How we Maximize our 3 Days in Majestic Boracay Island

Don't worry if you only got 3 days and 2 nights in Boracay. It's really up to your resourcefulness how to make each day special. As a single mom, I'm happy to share with you how our group made the 3 days awesome. Besides, always remember, don't worry about time - its about VACATION. Relax and have fun! The rule of thumb for it is preparing - ITINERARY. It's like your time map. Here's a sample.

ITINERARY 12:30 Noon : ETD Home/Travel by jeep going to Teacher's Bliss

"Mom, Chesca and I went to Sis. Merle's house to hitch a ride going to airport as she offered. It was right timing coz her son just arrived. She went downstairs to meet us. She just checked her belongings and I peed."

01:00 PM : ETD Balintawak going to NAIA via private car

"We prayed and off her son drove us to the airport. It was a tour to all the terminal because her son didn't know where terminal 3 was. hahaha. We kept our cool and Sis. Merle even peed at Jollibee coz it took us hours roaming around Pasay area."

04:00 PM : ETA NAIA Terminal

"Finally, we made it at the terminal. We got our things and stood in line for the baggage check-up. Then, we ate at Jollibee because we haven't had our lunch yet. It was past 4 pm. After a while, we got in the waiting area. Our other company was already there."

05:30 PM : Board-in flight 5J345

05:30 PM - 06:30 PM : ETA Kalibo Airport "Chesca's excitement was overflowing. I guess a child's love never fades.It felt like the first time for her.So pure! At the plane, she was reading the plane guide.She even handed me another copy to read too. hahaha. I explained to her what the pictures meant. Better teach her when she's interested. She was complaining about her ears hurting.

After an hour, we landed Kalibo airport safe. It was drizzling in Kalibo. A guy was holding a placard with my name on it. So I approached him. We waited for the rest of the company."

06:30 M - 08:00 PM : Bus Transport to Caticlan/ETA Caticlan

"We took the Island Star bus. It took us an hour and a half to arrive Caticlan. At the boat terminal, Chesca vomitted. Good thing, my mom was with us. She took care of her while I washed her slippers."

08:00 PM - 08:30 PM : Pay Fees/ Took the Boat @ Caticlan "The boat ride was almost 20 minutes. Then, a guy approached me asking if I was Caroline See."

08:30 PM - 09:00 PM : ETA La Carmela/Check-in

"It was the guy from the hotel La Carmela. So, via van, we were brought to the hotel.I took care of the check-in deposit of P2,000. Our standard room number was 115 and the other four was 127. We were all tired so after a few chats, we slept."

- END of DAY 1 -

06:00 - 07:00 AM : Get ready for breakfast/ Buffet breakfast

"The room was upgraded and the two breakfast (from set to buffet breakfast). Our payment per head for the hotel was P 2,815 and for Chesca was just P400. Thank you Gino of Perfect Vacation Travel and Tours.

In the morning, we made sure we're energized. We ate our breakfast and Chesca was in a hurry to swim. The food was a 3 star only. Too sad."

07:30 - 09:00 AM : Swim/ Run/ Play along Boracay shore

"Anyway, Chesca and I wore our swimsuits and enjoyed the low tide...played in the sand and just dipped in the sea. You wouldn't worry taking off your slippers while walking in it. The sand was too fine. Chesca's happiness was priceless. She was giggling by herself when the waves tossed. How I love seeing her happy."

11:30 - 01:00 PM : Seafood LUNCH

"And the most awaited moment arrived...the lunch!After drying-up, the four of us walked to Talipapa. Mom and Sis. Merle were told when they bought some light snack, they can find some great paluto restos there. It was so easy to find. hahaha.That was the alley Chesca and I didn't go into before but I knew something was great in it. While going there, they had some window shopping. They bought fresh large shrimps (P600/kilo) and we had it cooked by the resto (P150 per menu ~ we had two so P300). The lunch was heavenlike for me. Seafood lover...that's what I am! We had sinigang na shrimp and spicy chilly sauced shrimp. Sis.Merle bought us some yellow sweet mango. What more can I ask for? Well, for my share, I paid for the resto bill P450. hahaha. We dug in festively.How I love the relaxation, the place and the food. 5 stars!!!"

