Boracay, Philippines

The Philippine Beach of All Dreams


conversation at sunset
Bathers mingle in the warm water of the Sibuyan Sea, while a paraw slides deeper.
Tropical Philippines
Colorful paraw sails in the emerald sea that bathes the islands of Panay and Boracay.
for later remember
Asian sisters are photographed next to a huge sand castle, erected in an oriental architectural style.
Wait without despair
Owner of a gaudy paraw waits for passengers along the sand diminished by the high tide of White Beach.
Paraws horizon
Dozens of colorful traditional boats sail in the Sibuyan Sea, in front of White Beach.
Solidarity loading
A team of athletes transports a canoe into the water.
White Beach Rower
One of the leaders of the canoe paddler teams, in great shape and dressed with obvious aesthetic care.
inverted view
Passengers relax under the sail of a paraw, a traditional sailing vessel abundant on the Philippine island of Panay.
Half paid
Crew member helps propel a canoe from his detached post on the stern of the wooden vessel.
Easy snorkeling
Bather explores the shallow, crystal-clear sea off White Beach.
Twilight Navigation
Paraw sails in front of the ball of the setting sun, in another tropical and idyllic afternoon on White Beach.
bathing reading
Woman devours a book sprawled on a beach chair installed by the sea.
Bangka on standby
Bangka crew wait for more passengers to set off for a ride around Boracay.
strength of arms
Dragon boat is propelled by a series of rowers motivated by the conviviality and eccentricity of the exercise.
To remember later (night version)
Younger visitors to Boracay are photographed in front of a sandcastle featured on White Beach's sandy beach.
It was revealed by Western backpackers and the film crew of “Thus Heroes are Born”. Hundreds of resorts and thousands of eastern vacationers followed, whiter than the chalky sand.

Dawn a few hours ago. As we walk below the threshold forest of coconut trees, we are surprised to see dozens of couples engaged in patient photo sessions.

As we see, most are on their honeymoon but, even in other cases, little changes in the servitude with which young Japanese, Chinese, South Koreans and Taiwanese surrender to the whims of their partners.

Embellished in summer mode, these assume pose after pose and wait for the respective camera shots.

Whenever the device's displays reflect a defect, they ask for the process to be renewed. With no alternatives, boyfriends, boyfriends or husbands indulge them with smiles on their lips and elegant flirtations.

for later remember

Asian sisters are photographed next to a huge sand castle, erected in an oriental architectural style.

There is an obvious parallel between the adulation of the young models and that of the immaculate coast that welcomes them.

It is using another cosmetic touch-up during the rainy season. habagata and the self-confidence of past praise that White Beach revalidates, year after year, the title of Princess of the Philippines Beaches.

Tropical Philippines

Colorful paraw sails in the emerald sea that bathes the islands of Panay and Boracay.

White Beach, Boracay: Filipino Secret…

Until the 315s, this end of the island of Boracay, located XNUMXkm south of the capital Manila, remained a refuge visited only by intrepid travelers to whom the great secret of the Sibuyan Sea had been revealed.

In 1970, Robert Aldrich directed Michael Cayne and Henri Fonda in “Thus are Heroes Born”, shot in Boracay.

In the film, Sam Lawson plays a Japanese interpreter who had avoided combat in the Pacific theater of war in World War II. His commander (Henry Fonda) deploys him to a British base lost in the jungle in the then New Hebrides (now Vanuatu).

There, Lawson not only finds himself forced to fight, he conquers the status of a hero, after, according to Tosh Hearne – a Cockney doctor and a superb member of the company (Michael Cayne) – he killed fifteen Japanese, possibly thirty, on his own.

Rather than the plot of this feature film, Boracay and the much greater Panay have always remained peaceful. On the sidelines of the political and military chaos of the neighboring southern island of Mindanao – which was then home to the Islamist, separatist and terrorist groups MNLF (Moro National Liberation Front) and MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Force). And that today, it is still home to the resistant BIFF (Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters).

One of the most influential Western visitors to follow the film crew of “Thus are Heroes Born”, a German named Jens Peter, praised these islands and in particular White Beach in one of his renowned travel guides.

Easy snorkeling

Bather explores the shallow, crystal-clear sea off White Beach.

The honorable mention unleashed an almost continuous influx from then on of curious backpackers and unreturned fame.

to… Asian Beach of All Dreams

A decade later, the beauty of Philippine coastlines, in general, ran the world. White Beach stood out from the crowd. In the 90s, already endowed with countless resorts of all types, it frequently appeared on the lists of best beaches in the world prepared by reputable travel publications.

