Sunday, April 20, 2008

Are there several stores or food house in Boracay??


Because of its wide draw of international travellers, Boracay has a wide variety of places to eat, including a surprising number of bakeries.
A Loja Delicatessen, .was for many years the only Deli on the island. A Loja Deli, working hand in hand with Heidiland Deli, caters today more to the wholesale market, but offers also a nice quiet place to eat sausages, sandwiches and drink wine in a quiet garden, away from the crowded front beach area. Wholesale prices also apply to visitors who buy in bulk.
Aria in "D' Mall". Delicious Italian food. If they don't give you the spicy olive oil bottle on the side for your custom made pizza make sure you ask for it.
Arwana Coffee Shop (near station 3) is one of the nicest spots in the area for a tasty breakfast at a beachside table
Barracuda Snack Bar is near boat station 2
Bamboo Lounge, near boat station 1, serves a good selection of Chinese food in a relaxed beachfront setting.
Blue Jade Cafe is located in D'Talipapa and offers Asian and European cuisine. Customers can also shop in the market for fresh sea food and have it cooked for them at the restaurant.
Blue Mango, near station 3, comes highly recommended. There are some interesting mango-inspired creations on the menu too.
Cocoloco bar/restaurant near boat station 3 serves great Filipino and International cuisine in an attractive native-style setting.
Crafts Rooftop Bar are rumored to serve the most authentic English breakfast on the island.
Crafty's Rooftop Bar and Coffee Shop is located on the top level of the new Crafts Superstore at D' Mall's main road entrance. The deli sandwiches and salads are delicious, and there is a wide selection of imported beers and ales. This is a great place to watch the sunset.
Cyma, in the new part of the mall. Excellent food and service at this Greek restaurant. Try the Mezedes Combination, the Spinach and Artichoke Fondue and the Chicken Souvlaki.
Dos Mestizos This restaurant is the brainchild of respected Boracay chef & restauranteur Binggoy Remedios and his close childhood friend, Jose Ramon Valdes Nieto. Both owners have Spanish ancestors, hence the name "Dos Mestizos". This restaurant serves a selection of excellent Tapas dishes and is located between boat stations 2 and 3, behind the Tourist Center.
D'Talipapa The best and cheapest place to eat. Around the place are a variety of food stores that offers to cook for you, you could just buy Fresh sea foods/ etc (located just near the stores) then have the stores cook it for you with what ever way you like it. (Imagine you can get Crabs for 250 Pesos for 1 Kilo opposed to buying in restaurants that costs 130 Pesos/ 100 Gram).
Heidiland Deli - Next to the main plaza at the D'Mall Phase IV is a fully air-conditioned European style Deli selling all kinds of Deli food as cheeses, cold cuts, salami, yoghurt, wines and much more. Famous are the reasonably priced sandwiches
Hey Jude, in front of D'Mall, serves good pizza and bistro style food. The beef kebabs are a must-try.

ATMs to Boracay


There are only 4 ATMs on the entire island for the 16,000 inhabitants plus tourists, and when they run out of cash, they are not refilled until the next business day. On weekends and holidays it is even worse, as the ATM's might go several days without being refilled. On paydays one will also see very long lines at the ATM's, and be aware that not every ATM accepts every card. One might only accept cards with the Visa logo, and not the MasterCard logo, so before standing in line for two hours, be sure it accepts your card. Also, be prepared for a very long wait in line, as many Boracay natives seem to do all their banking at the ATM, spending what seems like an unusual amount of time at it.
The best solution is to bring travelers checks or plenty of cash. Also, many establishments, including the tricycles, cannot break a bill over 500 peso (around $10), so it pays to always have small bills.
Foreign money (US dollars, Euros, Korean Won, Japanese Yen) can be exchanged in the back of the combined supermarket and travel agency just south of boat station 2.

What about the Mall in Boracay???


Along White Beach, there is a wide variety of gift shops and boutiques along the beach path and in D*Mall. In addition to the crowded stalls that you expect in Asia, Boracay also has several high-end stores including clothing, art and household items. Some places will permit you to haggle, others have a fixed pricing system with price tags. Shop around as prices vary. Outside of White Beach, the shopping becomes sparse or non-existent.
While walking or laying on the sand, anywhere on Boracay, you'll be approached to buy a variety of items including jewelery made of shells, fresh fruit, ice cream, sunglasses or a massage.
Shell jewelry — similar to what you can find elsewhere in the world, the jewelry made of shells is popular as for the most part it is made locally from shells found on Puka Beach

Massage/Spa -What about the budget?


Budget
Along White Beach you will be approached frequently by women offering to give you a massage, which they will do on the spot or on a towel laid out on the beach - your choice.
A bit more organized, White Beach also has several "Massage Stations": collections of masseurs that have their mats set up. The stations are typically open as long as there are customers around but in general start to shut down just after sunset.
For Swedish, Accupressure, Shiatsu etc, visit Abe (pronounced Abby) the blind masseur who operates outside Cocoloco restaurant in Angol (south of boat station 3). Only P300 per hour.
There is a great outdoor massage station in the beach area of Nigi Nigi Beach Resort, where they have two tables set up. The booth is draped with curtains which they will close if you wish, or leave open if you want to watch the people on the beach. They offer every massage in the book, and charge 500 Peso for one hour.