakfast on the resort. And strolled on the beach. Our flight back to Manila was late in the afternoon so we've decided to go to our favorite place again (pa-suspense, wait for the next post) and enjoyed the rest of the day beach bumming.

Filipino breakfast

Filipino breakfast

We both enjoyed our carefree time in Boracay. We went there without concrete "plans" or whatsoever on what-to-do and where-to-go. It was just a play-by-ear thing which was really nice. A real vacation at its finest. Thank goodness for long weekends! Check here for discounted tours, transportation and activities in Boracay.

Check Boracay accommodations here