Unsurprisingly, in neighboring countries – Japan, Taiwan, China and South Korea – travel agencies started to sell it in tour packages as a cheap paradise right next to their Asian destinations.

Until 1980, the only sounds that were heard were those of the sea and one or another distant blender in full production of smoothies.

Today, there is a fleet of motorized boats of different types anchored along the white beach sand for whatever comes and goes. Customers abound.

Wait without despair

Owner of a gaudy paraw waits for passengers along the sand diminished by the high tide of White Beach.

In between their many photographic moments, romantic couples – like Asian tourist groups in general – strive to be as fearless as possible.

Diving Classes That Mirror Asian Group Psychology

At White Beach, taking scuba lessons became fashionable.

As we followed from the edge of the seductive Sibuyan sea, the adventure of experience is contained. But according to the famous group psychology that runs the Far East, it's for everyone. Literally.

Like an early riser army of clumsy ninjas, hundreds of figures in dark neoprene suits roam the sands led by an instructor. Arrived at the projection on the beach of a large barge, they form a circle and receive an exhaustive briefing that they memorize and start executing with the precision of automatons.

This is followed by a no less flamboyant foray into the water to begin the submersion exercises. And, finally, the journey towards the high seas that haunt the beach.

In addition to the insignificant surf, dozens of bangkas (the typical Philippine boat) and paraws (other picturesque sailing boats) remain moored, which, as soon as the wind breaks in, holidaymakers will charter.

Paraws horizon

Dozens of colorful traditional boats sail in the Sibuyan Sea, in front of White Beach.

Many other outsiders remain in the shade of the coconut tree line, sitting in bars and restaurants. Or entertained with the trifles – sunglasses, jewelry, watches, clothing and tours – that a swarm of vendors based in the open-air market named d'evill try to foist them.

The man on duty at an esplanade where we rested, from Manila, respects the mission and the almost guerrilla effort of his compatriots, but does not refrain from pinching them: “They are moros. In high season they migrate here from Mindanao, Jolo and others sulu islands, further down. They are also one of the most annoying sellers who have ever set foot in the Philippines. I even feel sorry for some tourists.”

To relieve them of this inevitable stress commercial and the surprising tiredness of bathing, a regiment of resident masseuses are on hand to apply the magic of their hands to bodies still to tan.

bathing reading

Woman devours a book sprawled on a beach chair installed by the sea.

White Beach Dragon Boat Fever, Boracay

As a rule, in the middle of the afternoon, the wind and Filipino resident and foreign sportsmen take over the beach.

Along the water, windsurfers and kyte surfing fans make the final preparations before heading out to sea while two international and multiracial platoons race along the beach and finish their fitness for a dragon boat race to take place in the days to come.

White Beach Rower

One of the leaders of the canoe paddler teams, in great shape and dressed with obvious aesthetic care.

They are led by proud young men, some obsessed with their images, with sculptural bodies, irreverent bathing suits, earrings, piercings, sunglasses, bracelets, as well as gaudy scarves or headbands that match the outfits.

After the warm-up, the group returns to the starting point and splits up. Each team raises one dragon boat over the head.

In a solidary effort, they conquer the sand widened by the low tide, deposit them on the sea, embark and set sail with vigorous paddles.

Solidarity loading

A team of athletes transports a canoe into the water.

Nearby, resort employees do their own daily exercise: carrying hundreds of Asian guest suitcases into a truck bed.

For baggage owners, White Beach's brief Filipino treat is about to end.

conversation at sunset

El Nido, Philippines

El Nido, Palawan: The Last Philippine Frontier

One of the most fascinating seascapes in the world, the vastness of the rugged islets of Bacuit hides gaudy coral reefs, small beaches and idyllic lagoons. To discover it, just one fart.
Coron, Busuanga, Philippines

The Secret but Sunken Japanese Armada

In World War II, a Japanese fleet failed to hide off Busuanga and was sunk by US planes. Today, its underwater wreckage attract thousands of divers.
Philippines

The Philippine Road Lords

With the end of World War II, the Filipinos transformed thousands of abandoned American jeeps and created the national transportation system. Today, the exuberant jeepneys are for the curves.
Bacolod, Philippines

Sweet Philippines

Bacolod is the capital of Negros, the island at the center of Philippine sugar cane production. Traveling through the Far East and between history and contemporaneity, we savor the fascinating heart of the most Latin of Asia.
Marinduque, Philippines

When the Romans Invade the Philippines

Even the Eastern Empire didn't get that far. In Holy Week, thousands of centurions seize Marinduque. There, the last days of Longinus, a legionary converted to Christianity, are re-enacted.
Bacolod, Philippines

