Boracay, Philippines - Our last touristy visit to anywhere in the Philippines

As a foreigner living in the Philippines you are inevitably asked a handful of questions

In no particular order -- some will be asked according to which neighborhood you're in:

Are you American? From what state?

Can you help me get a visa?

Do you want a date? (I.E. prostitute)

Do you like it here?

Have you been to Borocay?

After you've been here awhile, each question causes varying degrees of discomfort. Pretending you're Canadian fails to work as many Filipinos emigrate there. "Um, no I DON'T want a date with a 13 year old and I don't care how pretty". "Well, no I don't really like it here a whole lot", though it's just easier to say "Yes", and "No, I haven't been to Borocay."

To get people off our back, we finally decided to visit Borocay. At least once a week someone says "You HAVE to go!" It's the most beautiful place in the Philippines. White sand beach, clear water..." etc. etc. So after 11 months of being here that's about 48 suggestions to go there, however the average is somewhat higher your first threee months -- so let's say that's almost 75 suggestions. That's a lot for a place to live up to.

The beach IS fantastic. Fine, white sand that never makes your feet hot even in the punishing midday tropical sun. The water is seafoam green and the surrounding mountainous island landscape is really breathtaking. Our resort was not too crowded and we were never more than one leisurely minute's walk to the beach. Wall-less nipa huts offer shade over large comfy beach chairs.

So what's the trouble in paradise? The same types of problems that plague all places in the Philippines. Poor customer service, mediocre food, and an overall lack of attention to detail. In contrast, a traveler originating in Manila can spend just about $100 dollars more and stay at a truly 5 star beach resort in Thailand in a perfectly maintained beautifully appointed room, and eat fantastic food.

The biggest reason we'll not return is the mode of transportation. Asian Spirit is the scariest airline we've travelled. Travel Asian Spirit and you'll come back a spirit. On our return flight Chad held the emergency exit door closed. About 10 minutes into our flight the latch flew open, the handle began to slip down and the sound of whistling air filled the cabin. Chad's quick action caught the door and the flight attendant was called over. She smiled and said "It's OK. Just hold it down if it comes open." Hmmm.... No it's NOT OK!! Plus, there was some tape residue on the latch for it's previous high-tech duct tape fix. All this was going on while the pilots enjoyed smoking cigarettes whilst navigating, and the toilet, located across the aisle, smelled like a Soviet prison.

Now take this for what you will. There are people that LOVE it here. We just don't typically hang out with them... It's according to what you're looking for. Some people swear by Borocay - we'd highly recommend alternatives such as the JW Marriott Phuket.