Boracay on a Budget | The Philippines
Boracay is one of the top vacations to go. It's a well renowned island in the Philippines which tends to be a bit pricey since it is very touristy. Hence here is a list of tips to help you do Boracay on a budget.
#1 Do not go in the Peak season
The peak season to visit Boracay is between April to July. Where as in other places this would be the best time to visit is it somewhat untrue to Boracay. Boracay has also what is known as the Algae season which occurs between March and April, the green algae is so thick that it’s not enjoyable to swim at all and sometimes it stinks too. So why pay more to go in the peak season when its beaches are not even ideal to swim in? So going off peak, January to February, will not only benefit you from having the cheapest prices on everything but it would be even better to swim without the algae.
#2 Accommodation
So you need to understand the layout of Boracay before understanding where to get the cheapest accommodation from. Station 1 is at the end of the island and is the high end and exclusive part of the island, here rich people pay as much as €200+ per night and even more. Here the restaurants tend to be fine dining and expensive too. Station 2 is in the middle part of the island. This part if the busy and party part of the island, this is where most people hang out, dine, most excursions are taken from and most shopping is done. This area offers mid-range accommodation from €50+ per night. There is a big selection of restaurants here too at average and affordable prices. Station 3 on the other hand is the area which is more peaceful, tranquil and cheaper, even the restaurants here offer better prices. In my opinion even if you can afford to stay in station 2, its still nicer to enjoy the peace and quiet of station 3 and then just walk 15 minutes along the beautiful sandy promenade to get to the nightlife area of station 2. Expect to pay €20 for a private room during the peak season or €15 during the low season.
#3 Eating
If you are a holiday maker and are on a short holiday then station 2 is good for you, but if you are a broke backpacker on a tight budget then you want to stay off the beach promenade unless you order take out from Leylam’s, which offers rice, noodle or wraps for 75-95 pesos. Other than that you can stick to the main road and go to local eateries or franchise like Go to Pares or Andoks which offers good portioned meals for only 75 pesos. Whole chicken can be bought at only 175 Pesos and guarantees a full tummy for two. At the end of the day it’s also nice to order the food take our and eat it on the beach for a 5 star restaurant anyway.
#4 Shop around for good prices
Everyone offers the same tours but not everyone offers the same prices. For example the Island Hopping tour we found for 800 pesos from one person and 600 pesos from another, which even so we haggled down to 500 pesos (and this was during high season). On the same tour with us we met people who paid 1000 pesos for the same tour. So shopping around for prices is important and haggling is always possible.
#5 Re-fill your water bottles
You tend to drink loads of water in the hot weather in the Philippines. On every island in the Philippines there are refilling stations which thanks to them you can fill you a one liter bottle for as little as 3 Pesos.
Boracay is definitely a beautiful island which should be on your bucket list and being on a budget should cost you between €50-60 daily between 2 person.