A Festival to Laugh at Tragedy

Around 1980, the value of sugar, an important source of wealth on the Philippine island of Negros, plummeted and the ferry “Don Juan” that served it sank and took the lives of more than 176 passengers, most of them from Negrès. The local community decided to react to the depression generated by these dramas. That's how MassKara arose, a party committed to recovering the smiles of the population.
Camiguin, Philippines

An Island of Fire Surrended to Water

With more than twenty cones above 100 meters, the abrupt and lush, Camiguin has the highest concentration of volcanoes of any other of the 7641 islands in the Philippines or on the planet. But, in recent times, not even the fact that one of these volcanoes is active has disturbed the peace of its rural, fishing and, to the delight of outsiders, heavily bathed life.
Mactan, Cebu, Philippines

Magellan's Quagmire

Almost 19 months of pioneering and troubled navigation around the world had elapsed when the Portuguese explorer made the mistake of his life. In the Philippines, the executioner Datu Lapu Lapu preserves the honors of a hero. In Mactan, his tanned statue with a tribal superhero look overlaps the mangrove swamp of tragedy.
Talisay City, Philippines

Monument to a Luso-Philippine Love

At the end of the 11th century, Mariano Lacson, a Filipino farmer, and Maria Braga, a Portuguese woman from Macau, fell in love and got married. During the pregnancy of what would be her 2th child, Maria succumbed to a fall. Destroyed, Mariano built a mansion in his honor. In the midst of World War II, the mansion was set on fire, but the elegant ruins that endured perpetuate their tragic relationship.
Hungduan, Philippines

Country Style Philippines

The GI's left with the end of World War II, but the music from the interior of the USA that they heard still enlivens the Cordillera de Luzon. It's by tricycle and at your own pace that we visit the Hungduan rice terraces.
Vigan, Philippines

Vigan: the Most Hispanic of Asias

The Spanish settlers left but their mansions are intact and the Kalesas circulate. When Oliver Stone was looking for Mexican sets for "Born on the 4th of July" he found them in this ciudad fernandina
Bohol, Philippines

Other-wordly Philippines

The Philippine archipelago spans 300.000 km² of the Pacific Ocean. Part of the Visayas sub-archipelago, Bohol is home to small alien-looking primates and the extraterrestrial hills of the Chocolate Hills.
Marinduque, Philippines

The Philippine Passion of Christ

No nation around is Catholic but many Filipinos are not intimidated. In Holy Week, they surrender to the belief inherited from the Spanish colonists. Self-flagellation becomes a bloody test of faith
Philippines

When Only Cock Fights Wake Up the Philippines

Banned in much of the First World, cockfighting thrives in the Philippines where they move millions of people and pesos. Despite its eternal problems, it is the sabong that most stimulates the nation.
Batad, Philippines

The Terraces that Sustain the Philippines

Over 2000 years ago, inspired by their rice god, the Ifugao people tore apart the slopes of Luzon. The cereal that the indigenous people grow there still nourishes a significant part of the country.
Iloilo, Philippines

The Most Loyal and Noble City of the Philippines

In 1566, the Spanish founded Iloilo in the south of the island of Panay and, until the XNUMXth century, it was the capital of the vast Spanish East Indies. Although it has been Philippine for almost one hundred and thirty years, Iloilo remains one of the most Hispanic cities in Asia.
Islands Guimaras  e  Ave Maria, Philippines

Towards Ave Maria Island, in a Philippines full of Grace

Discovering the Western Visayas archipelago, we set aside a day to travel from Iloilo along the northwest coast of Guimaras. The beach tour along one of the Philippines’ countless pristine coastlines ends on the stunning Ave Maria Island.
Residents walk along the trail that runs through plantations above the UP4
City
Gurué, Mozambique, Part 1

Through the Mozambican Lands of Tea

The Portuguese founded Gurué in the 1930th century and, from XNUMX onwards, flooded it with camellia sinensis the foothills of the Namuli Mountains. Later, they renamed it Vila Junqueiro, in honor of its main promoter. With the independence of Mozambique and the civil war, the town regressed. It continues to stand out for the lush green imposing mountains and teak landscapes.
Host Wezi points out something in the distance
Beach
Cobue; Nkwichi Lodge, Mozambique

The Hidden Mozambique of the Creaking Sands

During a tour from the bottom to the top of Lake Malawi, we find ourselves on the island of Likoma, an hour by boat from Nkwichi Lodge, the solitary base of this inland coast of Mozambique. On the Mozambican side, the lake is known as Niassa. Whatever its name, there we discover some of the most stunning and unspoilt scenery in south-east Africa.
Lion, Elephants, PN Hwange, Zimbabwe
safari
PN Hwange, Zimbabwe

