I love this beach! The warm turquoise water and fine white sand with coconut trees lined up along…read morethe pathway for a picture perfect experience. However, it"s busy and there are rarely sunbeds available so it's anything goes. This is probably because Filipinos do not like tanning so there are no carved out location for laying out unless you're at a five star resort. So I recommend going, even though it's a bit of a task especially if you're with an elderly relative, but I will definitely stay at a big resort foregoing the convenience of being steps away from the water.

When paradise is talked about, it's Boracay. There are beaches all around the island but White…read moreBeach is one of the main beaches. It's considered one of the best beaches in the world(by whatever metric is used). I prefer mountains over beaches but Boracay is legit. I loved it! White Beach is split into 3 stations (Stations 1, 2, and 3). Most people say that station 1 is the busiest and less busy the further south towards station 3 you go. People, sure but the beach is good and I never felt it was crowded anywhere on the beach. There is a landmark that's a bit busy in station 1 and a spot near station 3 where touristy things(boat load ups, etc etc) make it busy but those are easy things to walk around. We spent early morning, mid-day, evenings, and late nights on the beach. We even found our favorite tree/spot to lay our blanket down and chill out. It didn't take long to figure out why this is one of the best beaches in the world. And talk about clean! The locals and tourists alike do a great job of keeping it clean. There are fines for not disposing of your coconuts. No glass allowed on the beach(big fines). Everyone is very mindful of how magical this place is. I was trying to think of why and I think it's because you have the extra step of taking a boat to get to the island. That limits disrespectful people from visiting. The only thing I didn't like which is more of a peeve were some of the locals. It became obvious that the local kids ran around asking tourists for a few pesos. There were usually a couple each day. Some of the kids already have the Filipino hustle instilled in them... they'd at least be creative with it wanting to take your picture or be your guide or give you info. It's so night and day from American kids act in that 5-10 age range. The other issue and I hope locals see this. I don't mind people coming around with their homemade food(because I want to eat it!), but this one old lady had a basket of bananacue. I wanted some. It was cheap enough. Unfortunately, her basket of them was incredibly dry. I couldn't eat it. I compare most beaches to Cocoa Beach and Miami Beach in America. Those beaches are fine but White Beach and Boracay are the clear winners. The beaches in America seem to be missing palm trees on the beach. Boracay has trees built in so it's easy to find shade while being a few steps from the water. No need for big umbrellas to clutter and block out the sun here. White Beach = Incredible.

Of the many beaches in Boracay, this is probably my least favorite. It's on the east side of the…read moreisland so it catches all the wind. Bigger wind. Bigger waves. I think it's important to note that Ilig-Iligan is long so you're going to have different experiences depending on which part you visit. It is a little more empty than other beaches but you're not going to find your normal beach activities here. It was one of the stops on a tour we went on. Go there to catch the sun, take great pictures, swim, and hang out. The bad thing about this beach? The northern side of Boracay is the part of the island where the rich have flushed out their money. You'll find your all-inclusive/never-leave resorts. Some of those resorts even have their own private beaches. In other words, if you're visiting Boracay and staying on the north side of the island, you're not visiting Boracay. They've even branded it... calling parts of it Newcoast. With all the developed resorts on the north side of the island, I was surprised by all the new resorts going up. Every half a mile, a new resort was being worked on. If you find yourself here, it'd be worth it to ride around to check it out before the other developments take it over. The current resorts and beaches are there but the areas, beaches, and roads are still fairly empty... for now.

On the north end of Boracay Island, someone who owns a huge track of land is turning it into a…read moregated community, and even if Ilig-Iligan Beach is a public beach you need permission to enter the area in order to enjoy it. I saw only a few swimmers here, boats or other activities are not allowed. It is another example of how people of wealth use it to semi-privatize a beach area that is public by limiting access.

Enjoyed our vacation despite the rush of people since we came during the Holidays (before NYE)…read more Touristy, expensive place, yet an amazing experience. It's an escape from the busy hustle of life and you forget about the worries. This paradise with white sand beaches and busy slew of people coming in and out of the island can also be a strain for this place. Although they charge fees to keep this island in clean and tiptop shape, there are still people that does not know how to clean up after themselves. It turned me off when used diapers and trash floated in the water. Yuck! As this place were big tourist spot, we we're always approached by people selling their business, day tours and restaurant offerings. It can be such an annoyance when you turn them away and yet, they'll still follow you to see if you change your mind. With that in mind, it was a beautiful vacation nonetheless and I'm glad I got to experience this island.