01:00 PM - 02:00 PM : Strolled/Window-shop/Dessert "We walked back to the shore. Mom bought some banana chips and Chesca wanted dried mangoes. Sis. Merle reserved two beautiful shell curtains for her home since the guy selling was too kind to give it to her at P850 instead of the other store charging 1,000. Back to the hotel, we rested for a couple of hours.Good thing the cable signal was clear despite of the weather. I fell into a nap instead." 04:00 PM - 05:30 PM : Swimming/Playing/Sea shell collecting

"By 4 pm, Chesca couldn't contain herself to go outside. The four of us went together. And this is what she and ama did after soaking in the sea for some time ~ shell collecting. My mom at 62 is still strong...walking back and forth the shoreline with my little girl. They were serious looking for the white capiz shells. Quite a beach hobby! But I loved taking their photos and videos. Someday Chesca will reminisce these moments with her and so shall I."

Hi! We're having a great time here!

05:30 PM - 06:30 PM : DINNER

"We had to park that hobby for dinner. And yes, mom had a good time too, she said! They washed themselves up. I bathed Chesca and rinsed her well. We walked to D'Mall area and there decided to eat at Mang Inasal. We ate at the second floor which was not so convenient for mom and Sis. Merle. The area was too small. So we ate dinner fast. hahaha."

06:30 PM - 07:30 PM : Back to the hotel/Relax/Watch TV

"We went straight to the hotel to rest. Good thing we had some snacks. It was a sweet tiring day! Chesca fell asleep while watching tv. So did Sis. Merle.Mom and I enjoyed watching Diva. I was laughing hard when she told me to turn back the tv on because she was still watching when in fact, her eyes were already closed. hahaha. Mentioned a grateful prayer in my heart."

08:30 PM : Rest/ SLEEP

CHEAP BORACAY ACTIVITIES 1. Surfing board photo shoot with paddle : 100/ 15 minutes "So, after seeing some people trying the surfing, I asked the guy and he said an hour would be P350. Too pricey. hahaha. Anyway, he agreed with P100 just for 15 minutes trying and the photo session. The other 15 minutes was paid by the two visitors. Chesca had to do it first. She was composed after learning to stand using the paddle. Here are her photos...After her try-out, she whispered to me how she liked it and wanted to be a surfer. Ahuh...possible..with some lessons. First I told her she has to learn swimming."

Next was me, good thing my mom arrived. She took my photos trying to stand using the paddle. What a struggle! The waves was making me wobbly. hahaha. But I did it. Yahoo! The short time standing on the board made me realize how strong a surfers knee is. You have to stand and glide with the waves. Whew! I guess I'd rather go cheering with the crowd. hahaha. A very good experience for both of us. Chesca was affront the board so here we are!!

to balance on the paddle board is a struggle but we made it!

My mom was ever supportive!!! thanks mom. After she took photos of us, the surfer guy took us our photos. Thank you manong. Here we are! Magnifico!

2. Sand-forming like clay-forming. FREE

"So back to the sands, Chesca and I decided to make the sand version of Olaf.She loved my idea. hahaha.My childlike heart reminiscing. We had fun forming Olaf the Sandman. She loved looking for the corals as body parts like hands, feet, eyes and nose.It was drizzling then but we didn't mind it. Chesca used the clear plastic cup to cover him. So sweet!!!"

3. Photo-shoot with the local-made Boracay Sand dunes. Php 20/per head

4. Dip-in & Float. FREE.

"Ama and Chesca had their bonding moment. Mom always train Chesca how to do the right immersion to overcome fear of water. She was beginning to love the underwater.Thanks mom!"

dipping, sitting by the sea, just dancing and running after the waves

"I found out I had my period so I was bummed on the bench. hahaha. I made sure I took photos of them. Good thing the digicam had a zoom option. I was very happy seeing them spend some quality time together in a beautiful island of Bora.

I was reflecting the life we had as family way back when I was kid. Time went by so fast. My mom never failed to be strong for us. She's my hero. Without her, it would have been so difficult for me to move on as a single mom. I love her deeply.So even though, Bora vacation was my late birthday treat, it felt like hers too."

Joining us also was Sis. Merle Ferre. She's my wardmate at church. With her permission, we used her citibank credit card to pay for the air fare taking advantage of the promo offer way back a year ago. We've become closer as she also serves in the primary organization. Do you know she can psyche you?! Yeah, she does read people and future using your birthdate. I had mine written. hahaha. She and mom easily gets along as much as we do so it was a great company."

