The pandemic has not stopped me from heading to my favorite summer destination, Boracay. Yes, we didn’t push through with my supposed press tour because of the lockdown last summer, but we had to push it back in spite of the situation. After all, I had to take a break too. This time, however, it was different because I didn’t have any hotel sponsors and I had to take charge of everything (plane tickets, transfers, hotel accommodation and food). I will share in this post about our experience in our first day in Boracay. We will talk about our preparation, the arrival and my first impression about Microtel Boracay. (The hotel review will be in a separate post)
THE PREPARATION
A. RT-PCR Test
To travel to Boracay, we had to follow the guidelines of the Aklan government and the protocols. After having the RT-PCR test (that time it was P6, 500 per head plus a home service fee of P2, 300). I sent all the requirements to touristboracay@gmail.com (airline itinerary, hotel vouchers and RT-PCR result) after getting the results. Whew! I was glad, we all had negative results! I received the Online Health Reporting Card (OHDC) within the day and prepared our things for the trip.
B. Hotel Bookings
As mentioned in my previous post, I have booked 3 different hotels: Microtel Boracay for our first day in Boracay until Day 3, Crimson Boracay for days 3-5 and Discovery Shores Boracay for the last night. I personally paid the cost of the accommodation, so I have to think about it carefully and make a wise decision.
C. Air Itinerary
Because Airasia has the cheapest flights, I booked a round-trip flight for us. I have reserved our seats, meals and luggage, avoid trouble and inconvenience.
AT THE AIRPORT
Waiting time
Airasia cancelled our flight several times so I had to make a new booking. We came to NAIA Terminal 3 earlier and I was happy because it was so safe to travel. They observe cleanliness, and social distancing at all times.
Baggage check
We were relieved that my baggage did not exceed 40kg. baggage allowance and it was just around 30 kg. I made sure I had enough for my stuff because we’ll stay on the island for six days. (Hubby said it seemed like I would be on the island for a month!) I prepared different outfits (old and new) for my OOTD.
Inside the plane
At The Boracay Airport
The experience at the airport was pleasant until we had our meal on board. I paid for 3 rice meals because that would serve as our lunch too. I was disappointed when the flight attendants served us cheese bread and canned pineapple juice. Either way, we had no choice and we were hungry then.
I booked our one-way transfers via Islandstar Express from the Caticlan Airport to our first home in Boracay (Microtel Boracay) where we spent our 3d/2n stay.
THE ARRIVAL AT MICROTEL BORACAY
You may be wondering why I chose Microtel Boracay for our 2020 Boracay Day 1 as our first home on the island in our 6 day holiday. First of all, I considered our budget so I had to find a 3-star hotel for 3d/2n. It wasn’t my first time to book Microtel–actually, we have booked Microtel Baguio twice because of its excellent location. Though it is just an average hotel, we were comfortable during our stay. I had that in mind so I gave Microtel Boracay a try. I imagined a small lobby and a standard room for us with limited amenities.
One of the employees welcomed us when we arrived; (I believe he is the manager). His actions and tone was very professional. He immediately asked for our QR code and IDs. I was under the impression they didn’t have a lobby because the facade wasn’t impressive at all. When we came in, they have a small cashier booth/reception area where you can settle payments and request for everything. A staff escorted us to their lounge (yes, they have a spacious one) where we rested while they prepare our room. The waitress from Mama’s Fish House also served our welcome drinks at that time.
Outfit: Yellow Cropped Tie Top and Yellow Smocked Ruffled Skort by Tula Cruz (ordered via Zalora )
Well, it’s not bad as what I have expected. For the price of P10,000 for our 3d/2n stay, the rate was reasonable for 3 adults. I have booked for a beach view room overlooking the pool. For me, a veranda is a must for a vacation like this, especially if you want to relax. The spectacular view over the beach would definitely be worthwhile. I thought didn’t do a quick room tour because there’s not much to see, hehehe! Surprisingly, I have one in my IG and I have uploaded it also in my YT channel, so I am sharing here with you. (Guys, it was really a quick one! I just managed to show how the room looked like).
So there you go, you have seen my quick room tour. If we will just talk about the room, it has exceeded my expectation for its price. We liked the 2-Queens bed room with veranda. They have a tidy room, a disinfected water closet and a TV remote control. They also have freebies like 3 sanitizing kits. Each kit consists of a hand sanitizer, pocket tissue and a face mask.
AFTERNOON WALK AT DINIWID BEACH
Our original plan for our Boracay Day 1 was to go to D’Mall after unpacking things so we could just relax and enjoy the resort the next morning. When we found out there was no shuttle service, we modified the plan that afternoon. We decided to take an afternoon walk around the resort. We had also anticipated to swim in the afternoon, but we were unable to do so because there were many people there. As a result, our only choice was to have dinner at Mama’s Fish House and take the time to relax because we were exhausted.
DINNER @ MAMA’S FISH HOUSE
As we waited for the waitress to serve our food, Hubby and I had a cup of coffee in the lounge. If there’s one thing I enjoyed at Microtel Boracay, that’s the unlimited coffee. All you have to do is to go to the coffee station and get hot water and coffee! We also had no problem with the water because they have a water dispenser so we just filled the glass jug with water so we didn’t have to go down and buy bottled water.
So, the highlight of our Boracay 2020 Day 1 is the dinner after the afternoon walk. We were supposed to have our intimate dinner at Mama’s Fish House on our renewal of vows in 2019. Unfortunately, it didn’t push through because the cops caught the boatmen because it was restricted to go to Ilig-iligan Beach that time and they were not aware.
We took the opportunity to make the most of the day and the food here. I ordered French fries and chicken curry for dinner. My husband ordered Bagnet, and he was forced to eat it alone since we were already full.
Chicken Curry 
After dinner, we rested and had a great time in our room. I personally loved the Chiropractor-approved mattresses- very comfortable. We all had one complaint, though — we had trouble connecting to their Wi-Fi. Even if I use my Internet data, the signal was weak and hence useless. We have now set aside our energy for tomorrow’s activities.
This ends my Boracay 2020 Day 1 story. Please wait for my hotel review and upcoming articles here soon for more details.
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