The Legacy of the Late Cecil Lion

On July 1, 2015, Walter Palmer, a dentist and trophy hunter from Minnesota killed Cecil, Zimbabwe's most famous lion. The slaughter generated a viral wave of outrage. As we saw in PN Hwange, nearly two years later, Cecil's descendants thrive.
Yak Kharka to Thorong Phedi, Annapurna Circuit, Nepal, Yaks
Annapurna (circuit)
Annapurna Circuit 11th: yak karkha a Thorong Phedi, Nepal

Arrival to the Foot of the Canyon

In just over 6km, we climbed from 4018m to 4450m, at the base of Thorong La canyon. Along the way, we questioned if what we felt were the first problems of Altitude Evil. It was never more than a false alarm.
Sheets of Bahia, Eternal Diamonds, Brazil
Architecture & Design
Sheets of Bahia, Brazil

Lençóis da Bahia: not Even Diamonds Are Forever

In the XNUMXth century, Lençóis became the world's largest supplier of diamonds. But the gem trade did not last as expected. Today, the colonial architecture that he inherited is his most precious possession.
lagoons and fumaroles, volcanoes, PN tongariro, new zealand
Aventura
Tongariro, New Zealand

The Volcanoes of All Discords

In the late XNUMXth century, an indigenous chief ceded the PN Tongariro volcanoes to the British crown. Today, a significant part of the Maori people claim their mountains of fire from European settlers.
Ceremonies and Festivities
Apia, Western Samoa

Fia Fia – High Rotation Polynesian Folklore

From New Zealand to Easter Island and from here to Hawaii, there are many variations of Polynesian dances. Fia Fia's Samoan nights, in particular, are enlivened by one of the more fast-paced styles.
Lawless City, Transit of Hanoi, Under the Order of Chaos, Vietnam
Cities
Hanoi, Vietnam

Under the Order of Chaos

Hanoi has long ignored scant traffic lights, other traffic signs and decorative traffic lights. It lives in its own rhythm and in an order of chaos unattainable by the West.
Tsukiji fish market, Tokyo, Japan
Lunch time
Tokyo, Japan

The Fish Market That Lost its Freshness

In a year, each Japanese eats more than their weight in fish and shellfish. Since 1935, a considerable part was processed and sold in the largest fish market in the world. Tsukiji was terminated in October 2018, and replaced by Toyosu's.
Sun and coconut trees, São Nicolau, Cape Verde
Culture
São Nicolau, Cape Verde

São Nicolau: Pilgrimage to Terra di Sodade

Forced matches like those that inspired the famous morna “soda” made the pain of having to leave the islands of Cape Verde very strong. Discovering saninclau, between enchantment and wonder, we pursue the genesis of song and melancholy.
Sport
Competitions

Man: an Ever Tested Species

It's in our genes. For the pleasure of participating, for titles, honor or money, competitions give meaning to the world. Some are more eccentric than others.
Mount Lamjung Kailas Himal, Nepal, altitude sickness, mountain prevent treat, travel
Traveling
Annapurna Circuit: 2th - Chame a Upper BananaNepal

(I) Eminent Annapurnas

We woke up in Chame, still below 3000m. There we saw, for the first time, the snowy and highest peaks of the Himalayas. From there, we set off for another walk along the Annapurna Circuit through the foothills and slopes of the great mountain range. towards Upper Banana.
Ethnic
Pueblos del Sur, Venezuela

The Pueblos del Sur Locainas, Their Dances and Co.

From the beginning of the XNUMXth century, with Hispanic settlers and, more recently, with Portuguese emigrants, customs and traditions well known in the Iberian Peninsula and, in particular, in northern Portugal, were consolidated in the Pueblos del Sur.
sunlight photography, sun, lights
Got2Globe Photo Portfolio
Natural Light (Part 2)

One Sun, So Many Lights

Most travel photos are taken in sunlight. Sunlight and weather form a capricious interaction. Learn how to predict, detect and use at its best.
Puerto Rico, San Juan, walled city, panoramic
History
San Juan, Puerto Rico

The Highly Walled Puerto Rico of San Juan Bautista

San Juan is the second oldest colonial city in the Americas, after the Dominican neighbor of Santo Domingo. A pioneering emporium and stop over on the route that took gold and silver from the New World to Spain, it was attacked again and again. Its incredible fortifications still protect one of the most lively and prodigious capitals in the Caribbean.
EVIL(E)divas
Islands
Male Maldives

