true home hotel boracay

finding accommodation in boracay shouldn't be hard, as the island is filled with every type of accommodation available. on my last trip to boracay, i decided to go the budget route, and contented myself with a pretty spartan room at chez de paris resort.

this time around, though, susie and i put a little more effort in looking for our boracay accommodation, and eventually settled on the quaint-looking true home hotel boracay.

booking

the true home hotel website provides all the information you need--location, accommodation, rates, and contact details. when the hotel didn't reply to my email, i sent my inquiry via mobile, and got a prompt and clear response. when i expressed intent to reserve a room, they immediately asked for my email address and sent me a quotation within the day.

the quotation from true home hotel was done professionally--all the details were there, from the room type, price, and deadline of payment. their address and bank details were also included, along with clear guidelines about payment. this professionalism made me feel at ease about choosing them as my next boracay accommodation option.

in order to reserve a room at true home hotel, one needs to deposit the full amount to their bank account and fax the deposit slip to their office, or pay in person in their manila office. susie had some time to make the trip to manila, and was very impressed with the office. too bad i wasn't able to see it, but according to susie, the place was very tastefully done, and the people were very friendly.

location

fast forward to january 23. we're aboard a roaring tricycle from the boracay pier, heading for true home hotel at 8am. after about 20 to 30 minutes on the cement road, the driver pulls over in front of a golden yellow building with a cute arch for an entrance. true home hotel, a sign above it reads, and the arch frames a wooden table with two chairs, which, we later find out, is their front desk.

true home hotel is in boracay station 1, a stone's throw away from cocomangas, guilly's, and jonah's famous shakes. the back entrance, with the arch, is directly along boracay's main road, beside a pharmacy (that sells beer), and a branch of mañana, a mexican restaurant. from this entrance, there is a little path that takes you directly to the beach, which is just a few meters away from the rock/grotto. you get the best of both worlds--easy access to transportation through the main road using the back entrance, and peaceful sunbaking time at the beachfront.

check-in

upon crossing the arch, we were greeted by a friendly woman at the front desk. i smile and hand her our receipt so she could check us in. in under two minutes, i was holding a key attached to a beaded necklace (it actually made a nice accessory), and being led upstairs to room #6, where we took some time to change, put on sunblock, and freshen up before hitting the beach. this room had two twin beds joined together with a queen-sized mattress placed on top. i had specifically requested for two twin beds for this room, which was going to be shared by javi (susie's brother), and our friend eduardo. when we brought this up with the front desk, they didn't waste time and immediately sent two of their personnel to change the mattress.

room ambience and amenities

the tiled floors from the front desk make for a great introduction to the quaint ambience you will experience in this hotel. rooms in true home hotel really exude a lot of character. they feature a quaint mix of old world furniture. our room had two antique-looking wooden aparadors, which matched the mirror/dresser/sink in the bathroom.

our large room, room #7, was equipped with a king-sized bed with metal frames, a television, table, two chairs, a refrigerator, air conditioner, and in-room safe. the room made me feel at home right away--it was so clean and cozy, i felt like i was staying over at a doting aunt's beach house. i was also quite enamored with the large chandelier that dangled from the ceiling.

the wooden bathroom door slides to reveal the lovely wooden sink/mirror/dresser, with a wooden shelf on the wall to put your toiletries and clothes in. the shower had a water heater, though hot water was hard to come by during "peak showering hours."

two sets of towels are provided in each room--one set for bathing, and another, a blue-and-white-striped set, is meant to be used for lounging on the beach chairs.

service

aside from the lovely rooms, the staff was very accommodating, always ready to help and listen to our requests. they would provide us with towels when we were on the beach, even though they have provided us with beach towels in the room.

breakfast was also one of the best parts of staying in true home hotel. they have a pretty good selection, and each serving was good enough to keep you satisfied. most meals are served with scrambled eggs, tropical fruit, and a drink. selections include filipino breakfast (longganiza, tocino, tapa, or bangus with garlic rice) and american breakfast (hotdog or bacon).

value

superior rooms (the rooms we got) at true home hotel cost P3,500.00 per night--pretty good value since you get free breakfast for 2 for each room, a host of useful amenities, friendly service, free wi-fi (though it's quite slow), and a location that keeps you close to everything. each superior room can accommodate a maximum of 4.