5. Skies-the-limit SWIMMING in the pool at the hotel. FREE.

continued swimming in the pool at La Carmela

- END of DAY 2 -

06:30 AM - 07:30 AM : Breakfast/Relax

08:00 AM - 11:00 AM : Sea shore bonding/Reflecting/Photo shoot

"The SECOND day high in Bora began. Chesca and I hurried to the low tide sea and again played with the sands. That time we used her toy and shaped the sands. What a beautiful day to play with her. Good thing my mom followed us. She's the one who took these stolen photos. Love it big time!"

peace! Merry Christmas everyone!

"I left Chesca for a while and joined these two lovely ladies for some rest and of course photo sessions. Sis. Merle was kind to lend me her Apple ipad (my wish). So I took photos there. Hopefully I could upload them here soon. One thing I discovered, apple ipad's bluetooth was not so sharing at all. Mom's Samsung and Myphone paired and shared easily. Nahh...apple ipad...too selfish to share."

tres marias..aging gracefully

"And since Chesca and Sis. Merle joined other church friends in the beach, mom and I just sat down and she took photos of me like her model. One thing she always loved ever since I was a baby."

sun was up and so was my hair(mid pic gathering 199 likes as my fb profile pic / 26 comments)

"In the afternoon, mom and I sat down on some benches while Chesca was just playing by the shoreline. It was hot but I loved it. She took photos of that moment. I saw a bird hopping by ~ photo taken. hahaha. While seated, I just relaxed myself. Just let peace sank deeper into my soul. Next year, I will make a major leap with my life ~ my career. I have to gather my strength and plan wisely. I felt the heat of the sun, the fine sands on my sole and the cool fresh air. A man passed by selling a carved stone and I bought (P100) one for my boss, Dong.

Wow! We saw some people doing the parasailing. Wanted to try it but the fee was a whopping thousand. Maybe somewhere someday. hahaha. It wasn't too bad we didn't get to do some activities. To name a few of the famous activities ~ Parasailing, banana float, aquanot, mermaid swimming, island hoping, etc. These are fun and affordable to do for a group. hehehe."

03:00 PM - 04:30 : Snack time/Stroll/Souvenir Buying

"We went to Talipapa for a snack and just walked to an alley we wanted to discover. It was a route going to the main road. There, we scooped some cold halo-halo at Mang Inasal because it was so hot. Chesca enjoyed her fruits n ice cream too. Sis. Merle ate palabok. I was looking for the buko halo-halo but none was available.We dropped by the store we had some items reserved. Sis. Merle paid for the shell curtains and we bought our souvenirs(keychains and ref magnets)."

yellow and happy reflecting

04:30 PM - 05:30 PM : Swimming in the pool/Sunset Photography

"As a continutation, mom and Chesca dipped in the pool again before we check out tomorrow. They obviously loved it! Here's a proof of that happiness."

pool lovers

"Mom took a video of the sunset with drizzles. While I watched over Chesca seated nearby under a roof while finishing the siomai and shawarma noodles. Mom just scooped in. Then she decided to rest. Sis.Merle didn't go out anymore. Chesca met some new friends Chelsea and Charlotte (sibling). The three of them enjoyed the sands. It was good to see my daughter socializing. Good job Chesca! It was right timing to also capture the sunset. The sun was hiding behind the clouds but the orange glare was still obvious."

Chesca, Chelsea and Charlotte - the 3 C frends

05:30 PM - 06:00 PM - Chesca Playing with friends

"While watching over Chesca, I chatted with the two girls' parents, Jenny and Jeremy. It was good to meet such a couple. My heart longed for someone. hahaha. The night was starting to get darker and drizzling seemed unstoppable so I called Chesca for a time-off already. The two girls also ended their sand game."

07:30 PM - 09:00 PM : Short Dinner/Bathed/Packed-up/Sleep

"I bathed Chesca well and made sure she was dry before hopping the bed. I went outside to buy my dinner the shawarma rice. Mom and Sis. Merle didn't want to eat dinner so I ate alone. We watched tv to keep ourselves busy. I made sure all things are packed for me and Chesca. The bed sheet I washed was already dry. Imagine a henna stain on the bed linen fine was 850. In Boracay, you can do a lot of things. One of that is to have a henna tattoo which might stain the bed. Chesca just stained it with the Mcdonalds choco sundae. Good thing it was washable. So as usual, Chesca slept ahead of me. Then mom and I slept. "

- End of Day 3 -

05:30 AM - 06:00 AM : Wake up/Prepare for Breakfast "I alarmed my phone to 5:30 and started packing things to make sure everything was packed. I awakened Chesca around 6:00 am. We took photos by the veranda of our room.Take a closer look behind the coconut trees. What color do you see? Blue right?!"