Magandang araw!…read more After reviewing all the individual places in Boracay, it's finally time to review the island as a whole. I do miss this place. We have plans to visit other islands when we're back but I feel like we'll have future visits to Boracay. I have two worries about Boracay; One is all the new developments going up on the north side of the island. Some could call it the rich people enclave... I call it the people without personalities in any substantial form enclave. Those developments will surely make it much more expensive and unbearable with tourists but I'm keeping my fingers crossed. The other worry(and I haven't looked for an update in a while) but there was strong support/plans for a bridge between the islands. Part of the fun of Boracay is flying to the big island, trike to the boats, and then sailing to Boracay. With a stupid ugly bridge there, that's going to take away some of the experience along with make it more accessible. Aside from those two things, Boracay is an amazing place if there ever was one. I miss it daily. You could easily find yourself visiting, staying, and just never coming home. Plenty of restaurants(on the beach and inland). Plenty of beaches. Plenty of things to do. Also, plenty of things not to do because relaxation is top tier. And... it is the place of my proposal, so it'll hold a special place because of that. That's all for now. If you want my opinion on all the other places there, read the reviews. If you find yourself in that part of the world, this is one of the many places to visit.

Omg where do I start? This place is a hidden gem. It's pricey but it's sooooo worth it. We had a…read moretwo bedroom and it was right on the beach. From the moment you arrive you feel welcomed. They assign a person to look after you while you're there. Our person was Vans and he was just great. The room was amazing, spacious, beautiful view. They also have security 24/7. Our room was on the ground floor and I was able to go to sleep with my balcony door open. It's a quick walk to the dmall. The down side is the variety of food at the hotel restaurant. It's very limited but with the great staff they have it's not really a big deal. Issac was our waiter the first night and we wanted no one else. He remembered our drinks and was very attentive. Overall this is a great place to stay while you're in boracay!

The hotel is located in the busiest part of Station 2 and inside D'Mall. It is literally few steps…read moreaway from all the shops, restaurants, bars, and, of course, the famous white sand beach of Boracay. If you love to party, this is the best hotel for you to stay in! The hotel has a quirky, hip vibe and, during the peak season, they have foam parties. Pretty cool! Honestly, I have not booked a stay here. But, I love going here for 2 reasons: a) Happy Hour and b) Swimming Pool! I know, I know. Why would I want to swim in a pool when the sea is right there? Well, during the summer (April to June), white beach shores have algae/seaweed. I've swam in it before. It's itchy and just not nice to wash off. So, when I can, I go for a swim at Tides' pool. They are on of the few hotels that allows non-visitors to use their pool for a fee (Php300). You can swim until closing time at 10PM. Big plus point is their Happy Hour which is from 3PM-8PM everyday! All their cocktails are good (seriously, I've tried them all). Order the Mojito, Pina Colada + Tequila Sunrise (that's a total of 6 drinks) and you can chill by the pool until it's time for your next party! Oh, the food here is quite good too. I recommend you try their Kinilaw na Tanigue (which is a ceviche) and their Cheese Sticks! :)

Food was absolutely great. Talapia salad and the ceviche lime appetizer were perfect. Gf said this…read morewas the best mojito in Boracay as well!

Good coffee, very tempting cakes, and a killer view of Baybay, the Roxas City beach. Our group of…read moresix came here from lunch at another restaurant. We were very full already but we ordered a banana muffin, a slice each of cheesecake, chocolate cake, and mango cake which we shared. Everything was yummy and perfect.

I attended this beach for a family reunion a day after Christmas. My first impression was the…read moreamount of people around. Of course it was a day after Christmas. My first impression was the amount of trees available to provide shade. More in the pavilion areas seemed new. They were covered spaces. The bathrooms were pretty clean and in a new building. There was another newer building that people were able to rent out. It seemed that there were investments in the area to build up. This is a good thing. It seemed crowded, but considering the time it is understandable. Here is the problem. I was told that across the street were a lot of shops and restaurants. I just saw a bunch of empty buildings. If there is more money put in the area, I can't wait to visit again and see it.

Aroma Beach may not be as beautiful as other beaches I've been to in the Philippines and beyond,…read morebut it'll always be dear to me because of the memories I have of swimming and picnicking here with my family and going to bonfires at night with my uncles and his friends when I was a child. We often walk to this beach from my parents' house to get some exercise in the morning. It's about a 2 km walk each way and then we swim in the West Philippines Sea to cool down. The water must be in the high 70s to low 80s, so very pleasant. The water is clean and clear but the sand can be rocky, so best to take water shoes with you. No need to worry about getting cold. If you come early enough (around 7 am) you can catch the guy who sells Taho (soy pudding with caramelized syrup and tapioca pearls). So good! Otherwise, bring your own food. We often bring pandesal and other good stuff to the beach if we decide to have our breakfast or lunch here. You'd see people grilling pork belly, fish or Filipino BBQ skewers in makeshift grills on the weekends. This beach has so much potential! If only the past mayor of San Jose hadn't ruined it by letting these karaoke bars set up shop on the beach a few meters from the water, and if only the current mayor would make it a priority to clean up the beach, this beach would be the jewel of San Jose, Occ Mindoro. On a positive note, the new Mayor is in the process of moving all the karaoke/restaurant huts that are on the beach to the other side of the road. The people of the island of Mindoro have decided to ban single use plastic bags. This too can be only good for this beach!