guests of true home hotel also enjoy 5% discount at aria, cafe del sol, mongkok, and true food. island activities can also be booked through the front desk, so you don't have to entertain those touts along the beach.

if my review of true home hotel boracay has convinced you to book a stay there as well, make sure you reserve right away. this lovely hotel only has 9 rooms available. :) you can also view my photos of true home hotel.

hotel information

true home hotel boracay

boracay address: balabag, boracay island

phone number: +63 36 2883784

manila office address: 1850 vasquez street, malate, metro manila

phone number: +63 2 4041464

mobile number: +63 906 4925578

email address: reservations@truehomehotel.com

boracay photos

i'm still drawing up the blog post for the boracay trip and my review of true home hotel in boracay. in the meantime, you guys can feast your eyes on the photos, although, i have to admit, they're not very good. :p

just click on the link:
no-booze boracay
true home hotel boracay

i'm back from boracay!

hallo thar! :)

i'm back from boracay all heavy and fat from all the food i ate. i got sick on my wedding day (i lost my voice! it was such a challenge entertaining guests using charades techniques), and i couldn't drink alcohol on my pseudo-honeymoon.

regardless, boracay did not disappoint. while i felt sad when we docked and saw the many buildings occupying the island, i was still able to have some seaside fun. :) we did the old-fashioned island hopping trip with some snorkeling and seafood lunch, but most of the time, we were just by the beach, lounging, taking some sun, drinking (alcohol-them, fruit shakes-me), and eating (prawns, prawns, prawns).

will post photos soon (i forgot the card reader at home!). boracay still rocks!

boracay package up for grabs!

start the year right by winning yourself a free boracay getaway!

check out www.boracay-packages.com and find out how you can win a boracay vacation for you and a friend.

Win a Free Boracay Vacation Package by WOW Philippines Travel Agency
WOW Philippines Travel Agency, Inc. is celebrating it's 5th year in business during July of 2010, and we would like you to have a chance to celebrate with us, so we have decided to give-away a FREE Boracay Package complete with 5 Star accommodations at the luxurious Le Soleil de Boracay Hotel on Boracay Island. The lucky winner will win the following Boracay vacation package.
Vacation Package Inclusions:
- 5 Days / 4 Nights Luxury 5 Star Accommodations at the Le Soleil de Boracay Hotel

- Flights to Boracay from Manila to Caticlan Airport on Philippine Airlines

- Island Transfers - Door-to-Door from Manila to the resort and back to Manila Domestic Airport

- Three (3) Meals each day, Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

- Boracay Activities - Horseback Riding, Island Hopping, Glass Bottom Boat

- PLUS - 5,000 peso Spending Cash

Read More Information: http://www.boracay-packages.com

boracay on a budget

boracay seems to be on most people's list of places to see. most people have this impression that it costs so much to go and stay there, but actually, you can enjoy boracay for less than P10,000.

i remember when airfares to boracay would cost around P7,000 per person. today, flying can cost somewhere between P3,000 to P5,000, depending on the airline. cebu pacific's go fares come to about P3,000 to P4,000, depending on your departure date and time. seair and asian spirit are more expensive, but they land in caticlan already, saving you about P200 on bus or van ride.

we were pretty lucky that the philippine travel mart was on when we decided to go. we were able to score P2,705 roundtrip fares via seair, which lands on caticlan. because of the season and the condition of the waves, we had to go to tabo port instead of the other port that i've grown familiar with. we took a tricycle ride for P70.

upon arriving at the airport, we were charged P50 each for environmental fees and P2 for the terminal fee. the boat ride itself costs P19.50 per person. when you get to tambisaan port, which is the boracay end of the ride, you'll be charged P20 for a non-chartered tricycle ride to boracay civilization (a chartered, or "special" trike ride goes for about P100). i don't recommend walking from the port to your resort. i highly doubt you will like it.


