There was a time when Boracay was a simple island with an empty white sand beach. It had one unpaved road that ran across the island and thousands of coconut trees. The only decent hotel was a mom and pop operation called Friday’s, which was then the best place to stay in Boracay because it had its own generator.

Everyone else who couldn’t afford Friday’s stayed in private guest houses with no electricity. This meant dining by candlelight and dancing in the dark.

CRASHLANDING ON BORACAY

Boracay then was just so wonderful. And I would never have found myself on this most idyllic of islands if not for a New Yorker friend. He’d done graduate studies in Kyoto. Then, as part of a year-long trek around the world, he decided to spend three months in Boracay just swimming and surfing.

One day, over one of many dinners on his two-week stopover in Manila, he invited me to come along to Boracay for a few days.

“Boracay?” I said to him. I’d never heard of the place. There was no Internet then, you see, so news of this little paradise was simply passed around a network of adventurers and beach lovers who relished the rough and tumble side of life.

DRAMATIC DECISION. JUST LIKE IN THE MOVIES.

Five days was all I had, as I needed to return to school in Tokyo, and the trip to Boracay was literally a last-minute decision.

When he asked me to come along, I’d initially said no. But on the day I was set to fly to Japan, I had a change of heart at the international airport. My driver brought me to NAIA 1 to catch my flight back to Japan on Japan Airlines. Yes, I literally grew up with this airline and it feels like home.

As soon as I got off at the NAIA 1 airport driveway, I remembered this invitation to Boracay. Suddenly I was taking the escalator down to the arrivals terminal and hailing a taxi to the domestic airport. Call it serendipity. And, yes, it was exactly like in the TV tele-novelas.

And that holiday was just as innocent, sweet and fun as that Korean television series “Crashlanding on You,” too. Maybe that’s why I like Crashlanding on You so much. 

HOW TO GET TO BORACAY

I’ve had many perfect holidays in my life, including many to the most luxurious places on the planet. Interestingly, this spontaneous little no frills holiday is still among the most perfect. We rode the second tiniest airplane I’d ever seen from Manila to the Caticlan airstrip. The airstrip was really just cleared dirt at that time and there were no large planes landing here. And from Caticlan, we got on a wooden boat to the island.

As my friend was a free spirit, advance planning was not in his DNA. Of course we had no hotel reservations at Friday’s. So we walked around for the first few hours looking for a guest house that would pass my squeamish standards.

Eventually we hit upon a modest property that rented out little cottages. The owners served a breakfast of fish and rice under a makeshift canvas tent that doubled as a dance floor at night. It was in a quiet part of a quiet island and the sea was just a few meters away.

REMEMBERING THE ORIGINAL BORACAY

Boracay of old was completely untouched by commercialism. It was really a village where everyone knew everyone. My friend was Mr. Congeniality so he quickly made friends with the locals and soon we were visiting homes and joining get-togethers. That is, when we weren’t running around this amazing beach with warm waters and no one else around.

There was absolutely nothing in Boracay then. So everyone spent their days by the beach, and the little dance floor under a canvas tent in front of our guest house was the place to be on any night. In the evenings, I taught my friend how to dance the swing. He had two left feet but lots of enthusiasm, and the whole village would come out to watch this happy spectacle.

WINTER IN TOKYO

Finally I had to reluctantly fly back to Manila and onwards to Tokyo. School was waiting. I can’t even remember how I got my return ticket then. However, I ended up with one and for some reason, a priest was flying my plane back to Manila.

It was the smallest plane I had ever seen — it was a one-engine contraption with just two seats. I can’t ever forget this because the priest and I talked the whole way back to Manila as he piloted the plane. And I recall thinking that at least I had a priest for company if the plane crashed.

A TIME FOR EVERYTHING

There were no tears, regrets or elaborate goodbyes at the end of my Boracay holiday. Upon returning to Tokyo, I immediately plunged headlong into schoolwork and winter activities. Meanwhile my friend continued with the peaceful village life on Boracay. Interestingly, I never saw him again. Nor did I expect to.

And I never saw that original Boracay again either. Not long after we both left Boracay, he three months after me, the island changed quicker than I would ever imagine.

LETTER FROM BORACAY

But one day in late spring in Tokyo, I returned to my school dormitory to find a letter waiting for me. Yes, just like in the movies. It was postmarked from the island. When I opened it, it was six pages long, written on scrap school paper in a messy scrawl, and folded haphazardly like a bad origami. I smiled to myself. It was so like him to send something like this.

I imagine he’d written it one night by the beach after finishing a bottle of the local rum. In this letter, he’d written a dozen stories that now seemed so far away to me, as I was back to my regular life in Tokyo. But one story in particular stood out. He told me about a German we’d become casual friends with, who ran a small resort inland. Apparently, he’d been shot dead in revenge of a dispute.

Then my friend ended his letter with this line that still brings tears to my eyes even now: “And everyone still asks about you here. They want to know when you’re coming back.”

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PEACE IN STATION ZERO

This quiet area of Boracay is far away from the crowds, and the lovely scenes of summer on our pages are the result of one week of hard work and luxurious fun. These photographs of Boracay certainly inspired me to consider a long weekend in Boracay soon. I’m sure you will feel the same way after you read our article and see our photographs.

This special feature also reminded me of my first visit to this island. It’s now considered one of the world’s top beach destinations. But back then, when I first visited Boracay it was still a sleepy backwater island with no electricity and very few tourists. These days, the island is pretty crowded. But at least there’s always Station Zero as a haven.

Designer Amina Aranaz Alunan
on the cover

Photographed by Bryan Arevalo
Coordinated by Patricia Cendana

BREAKING BARRIERS & LIGHTING FIRES IN BOTSWANA

Our columnists and contributors have once again outdone themselves in chasing adventures worth writing about. Dondi Joseph, a serious traveler with the most passionate case of wanderlust I know, embarked on a safari trip that began in the Okavango Delta of Botswana and ended near the borders of Zambia. His tales of trysts with the wildest of wildlife kept me glued to my seat.

GOING GREEN IN SYDNEY

Meanwhile, Jerome Martin experienced an evening that certainly counts as an adventure for the books for him. He chucked his black book of favorite Sydney restaurants out the window and agreed to dine in a 100% vegetarian hotel. This establishment is green down to room service, snacks, and banquet dining.

LAS FALLAS IN VALENCIA

Meanwhile, Michelle Barrera returned to Valencia in Spain, one of her favorite places in the world. She joined the merrymaking for the amazing annual Las Fallas festival of Valencia. Certainly among the most unique celebrations in Spain, this festival to commemorate Saint Joseph literally lights up the city in one big blaze.

SKIING IN CLUB MED TOMAMU

Angela Ayala checked into Club Med Tomamu, the newest resort in Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Japan. It’s currently the popular pick for family holidays in Asia.

A first-timer at Club Med, she writes about how her initial trepidations over a resort full of systems and procedures turned into unequivocal enthusiasm for her week of sports, songs, and dances amidst the snow. 

SWITZERLAND: BLESSED WITH BEAUTY

Finally, since Switzerland is at the top of everyone’s bucket list. So we’ve created a comprehensive guide to Switzerland, listing all of the best destinations and activities for all seasons within its borders.

Look no further than our pages for where to go and what to do in Switzerland, the land of chocolate, cheese fondue, picturesque lakes, luxury watches, and everything wonderful.

Wherever in the world you’re headed soon, we hope you’re living a #Travelife.

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