What To Do In Rainy Boracay

Modern day bayanihan

It was not the ideal weather to go to Boracay. My flight was 6:15AM but because the weather was unpredictable, they had to put it on hold. After 30 minutes, the gates open. Finally, I looked around and see relief in my fellow passengers' faces. Then, the staff announces that they'll need seven passengers to give up their seats. They'd take the next flight and in return, they will get a free round trip ticket. Of course, I got it. What's one hour anyway?

I board my plane at 10 AM. The second flight was delayed, as usual, because of the wet runway in Caticlan. For first-timers, before you get to the islands, you need to ride a banca from Caticlan jetty port to Cabgan jetty port. The fare is P25 and travel time is approximately 8-10 minutes. Very fast actually. Just a tip, some people sell accident insurances for P120 at the Cabgan terminal. If you feel that this is not necessary, then don't buy.

Finally, I arrive in Boracay 1PM, hungry. I always make it a point to try restaurants that I don't find in Manila but because I haven't eaten the whole day, I head to tried-and-tested Gerry's Grill. Pork sisig and hot rice and I know I'd be good.

The beach was not as enticing. Raincoats and umbrellas instead of sarongs. Jackets instead of bikinis. Coffee instead of beer. Hotel rooms instead of the beach. Flood waters instead of white sands. At one point, I thought I shouldn't have pushed through. But if you're a budget traveler, you know that the low season starts in June. And if you want to make the most out of your piso fares, you better start training yourself to be a flexible traveler.

So how do you enjoy a bad weather in Boracay? Here's what I did:

1. Body surfing. From Manila, it takes two hours to get to the nearest beach so you might as well enjoy the big waves and body surf. Don't wear a two-piece if you don't want to freeze in the cold.

2. Drink wine, not beer. When I drink at the beach, I always favor an ice-cold beer over wine but if it's cold and raining, a lovely Shiraz would make a good choice because it keeps me warm. Most bars in Boracay serve beer and cocktails but there are also some that serve fine wine - for a good price. Located in D 'Mall, Titania Wine Cellar is a very accessible wine bar.

3. Get drunk and dance in the rain. On rainy days, most indoor bars get crowded as early as 5:30 PM. Epic holds a good spot because it sits in Station 2. If you want to get good seats, be early because it becomes the default go-to bar on rainy nights. While they play a few A-OK R&B and trance music from Mondays to Saturdays, the playlist is not as cool on Sundays.

Rain or shine, Boracay is still Boracay. Bring a good read if you must. And oh, an umbrella too! Enjoy!