for accommodations, low season offers the best rates (but not the best weather). still, boracay still has a certain allure even when the sun is behind the clouds. we were able to get a beachfront room at chez de paris, at station 2 (beside le soleil de boracay) for P1,120 a night. we were surprised to find two double beds in our room, so if there are four of you, P1,120 a night comes to about P280 per person, per night. can you say affordable? :) during peak season, accommodation costs will double. so that's about P560 per night. still not bad.






and finally, the food. there are many, many, many choices in boracay when it comes to food. in fact, because of the rain, all we did during our visit was to stuff our faces till we were about to burst. there's something for everybody--grilled, greek, portuguese, seafood, japanese, chinese, pinoy. since our beach activities were limited, we devoured food every chance we got, and spent about P1,000 a day. take a look at what we ate:



you can order a la carte, stuff yourselves with a buffet, or enjoy tiny snacks through the barbecue kiosks that line the path. if you're thinking of splurging on food, it's safe to allot P500 per meal, so that's P1,500 a day. but if you're a big group, you can order large dishes and share. nightlife expenses (read: beer and other alcoholic drinks) doesn't need to cost so much. just choose your establishment well. you can buy a bottle of beer for about P30 to P50.

here's a rundown of our expenses for this trip (per person, unless otherwise stated):



rates will change by the season, of course, but still, a visit to boracay need not be the daunting trip everyone expects it to be. with a little research, and some stubborn haggling skills, your visit to this island need not be an experience in bankruptcy. :)

check out my boracay pictures here and susie's photos here.

travel details:
airlines plying the manila to caticlan route:
air philippines
asian spirit
south east asian airlines (seair)

airlines plying the manila to kalibo route:
cebu pacific
philippine airlines

chez de paris resort
station 2, beside le soleil de boracay
mobile number: 09212516300

back from boracay

i saw a different boracay this weekend. our luck with getting cheap tickets and taking advantage of low season accommodations came with a price: it was stormy in boracay.

because of the strong winds, large screens made of wood and plastic were up along the shore, protecting the resorts, restaurants, and other establishments. waves were strong, skies were dark. this made donning a bikini quite inappropriate and somehow stupid.

yet i had a great time!

while boracay is known for its sand and the water, i still had fun even though i didn't get any beach time. i only got to dip my lower extremities before calling it quits due to the cold. there's so much more to this island than dips in the sea and baking on the beach.

the island has progressed so greatly. i was one of those who was against all the concrete buildings and modern shops. yet even with the line of clothing stores in d'mall, and all the modern, concrete resorts, boracay still hasn't lost its charm. it still offers a lot, probably even so much more, than your run-of-the-mill beach.

the strong winds didn't kill the action on the beach. while swimmers should be more cautious, kiteboarders were having the time of their lives, all taking advantage of the wind. i couldn't help but feel a pang of envy as one of the kiteboarders coasted above the water, the kite carrying him over the breaking waves.

the usual boracay beach activities were still being offered by more than a dozen men, all carrying their rate cards. on the other side of the island, you can still go parasailing, snorkeling, and island hopping. but susie and i decided not to go, because the weather was pretty unpredictable. besides, we were content with walking the long stretch, and exploring an establishment every now and then.

but i think, what makes boracay really exceptional is the food. there are just so many choices, especially now that d'mall has built more "wings." i had just been away for a year, and already, the choices have grown tenfold! i actually hated myself for just booking three days. so little time to devour all the food i wanted!

and as for my promised article on boracay expenses, i am glad to report that a trip to the island did not cost me much. i didn't reach five digits for this trip. :) so stay tuned for that one.

lookit how much fun we had by checking out my photos!
susie's photos are in this album.

two more days!

in two days' time, i will be off to boracay to escape work. :) it's been a while since i've gone on a trip, and the cheap fares at the last travel mart convinced us that we should try and go to boracay already. might get me back in the "gotta go!" groove.

this is going to be my first time to see the island during low season, so it's going to be a different experience from my usual holy week trips there. i am looking forward to having the beach to myself. and to playing in the rain by the sea. and to eating till i burst. and to downing fruit shake after fruit shake.

i also can't wait to find out how much i'll be spending. i'm hoping to write something about going to boracay in less than Px,000, to encourage those who are daunted by the "image" of boracay being an expensive vacation island.

so stay tuned! here's hoping we don't get stranded on the island! :D