06:00 AM - 08:00 AM : Breakfast/Got Deposit back/Pick-up/Boat Transfer/

"We were told that the set breakfast would be served at the new lobby of the hotel. We walked there and I had an early morning hot temper when the crew said, no it will be on the old lobby (where we came from). So I told him ~ why do you want us to go back there when they told us to come here. Can you check it? After a while, he asked for an apology. The serving area was bigger and nicer. So we ordered what we wanted for the set breakfast. We didn't finish the meal again. You can guess why.

After breakfast, I talked to the officer at the reception for the check out.I got my 2k deposit back and there, we waited for our pick-up. Mom and Chesca had their last fish sight seeing. We were the only ones in the shuttle going to boat terminal. There, we paid 100 per head. It was a fine day.A day to finally say goodbye to Boracay islands. The transfer was less than 15 minutes."

08:30 AM - 10:00 AM - Van to Kalibo/Brunch

"These two billboards caught my attention. So true and so love it! The travel to Kalibo airport took us 1 and a half hour. Chesca and I were seated shotgun. Mom had a great conversation with a Chinese guy who was surprised to know my age. He said I looked so young. hahaha. His English was pretty advance I could say. We arrived Kalibo around 10 am so we decided to take our brunch since our flight was 12:15 noon. For dessert, I bought and ate banana sugar coated snack for 40 and sweetened shrimp and pastillas for Chesca for 40."

11:30 AM - 12:15 NN : Waited/Boarding/ETD Kalibo Airport

"Mom's sewing scissors were detected by the machine upon check-in which really caught us by surprise. How on earth at NAIA Terminal 3, it wasn't detected. She has been looking for that scissors at home. They advised mom to pay 530 for the baggage check in because it was not allowed as a hand carry. I asked mom how much the scissors was. She said 600. So I suggested she leave it behind and buy another one back home. She decided to give it away to the lady officer who detected it. We couldn't really understand why at Manila it was not detected. The terminal was so packed we had to sit on the floor. hahaha. But after 2 batches of passengers left, we finally got a seat.

Kalibo airport madness

Finally, our flight came. Chesca and I were seated beside 23C and 23D while ate Del was at 23E. She thanked me for all the booking and follow-up I've done. Mom and Sis. Merle were seatmates, again. The plane took off a bit late than expected. So I got the chance to take some photos."

all aboard waiting for the take off

02:00 PM - 04:00 PM : ETA NAIA Airport/Off-Board/ETA Home

"Chesca and I were just busy watching the clouds as we hovered in the sky. It's good to be seated near the window. I enjoyed taking photos of the wings and the clouds. We landed NAIA Terminal 3 around 2:00 pm. As soon as we landed, I turned-on my cellphone. We got to pee first before going down and leaving the terminal. Whew! What a trip!"

Sis. Merle's son picked us up and upon arriving Baesa, the rain was pouring hard. They dropped us off the gasoline station so we won't drench. So kind of them. Mom handed some money to Sis. Merle for her rub order and also for his son's driving.It felt good to be home."

Two things I can say with our Boracay trip

*First, no one's too old to have a good time. I enjoyed the company of my mom and Sis. Merle both senior citizens. hahaha.

*Second, real bliss can happen over and over again.

Sis. Merle left us this question ~ Where is the next trip? hahaha. Indeed, I shall book another travel for us. These legs and feet will surely have another one!

Hello Kitty banana peel slippers enjoying Boracay

DON't MISS to BRING

1. FOR ME and MOM - HERBAL Hollywood Style Sun Block SPF-45 (Extreme Care UVA Protection/ Made in Beverly Hills, CA, USA). I bought this at Trinoma Center, Ayala Mall. It's 150 ml / 5.3 oz. What I like about it - OIL FREE. Although it is SPF 45, do not expose to much under the sun. It is just a medium coverage. The amount is P 194.75. Just fair for the ml.

2. FOR CHESCA - Derm plus SUN BLOCK for KIDS SPF 80. You know kids can't stop playing under the sun, so SPF 80 suits best. It is water resistant and sensitive skin. Made in Pasay City, Philippines, the amount is P 169.50 for a 50 ml size.

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