| An advantage of traveling on a domestic plane is | | | | The Main Road is now fully concrete with a paved |
| the view from the clouds. I realized this when the | | | | pedestrian lane on each side. Like a scene in Bali, |
| Cebu Pacific plane took off from the international | | | | tourists in flip flops walk along the pedestrian lane |
| airport in Pasay City, Philippines. Our journey to | | | | to go to the beachfront and the main transport in |
| Boracay island literally began in the clouds. The | | | | the island is a pedicab which is similar to the |
| sky was clear and the sun was bright from my | | | | tuktuk; it is a larger version of the urban tricycle. |
| window seat in row 2. Suddenly we were flying | | | | There are many hotels and resorts that have |
| over Taal Lake and I could see the famous Taal | | | | been built over the past five years, from |
| Volcano in the distance. At 21,000 feet, the plane | | | | five-star hotels like Shangri-La Boracay Resort to |
| flew directly over the crater of the adjacent | | | | budget accommodations. But something special is |
| Volcano Island, and for the first time, I glimpsed | | | | opening this summer that would make tourists, |
| the blue waters of the Crater Lake. It was a | | | | especially Club Astoria members and Resort |
| glorious sight that only God could create. From | | | | Condominiums Inc. (RCI) time shareholders, happy |
| that moment, I could not go back to sleep. | | | | and it is called Astoria Boracay. |
| Instead of heading south to Batangas, the plane | | | | Astoria Boracay |
| steered eastward towards Quezon province in | | | | Astoria Boracay is in station 1, where the former |
| southern Luzon. The mountain ranges along | | | | Boracay Gold Crowne was located. It sits on a |
| Tayabas Bay were thick with green forest, while | | | | 3,000 square meters piece of land that includes a |
| further inland the mountains were barren and | | | | beachfront and stretches all the way back to the |
| brown. Soon the emerald waters came into the | | | | Main Road. The two-story facade facing the |
| scene, and we were flying westward towards | | | | beachfront features a sunset lounge and bar on |
| Panay Island in the Visayas region. | | | | its second floor, as well as function rooms. A |
| Kalibo and Caticlan | | | | Coffee shop and restaurant is on the ground floor. |
| In less than an hour we were approaching Kalibo | | | | As Club Astoria members, we had a private tour |
| International Airport on Panay island. From the | | | | of the resort with its Resort Manager Danny |
| plane, I could see a lot of green - rice fields | | | | Molina who welcomed us with hospitality and fresh |
| framed by coconut trees and a few nipa huts. I | | | | coconut juice. We started from the second floor |
| was reminded of the rural paintings of National | | | | where we could see the beachfront and sunset, |
| Artist Fernando Amorsolo. The runway was right | | | | then onwards through the lobby towards the |
| smacked among the rice fields. I loved it. | | | | direction of the outdoor swimming pool that |
| From the airport it is a 90-minute bus ride to | | | | included a kiddie pool. The pool is 22 meters long |
| Caticlan jetty port. My mother, whose birthday | | | | and four meters wide and at night, the waters |
| we were post-celebrating, preferred to ride an | | | | changed colors via spot lights. Surrounded by a |
| Airbus plane to Kalibo rather than the smaller | | | | landscaped garden, the pool ran the length of the |
| planes that landed in Caticlan airport. The | | | | property, and the rooms are located in different |
| "two-way" main road is concrete and cuts | | | | cluster-type villas amid the gardens. |
| through rice fields, "chocolate" hills, mountains and | | | | The highlight of our tour was the ultra-modern |
| towns of Kalibo. As we neared Caticlan, the ocean | | | | deluxe room good for four that featured two |
| road afforded us views of Sibuyan Sea that got | | | | queen-sized beds with hotel-quality linens and |
| us excited for Boracay. | | | | pillows, air conditioning, LCD television, cable TV, |
| The jetty port of Caticlan has a new harbor | | | | internet access, telephone, refrigerator, safety |
| where the Montenegro Lines and other jet speed | | | | deposit box, spacious bathroom with bathtub and |
| boats dock. The scene at the harbor was pulsing | | | | amenities. It was almost like being in a hotel room! |
| with many outriggers and smaller fishing boats. It | | | | From Mr. Molina we learned that there are a total |
| was already mid-morning, and the blue-green | | | | of 39 rooms with a floor area ranging from 26 to |
| waters were buoyant. I was glad it took only 10 | | | | 50 square meters. The deluxe room is the |
| minutes to cross the channel to Boracay via the | | | | smallest at 26 square meters. There is also a |
| Montenegro Lines as the winds were strong and | | | | room for the disabled. Hotel rates are inclusive of |
| the boat was rocking from side to side. | | | | set breakfast, taxes and service charge. |
| Boracay | | | | Looking at the avant-garde design, modern |
| Soon we docked at the new jetty port of | | | | facilities and good location of Astoria Boracay, I |
| Boracay island, near the Manoc-Manoc Poblacion. It | | | | was sure it would be popular once it opens. |
| used to be that outriggers docked along the | | | | Another Gold Crowne rating of service similar to |
| White Sand beach (station 1, 2 or 3) but no | | | | Astoria Plaza Suites in Pasig City. I shall definitely |
| longer. From the new port, it was another twenty | | | | return someday. |
| minute van ride through the Main Road to Central | | | | It was difficult to leave a paradise island like |
| Boracay where most of the resorts were located. | | | | Boracay but even dreams can't last forever. At |
| Many things have been written about Boracay | | | | Kalibo International airport, I recognized the group |
| and they are still true. The powder-fine sands, | | | | of suntanned tourists queuing at Mandarin Airlines |
| which are actually corals, are broken only by shells | | | | bound for Taipei. I was amazed to learn that |
| and algae. The seawater is alive with small fishes. | | | | there are direct flights from Kalibo to Incheon, |
| Palm-fringed beaches, sunset views, starry nights, | | | | Hong kong, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh, Guangzhou, |
| sailboats and parasailing. Boracay is one of the | | | | Jakarta, Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur, Macau, |
| world's top ten beach destinations and it lives up | | | | Shanghai, and Singapore. Progress had finally |
| to the hype, day and night. | | | | arrived in paradise. |