Sun. Sand. Sea Adventure | Borawan Island

I have been curious for quite a long time now about Borawan. Many have claimed that the island has Boracay's fine white sand and Palawan's towering limestone rock cliffs, hence, Borawan. I was setting my expectations too high about this island. I couldn't compare since I've never been to Boracay nor Palawan but it's much an excitement realizing that this beach was named after two famous beaches. Every island has its unique distinction, and although Borawan doesn't have the infinite shoreline and crystal clear water, if you get there to simply relax and have fun, you wouldn't mind.

After reading several negative posts from travel bloggers, about Borawan, I honestly don't know how to react. Our travel was already paid and booked with Happy Port Travel and I'm sure that trip cancellation is a big no-no, so me and my friends looked forward into something that would make our stay memorable regardless of the negative feedback we read.

Our travel tour package of Php850/pax - group of 6 includes:

• Boat rental
• Tents
• Entrance Fee/Environmental Fee
• Cooking Utensils
• Life Jackets

Before my verdict, let me show you Borawan Island. 

The island of Borawan lies in Brgy Lipata, Padre Burgos in the province of Quezon, just 5-6 hours away from Manila.

How to get there:
Manila - Lucena Grand Terminal. Take a bus bound to Lucena (in our case, we rode Jac Liner at Kamias Road, QC), and drop off at Lucena Grand Terminal. Travel time is 3 hours or more depending on road situations, and bus fare of Php218/head. Bus leaves at 2am, so you better be there on or before, so you can still enjoy the morning view when you arrive at Borawan Island.

Lucena Grand Terminal - Unisan. Non-airconditioned buses bound to Unisan costs Php35/head. Ask the driver to drop you off at Padre Burgos where you can find tricycle bay going to Borawan.

Padre Burgos - Borawan. Tricycle ride costs Php10/head, it will send you off to the port going to Borawan. Then ride a boat going to Borawan Island. Boat rental costs about Php800 above depending on group size. The island is just 15 minutes away from the port so if you're quite afraid of the waves, it's convenient for you. For me, I enjoy staring and playing with the waves so the 15 minute boat ride is quite not fun.



When you drop off the bus at Basiao, you can see the tricycle bay and you can also find a mini talipapa where you can shop for your food in the island. Everything is very affordable, but remember, buy only the things that you need and you can consume within the time span of your stay in the island.

Here's what we saw when we arrived. 

CR, Dressing Room, and Shower Rooms at Borawan are very much clean than the others I have visited.

Expense Breakdown:

• Php218 - Bus ride from Manila to Lucena Grand Terminal
• Php35 - Bus ride from Grand Terminal to Padre Burgos
• Php10 - Tricycle ride to Borawan port
• Php850 - Travel package from Happy Port Travel (see above for inclusions)
• Php10 - Tricycle ride from Borawan port to Padre Burgos
• Php35 - Bus ride from Padre Burgos to Grand Terminal
• Php218 - Bus ride from Lucena Grand Terminal to Manila (fare may vary depending on where will you alight)

TOTAL: Php1,376 (food excluded)

Activities available:

Rock Climbing - (Single Climb - Php75; 2hrs unlimited climb - Php200)

Rapelline - (1 try - Php75)

Kayak Rental - (1hr - Php200 - single; Php300 - double)

Pedal Boat - (Php300)

Entrance Rates: Day - Php150; Overnight - Php220 (Students & Senior: Day - Php115; Overnight - Php180) 4 years old and below: FREE

Cottage Rates: Day - Php850; Overnight - Php1,250.

Tent Rental: Php500; Tent space (small) Php200; (large) Php250

My verdict:

I was expecting that I will be very much disappointed since I have read so many negative blogs about Borawan. But then I realized that it wasn't really that disappointing. Yes, the island really didn't exceed my expectations of seeing Boracay and Palawan in one, but nonetheless, there was a little resemblance. Honestly, the sand was almost white, but not fine. You can find a lot of little rocks and sea shells that it wouldn't be comfortable for you to walk barefoot. The water is not crystal clear, but still, not as dirty as any other ordinary beaches. You can still see what's underneath the waters, except that it's not so clear, plus, there are also trashes left. I was stung by a jellyfish and it badly hurts. You look around and you can see people everywhere. Since the sea shore is not that wide, you can find it very crowded and sometimes, to your surprise, the neighboring tents are only few inches away from yours. Although it wasn't much of a big deal, you couldn't get enough space for yourself and your group. The CR, dressing room, and shower room only have three cubicles, causing long lines and pissed off people. There's a mini store where you can buy stuffs you forgot to bring. Bonfire is not allowed, I'm not sure why. There's electricity and good mobile signal/reception. For me, spending less than Php2,000 for a weekend getaway is fine and worth it. The island may not be perfect as any other island, but it's good to try and see for yourself.

Satisfaction level: 72%