The Maldives For Real

Seen from the air, Malé, the capital of the Maldives, looks little more than a sample of a crammed island. Those who visit it will not find lying coconut trees, dream beaches, spas or infinite pools. Be dazzled by the genuine Maldivian everyday life that tourist brochures omit.
Maksim, Sami people, Inari, Finland-2
Winter White
Inari, Finland

The Guardians of Boreal Europe

Long discriminated against by Scandinavian, Finnish and Russian settlers, the Sami people regain their autonomy and pride themselves on their nationality.
On the Crime and Punishment trail, St. Petersburg, Russia, Vladimirskaya
Literature
Saint Petersburg, Russia

On the Trail of "Crime and Punishment"

In St. Petersburg, we cannot resist investigating the inspiration for the base characters in Fyodor Dostoevsky's most famous novel: his own pities and the miseries of certain fellow citizens.
Nature
Jok​ülsárlón Lagoon, Iceland

The Chant and the Ice

Created by water from the Arctic Ocean and the melting of Europe's largest glacier, Jokülsárlón forms a frigid and imposing domain. Icelanders revere her and pay her surprising tributes.
Mother Armenia Statue, Yerevan, Armenia
Autumn
Yerevan, Armenia

A Capital between East and West

Heiress of the Soviet civilization, aligned with the great Russia, Armenia allows itself to be seduced by the most democratic and sophisticated ways of Western Europe. In recent times, the two worlds have collided in the streets of your capital. From popular and political dispute, Yerevan will dictate the new course of the nation.
Machangulo, Mozambique, sunset
Natural Parks
Machangulo, Mozambique

The Golden Peninsula of Machangulo

At a certain point, an ocean inlet divides the long sandy strip full of hyperbolic dunes that delimits Maputo Bay. Machangulo, as the lower section is called, is home to one of the most magnificent coastlines in Mozambique.
Ruins, Port Arthur, Tasmania, Australia
UNESCO World Heritage
Discovering Tassie, Part 2 - Hobart to Port Arthur, Australia

An Island Doomed to Crime

The prison complex at Port Arthur has always frightened the British outcasts. 90 years after its closure, a heinous crime committed there forced Tasmania to return to its darkest times.
Ooty, Tamil Nadu, Bollywood Scenery, Heartthrob's Eye
Characters
Ooty, India

In Bollywood's Nearly Ideal Setting

The conflict with Pakistan and the threat of terrorism made filming in Kashmir and Uttar Pradesh a drama. In Ooty, we see how this former British colonial station took the lead.
Vilanculos, Mozambique, Dhows travel along a canal
Beaches
Vilankulos, Mozambique

Indian Ocean comes, Indian Ocean goes

The gateway to the Bazaruto archipelago of all dreams, Vilankulos has its own charms. Starting with the elevated coastline facing the bed of the Mozambique Channel which, for the benefit of the local fishing community, the tides sometimes flood, sometimes uncover.
Braga or Braka or Brakra in Nepal
Religion
Annapurna Circuit: 6th – Braga, Nepal

The Ancient Nepal of Braga

Four days of walking later, we slept at 3.519 meters from Braga (Braka). Upon arrival, only the name is familiar to us. Faced with the mystical charm of the town, arranged around one of the oldest and most revered Buddhist monasteries on the Annapurna circuit, we continued our journey there. acclimatization with ascent to Ice Lake (4620m).
Serra do Mar train, Paraná, airy view
On Rails
Curitiba a Morretes, Paraná, Brazil

Down Paraná, on Board the Train Serra do Mar

For more than two centuries, only a winding and narrow road connected Curitiba to the coast. Until, in 1885, a French company opened a 110 km railway. We walked along it to Morretes, the final station for passengers today. 40km from the original coastal terminus of Paranaguá.
Society
Military

Defenders of Their Homelands

Even in times of peace, we detect military personnel everywhere. On duty, in cities, they fulfill routine missions that require rigor and patience.
Daily life
Arduous Professions

the bread the devil kneaded

Work is essential to most lives. But, certain jobs impose a degree of effort, monotony or danger that only a few chosen ones can measure up to.
Hippopotamus moves in the flooded expanse of the Elephant Plain.
Wildlife
Maputo National Park, Mozambique

The Wild Mozambique between the Maputo River and the Indian Ocean

The abundance of animals, especially elephants, led to the creation of a Hunting Reserve in 1932. After the hardships of the Mozambican Civil War, the Maputo PN protects prodigious ecosystems in which fauna proliferates. With emphasis on the pachyderms that have recently become too many.
Full Dog Mushing
Scenic Flights
Seward, Alaska

The Alaskan Dog Mushing Summer

It's almost 30 degrees and the glaciers are melting. In Alaska, entrepreneurs have little time to get rich. Until the end of August, dog mushing cannot stop.